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Totallee Clear Case for iPhone 12 Mini vs Spigen Ultra Hybrid and Miracase Glass+ and More!

8:22 video

The iPhone 12 mini is the most grippable, pocketable iPhone in years, but I still get anxious about drops and scratches, so I tried cases. Totallee sent me a couple, but hasn’t paid me and didn’t see the video.

What I want in a case

  1. Slim, with moderate drop protection, and a slight lip over the front glass and camera bump.
  2. Enough grip to stay in my hand, but not so tacky it’s hard to slide in and out of my pockets.
  3. Buttons that feel good: tactile, so you know when you press them without feeling around.

Totallee Thin case

These extremely thin plastic cases provide almost zero drop protection. They’re so thin I slightly damaged them installing the phone (the fourth corner was always difficult; I used a spudger like a shoe horn), and they’re about level with the phone’s buttons. The sides are matte, like the iPhone 12 mini’s, with the same grippiness. I like their transparency and how they work with the new colors. The cutouts for the speaker and microphone are probably the most precise I’ve seen on any case, with a lip on the back for the cameras and a lip on the front for the screen. The buttons feel clicky because they’re the phone’s own buttons, a little recessed. If you want the absolute thinnest case to protect against scratches on a table, this is probably it.

Totallee Clear case

This feels like a good clear case: full TPU (the same material on the sides and back), with little dots on the inside for texture to keep bubbles from forming. It’s sturdy but not rigid, and the phone pops right in. It adds a slight bit of bulk (and protection), with lips around the front glass and rear cameras, but isn’t overly bulky. The mute switch is easy to use, and the buttons feel really good: clicky but not difficult, so you can tell instantly which one you’re pressing.

It adds needed grip to the sides: unlike the 12 Pro’s glossy sides, the matte sides of the 12 and 12 mini are a bit more slippery on their own, and this case makes the phone about the easiest thing to hold while still sliding in and out of my pocket. MagSafe charging works with this case and the others here. It has no branding or design, just a clean, clear case that shows off the phone.

Other clear cases

  • Apple Clear Case (from my iPhone 12 Pro): silicone sides and a clear plastic back. The buttons are extremely mushy, and the sides so slippery that the case slipped out of my hand while I was talking about it in my 12 Pro review. I sent it back.
  • Spigen Ultra Hybrid: similar construction (silicone sides, plastic back), but more rigid and squared off with sharper edges like the iPhone 12 itself, so you can stand the phone up. It has bumpers on the back to keep it off a surface, but the three bumpers are bigger than the camera protection, so the phone still rocks on a table. The buttons aren’t raised, so they’re a little harder to find: the power button is OK, but the volume buttons feel terrible, very spongy. It has the protection-to-bulk ratio and grip I like and is slightly bulkier than the Totallee Clear, but the buttons are a deal breaker.
  • Miracase Glass+ glitter: (glitter isn’t my style) a two-piece case with a top piece with a built-in tempered glass screen protector and a bottom piece with silicone sides and a clear plastic back. It’s quite a bit bigger and bulkier. The instructions say to separate it at a slot at the lower right, which I couldn’t find, and after a lot of prying I got it apart. I’d fear it would be extremely difficult to remove my phone, and if the glass broke, I’d worry about removing it without damaging the screen. Too bulky and difficult; I’ll probably return it. It also requires removing any existing screen protector.

Totallee screen protector

I used tempered glass protectors for a long time but recently switched to matte films from iCarez. Installing Totallee’s is straightforward: clean the screen, remove the backing, align the speaker cutout and drop the case frame on the phone (soothing to watch it adhere). It isn’t as thick as some, with softened rounded edges that keep swiping pleasant. It isn’t truly edge to edge (a gap remains even with a case), and I’d like to see a true edge-to-edge protector now that the display is flat, even if it prevents using a case.

Verdict

I really like the Totallee Clear case: my favorite so far for the 12 mini. It’s slim and protective, has enough grip without being too tacky, and the buttons feel and click the way they should. The others missed some of my requirements. What do you think, or is there something else I should try? See my iPhone 12 Pro review for how different MagSafe cases fared.

In this video

  • 0:00 intro
  • 0:40 case requirements
  • 1:15 totallee thin cases
  • 2:31 totallee clear case
  • 4:07 apple clear case
  • 4:31 spigen ultra hybrid
  • 5:32 miracase glass+
  • 6:34 totallee glass screen protector
  • 7:34 conclusion

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.

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