REVIEW – If you are fully bought in on the iPhone train, then every September brings a new phone and the opportunity to switch up the case you’re running. One such contender is the Native Union Active Case which is now available for iPhone 17 series devices. There’s also a ride along option of the Active Wallet Stand for some of your cards and some added functionality.
⬇︎ Jump to summary (pros/cons)
Price: $49.99 for Active Case | $39.99 Active Wallet Stand
Where to buy: Case and Stand on Amazon | Case and Stand on Native Union Website
What are they?
The Active Case is an eco-conscious, protective case available for each of the iPhone 17 series phones. The Active Wallet Stand holds up to 4 cards and with its built-in hinges, doubles as a phone stand that works with any MagSafe compatible case.
What’s included?
- Active Case
- Active Wallet Stand
- Each is sold separately and just the product is in the box
Tech specs
Active Case
- Precision-tuned Camera Button crafted from high-grade, scratch-resistant glass allows for seamless use with the Camera Control feature for smooth and reliable photo and video control
- Crafted with a durable, recycled & animal-free leather alternative
- Smooth & shock-absorbing frame made with 100% recycled materials
- Worry-free carry with drop protection up to 10ft / 3m
- Recycled microfiber lining, raised edges, and a closed-bottom structure for extra care
- Compatible with MagSafe charging & accessories
Active Wallet Stand
- Carry lighter with a slim design that houses 4 of your most essential cards
- Unfolds into a phone stand for easy hands-free access in portrait or landscape anywhere you go
- Compatible with MagSafe cases and phones via strong built-in magnets
- Crafted with a durable, recycled & animal-free leather alternative
- Seamless access to your cards with rear access port – just slide out
Design and features
The Active Case is now available for the 17 Pro, the 17 Pro Max, the 17 and iPhone Air. It comes in the following 4 colors. Black, Apricot Crush, Slate Green and Sandstone.
Most notable is the perforated alternative leather on the back which both makes a visual impression and feels great to in the hand. Inside is a microfiber layer to protect your phone.
All buttons are protected with covers that have great tactile response. You can also see the care that Native Union has taken on the dedicated camera button which uses scratch-resistant glass to allow for smooth operation.
Additionally, the entire camera “plateau” is covered and protected. The lenses, sensors and microphones all have dedicated openings to work without any interference.
As for the Active Wallet Stand, it shares the same core material and texture so when attached to the case via MagSafe, it feels like a natural extension of the phone. The front pocket shown below holds 2 cards easily, and after a little use can handle 2 cards and a driver’s license.
Inside is a window into that same front pocket and one additional slot on the opposite panel for another card or two depending on thickness. In between you can see that tuned hinge that allows you to open to almost any angle up to flat and have it stay there securely.
The Active Wallet Stand comes in the same four colors plus an additional lemon option.
Performance
Since you know how to pop a phone into a case and load cards into a wallet, we’ll skip the setup steps. As you can see below, these two make a pretty sweet looking combo. I received both in Sandstone and have the Case on an Orange iPhone 17 Pro.
The STANDout feature (see what I did there?) is the Wallet’s Stand function. It let’s your phone work in portrait (as would be expected) and also in landscape shown in the lead photo. Below you can see the stand in action as well as that front pocket holding 2 credit cards and a driver’s license.
That window inside the front pocket is great for showing a driver’s license without needing to remove it, and the window doubles as a way to help push the cards out when needed. It can be a bit tough until the pocket starts to relax a bit. The back pocket can also hold 2 cards, or 1 thicker wallet tracker like I have below. Note that since the back has the MagSafe array, it’s very non flexible which can make getting cards out of the back pocket tough. Would love to see a thumb notch at the bottom of the pocket to help with that.
The case fits the iPhone 17 Pro very well and all the buttons work perfectly. It is worth noting that the amount of case wrap onto the edge of the screen is super minimal while still protecting the screen with a higher lip. Depending on the tolerances of your specific phone and the case you get, it is possible you may see some color of the phone slightly showing under the edge of the case on the left and right like you can see here. No big deal, but thought I’d mention it because the orange does pop. The notch at the top for the speaker is always going to reveal the phone color a bit more.
Lastly, it’s absolutely worth calling out the specific camera button cover. It’s made with glass and actually feels a little better than using the button on the phone without a case. That’s primarily because there’s a tactile difference between the case material and the glass where your finger finds that button much faster, so it makes it that much easier to use.
Final thoughts
Native Union has a great case here and the colors are pretty sweet. The camera button is fantastic and the textured back had some coworkers picking it up to check it out. The wallet is also a great add-on due to it’s built-in stand feature. I ended up using it way more than I anticipated, especially the landscape orientation.
What I like about Native Union’s Active Case and Active Wallet Stand
- On the Case, the camera button and the full plateau cover are standouts as is the perforated alternative leather
- On the Wallet, the built in stand, friction hinge, and MagSafe connection work perfectly
What needs to be improved?
- On the Case possibly some fine tuning on the wrap over the front edges of the phone. Definitely nitpicking here as it’s hard to find any other flaws.
- On the Wallet, I’d like to see some flexibility on the back panel to make the cards easier to get out, and if you’re running more than 4 cards, this wallet is not for you.
Prices: $49.99 for Active Case | $39.99 Active Wallet Stand
Where to buy: Native Union Active Case on Amazon | Native Union Active Wallet Stand on Amazon
Where to buy: Native Union Active Case | Native Union Active Wallet Stand
Source: The sample of this product was provided for free by Native Union whom did not have a final say on the review and did not preview the review before it was published.
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