REVIEW – Recently I upgraded my phone to the new iPhone 16 Pro Max. Normally I use a cheap case for my phones, something simple that protects the back of the phone, which is all I need. My wife and I recently went on a trip to Europe and spent a few days in London and Paris. These cities are known for their great food, cultural landmarks, and historical museums. They are also known for something else: Thieves! Organized teams of thieves work together to steal phones and other valuables from pockets and backpacks and sometimes right out of peoples’ hands. My plan for deterring the thieves was to put my new phone and other valuables in a slim sling bag and wear it under my coat. This means my phone would be jostling around with other items, and thus the screen could be scratched. I needed a different kind of phone case for this trip, and that led me to the newest wallet case from Burton Goods.
What is it?
The Modern Pocket Book Wallet Case is a phone case for the iPhone 16 Pro line that protects the front and the back. It features full-grain leather, has a removeable shell, and is MagSafe-compatible. It has three slots for carrying credit cards, a magnetic tab to keep the front closed, and RFID shielding to block scanning. Burton Goods’ goal is for their brand to be “synonymous with fine-crafted products that will be your trustworthy companions through the years.”
What’s included?
The following items are included:
- Wallet case with removeable shell
- Support card
- Sticker
Burton Goods graciously included a second case in the box they sent me, the Heritage Leather Case for iPhone 16 Pro Max. This case can be used as a standalone case, or it can be used to replace the removeable shell in the wallet case, which is what I did.
Tech Specs
The wallet case has the following specifications:
- Full-grain leather
- MagSafe compatibility
- Magnetic tab to keep wallet close
- Magnetic back to keep shell in the case
- Full access to all buttons, ports, and cameras
- Slots for 3 to 5 credit cards
- Versions for the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max
- Color options in mahogany, deep amber, and black
Design and features
I chose the deep amber option, a classic, timeless color for leather. Leather covers the front and back of the case as well as the magnetic tab. Burton Goods uses full-grain leather on both of these cases, which is the highest quality of leather. It looks and feels nice; I am big fan. The thick nylon stitching is a light beige color that contrasts nicely with the leather. The vibe of the case is upscale and cultured, suitable for a night out at an classy restaurant.
The interior is all black and has a few slots for cash and cards. The shell that holds the phone provides basic protection on its own and even more protection when magnetically secured to the wallet. Overall, I love the look and the design of this case. It’s perfect for a lady to drop into her purse or a gentleman into his suit coat pocket.
Assembly, installation, and setup
The phone cases arrived nicely wrapped in cloth bags, so I opened them and removed the packaging.
My first impression out of the box was that these were both beautiful-looking gadgets. I love the look of quality leather gadgets, so they instantly appealed to me.
After handling them for a bit, I compared the removable shell from the wallet case with the Heritage case. Either of these would work just fine for me, but I prefer the Heritage case for three reasons:
- The interior is made from microfiber, which should reduce wear and tear on the back of my phone.
- The cutout notch for the iPhone 16’s new camera control is considerably larger, which should make it easier to use. (And it did.)
- While both have leather on the back, the Heritage also has leather on the sides, making its visual appearance a bit more attractive.
If I had already purchased the wallet case, would I pay the extra $80 to upgrade to the Heritage? Probably not, as I would view it as a nice-to-have but not a need-to-have; still, I’m grateful that Burton Goods sent it because I like it!
Installing phone in the Heritage shell works like you would expect: I carefully pushed it onto my phone one section at a time. It’s tight, and the iPhone is ridiculously thin, so I had to be careful and do this slowly to avoid damaging the phone. It fit perfectly, the proverbial hand-in-a-glove.
The shell connects to the wallet case magnetically, and the magnets are plenty strong. The shell never fell out no matter how I shook the case, even with the front cover open. I appreciate this stability.
One of the best features of a wallet case is its versatility. When I want max protection, I leave the shell attached to the case; when I want max agility, I pull it off.
I used the case both ways on our trip, depending upon what I was doing. One downside of the Heritage shell is that it’s slippery. The leather sides have very little grip, so I had to be careful not to drop the phone when using it.
This case is MagSafe compatible, so I tested it with a MagSafe powerbank from Anker. It charged my phone through the shell without any problems, and the magnet has a fairly strong grip. It also charged my phone when the shell was inside the case, but the magnet barely had any grip. Charging would work fine if sitting on a desk but not while being carried in a sling bag or a pocket.
The wallet case has three slots for credit cards, and they work as expected. There are plenty tight, and my cards are unlikely to fall out. How much they will loosen over time remains to be seen. It’s a bit of a squeeze, but I found I could put in two cards per slot. I think I would prefer Burton Goods to add a fourth slot just above the existing three. I put several bills into the cash area behind the card slots and found that US bills almost fit all the way in. The space back there is a bit challenging to get into, certainly harder than a traditional wallet. If I wanted a night out where I didn’t bring my wallet, this wallet case would work. For my every day carry, however, I think my favorite wallet will serve my purpose better. It’s just a bit more convenient.
I like the stitching on the wallet case. Not only does it look nice, it’s thick, strong, and carefully done.
Burton Goods’ wallet case does not include a wrist strip, nor is there a slot for one.
On our trip, I took the wallet case to places like the Churchill War Rooms and the Maritime Museum (pictured above) in London and to the Basilica of the Sacred Heart and the Eiffel Tower in Paris. My phone was both secure and protected in the sling bag, and it returned home without a single scratch. I could not be more pleased with how it performed.
What I like about the Burton Goods Modern Pocket Book Wallet Case
- Full-grain leather
- Complete protection for my phone
- Room for cards and cash
- Removable shell
- MagSafe charging
What needs to be improved
- Nothing
Final thoughts
The Modern Pocket Book Wallet Case from Burton Goods is a new wallet-style case for Apple’s newest phone series, the iPhone 16 Pro. It has a full-grain leather exterior, MagSafe charging, and places for credit cards and cash. The removable shell protects the phone when out of the case and even more when in the case. I used this wallet case on a recent vacation to Europe where I needed this extra protection, as I kept the phone in a sling bag to safeguard it from thieves. There’s a lot to love here, from the beautiful leather look to the effective magnets to the complete phone protection. This is a great case, and I commend it to you.
Price: $89.95
Where to buy: Burton Goods
Source: The sample for this review was provided free of charge by Burton Goods. Burton Goods did not have a final say on the review and did not preview the review before it was published.
