Hip industrial table with screws not included.

What It Is

The AL13 Ultrathing bumper case for the iPhone 5 is a precision-cut aluminum bumper case that shows off the beautiful design of your iPhone 5 while providing some additional protection along the way. The bumper case comes in a gorgeous metal box, cushioned in with black foam, with a design aesthetic that matches the AL13 itself.

The case is in two slim pieces; the iPhone 5 slides into the back of the cushioned sides of the larger bit of metal, which has smaller cut outs for the sleep/wake, volume, and mute buttons, and a larger cut out area on the bottom that lets the iPhone speakers, headphone jack, and Lightning port breathe. The second, slimmer piece slides into a small groove along the back of the case for a tight fit.

The finish on both pieces of the review unit is a dark matte grey, evoking an extension of the iPhone 5 itself rather than an extra add on.

The Good

The AL 13 enhances the elegant iPhone 5 design rather than detracting from it.

The entrepreneurs who make the AL13 wanted to create a premium bumper case for the iPhone that was both simple and elegant. They’ve completely succeeded here with the AL13, which adds a layer of protection to the front and back of the iPhone, keeping it from touching any flat surface it is set on, as well as from any drops to the ground. The case allows the beauty of the iPhone 5′s industrial design to shine through, adding only a bare minimum of thickness. It continues to fit into my pocket and the holder I have for my iPhone on my car’s dashboard, something bulkier cases do not.

Perfectly fitted engineering.

The slide-on back piece is a perfect fit, and slides behind the iPhone to provide a snug but not too-tight fit. There are no screws or clamps or snaps to worry about, and nothing scratches the iPhone, an initial concern when seeing the design. The soft cushioning material inside the front piece nestle the iPhone in safely with no metal-on-metal rubbing, a detail of some importance.

The overall look of the AL13 enhances the iPhone 5 without detracting from it; I’ve had several questions about whether I’m toting around a new iPhone prototype, that’s how well the bumper case matches the design. There is a small logo on either side of the bumper case, one that says AL13, the other the design by m logo: a lower-case m within a circle.

The Bad

The bottom of the AL13 can be a bit on the sharp side, and boy does it vibrate.

Honestly, the only two issues I have with the AL13 are minor. The material of the bumper case is metal, which tends to transmit vibrations from the iPhone a bit more than other rubber or plastic cases I’ve used in the past. That’s not a bad thing when it’s in a pocket, but set that baby down on a glass or metal table and you’re going to hear it.

Such a pretty case for your case.

In addition, the bottom edge of the back slide-in piece is a bit sharper than the rest of the bumper case, which can lead to a bit of a sore pinky when holding the device in a portrait orientation, at least the way I do it. I tend to brace the bottom of the iPhone 5 on the inside of my smallest finger on my right hand when checking email first thing in the morning or late at night before sleep claims me. It can get a bit uncomfortable after prolonged use in this manner.

The Verdict

Ultimately, unless you own nothing but glass tables, the AL13 is a delightfully simple, minimalist, elegant design for an iPhone 5 case, and provides just enough protection while allowing the gorgeous design of the iPhone itself to shine forth. While $80 might be a bit on the steep side for many of us, for those to whom design matters, it’s a small price to pay for such a well-crafted and delightfully Apple-like iPhone case.

Recommended.

Product Name: : AL13 Ultrathing Bumper CaseThe Good: Beautifully designed, precision manufactured, and super thing. The AL13 provided enough protection for most of us, with quite a bit of style. The Bad: If you hold your iPhone with your pinky, beware. Plus, don’t set this on a glass table if you want to keep it quiet. The Verdict: For those who want basic protection and fantastic looks, the AL13 is worth every bit of the $80 asking price. Buy from: design by m

Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆ 

The post The AL13 Ultrathin iPhone Bumper Is A Sharp, Classy, And Minimalist Delight [Review] appeared first on Cult of Mac.

This post was written by Rob LeFebvre from Cult of Mac.
You can view the original post by clicking here.

Best Buy is set to knock $50 off the iPhone for a four-week promotion that starts this Sunday, AllThingsD reports. The discount will apply to the iPhone 4, the iPhone 4S, and the iPhone 5 when bought with a two-year contract on AT&T, Sprint, or Verizon.

The retailer is also expected to hold a number of “shorter-term promotions” over Memorial Day, which will see reductions on several popular, but older, Android-powered smartphones.

Best Buy’s iPhone reduction comes at a time when a number of carriers have been slashing the price of the device ahead of the iPhone 5S launch this fall. Verizon began offering the iPhone 5 for just $99 earlier this month, while AT&T was happy to give you one for free if you traded in your old iPhone 4S.

