You can tell a lot by a person’s phone case. A basic mono-coloured case likely means you’re a practical person, a phone case with fun designs and patterns would likely mean you’re more playful—but what if you see a person with a phone case that looks like a frying pan? What institution are you checking them into?
I’m currently using the iPhone 13, and my first priority was to get a cute phone case. But as I was looking through phone cases on online shopping platforms, I noticed a lot more weird and wacky phone cases. I also found a few cheap versions of cases that would normally be more expensive—like “shockproof” cases or “MagSafe” ones.
I sought the help of Shopee to help me purchase six of the most interesting iPhone 13 cases I could find. I got some recommendations from my coworkers, friends, as well as helpful humans from the RKMD Facebook page, rolled up my sleeves, and got to “work”.
This clear MagSafe case was recommended by one of our RKMD-ers, who raved about it saying that it “works as it should”. And honestly? For the price difference, it might be more worth your money if you purchase the knock-off rather than the RM219 original.
I had no real qualms with the case. MagSafe chargers stick onto it like how they stick to the original case. And like its more expensive original, it’s a clear case that can go with almost any colour iPhone 13.
It’s also pretty similar to the original MagSafe case, as its MagSafe ring and tail are almost the same size.
While the original case is completely clear (besides the MagSafe ring and tail on the cover), the knock-off case isn’t. You’ll notice tiny little dots, which isn’t what they advertised based on their pictures on Shopee.
Its edges are more flexible than the original—which can be something you’d prefer, as it’s easier to get your phone in and out of the case. However, flimsier cases usually feel…cheaper… to me, anyway.
The MagSafe ring itself for the cheaper case is also just a sticker, whereas the original MagSafe seems to be almost engraved in the case. But the sticker is stuck pretty well so you won’t have to worry about it peeling off or budging.
Despite its minor flaws, you could easily save more than RM200 on something that works just as well.
I’m not particularly surprised that we could find something like this on Shopee. There have been other peculiar phone cases throughout the years—like the designer Moschino spray bottle phone case.
Both the spray bottle case and this pan case are fake household items. And just in case you’re asking, they also both can’t do what the household items are supposed to do, either. No, the spray bottle case can’t spray out anything to help you clean, and no, I don’t suggest you stick the pan case over a fire.
It’s exactly what you would expect as a frying pan phone case. It’s adorable, hilarious, and attention-grabbing. Picking it up to take calls means holding onto its handle and putting the bottom of the pan to your ear. It also just looks like you’re carrying a pan around when you’re out in public.
The handle itself makes for a great selfie stick. Taking mirror pictures with it is also hilarious. My coworkers also pointed out that laying my phone on its backside means that it no longer would have the wobbly camera bump problem.
As for the “frying pan” itself, it is pretty great quality for a fake frying pan. It’s got a bit of weight, and you can carry a few items on the pan’s surface itself if you want to.
I can also make the conclusion that whoever purchases this phone case isn’t afraid of stares or judgment. There’s just no denying that you’re carrying a pan around with you.
You can’t really put it in your pocket, or a smaller bag. If I did put it in my purse, the pan’s handle would still stick out.
That’s also essentially it… a basic phone case with a toy frying pan stuck to it. Weirdly, though, the phone case itself is a bit too small to properly fit my iPhone 13. It can barely squeeze inside the case, and when it did, you can still see that the phone doesn’t properly fit which made me worry about potential scratches. Taking it out was also a bother, and at one point it even ripped out some of the glue that was supposed to bind the case with the pan.
And when I’m trying to take pictures of my food on the table, the shadow of the very large pan would stop me from taking my usual flat lays for Instagram. When texting, the sides of the pan would make it hard for me to hold and type.
It may just exist for pure novelty appeal, but I don’t mind reusing it again, especially for event outings. It would be a great ice breaker, and it would look so fun during photo opportunities and bathroom mirror selfies.
A lot of the more expensive cases for sale often sell themselves as “shockproof” or “anti-fall”. And it’s a promise that they would protect your expensive phones from cracks in case you accidentally drop them—so you are willing to pay big bucks to have that guarantee.
But what about the cheap versions of “shockproof” cases? Are they more likely to crack your phone screen because they’re cheap?
I’m a fan of Casetify cases. They’re everywhere on my Instagram and Facebook feed, and besides limitless design options, they promise “shockproof” cases that protect your phone. But they can also cost around USD 55 (RM231.90). The “shockproof” case I found on Shopee, however, costs just a fraction of that price.
But in terms of quality and build, the cheaper case feels and looks really good for its price. I was surprised by how well made it is—from its matte feel, to its button covers, to its rubber “lip” around the edges which, when put your phone down screen first, helps protect the screen.
Comparing it to a Casetify case I already have, the cheaper case is lighter and has rubbery edges. It feels like more expensive cases have a certain weight to them that cheaper ones don’t usually have. It’s not necessarily bad, but it’s just something to take note of if you’re the type who wants a weightier phone case.
I haven’t dropped my phone yet with the case. However, judging by its build and how well made it is, it’s likely that it would save your phone from accidental drops. But is it sturdier than Casetify’s cases? No.
Casetify ones feel more luxurious and feel like they can handle the shock better. But for its price, the cheaper case is definitely one of my favourites of the collection that I’m reviewing for this article. It also comes in other colours than the one I have, like blue, orange, green, black and purple—and it showcases the phone as it is like a clear case, but still has some pizzazz.
