Twelve South SurfacePad for iPhone

Concept: 3 out of 5
Execution: 2 out of 5
Yeah, but: Short-term testing only so far.

The Long Version: Despite sounding like some horror-movie hybrid of Apple and Microsoft tablets, 'SurfacePad' is actually Twelve South's name for a family of thin leather covers. The iPhone variant wraps around the phone folio-style, using an adhesive to attach to the back of the phone to keep its bulk to an absolute minimum.

Twelve South emphasizes that the SurfacePad isn't an iPhone case, and it's really not: only those looking for sleekness should consider it. The folio cover protects the screen and provides better grip on the phone, while its minimal bulk keeps it very pocketable. This is unquestionably the case that I'd want to have for a first date or while wearing a suit, but it won't compete with an Otterbox in a drop test.

The combination of leather folio and the iPhone's metal edges looks and feels fantastic. The fit of the non-case, when positioned correctly, is perfect. The front is stiff to protect the screen and the side supple enough that the volume buttons can be felt and pressed with the cover closed. Its thinness also means that there's minimal bulk when the folio is doubled back on itself, so it can actually be used when talking on the phone, which is a weakness for their BookBook. And of course its design makes it easy to quickly check the phone and put it away again, which its aesthetic and spiritual competitor, the Sena Ultraslim, isn't particularly good for.

The double-row of stitching on the back adds a tactile cue for orienting the phone, and marks where the back cover hinges outward to let the folio be used as a landscape stand. I do find that its angle of repose is a little too steep, but with more use it may become less severe. It certainly has a more relaxed angle in Twelve South's product photos, which gives me a certain faith. This stand has come in handy for me a couple of times, but I wouldn't really miss this feature if it went away.

The problem is that I prefer to save monogamy for the more important things in life: phone cases don't merit long-term commitments. While I enjoy having the SurfacePad for a night out or a weekend, I have two other cases that I also like to use. While the adhesive on the SurfacePad leaves no residue and has withstood multiple detachments so far, it's still something of a commitment and I have concerns about its long-term viability. A month isn't nearly long enough to actually know anything about this, but the idea of it is enough to inhibit me from switching cases as often as I like.

Twelve South makes interesting products that are well thought through and cleverly designed, and the SurfacePad is no exception. I can recommend it to anyone who wants a slim cover that's easy to carry and pleasant to use, especially if it's going to be a long-term commitment.

last updated 24 jan 2014

Twelve South BookBook for iPhone

Concept: 4 out of 5
Execution: 2 out of 5
Yeah, but: Perhaps PhoneBook is too obvious a name.

The Long Version: It's a clever gag – a classic-looking leather book-shaped object that actually houses an iPhone. Twelve South – the makers of my BookArc laptop holder – have been making their BookBook laptop cases for a while now, but the iPhone model is the first one that includes the ability to hold other things. It's intended to double as a small wallet, and is equipped with slots for credit cards and a section to hold bit of cash.

But you know there's trouble when Twelve South's own promotional video makes it look a little foolish: really, it's designed as a wallet, but it's too narrow to hold cash without it sticking out and being bent over when the case is closed? And to make a phone call I need to fold the case over on itself, which means I'm flashing my ID, credit cards, and money at everyone who walks past me on the street? It blocks the rear camera, and popping the phone partially out of the case to take a photo means that the case obscures part of the screen? Nifty, sign me up.

Despite some reservations, I bought the iPhoneBook; despite how entertaining it is, it's not the most practical product. It's a good case, if somewhat bulky, with the necessary cutouts to access all of the important bits of the phone with the sole exception of the camera. It won't block the extra sensor on the white iPhone, and the mute/vibrate switch on the 4S is accessible with a carefully placed fingernail.

The problems come with the wallet function, as the narrow width of the iPhone hurts its ability to hold cash, and adding more than the approved three cards impedes the cases' ability to close. The result is that my iPhone stays in its Ultraslim case whenever I expect to make phone calls or need more than a double-folded $20 bill and a couple of cards to get me through the day; that turns out to be most of the time. The BookBook case is funny, yes, but its $60 price makes for an expensive sense of humour.

Where the BookBook case really excels is when I need to treat the phone as a small computer. Its hard cover lets me quickly use the phone and then put it away without needing to lock the screen, so it's perfect for checking maps or other quick activities, and its added size makes the phone much easier to hold. It's great to have if I'm out with a camera, commuting via subway, or just listening to music. When I spend a weekend in a different city I'll use the BookBook case along with a normal wallet – well, a Mighty Wallet, actually – to keep cards and cash in separate places. So the BookBook can be very useful, and it is nice to have as an alternative. I wouldn't want to have only one pair of shoes, so why should my iPhone make do with only one case?

last updated 16 nov 2011

Twelve South's Macbook Air BookArc

Concept: 2 out of 5
Execution: 2 out of 5
Yeah, but: Make sure you have the right one.

The Long Version: The BookArc from Twelve South has been around for a little while. There is one version that fits many different Apple laptops, including the previous generation of Macbook Air, by using interchangeable inserts within the same frame, and there's also a model to fit the now-obsolete iPad. The current 11" and 13" Air laptops – the October 2010 release – need their own specific model of BookArc that's tailored specifically to the thickness of those machines. While they have much in common, my experience is only with the one for the Air.

The BookArc itself is quite simple: it's a curve of steel with four little rubber feet and a rubber-lined fajayjay that the laptop slots into. The Macbook is held vertically, snugly but gently, with a footprint that's much smaller than what a horizontal laptop would take.

The idea behind this vertical hold is that the laptop can be used in "clamshell" mode, which just means that the lid stays closed while the laptop uses an external monitor and keyboard – it has nothing to do with Scientology. Unfortunately this is a good solution to the wrong problem. It's still clumsy, with the computer needing to start open, and then the laptop needs to be closed and moved around with all of the cables in place. Not tremendously elegant, and the reward for managing it with the Air is to use an underpowered laptop as a desktop computer. That's not much motivation if you ask me, but it's hardly the BookArc's fault. A more powerful computer, such as any non-Air Macbook made in the last two years, might make this more useful.

My bookarc is simply a reserved parking space that lets my pretty little Air take up less room on my chronically over-crowded desk while hooking up with its power supply. The fancy stand could conceivably be replaced by just about anything from a pair of bookends to a plate rail, but the BookArc does it with style. A simple job done well is all that I ask of it, and it delivers. And who knows? If my iMac does fold up its tent, I can always run my Air in clamshell mode for a day or two.

last updated 24 mar 2011