REVIEWED: Speck CandyShell CARD iPhone SE
This hard case for iPhone 5/5S/SE proves both convenient and travel-proof
If the smartphone is the ultimate travel gadget, then the phone case with a built-in wallet comes a close second. Unlike the soft faux leather designs that dominate this niche, the CandyShell uses a hard (and very shiny) plastic covering that helps make more than just a tool of convenience.
Speck CandyShell CARD review: card slot
Easily the highlight of CandyShell CARD is a gap on the back designed to take three bank/credit cards. There’s just about room in there for a note, too. However, when you come to pay for something, you do need to remove everything – it’s almost impossible to extract one card at a time despite there being an open notch along the spine to push the cards out.
Speck CandyShell CARD review: camera & cutouts
Also on the back of this weighty and tough case is a cut-out for the phone’s camera whose deep cutout doesn’t interfere with the flash. Along the bottom are cutouts for Apple Lightning as well as the headphones jack. There are also two perforated areas over each speaker on the iPhone 5/5S/SE.
Speck CandyShell CARD review: drop-proof protection
However, one of the most useful things about the Speck CandyShell CARD is that it’s one of the few wallet cases for the iPhone that is also a drop-proof case. Silicon rubber strips around all edges and corners means it absorbs impact really well; we dropped our phone twice during the review, and nothing bad happened. Those silicon strips sit above the screen so that the phone’s glass screen can never come into contact with any hard surface.
Speck CandyShell CARD review: verdict
Combining two of the must-have features of any phone case fit for travel – card-carrying and drop-proofing – the Speck CandyShell CARD proves a really good option for owners of the iPhone 5/5S/SE.