Truffol is a new kid in the premium iPhone case block and we are fortunate enough to be given the opportunity to review its Signature Case for iPhone 5. the example we have now is a slim bumper and a leather back cover, which now that it is fitted to our white iPhone 5, looks pretty rad. i would use classy to describe the result. each set of case consists of two boxes: one with the slim main frame (which is the said bumper) and the other, the back frame and in our case, the latter is of leather wrap in what looks to be polycarbonate material, as evidence from the small hooks on the back that are meant to latch on to the main frame.
The Packaging and The Package
first impression of the Truffol is, it is sophisticated and classy. the packaging employs hard paper (or cardboard-like) cases tightly wrapped in elegant textured paper, much those found on classic bound books. form fitting foam is used on the inside to securely hold the cases in place, while a magnetic closure keep the box firmly closed. i must say, this is by far one of the most elegant packaging with have seen among the horde of iPhone cases. along with it comes the essence of the case, which is the case itself, a screen protector, and a little piece of installation instruction.
The Installation
by right, installation should be an easy peasy task, but as we progressed, we found that it may not be necessary true. the thing is, the main bumper frame is ultra slim and so by itself, it does not have much strength to it and hence, we notice a slight slag on the wee flexible frame. this is the part that will hinder a little into the installation. the main frame comes with its own beautifully crafted hard buttons which are affixed to the frame from the inside with black tape, with the exception for the mute button that requires the freedom of movement when the frame is installed to the phone. that said, the mute button comes with the item is of a loose piece which you do have to take care not to loose it.
The Main Frame
once placing the mute button in its appropriate slot or opening, we inserted the iPhone 5 partway starting with the volume/mute button side and snaps it in. to be honest, it took me quite an effort as the ‘slag’ mentioned earlier kind of prevent a smooth click and besides, i am plagued by the fear of the aluminum frame scratching the phone’s aluminum sides and back. i took a while before the phone sits in place. once the frame is securely in place, i went ahead test all the hard buttons including giving the mute button a short pacing to make sure it works flawlessly and they all did. ports are all clear and i could easily plug in iPhone 5 standard issue headphone and the Lightning connector without hindrance.
The Back Cover
the back cover is a rigid piece that appeared to be crafted from polycarbonate of sort and wrapped in elegant textured leather and the cover itself sports tiny L-shaped hooks (not wrapped in leather of course) that are supposed to slot and slide to lock with the main frame. the tolerance is pretty tight, in my opinion and the hooks look pretty frail to me, so we would advise extra care to be taken when handling the back cover. installing the back cover requires me to start slightly offset to the frame, towards the top and push it down towards the frame and slide downwards. this is the part that troubles me the most. it has tight tolerance and therefore, on my first try, i did not managed to get the cover to slide in fully, but nevertheless, i did it but taking care not to exert too much force that would otherwise break the tiny L-shaped hooks. and the result is what you see in the above image.
Craftsmanship
i’d be lying if i told you that i am not impressed with the case, but of course, being a critic, perfection is near but not necessary there. overall, the finish and build of the brushed aluminum main frame is more than excellent. running my hands around the external, i did not notice any sharp edges or whatsoever. as for the leather back cover, it is presented as what true leather is, which we certainly has no problem with. but there’s a catch though. this piece is rather thin and being thin, i notice a slight weakness near the camera opening that leads to a little “flap up” at the corner. i gave it a firm push (but not too hard) and that seems to fix the issue somewhat. on the fitment aspect, the main frame certainly sits very well with the iPhone 5; no free-play or whatsoever, and we find the same fitting for the back cover when attached to the main frame.
but, do note that perfectionists may not be amused about the back and the main frame’s “cohesion”. because the back cover is wrapped by leather, it has some inherent thickness that makes it appears not to be very flushed with the main frame. yes, it is true that i am critical, but i just thought perfectionists should know about this, but most people that i asked about how this case looks, they just awe and ogle over its beauty without noticing the said observations. so it is suffice to say, this observation could be what i called “the first installation phenomenal” where every little small things seem to be amplified, but wears out after taking a few more look. also observed are the parts where the hooks goes into the main frame – you can actually see the non-leather wrap hook, but luckily they are not as obvious as the maker has take the extra effort to have the underlying material’s color to be similar to the leather’s. still it is an observation. another thing is, the bottom part of the cover which don’t seems to be completely covering the main frame that it sits on. i can still see a glint of the iPhone inside, but that’s no biggie in anyway.
Verdict
so is it a good case? it sure is. it is elegant and classy, and the build quality and fitment are unquestionable. most importantly it feels really snazzy and solid on our hands. i love that feel a lot which i thought gives the iPhone 5 a touch of class with the benefit of an all around protection. and btw, in case you are wondering, the opening for the speakers did not affect the loudness or hinder with the audio performance which is also a very important aspect of any iPhone case or bumper. scroll for a photo gallery along with some additional comments with reference to this review.
you can get yours for $60 and up, but the combo you see here will set you back at $75 a pop.
