Every one of us at Coolsmartphone love our gadgets, but we all also have the same issues and problems with putting it in a case. My nice shiny new iPhone 7 Plus has been crying out for a new case to make sure it doesn’t hurtle towards the floor at every available opportunity.
I’ve been testing out a few options over the last few weeks, and here is my review of the Olixar X-Duo Carbon Case.
Full disclaimer: this case was kindly provided by the awesome people at mobilefun.co.uk, but they had no control of the review.
Design
All cases have their selling points, but not all cases are created equal. Olixar gives us quite a few selling points of the Olixar X-Duo and the carbon version I’m reviewing has:
- Hybrid dual-layered flexible body with sleek metallic bumper
- Tough, rugged protection
- Premium carbon fibre non-slip design
- Extremely thin and lightweight
- Tactile buttons
- Easily access all ports, controls & connectors
Companies can use as many buzzwords as they like, but let’s be honest here – what we all want from a case is a nice design and good protection. Thankfully the Olixar X-Duo provides both with their ‘Hybrid dual-layered flexible body with sleek metallic bumper’. The case is actually a TPU case and a separate metallic bumper, giving two layers of protection.
The gold bumper on this version matched the gold of my iPhone 7 Plus almost perfectly. Combine this with the carbon effect back, and you have a really striking look, and Olixar claims is much easier to hold. Although I’m not convinced by this, I don’t think the carbon back is any more or less grippy than the regular TPU used in other cases I have tested – but it looks cool!
Usability
The Olixar X-Duo fits perfectly, with precision cut-outs in the carbon effect TPU for the camera, flash and sensor. This may sound strange, but it fills me with a little more confidence than just one large cut out hole. This approach also looks great, leaving just a small gold rim around the camera and flash – it might not look as good as other colours, though.
The metallic bumper also has built-in buttons and not the regular cut-outs we have come to know from less premium cases. They give a reassuring click as if you are pressing the buttons on the actual handset. The bumper also provides excellent holes for the speaker that don’t muffle the sound. This has been an issue on other cases I have tried.
One thing to note however, is there is a distinct lack of space around the mute switch on the side of the phone. You can get a finger nail in to flick the switch but it is much harder than it should be. The bumper is also not as strong as I think is needed, meaning the sides of the case move around sometimes when in use. This only usually happens when pulling it out of my pocket, but on a couple of occasions I have had to put the bumper back onto the case.
The weight of the phone with the case on is bumped to 220g from the phone’s regular 188g. It is not a huge bump when considering Apple’s own leather case comes in at 215g, but is as noticeable as any other case you might choose. The two layer construction also means the case is really easy to get on and off, which helps if you like changing cases as often as I do!
Verdict
When considering cases it all come down to what you want from it. If you want something quite light, with a couple of compromises – but with great protection, then the Olixar X-Duo should be on your list! Mobile Fun sells the case in the gold version I tested, Metallic grey, Silver and even Rose Gold.