I have to be honest…this was the one I disliked the most out of the six I’m reviewing. And yeah, I’m including the fryin pan case that didn’t really fit my phone. But a RKMD-er, as well as a couple of people on Instagram asked me to review a cute fuzzy phone case—so I feel like it’s my duty.
I’m actually a huge fan of cute and fuzzy phone cases. I actually own several of them myself for the iPhone 11. They’re mostly the ones that are covered with faux fur, and even though they’re impractical and would be ruined in rainy weather, I would still love them because they’re so cute.
I do like how cute the little blue and pink baubles are, and they even have these silly little plastic eyes and daisy designs stuck on them. The baubles also form a little chain for me to hold onto.
Despite its initial cuteness, there’s something about the case that rubbed me the wrong way. It came with a huge yellowish stain on one of the fuzzy baubles, so that’s strike one.
The “fuzzy” baubles also feel…gross to hold. The material feels like a type of fake and plastic-y wool, and the “chain” holding them together feels like it’s about to fall apart in seconds.
I didn’t enjoy spending time with this phone case at all. But if it’s fuzzy phone cases in general that you want my opinion on, I do like them! I would just recommend you stay away from a lot of the wool-based “fuzz” if you’re shopping around—because plastic-y wool doesn’t feel nice at all. Faux fur, on the other hand, still feels okay.
I wish I could have spent that RM8.30 on another product.
This is another curious phone case suggested by an RKMD-er, but it was fully encouraged by a few people in the office as well. Like the frying pan case, it’s a silly novelty phone case that isn’t really practical.
However, I had a few concerns about this specific case. What kind of person just walks around with a meat cleaver? Also, would the “meat cleaver” be able to cut things?
What I can give props to is how easy it is to fit the iPhone 13 in, compared to the hard, and ill-fitting case for the frying pan variety. Granted, it’s a basic silicone phone case—but it seems to be the best kind of case to stick on a novelty kitchen prop.
It also has a nice handle that you can use as your selfie stick, and the little bump details made it seem like a real meat cleaver’s handle. The metallic silver sheen on the “blade” is also a nice touch, but it’s prone to scratches.
I enjoyed lifting up the meat cleaver case to answer calls. I found it hilarious, and I didn’t feel like the phone would fall off or anything—it was pretty sturdy.
And best of all, I could technically cut some fruit like guava with the “blade”. Sure, the phone case stuck to it stops the case from cutting the fruit all the way, but it can kind of do the job. Of course, it can cut fruit like how a sharp piece of cardboard can cut fruit.
The meat cleaver case gives off a rather violent vibe that I wasn’t too comfortable with, so I have to be clear that I never really used this phone case when I went out to malls and stuff. Instead, I used the meat cleaver phone case in the office and to some small shops.
Not surprisingly, my coworkers and family members found the case amusing and ridiculous—and rightfully so. I wasn’t able to be taken too seriously with the case, so showing important work details on my phone with a meat cleaver case probably isn’t a great idea.
As for people I see in stores, they wouldn’t comment on it or anything. I also found it difficult to hide the case because it was rather long and obvious. Tucking it under my arms also didn’t help, and probably added to the illusion that I was carrying around a meat cleaver in public. However, it would probably be a great case to bring out if I had to go through dangerous alleys, theoretically.
It’s RM6 cheaper than the frying pan phone case, but I honestly enjoyed having the frying pan phone case more. I just wished that the frying pan case came with the meat cleaver’s softer silicone phone case.
I remembered that the fidget Pop It items were huge online a few months ago. From what I gather, it’s supposed to be a satisfying toy that kind of takes inspiration from how people would play with bubble wrap.
Even though the craze died down, I was pleasantly surprised to find out that there are now phone cases that take inspiration from Pop It. Even though the phone case won’t be official Pop It items, I was down to “pop” the little spheres and feel the “satisfaction” that Pop It fans have been talking about.
The colour palette is absolutely adorable! It also sort of matches the original Pop It products in the market, except it has a more muted, pastel look to it—something I personally prefer.
The fidget pop it case is also essentially a soft and squishy silicone case. It is reminiscent of older phone cases I’ve had that were popular a few years ago. I couldn’t really find any examples, but these bottle shape ones are closest to what I’m thinking about.
These squishy phone cases are also great because they can help lessen the impact of a phone drop. There’s just a satisfying thickness to it.
I am entirely disappointed at the lack of satisfaction I felt trying to “pop” the little spheres. There’s no popping sound when I press on them as it does for other Pop Its, and it also doesn’t feel all that satisfying playing with it.
The pink, yellow, blue and purple colours also bled into the case’s sections, so it’s not satisfying to look at, either. It’s definitely because this phone case is not an official Pop It item. I don’t think that Pop It actually makes poppable phone cases, so at least these knock-off makers created something that Pop It should have created.
If you want to get yourself a poppable phone case, try and find one that can promise you a satisfying “pop”—possibly with a harder material that’s not soft and squishy silicone. Although, trying to find something like that is difficult because you’d need to look through reviews, and find videos of the product. Otherwise, it feels like I wasted money on a sad dupe.
Of all the cheap phone cases that I reviewed, my favourite was definitely the shockproof case. Even though it isn’t as luxurious as a RM200+ Casetify case, it was still surprisingly good quality.
I’ve also learnt that cheaper phone cases can often just be knock-offs of better quality items. And we often will get what we paid for. If you’re not the type to switch phone cases too often, you’re better off with a more expensive case that can last you a couple of years.
But if you’re like me, and want to keep switching it up, cheaper phone cases give you the flexibility to do that. With more options, I could change my cases to match my outfits. I would just need to figure out how to match my look with the frying pan case now…
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