Review: The Musubo Retro's unique two-layer design should keep your iPhone 5 safe
When I first saw the $35 Musubo Retro case for the iPhone 5, I didn't immediately associate the design with that of an old retro microphone, which I realized was the intended look after checking out Musubo's website. It seemed more like some sort of skeletal rib cage that hugs my iPhone with a dual layer of silicon and hard polycarbonate for protection.
The Retro case comes in a diverse range of colors for you to choose from, including solid black or white if you're trying to match the case to your iPhone. However, the inner silicon casing is the same gray color regardless of the outer shell you choose. The outer polycarbonate shell is both hard and smooth, making it fairly easy to slip in and out of your pocket even with its ribbed—er, retro—microphone design.
Albert FiliceThe parts laid out, iPhone not included
The purpose of the case seems to be a proverbial two scoops of protection for your iPhone, providing both a soft shock absorbent inner membrane as well as a hard exterior. The outer polycarbonate and inner silicone materials aren't fused together in any way, which I found to be a little odd. You put the silicone cover on the iPhone first, then place your now semi-shielded iPhone inside the plastic outer shell to complete the transformation. It feels like you have two cases on your iPhone, and technically you kind of do. This setup seems like it would be good at offering a wide range of protection, though it feels like a hard drop might pop the iPhone out of either the floppy silicone case or the hard plastic exterior.
Albert FiliceMysterious flap, why are you here?
The silicone phone wrapper has press-through button overlays for the Sleep/Wake and volume buttons on the iPhone, but since the inner case is so squishy I found them a bit more difficult to press that I would have liked. Also, there seemed to be some sort of ambiguous flap for the toggle switch, and I couldn't tell if I should just use the toggle with the flap over it or if I should tear it off. I left it on, but I have a feeling it wasn't supposed to be there in the first place.
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