The BookBook from Twelve South has long been the best and most luxurious leather wallet case for iPhone, but it has a new contender from Acase that wants to steal its crown. It’s called the Collatio, and in many ways, it’s very similar to the BookBook.

As well as holding your iPhone 5, the Collatio holds up to three credit cards, and features a larger pocket for bills, receipts, and anything else you’d like to stuff in there. It provides access to all of your iPhone’s buttons and ports — though you will need to open it up to use the volume buttons and mute switch — plus its front- and rear-facing cameras.

The biggest difference between the Collatio and the BookBook, however, is the price. While Twelve South’s offering will cost you $60, the Collatio is just $40. But is it as good?

The Good

The Collatio is certainly just as pretty — if not prettier — than the BookBook. I’m actually a big fan of the BookBook’s vintage book look, but if you’re not, then that’s one point to the Collatio. It comes in brown and it’s made entirely from genuine leather.

The Collatio looks good from every angle.

The front and back covers are shiny, while the spine is a softer chamois-like leather. It looks smart and sophisticated and exactly how you’d like a leather wallet case to look. There’s a small Acase emblem on the bottom corner that I wish wasn’t there, but it doesn’t look too bad.

The Collatio feels comfortable in your pocket, and even more comfortable in your hand. It’s soft and smooth, and its spine provides plenty of grip. It’s also very flexible, so you can fold the front cover around to the back when typing or taking a call, and when you close the Collatio’s front cover it stays closed — it doesn’t stick up like the BookBook tends to.

Inside the Collatio you’ll find three credit card pockets, plus a larger pocket for cash. You could probably cram more cards into those pockets if you want to, but it makes them harder to remove, so it’s easier to just stick one in each.

Your iPhone is held inside a leather frame that covers the sides of your devices, plus the bezels above and below the display — though the home button, speaker, and front-facing camera are left exposed. Nothing secures the iPhone in place, but the leather is tight enough to stop it slipping out.

The Collatio’s build quality is fantastic… a lot of care has clearly gone into its production.

On the back of the case, you’ll find one cutout for your rear-facing camera. It’s just about big enough, and I didn’t notice any reflection issues when taking pictures with the flash.

The Collatio’s build quality is fantastic. It’s made from high-quality leathers and a lot of care has clearly gone into its production. The sticking looks clean and tidy, and it’s super strong. The Collatio isn’t immune to a few scratches, but they add life to the case, and you’ll find a used Collatio looks better than a brand new one.

The Bad

Although the Callatio stays closed on your desk, the front cover isn’t fixed down, so if you drop your iPhone there’s a chance it’ll flap open and leave your display exposed.

The cutout for the mute switch is nowhere near big enough — my mute switch is mostly covered up.

This wasn’t a major issue for me. Having magnets inside the case to keep it closed, or some kind of fastener, only adds bulk and weight and makes it harder to get to your device. But it’s something to bear in mind.

One thing that did bother me was the leather frame that holds the iPhone inside the case. It works well for the most part, but the cutout for the mute switch is nowhere near big enough — my mute switch is mostly covered up, and it’s really difficult to use.

The back.

In fact, I’ve gotten used to just folding the leather back at the side to get to the switch, but over time that’s caused it to stretch and go a little slack, as you’ll see from some of the pictures showing the inside of the case.

The other issue I had with this leather frame is that it’s not easy to get your iPhone out once it’s in there. There’s no pull tab like the original BookBook had, so you have to put your iPhone up from its base… only there isn’t really enough room to get your thumbs in there.

Removing your iPhone from the Collatio once it’s in there, then, is a bit of a struggle. I would have much preferred it if Acase used the same plastic housing that Twelve South used in its latest BookBook case. Not only is it easier, but it’s not as bulky, either.

The Verdict

I’ve mentioned before that I like iPhone wallet cases, and the Collatio is one of my favorites. It looks terrific, its build quality is great, and it does everything you want a wallet case to do.

I’d much prefer a plastic iPhone holder rather than a leather one, but then again, I think I’d happily live with the leather for the $20 saving the Collatio brings.

If you’re looking for a great leather wallet case for your iPhone 5, definitely check out the Collatio.

