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Griffin Reveal iPhone 5 Case Review

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The design of the iPhone 5 looks great, which means some users want to skip a case to look at the two-tone metal back and stay as thin as possible.

While there are skins to keep the iPhone 5 safe from scratches, many users will want to check out the Griffin Reveal iPhone 5 case. This case is essentially an iPhone 5 bumper with a clear plastic back.

The packaging proclaims this is “the clear back case” which is what drew my attention to it at Best Buy last week. I like the look of the iPhone 5, but I’m hesitant to carry it around without a case that provides protection from the occasional drop.

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Griffin Reveal iPhone 5 Case – Clear back.

The Griffin Reveal iPhone 5 case strikes a nice balance between protection, size and looks; plus it’s affordable at just $20.

The Reveal iPhone 5 case comes in eight colors, the model i picked up at best Buy is blue. The most popular models are black and white, which are in and out of stock at my local store. Because the case is essentially a clear plastic back and a silicone bumper, these models help keep the look of the iPhone 5.

The silicon band provides more grip to the iPhone and doesn’t add much bulk to the iPhone. It’s still easy to hold the iPhone 5 in one hand while reaching the corners. The grip of the rubber edges doesn’t interfere with putting the iPhone 5 in a pocket or bag.

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The Griffin Reveal is essentially an iPhone 5 bumper with a hard back.

The back of the case is clear, showing off the two-tone design of the iPhone 5 back. When looking at the case head on the plastic is completely transparent. Depending on angles and lighting there is sometimes a rainbow effect to the plastic, and it is almost as reflective as the glass back of the iPhone 4S. The clear back shows smudges and some wear on close inspection, but at arm’s length most do not show.

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The Reveal iPhone 5 case comes in a variety of colors.

The are openings for the camera, headphone jack, speakers, lightning jack and mute switch. The bumper covers the power button and volume buttons. One of the nice things about the flexible rubber edge is that the case can handle larger than average headphone jacks.

This case is as close to an iPhone 5 bumper I’ve found, and I really like that the back shows through without any worry about scratching the back or sides of the iPhone 5.

Read: Best iPhone 5 Cases

I’m still partial to the Incipio Frequency iPhone 5 case, but this is certainly an excellent iPhone 5 case for users that want to show off the design, add protection and keep a thin iPhone.

The Griffin Reveal is available direct from Griffin and at Best Buy locations.

19 Comments

19 Comments

  1. Anders

    10/02/2012 at 11:46 pm

    I have the same case and have been using it for about a week now and the metal back now has little knicks from dust or something getting into the case

  2. Aranza

    10/06/2012 at 12:48 pm

    I had bought this case and have had it for a week and it started getting dust stains and I was not satisfied with this product.

  3. ben

    10/13/2012 at 2:11 pm

    This doesn’t fit the phone correctly and lets dust in which scratches the back of your phone. DO NOT BUY THIS CASE

  4. demmy

    10/15/2012 at 11:13 am

    I got the iPhone 5 clear back case from https://www.prezzydeal.com/iphone5-clear-plastic-case.html , very comfortable to hold..

  5. Squid Tee

    10/15/2012 at 12:18 pm

    found some nice bumper cases here http://www.squidoo.com/best-iphone-5-bumper-cases

  6. Joe Shmoe

    10/17/2012 at 12:34 pm

    white case turned yellow after 2 weeks of using. not worth the money

  7. jimbabwe

    10/18/2012 at 9:53 am

    this is the worst case ever. i hated it since day 2, and now after 2 weeks i hate it even more. i got the white reveal case and the white silicone is the worst type ever, where it is now the ugliest and dirtiest off white color. the back clear cover also has tons of scratches, yet the phone back still collects dust. the only good thing about this case is that the fit is good, but what’s the point of a good fit if the case looks 2 years old? ive never hated a case so much in all my iphone case trials, yet i’ve felt passionate about it enough to come here and write my first review ever.

  8. mo

    10/21/2012 at 10:01 am

    Bad protector. It ended up leaving little knicks on the back of the phone, its actually caused more damage than its saved. Avoid at all costs, its horrible

  9. Pingo

    10/22/2012 at 10:16 pm

    Want to echo the review by jimbabwe. Absolutely the worst case EVER! The clear back scratched the first time I wiped it , i.e. within an hour. White rubber picked up color off my jeans or something and had blue stains within 2 days, which won’t come off, even with bleach. So now I have a brand new phone with a case that looks like something I found in a dumpster. HATE IT!!!!!!

  10. DO NOT BUY THIS CASE.
    I’m using this case right now, as I write this review from my iPhone 5, and I am so dissatisfied with the product. I initially bought this case the same day the iPhone 5 released at a local Super Target, I took it out the packaging before I bought it, and I knew it wasn’t the best case but I needed something and it was there ::shrug::…. But by NO means was it worth the $20 +tax I paid for it. In retrospect, I could of gotten a similar case on eBay for about five bucks!… OK, on to this actual crap of a case.. It doesn’t even hug the phone close so it shakes around in the case, and the dust particles get into the case and it leaves nicks and scratches on the aluminum backing of the iPhone 5. Secondly, the adhesive that holds the rubber strip around the casing is peeling off as I type this. Honestly, the case is not even that good for showing off the product. Because the plastic on the back is super scratch prone. In the end there are absolutely no positive aspects about this “protective case”, and quite frankly, you’re probably better off just carrying your device around naked.

  11. DobyCa (@DobyCa)

    11/17/2012 at 9:35 pm

    Me, too.
    So I got Survivor Case with Stand for iPhone5 with discount and it’s really cool https://www.theideasforgift.com/en/303-griffin-survivor-case-with-stand-for-iphone5.html

  12. Raymond R. Tuazon

    11/24/2012 at 11:11 am

    DO NOT BUY THIS CASE..LAME GETS DIRTY ESPECIALLY WHITE. THE CLEAR BACK GETS DIRTY AND STARTS TO MAKE MY PHONE LOOK CHEAP

  13. Maddie

    12/01/2012 at 11:11 pm

    This case worked well at first but I see now that the back of my iPhone has little scratches in it. I have only had my phone for about 4 weeks and I am disappointed that the case I thought would protect it, actually worsened the condition. I will never buy this product again and defiantly do no recommend it anyone!

  14. Emma Cook

    01/08/2013 at 2:15 am

    WORST CASE EVER!

    My phone now looks about 2 years old, after only being 2 months old, the back is badly damaged with lots of chips out of it due to dust getting in the case.

    Tried to get hold of the company to replace the back of the phone, they said they wouldn’t because the case never claimed to be ‘airtight’. AIR DOESN’T DAMAGE MY PHONE!

    What is the point of a case if it causes more damage than if you’d had no case at all. Really really poor.

  15. Alasha

    02/18/2013 at 7:55 pm

    Do not buy this case! Awful experience! It looks dirty, I bought it three days ago. I asked at the store if they had something to clean it, they just looked at their faces… If they sell something that gets dirty so easily, they should give something to clean it. Bad quality…

  16. Marty

    03/01/2013 at 1:46 pm

    Absolute shite.

  17. Ashley

    11/25/2014 at 9:02 am

    DO NOT BUY THIS CASE! Black mold grew on the back of the case and ate holes into the back of my iPhone.

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