BallisticAspiraSeries
Latest
Ballistic's new Aspira case line for iPhone 5
This will be a rather quick review, not just because silicone iPhone 5 cases are quite commonplace, but because there are mainly just good things to say about these new cases from Ballistic Case. They're all members of the Ballistic Case Aspira series for the iPhone 5 (US$34.99), and three readers will have a chance to win one. Design The Aspira cases are lightweight, skinny, and colorful. Ballistic has come up with seven cases in the series that will attract the attention of just about everyone. There's a white case with imperial blue accents, a white case with a pink flower pattern, an eye-jarring mint green case with strawberry pink accents, a much more soothing raspberry case with gray accents, a black case with a charcoal gray hexagon pattern and accents, a black case with lime green accents and a black case with gray accents. All of the cases are made of a glossy material excecpt for those accents that cover the corners, ends, and front of the case -- those are made of regular silicone material for shock absorbency. The cases are really light, just a featherweight 0.9 ounce, and they add just a tiny bit of thickness to your sexy iPhone 5. The flower and hexagon pattern cases offer an extra measure of "grippiness" to an otherwise slick surface; something to think about if you want to keep a good grip on your investment. Functionality A good case should provide protection and add some style to your phone, and the Aspira series touches all the bases. Ballistic is well-known for putting a touch more thickness into the corners of their cases which really adds to the impact protection. The cases are all dual-layer, so the back of the case not only has that shiny surface for protection but an inner silicone layer of cushion as well. The non-patterned models use an anti-scratch coating to keep the glossy surface from getting beat up. I like the way that the Aspira cases fit on the iPhone 5. The cases are easy to install and take off, but the fit is snug enough to keep the cases from falling off. One of my pet peeves with some other silicone cases is that they can have a tendency to "sag" a little and look sloppy; that's definitely not the situation with these cases. Conclusion While I think the Aspira series cases might be a little more pricy than they should be, Ballistic has come up with a very functional and attractive line of cases. Pros Good protection for your iPhone 5, particularly on the corners where there is extra padding Fun and bright colors and patterns Textured cases provide a good gripping surface Shiny cases are treated with an anti-scratch coating Cons A bit on the expensive side for a silicone iPhone 5 case. Look here for generic silicone cases for less than $10. Who are they for? iPhone 5 owners who want a thin, lightweight, and attractive case that provides excellent protection. Giveaway Three TUAW readers are going to win an Aspira series iPhone 5 case from Ballistic. We have one white with the pink floral patter and accents, one black with the grey hexagon pattern and accents, and one black with green accents. Here are the rules for the giveaway: Open to legal US residents of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia and Canada (excluding Quebec) who are 18 and older. To enter, fill out the form below completely and click or tap the Submit button. The entry must be made before May 2, 2013, 11:59PM Eastern Daylight Time. You may enter only once. Three winners will be selected, each winning a Ballistic Aspira series iPhone 5 case valued at US$34.99. Click Here for complete Official Rules. Loading...
