SAN FRANCISCO, MACWORLD/iWORLD 2013 – I don’t believe in covering my gorgeous iPhone with a case. I want it to be naked. Free. Yes, it might gather some battle scars in the process, but I think those give it character. I also don’t use a case because I just don’t want any extra bulk in my pocket, and most cases add a half inch of thickness to my svelte iPhone 5.
TwelveSouth has heard the complaints of iPhone users like me who hate using cases. They know that some of us don’t want to hide the iPhone’s beautiful design. They know I just want to be able to slip it in and out of my pocket with ease. But they also know I worry that my screen is going to get scratched or shatter, and they think they have the perfect solution.
The entire case is only 0.1 inches thick and it weighs about an ounce. With its adhesive strip on the back, you can attach the SurfacePad to the back of your iPhone. If you’re going out on a hike and need a more protective case, you can just peel the SurfacePad off and slap on a more rugged case for better protection. There’s no sticky glue residue left behind, and you can reuse the SurfacePad again and again.
A lot of people like to watch video on their iPhone or use it as an alarm clock on their nightstand, so the SurfacePad was designed so that it can prop up your iPhone with ease. In some ways it’s a lot like Apple’s SmartCover for iPad, except the SurfacePad also protects the back, and it’s thinner, but it doesn’t have the neat magnets.
We were already big fans of TwelveSouth’s other iPhone case, the BookBook, but the SurfacePad will probably appeal to more people who want to give their iPhone some protection without turning it into a plastic brick. The SurfacePad will be available at Twelvesouth.com and from other retailers next week. It comes in three colors – red, black, and white.