Product Name: Collatio
The Good: Looks great, feels great, and is very nicely priced.
The Bad: Leather iPhone holder is a little fiddly.
The Verdict: At $20 cheaper than the BookBook, the Collatio will be a better buy for many. It’s one of the best wallet cases I’ve tested to date.
Buy from: Acase



Tags: Acase, bookbook, cash, Collatio, credit card, Good, iPhone 5, leather, review, twelve south, wallet

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Article source: http://www.cultofmac.com/228375/acase-collatio-for-iphone-5-a-great-wallet-case-at-a-great-price-review/

I want to upgrade half way through my contract but cannot without spending a fortune? Should I buy the iPhone 5 or wait for the 5S, or should I just wait for the iPhone 6? These questions arise often and this has steered us onto the iPhone 6 release date with contract deliberation, and about buying a new iPhone now or playing the waiting game.

As we all know the iPhone 5S will probably be a refresh of the 8-month old iPhone 5 with a few more features, and now is the time to really think hard if it is worth purchasing your iPhone 5 now or is it more practical to wait for the next release.

Even though the iPhone 5S is expected to release this year it will look like the iPhone 5 with spec tweaks on the inside, so if it were a choice we had to make we would wait until 2014 for the iPhone 6, but everyone has a choice.

If you are considering buying the iPhone 5 because you really like it then wait a few more months and get the new iPhone 5S, the reason for doing this is simple, if you decide to purchase the iPhone 5 now on contract you will not be entitled to the iPhone 5S this year or the iPhone 6 next year because you will be stuck in a 2-year contract, which most contracts of today are about 2 years, unless you decide to break the contract and pay the difference in what you still owe.

Should I buy the iPhone 5 now or wait for the iPhone 5S or wait longer for the iPhone 6?

The iPhone 5 is a stunning phone, but like most smartphones it comes with its problems, but these are teething ones. It is a stunning smartphone with a lot of capabilities, and if you really want to purchase an iPhone 5 right now we would suggest wait it out and get the 5S, and if you already have the iPhone 5 and want the 5S we would suggest waiting for the 6 as this will be a lot different in terms of specs and technology.

You buy a new iPhone 5 today May 22, 2013 and you take out a new 2-year contract, this means you will have to wait until May 22, 2015 before you can upgrade leaving you missing out on the iPhone 5S, and if the iPhone 6 releases in 2014 you will miss out on this phone as well unless you adopt the early upgrade, and this will not be cheap.

iPhone 5 is old hat now
The iPhone 5 is no longer a new smartphone on the market, it is 8 months old, the iPhone 5S will probably feature iOS 7 but then this would be available for the iPhone 5, but the build quality on the 5S will be better than the 5. In simple terms, wait for the iPhone 5S if you really want to own an iPhone.

Carriers such as T-Mobile for example offer early upgrade options and if you are still in contract this does not mean you cannot get the new iPhone 5S when it releases, T-Mobile mentions that customers can pick the phone they want and they will give you a 25% discount on the monthly payments you have, they will recycle your phone for extra cash etc.

As we know when the iPhone 5S releases the carriers will open their doors to new customers, buying customers and those that are eligible for an upgrade.

New iPhone Customer
Wait for the iPhone 5S and do not purchase the iPhone 5, you will still have to play the waiting game for the iPhone 6 expected in 2014 if you are on a 2-year contract.

iPhone 5 Customer
If you plan on getting the iPhone 5S on contract once it releases we suggest waiting for the iPhone 6, there is not going to be major difference with the 5S. iOS 7 is what will change the iPhone 5S and current iPhone 5. Ok, so the new iPhone 5S will have a few more specs and maybe it will be a little faster, not hardly worth writing home about is it?

Customer already in a contract
If you are an owner of any phone including the iPhone 5 and you still have a running contract and wish to get the iPhone 5S, then be willing to wait 2-years before you can get your hands on the iPhone 6. Yes you can break your contract but be ready to dig into your pockets.

Please let us know if you will be getting the iPhone 5S or if you will be waiting for the iPhone 6?

Article source: http://www.phonesreview.co.uk/2013/05/22/iphone-6-release-date-with-contract-deliberation/

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iPhone 5 jailbreakers are left looking at the list of improvements and changes in the iOS 6.1.3 and iOS 6.1.4 software updates and wondering if Apple released the updates just to screw with their jailbreak efforts. The first update referred vaguely to Apple Maps changes for users in Japan, which in addition to being oblique, didn’t make sense within the context of Maps updates being made on the server side anyway. The second update referred to a change in the iPhone 5 speakerphone operation, and to this day no one who has installed it has been able to identify what that change is.

