Q Card Case for iPhone 5

CM4, the makers of the popular Q Card Case for iPhone 4/4S have released their new version for the iPhone 5, and we’ve been testing it out for the past week. The case includes a leather pouch on the backside, which allows you to store cards or money on your phone, thus avoiding the need to carry a wallet.

Product Highlights:

• Comfortably fits 3 cards (credit cards, IDs, etc) plus cash
• Lay-flat Screen Guard™ provides ultimate screen protection
• Soft-touch finish allows case to easily pull out of your pocket
• Natural Throw™ buttons maintain an organic connection with your iPhone
• Fully compatible with Lightning to 30-pin Dock Adaptor
• Exclusive patent pending soft-touch rubber and premium fabric design

My wife actually has the iPhone 4S version, and specifically uses the functionality to avoid carrying her purse in certain circumstances. I doubt I’d ever leave home without my wallet, but I figure it’s a nice way to make sure I always have a couple of business cards on me. The leather is actually fairly tight (until you stretch it some) in order to hold the cards in place, and thus it’s pretty tough to store business cards in it without damaging the cards. It does however work very well for stiffer cards like a driver’s license and credit card.

Due to the new shape of the iPhone 5, and the new configuration at the bottom of the phone, the Q Card Case had to be redesigned for the new layout. The new design features a very open bottom, allowing for speakers, headphone jack, lightning port, and presumably a lightning dock adapter. This results in a less than rigid piece of rubber running along the bottom front of the phone, which we worry will snag on things and eventually break.

In addition the case steps down in thickness at the top (once the thickness is not needed to hold cards) and actually creates an awkward feel on our hands, with two different depth dimensions. Those two changes are noticeable enough to make us not enjoy our Q Card Case for iPhone 5 as much as the iPhone 4 version. While still providing a great solution for carrying cards with your phone, it seems to be a step back in design. Both versions are available for $39.99.