Even before Apple released the iPhone 6 Plus, there were piles of cases available for it. The Magpul Field Case was not among them. However some things are worth waiting for. I have had my iPhone 6 Plus for several months now and finally I can slip it into this awesome case.
As soon as I took my iPhone out of the box, I dropped it into a case. These devices are expensive and the screens are glass. The first case I went with was a bulky armored affair. It really added some chunk to an already large device. I also ordered an Apple Leather Case. The leather case was extremely high quality and slim, but left almost the entire bottom of the phone open.
The Field Case from Magpul strikes a nice balance between the two. It is constructed of an “Semi-rigid thermoplastic elastomer”. This is a fancy way of saying a “slightly stretchy” plastic. It stretches just enough to pop over the iPhone while covering all the angles. Thankfully it doesn’t feel rubbery or tacky. This prevents the horrid pocket lint problems experienced with other cases.
The most noticeable feature of the case are the “P-mag inspired” ribs running across the back and sides. These ribs combined with intermediate texture leave little concern for your expensive iPhone squirting out of your grip.
Protection is worthless if you can’t use your device. The Magpul Field Case doesn’t disappoint. The button covers are contoured to be easily located. The button presses are still tactile with a nice “click”. This is something lacking in many of the other cases on the market. The bottom of the case leaves openings for the headphone jack, Lightning Cable and speaker. All are easily accessible. The headphone jack opening leaves enough room that I can even plug in my Sony MDR-V6 Studio Monitor headphones. Finally, the Field Case leaves a large opening for the camera and flash. No problems with glare affecting your photos.
One thing to note is that the Field Case does not protect your screen. There is a slight lip on the front that will keep the screen from contacting flat surfaces. This will not help if dropped face down on rocky or uneven surfaces, or the eventual scratches from dirty fingers drug across the display.
While we just received the Field Case for the iPhone 6 Plus, my Wife has been using the Field Case on her iPhone 6 for several weeks. She has not admitted to any drops with it yet, but overall the condition of the case is still perfect. It seems to shrug off dirt, grime and makeup with ease. I am looking forward to seeing how mine handles range use and being clamped into the various mounts we use while filming with the iPhone camera.
At this time Black is the only color option. Hopefully other Magpul colors will be available later this year. At $16.95 the Magpul Field Case is inexpensive protection for your iPhone and like all Magpul products, it is made in the USA.
***At the time of writing, the Magpul website is not showing an ordering option. It appears that the limited initial supply has been exhausted. There are sure to be many of these in stockings this Christmas Season. Hopefully they will be back in stock soon.***
While the Magpul Field Case offers great protection for the rest of the iPhone, we needed something to protect the screen. I often lay my phone face down on tables and use it with grimy hands. Nothing drives me nuts faster than a scratch on a high resolution display. To prevent this, we turned to ZAGG.
I have used screen protectors on devices before. My last iPhone lived in a Lifeproof Case with an integrated screen protector. Most end up scratching quickly and looking horrible. In addition to the appearance, the plastic doesn’t feel as silky smooth as the Gorilla Glass Apple uses on the iPhone. In an attempt to solve both of these problems, I selected a ZAGG InvisibleShield Glass.
ZAGG has a great reputation for their screen protectors. The HDX is a polymer screen protector that advertises “extreme” shatter protection. This is the protector I selected for my Wife’s iPhone 6. She can sometimes be hard on devices as the damage to her old Lifeproof Case can attest. In contrast, I was willing to risk some shatter protection in exchange for the better surface feel of the Glass.
All InvisibleShield versions are covered by a lifetime warranty. If at any point your InvisibleShield becomes damaged, ZAGG will exchange it for a new one. This helps take some of the sting out of the purchase price and gives you some piece of mind should you botch an installation.
Installation of either the HDX or Glass InvisibleShield is extremely simple. You just peel the backer off, line it up, and press it on. The adhesive used seems to really help prevent bubbles. The “tabs” on the InvisibleShield are a great aid in holding and positioning the protector before smoothing it down. ZAGG includes a cleaner wipe and a microfiber cloth to clean your device before installation.
After installation on the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, I did notice one small drawback. Since the iPhone 6 models are curved at the edge of the glass, it is impossible for a glass screen protector to go all the way to the edge. The InvisibleShield Glass stops about a millimeter short of the edge of the device. The cutouts around the home button and the call speaker are slightly larger than I would like, but that is something I can definitely live with since it makes installation a bit easier.
The ZAGG InvisibleShield is the most expensive screen protector I have ever purchased. At $34.99 for the Glass and $24.99 for the HDX they are far from inexpensive. However they are a high quality product that will help protect an extremely expensive device. After more than a month with the ZAGG InvisibleShield Glass I am satisfied with the purchase. I can definitely recommend it for those who are particular about keeping their devices in new condition.