Griffin Survivor Clear for iPhone 5C Review

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You picked up an iPhone 5C and love the color. That’s great, but you also want to keep the device safe; that requires a trade-off … Or does it? The Griffin Survivor Clear for iPhone 5C is a case that shows off the 5C’s color while offering amazing corner protection. Best of all it is just $29.99!

Griffin explains their goal in creating the Survivor Clear for iPhone 5C in this way:

We set out to give you and your iPhone a stylish and modern-looking see-through case that also protects your iPhone if you drop it… even on hard pavement.

The Survivor Clear truly does, as they put it, offer “See-through protection. Extra tough at the corners.” And at under $30 each there is a lot to like about this unusual case.

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The Survivor is made from a crystal-clear polycarbonate shell with tough, resilient TPE rubber edges that has the Survivor name is embossed on the side of the case. This added layer of protection is the key to making this case rugged without it looking and feeling like a brick.

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The case doesn’t look like a highly protective case, but it is. At the same time it also lets the color as well as the Apple logo and the iPhone name shine through. It is a strange but awesome juxtaposition between clarity and protection; I think it looks rather awesome.

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Features:

  • Crystal-clear polycarbonate shell protects the back of your iPhone
  • Tough TPE rubber at edges and corners absorbs impacts
  • Port for back camera
  • Edges molded for secure grip
  • Open ports for easy access to connectors and controls
  • Rubber button covers protect without limiting functionality
  • Streamlined shape fits easily in your pocket or purse
  • Designed to withstand a drop to a concrete floor from a height of 6 ft (higher than you will probably ever drop it from while standing)
  • Engineered to protect against 18 hrs of bone-shaking vibration, from 20 to 2000 cycles per second (imagine leaving your iPhone on the floor of your car while you drive all day on the roughest roads)

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The Survivor Clear is designed in accord with standards set by the U.S. Department of Defense for Shock/Drop and Vibration. Griffin then went to an independent testing agency that performed tests based on these military standards. That did they do? They dropped an iPhone protected by a Survivor Clear case onto a concrete floor from a height of 6 feet then subjected it to 18 hours of vibration, from 20 to 20000 cycles per second. As Griffin puts it the “Survivor Clear performed. Beautifully”.

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Having dropped my iPhone 5S not once but twice last week (and I NEVER drop my iPhone), I can appreciate the need for a case that is highly protective. At the same time, I can’t see hiding the all-too-cool looking and colorful iPhone 5C behind a thick bulky case. The Griffin Survivor Clear for iPhone 5C lets you have the best of both worlds. Best of all it lets you have that for under $30!

MSRP: $29.99

What I Like: Great rugged protection in a case that doesn’t look like a rugged case; Lets the iPhone’s color and Apple logo shine through

What Needs Improvement: No included screen protection

Source: Manufacturer supplied review sample

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About the Author

Dan Cohen
Having a father who was heavily involved in early laser and fiber-optical research, Dan grew up surrounded by technology and gadgets. Dan’s father brought home one of the very first video games when he was young and Dan remembers seeing a “pre-release” touchtone phone. (When he asked his father what the “#” and “*” buttons were his dad said, “Some day, far in the future, we’ll have some use for them.”) Technology seemed to be in Dan’s blood but at some point he took a different path and ended up in the clergy. His passion for technology and gadgets never left him. Dan is married to Raina Goldberg who is also an avid user of Apple products. They live in New Jersey with their golden doodle Nava.