With Apple’s latest smartphone now more than halfway through its lifespan, reductions like these will likely become a more frequent occurrence as retailers and providers look to boost sales.

Source: AllThingsD

The post Best Buy To Knock $50 Off The iPhone Starting Sunday appeared first on Cult of Mac.

This post was written by Killian Bell from Cult of Mac.
You can view the original post by clicking here.

From 9to5Toys.com:

Beginning this Sunday, Best Buy will be extending a $50 discount on every current iPhone offering when purchased with a 2 year contract, reports AllThingsD.  This promotion is said to make a 4 week run and will drop the price of an iPhone 5 down to just $150.

Historically speaking, iPhones do not typically see many discounts until they near the end of their life cycle when retailers try to clear old stock.  But the iPhone 5 has been on sale a couple times already, as low as $127 from a Walmart in-store promotion.  It’s believed that increased competition from low-cost smartphones and retailers attempting to drive traffic into stores are catalysts for these promotions.

The 9to5Toys team is expecting more heavy discounts on Apple products all weekend to celebrate Memorial Day, be sure to stop by and see what’s happening.

This post was written by Dan DeSilva from 9to5Mac.
You can view the original post by clicking here.

If you drop your iPhone and you don’t have it covered by AppleCare or another insurance plan, it’s almost always cheaper to have it repaired by a third-party than it is to have Apple do it. Unless you have an iPhone 5.

Apple’s tight control over iPhone 5 components means that they’re so hard to get hold of, repair costs remain high — even with third-party services. Some have even been unable to offer iPhone 5 repairs because they cannot obtain the parts.

Apple charges up to $229 to replace a broken iPhone 5 display, which is $29 more than the price of a new device with a two-year contract. It’s also more than a third of the iPhone 5′s $650 price tag without a contract. But using third-party repair services won’t save you much. In fact, in some cases, they’re more expensive.

According to a new report from MarketWatch, some charge as much as $250 for a new iPhone 5 display. Others just won’t repair Apple’s latest smartphone at all.

“Due to the high cost of replacement parts, we are not yet offering iPhone 5 repairs,” reads an online statement on ComputerOverhauls.com. “Currently, the Apple Store is the least expensive option for repairing damaged iPhone 5s.”

If the components were cheaper and easier to obtain, repairing an iPhone 5 display would be super cheap, because it’s an easy job. AJ Forsythe, the founder of iCracked, a repair service for iOS devices, says that it takes between five and ten minutes to replace and iPhone 5 screen, because there are only five screws that keep it in place.

In comparison, an iPhone 4 display takes a lot longer, because it’s held in place by 27 screws and a whole host of tiny components. And yet the iPhone 4 costs significantly less to repair at $79 to $99.

“Market forces determine the price,” Forsythe says. “Apple sells about 300,000 iPhones a day and, as the repair market grows, prices will get lower.”

But that can only happen if Apple loosens its control on iPhone 5 components.

“Apple controls everything from the manufacturing to the gear for the iPhone 5,” says Jeff Haynes, editor at deal site TechBargains.com. “Apple is trying to get people to sign up for Apple Care for $99 and to rely on their services at the Apple store. If you don’t, that cracked screen could cost you at least $230.”

If you have butter fingers and you frequently drop your smartphone, then, an iPhone 4 or 4S is likely to be a much better option than an iPhone 5. Unless you’re willing to spend $99 on AppleCare, in which case iPhone 5 repairs aren’t anywhere near as expensive.

Source: MarketWatch

This post was written by Killian Bell from Cult of Mac.
You can view the original post by clicking here.

To be honest, I’m writing this post based solely on the awesome name of this iOS-compatible headphone amp: the Mobile Music Pump. What is it? An amp to boost the puny output from your iPhone’s headphone jack to make big headphones sound better.

According to the maker, NuForce, over-the-ear (OE) headphones need 10x more power than the equivalent in-ear (IE) headphones to do the same job. That makes sense – the OE cans are bigger after all. It’s just over two-inches long and just 22 grams (less than an ounce) in weight, and will make your headphones “sound distinctly clearer and more natural.”

I don’t know. It’s already a pain to take a big pair of headphones out of the house with me. Now I need a separate amp as well? And it’ll need charging, too – the battery life is rated at 8 hours. I like great-sounding music as much as the next man, but I’ll stick with my Koss Porta Pros for now.

The Mobile Music Pump is just $60.

Source: NuForce

This post was written by Charlie Sorrel from Cult of Mac.
You can view the original post by clicking here.