Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Mine is the Glow/Blacktop color. None of the other colors appeal to me at all. If this one didn't exist, I would choose Hazard/Blacktop. I wrote this just after the iPhone 5 was released, but I have revised it many times since. When I got this, there were only a few cases to choose from. I originally purchased a Speck Candyshell and had multiple concerns after 2 days. I exchanged it for the Belkin Grip Candy Sheer and I definitely prefer the Belkin. If you are considering either of these two cases, I hope my observations help you make a decision. The "Glow/Blacktop" color is a bit different from the stock pictures you find on Amazon or Belkin's web site. I got it from Best Buy and paid $35 (almost twice what Amazon charges). First difference from stock pictures: "Sheer" is a misnomer for the "Blacktop" versions. The back isn't as translucent as the stock pictures. With my black iPhone 5, it's practically opaque. I can't see the Apple logo or markings at all, regardless of lighting. I actually prefer it this way, but you should be aware that the stock pictures do not represent the product accurately. Second difference: Stock pictures used to show a Belkin "man" logo on the back. It's not there (GOOD!). Stock photos have finally been updated so it doesn't show the Belkin man on the back. "Belkin" is embossed on the side, and it looks great. For some reason, stock pictures still do not show the side buttons and switch opening. On the product page, I uploaded pictures of mine to give you an idea what it actually looks like. Other owners have confirmed that their Belkin cases are like mine and not like the stock pictures. Here's a comparison between the two cases I used: -SIZE / DESIGN / GRIP / FEEL- Winner: Belkin Grip Candy Sheer. The Belkin Grip Candy Sheer is MUCH slimmer and feels much better in my hand. It complements the thin design of the iPhone 5. In the Speck Candyshell, my iPhone 5 feels thick. The Belkin has a matte texture and the Speck is smooth/glossy. I knew the Speck's glossy surface would look terrible in a short time, so I was extremely careful with it...but the Speck case still looked horrible after only 1 day. Stock pictures do not show the side volume buttons. The buttons are black. I uploaded pictures on the Amazon product page. The tactile feel of the buttons on the Speck was actually much better than the Belkin; a surprise because my mother's 3GS Candyshell felt horrible and I believe it damaged her power button. Finally, the Belkin case goes into my pocket and comes out much more easily than the Speck case. -HOLD STILL!- Winner: Belkin Grip Candy Sheer Even though the Speck Candyshell has a bit of rubber on each corner, it slides around too easily when I lay it down screen-up. The rubber doesn't contact the table unless I lay it screen-down. The glossy finish starts to look bad very quickly (presumably from sliding around) and it simply won't stay still on hard surfaces unless I lay it face-down. The Belkin case has a soft matte finish. It still slides around easily on its back, but not quite as much as the Speck case. Both cases will stay still if you lay them face-down. The raised edge around the screen is rubber on the Speck case; TPU material on the Belkin. I prefer the Belkin's TPU material because it's much easier to get out of my pocket, but still offers some friction when I lay the phone face-down. The Speck's rubber makes it difficult to get out of my pocket and could even make me drop the phone. UPDATE: I expected the Belkin's matte finish to have scratches from sliding around after using for 2 months, but mine is still flawless after many months of wear. In just 1-2 days, the Speck case looked terrible from sliding around, even though I did everything I could to minimize it. -PROTECTION- Winner: Speck Candyshell The two-layer design of the Speck Candyshell makes it thick, so it clearly offers more protection than the Belkin Grip Candy Sheer. Still, the Candyshell's smooth back makes it slide around and might result in more drops. -GIMME BACK MY PHONE!- Winner: Belkin Grip Candy Sheer The Belkin case holds the iPhone 5 very well, but it's also easy to remove when you want to. When I try to remove the Speck Candyshell, it feels like I'm going to break my phone! -PORT OPENINGS- Winner: Belkin Grip Candy Sheer The Speck Candyshell gets this all wrong. The opening for the Lightning connector is too large (why?!). More of the phone's frame is exposed and could get scratched while you try to insert a Lightning cable. Because of the over-sized opening, the other openings are too small. The speaker/mic holes are partially blocked. Yes: The Speck design somehow manages to expose too much in one area, and covers too much in another area. -CAMERA / FLASH / MIC OPENING- Winner: Speck Candyshell The opening is slightly bigger on the Belkin Grip Candy Sheer, which exposes slightly too much of the phone's aluminum back. -CONCLUSION- I hope this helps you make your purchase decision. Comment if you have any other questions and I'll try to answer them. -MORE- I've also test-fitted various cases from Rocketfish and Incipio. Some Rocketfish and Incipio cases expose too much of the frame, or the switch/buttons don't feel right, or the switch/buttons are difficult to access. The Incipio "Frequency" handles and feels exactly like the Belkin Grip Candy Sheer. In-person, the Frequency is thinner than it looks in pictures. It's better than the Belkin on 2 points: 1. The ringer silence switch is more-accessible 2. The camera cut-out is the right size. The feel of the side volume buttons is great, but I didn't swap my Belkin for the Incipio Frequency because the Incipio's lock button feels absolutely awful. It's strange that the volume buttons feel perfect, but the lock button is mushy and hard-to-press. I opened and tested another Frequency to see if it was a manufacturing problem with that particular one. Both had the mushy lock button. -TWO WEEKS LATER- I'm sticking with the Belkin case! Unlike the Speck Candyshell, my Belkin Grip Candy Sheer still looks and feels great! I thought it would scratch from sliding around, but there are no signs of wear. I've even dropped it short distances a couple times onto a smooth cement floor. I thought the matte texture would absorb body oils, but it has not. I've never had to clean it. When I decided to purchase the Belkin case, before using it, I had planned to use it temporarily until there was a nicer case available. I didn't think I'd like the bright "Glow" color, but it grew on me. Now I love my Belkin Grip Candy Sheer and I have no desire to purchase another case. If I had to revise this case, there are only a couple minor things I would change: 1) I'd make the cut-out for the camera / flash / mic slightly smaller, 2) I'd flip the embossed "Belkin" 180 degrees. UPDATE 2012-11-09 I'm pleased to report that the official Apple micro USB to Lightning adapter (ASIN:B009CA74M6) fits perfectly with this Belkin case. The adapter is slightly wider than the Lightning cable that comes with the phone, so some other cases might not fit it.