Over the coming weeks, we’ll be reviewing many iPhone 5 cases sent to us by various manufacturers and distributors. Last week we reviewed Incipio’s [OVRMLD], this week it’s the turn of Incipio’s FAXION.
Aesthetically it’s almost identical to the [OVRMLD]. Very simple in its design, it’s quite a pretty thing to look at. The only real mentionable variance between the FAXION and its sibling, [OVRMLD], comes down to the materials used. The FAXION is very reminiscent of the iPhone 3G/3G[s] with its hard plastic construction and, just like the iDevices of old, scratching is most definitely an issue.
After a few hours of average use in a home environment I found the case had a few minor scratches already. After 5 days of use in the same environment, I found that these minor scratches had layered and had succumbed to discoloration.
In terms of size and fit, the FAXION adds no more bulk than a standard case and hugs the iPhone 5 fantastically.
The soft rubber interior ensures that there is plenty of padding for shock absorption and prevents scratching when installing or removing the case.
All ports are easily accessible and the power and volume buttons are protected by soft rubber ‘replacements’.
The raised screen-edge protects the 4-inch display from becoming scratched, although the included screen-protector does a good enough job on its own.
Incipio’s claim that this case is scratch resistant is most definitely incorrect. I tested the case for 5 days in a normal home environment & scratches appeared almost immediately.
It reminds of the problems experienced by many iPhone 3G/3G[s] users. Despite this I really did like this case and found it very comfortable to use on a daily basis.
FSM Rating: 8/10