REVIEW – Always wanting to help us protect the Naked Robotic Core™ of our phones, case makers have embraced Aramid fiber as a material lately. Today’s model is from Pitaka, who make a lot of unique products for mobile computing. (I’ve had their carbon-fiber iPad mini case on my unit for years now and love it!). The one I’m reporting on today is in their Ultra-Slim line for the iPhone 16 Pro Max. It’s called the Pitaka Tactile Woven Case.
⬇︎ Jump to summary (pros/cons)
Price: $59.99
Where to buy: Company webstore
What is it?
A protective case for iPhone with minimal side and base coverage.
What’s included?
Just the case.
Tech specs
- Be Light, Be Lively – Recreating the first popular item of the Weaving+series “Sunset Moment”, we have woven an immersive blue time from sunset to moonrise.
- Incredibly Slim and Light – Thanks to our Amber Magnet Film technology, the magnetic ring is seamlessly integrated with the phone case, remaining visible and powerful while making the case thinner and lighter.
- Sleek and Secure – Enjoy the ultra-thin, sleek design, now with upgraded protection for peace of mind.
- Fusion Weaving – pioneered by PITAKA in 2021 – breaks the limits of Aramid fiber weaving. This innovation infuses a wider range of colors and inspirations into the weave, turning artistic phone cases into reality.
Design and features
Aramid® fibers, long a staple of ballistic vests, has started to make an appearance in phone cases. This is not the first case I’ve reviewed to use this flexible and strong material. I’ve been using one of these as my go-to case since I got the phone in December. The material feels very smooth and pleasing to the hand, without ever showing wear and tear the way plastic, silicone, and even leather cases do. There is no discoloration over time.
Pitika has divided their case line into three tiers: the Ultra-Slim cases, Tactile Woven Cases, and Military-Grade protective cases. The one I am reviewing is their lightest weight case, the Ultra Slim. It fully covers the back enclosure of your phone, as well as the corners and the edges between the buttons and ports. The sides come up above the surface of the screen, but only by a few millimeters. The case at all points is very thin.
The rear case has the expected MagSafe capabilities (Pitaka calls their implementation of MagSafe/Qi2 MagEZ). They have somehow made the Aramid fibers fuse together with the magnetic pieces. It’s a really thin back!
Assembly, Installation, Setup
It’s a case for your phone. Snap it on and go. With most cases with buttons, I recommend putting the edge with the most buttons in first and snapping it in like closing a book. This really isn’t an issue on this case, because the button areas are cut-outs.
Design and Performance
The coverage is pretty minimalist. The buttons are not covered, neither is the new camera control area. (Do you think of this as a button? I mean, it does press like a button, but it also can be used to slide and change settings. It’s more than a button in my opinion.)
The buttons showing in this and the other edge view photos are of an iPhone 16 Pro Max in Natural Titanium. Noth that the camera “mesa” is surrounded by a silver guard, yet the matching “Sunset” MagEZ battery pack has Desert Sand edges. This may bother some folks, so wanted to point it out.
The bottom of the case has minimal coverage around the speakers, but the charging port is not encumbered.
The camera “mesa” (the raised area around the lens system) is bordered by a ridge of a hard, not Arimid, material. I don’t think it’s metal, but it’s hard and seems very protective. When the phone is placed face-up, the lenses do not touch the table or desk it is lying on. It has a slight slope away from the peak, so it’s very friendly to your finger when you’re holding it. It is a silver color, which kinda goes against the warm hues of the Sunset pattern. The other colorway, Moonrise, fits better with the cool silver color.
Final thoughts
I have become a fan of Arimid fiber cases. I’ve reviewed several for my 16 Pro Max, and they feel smooth but not slick, while giving a good grip. The Pitaka MagEZ case snatches any MacSafe/Qi2 device I put it on: battery packs, holding rings, tripod mounts, handles – the works.
What I like about Pitaka Ultra-Slim iPhone case
- Excellent feel and coverage for a minimalist case
- Slight rise off the surface to protect the screen
- Excellent corner protection
What needs to be improved?
- Nothing, really. The whole “minimal coverage” niche is similar across brands
Price: $59.99
Where to buy: Company Webstore
Source: The sample of this product was provided for free by Pitaka. Pitaka did not have a final say on the review and did not preview the review before it was published.
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