Review: Incipio LGND Folio Case for iPhone 5 (with Video)

Upon a superficial glance, the Incipio LGND Folio for iPhone 5 ($35) is a slick-looking case, and its built-in flip cover offers some protection and privacy for your iPhone’s front screen. But that’s about the sum total of positive things I have to say about this case. The LGND Folio is simply one of the most frustrating iPhone cases I’ve ever used.

The multitude of problems I had with the LGND Folio start with the poor, sloppy design of the flip cover. The cover comes without a way to secure it in place—there is no latch or magnet. As you carry the iPhone, the folio cover flops and slides about, looking and feeling like it’s half broken. When you want to use the iPhone for, say, a phone call, the cover is awkward to deal with. If you bend it all the way back, the cover creates an uncomfortable wedge shape that is unpleasant to hold. Imagine holding a triangular wedge of cheese to your ear as your phone, and you’ll get the idea.

Another huge problem area is trying to take photos with the case on. Dealing with the case’s flapping cover trying to snap a photo is quite an adventure. You can’t pin the cover to the iPhone’s back because it blocks the camera. You can’t keep the cover closed on the front because it blocks the screen and you can’t view what you’re photographing. The only option is to let the cover flap awkwardly open, where you’ll have to maneuver it just so and finagle a way so it doesn’t interfere with the shot. The best option is to remove the entire case (or perhaps just not buy the case altogether, which is what I recommend).

The fit of this case is also one of the worst I’ve seen. The iPhone 5 slides in and out of the case easily…which is not a good thing. The fit is extremely loose—the iPhone is not held securely in place when in this case—and I constantly battle against the iPhone accidentally sliding out and smashing on the ground. Just what everyone needs, a case that increases the chances of your iPhone breaking.

Not everything about case was bad. The materials used for the cover were quite good. The inner lining is a microfiber cloth that cleans the iPhone’s screen when closed. The exterior is a silicone rubber with a modern, visually appealing texture with a subtle pattern of pentagons. Unfortunately, the rest of the case is not so good quality. It’s made out of thin hard plastic, which offers almost no shock absorption. Since hard plastic cases can scratch the very iPhone they are supposed to be protecting through subtle abrasive rubbing over time, combine that with how much your iPhone will slide around in this case, and you’ve got a recipe for disaster.

The LGND Folio can double as an iPhone stand of sorts. There is a groove built into the inner lining of the cover where you can prop up the edge of the iPhone, holding it up in landscape at about a 70-degree angle. Unfortunately, this process is frustrating, as it takes a delicate hand to get the iPhone propped up just right, usually after a bit too much fussing.

Conclusion

The LGND Folio for iPhone 5 ($35) is one of the most frustrating cases I’ve ever used. It feels like no thought went into designing the case’s folio cover; specifically, what to do with the cover when you’re actually using the iPhone. It flops about with no way to secure it in place, and the cover gets hopelessly in the way when trying to take photographs and when holding it up to your ear for phone calls. There may be a great folio case out there somewhere, but the LGND Folio shows all the issues that must be overcome when creating one.

Pros:

• Superficially good looking.

Cons:

• Floppy cover lacks a way to secure it in place
• Makes taking photos extremely difficult.
• Frustrating to take phone calls with the floppy cover
• Very little shock absorption.
• iPhone slides out of case easily, creating a danger to the iPhone itself.