The most significant effect of both the 6.1.3 and 6.1.4 updates is that they’ve derailed any progress which may have been secretly made by jailbreak teams working to take down the two updates. Those teams had stated they weren’t working on the former for iPhone 5 and iPhone 4S, but the feeling within the jailbreak community was that they were simply doing so under cover of darkness so Apple wouldn’t be able to foil their efforts. Since the release of the latter, no iPhone 5 jailbreak team has made so much as a peep about its revised plans.

Sure, there may have been minor bug fixes in both the iOS 6.1.3 and the iOS 6.1.4 updates. But one has to wonder if Apple’s primary motivation may have been to scrub out any iPhone 5 jailbreak progress made up to that point.

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Article source: http://www.stableytimes.com/news/iphone-5-jailbreak-were-ios-6-1-3-6-1-4-released-to-screw-with-us/

Looking to buy the iPhone 5 – there may never be a better time !

The iPhone 5 may have been out-shined lately by newer smartphones like the Galaxy S4 and the HTC One yet it still has the same features and specification that everyone raved about when it was launched way back in September, 2012.

The iPhone 5 is still one of the bestselling smartphones of all time in the UK so it’s interesting to come across such a great offer from O2 for such a desirable handset.

The offer forms part of O2’s Refresh tariff and is available until 29^th May and gives you the chance to get the iPhone 5 64GB version for £37 a month with a low up-front cost of only £100 – the up-front cost outside of the promotion was £270 – representing a saving of £170.

To take advantage of this great offer, you’ll need to head to an O2 shop as its only available in store or if your already an O2 customer then you can take advantage of this offer over the phone. A 2 year contract applies.

If you need to check out how any details about the iPhone itself you can read 3G’s iPhone 5 Review here. 3G also compared the iPhone 5 vs the HTC One which we found to be a close call – find out more here.

By Kevin Thomas on 22nd May, 2013

Tags: Apple iPhone 5

By Kevin Thomas on 22nd May, 2013

Article source: http://www.3g.co.uk/PR/May2013/iphone-5-gets-a-price-refresh-downwards-by-170.html

Wallets: I hate them, but having loose coins in your pocket which fall out every time you sit down is worse. Especially in a country where the coins are actually worth something. Right now I have a typically over-engineered German wallet which will probably last me forever, but I like the look of SF Bags’ new Finn. It’s flat, it holds cash and cars and – if you pick the bigger model – it also has space for your iPhone.

The Finn comes in two sizes and six autumn-y colors. The 25 holds 20-ish cards plus “a nice wad of cash,” and the 27 is a little wider, accommodating your iphone 5. Both have self-locking YKK zippers which open up on two sides, letting you get into the wallet without letting everything fall out.

The price isn’t bad either: $35 for a hand=stitched Italian leather wallet. And if it’s up to Waterfield’s usual high standards it should last you a good long while.

Source: Waterfield

Thanks: Heidi!

Article source: http://www.cultofmac.com/228315/finn-wallet-holds-cards-cash-and-your-iphone-5-stays-thin/

Trü Protection is trying to simplify the process for iPhone 5 owners with a mounting system intended to automatically align a phone and a screen protector.

It’s called Trü-Fit, and here’s how it works.

Inside the package are screen cleaners, two protective screens and a tray.

Obviously, use the cleaners to clear your phone screen. When the glass is prepped, take the protective screen cover and slide it into the tray. You then peel back a tab that exposes an adhesive. Then the phone goes into the tray, face down, over the sticky screen protector. Press your phone into the tray firmly, then pop it out of the tray. The screen protector should be affixed.

It should, but I failed at my first two tries. By the third, I figured out exactly how to line up the protector in the tray, which must be just so.

It is easier than applying a protective screen without a tray, but still requires some attention and patience.

By the third try the protective screen came out reasonably well centered and I was able to press the few small bubbles out from under the protector to the edges where they disappeared.

The screen protectors are $20 a pair and have a matte anti-glare finish. I thought the matte finish made the screen easier to see once I increased my screen brightness, but that eats more battery power.

It is impossible to say how much protection you get from a film like this, though. As I have written before, there is no standard for testing these protective films. At the very least, it’s not likely to do any harm.

Article source: http://gadgetwise.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/05/22/a-fitting-screen-protector-for-the-iphone-5/