All posts

Apple Leather vs Silicone Case for iPhone 14 and 14 Pro!

8:13 video

I’ve used the Apple silicone cases primarily for the last few years on all of my iPhones, so this year I picked up an Apple leather case for my iPhone 14 Pro to compare. After a few weeks, here are my thoughts.

Design and size

They look strikingly similar. Both are a plastic skeleton wrapped in leather or silicone, with the exact same size on every side, so neither is thicker or more cumbersome, and both add only minimal bulk. Even the camera bumps match: raised with leather or silicone and topped with a plastic ring.

Small differences:

  • The mute switch opening on the silicone case is slightly larger.
  • The bottom has individual speaker and microphone holes in the silicone case versus larger cutouts on the leather.
  • Both are completely wrapped at the bottom (unlike the Apple clear cases, which I skipped this year), so you may feel it when swiping up on your phone.

In the hand and the pocket

  • Grip. The silicone case is tacky (not sticky), so you get more grip. If my hands are very dry, the leather is more slippery and easier to drop. The leather case slides more freely on a table.
  • Pocket. That grip isn’t free: the silicone case is harder to get out of a pocket, for example while sitting in a car, and often pulls the pocket liner out with it. I’ve heard that complaint on podcasts and in other videos. The leather case does that much less.

Buttons

The leather case has beautiful machined aluminum buttons; the silicone case has silicone ones. The aluminum buttons look much better and feel way better: tactile, deliberate clicks versus spongy silicone. I definitely prefer them.

Wear over time

Apple’s silicone cases generally don’t wear the best. I made a whole video about it: shiny spots appear where your hands rub or the case goes in and out of your pocket, and eventually it starts to peel there. My iPhone 13 Pro silicone case, a little over a year old (not used the entire time), already has some tearing at the bottom, peeling in a corner and shiny spots. Overall it’s held up pretty well for a piece of silicone wrapped around plastic handled hundreds of times a day.

Leather develops a patina over time: oils from your hands and surfaces absorb into it and give it character, which people usually like. I used a non-Apple leather case on my 13 Pro that shows this, though not exactly apples to apples, and the wear is different for every person and device. Things I’ve noticed on the Apple leather case after a few weeks:

  • A MagSafe ring is already forming on the back from my different MagSafe docks. On silicone cases it usually wipes right off with a microfiber cloth; on leather it stays and will get darker and more refined.
  • Wrinkles around the edges where the leather is folded in will darken as it ages.
  • If you drop it, leather can tear and peel like silicone. I already have a little puncture at the top and have no idea where it came from.

Price

The Apple leather case is $59 and the silicone case is $49.

Verdict

I wish I could Frankenstein them together: I love the grippiness of the silicone, but I love getting the leather case in and out of my pocket more easily, and the buttons are way, way better. Which do you prefer: the leather case with the better buttons, or the more tactile grip of silicone? If you’re curious about the best matte screen protector for the iPhone 14 Pro, check out my video on that too.

Some links in this post are affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I may receive a small commission. See my ethics statement.

Watch on YouTube

Keep reading

Related posts