Apple usually uses the Beats brand to offer lower-cost products, but that’s not the case with its new iPhone cases. Don’t get me wrong; I really like using my review unit, and it feels very ‘iPhone’ in a way many cases don’t, but asking $70 for a hard plastic case feels like robbery.

Beyond liking how this case feels in my hand, it also has MagSafe support, which I enjoy, and a capacitive area, so it works with the iPhone’s camera control button. I’m not a fan of cases with cutouts, so right now, beyond Apple’s silicon offering, this is one of the few with a sapphire crystal layer that translates your swipes on the case to the iPhone 16’s new button. It works well enough, but it doesn’t feel as premium as the button on Apple’s own clear plastic case, which is a little disappointing since both cases came from the same company and cost the same amount.

Beyond that, the design is subjective, but I wish that the brand would drop the MagSafe design on the back and make it visible on the inside instead, leaving the rear plain instead of looking like someone dropped a magnifying glass on a beach. I’m also not a huge fan of the bright orange-ish-red Beats logo on the side of the case and wish that would have been a more subdued colour to match the chill cream vibes of the rest of the case. At the end of the day, this doesn’t matter since it’s only my preference, and if you like it, I won’t blame you.

The other part of the case that I’ve seen garner some controversy online is the fact that the bottom of the case is open. However, I like this since it doesn’t restrict larger USB cables and accessories like my DJI microphone from being plugged in.

At the end of the day, this case should be closer to $45, and asking $70 for it feels like a ripoff since the only thing it does special is support the Camera Control button. I think more companies will start to figure out how to make the sapphire crystal layer soon enough, and then there will be lots more competition for the Apple-branded cases, but unfortunately for early adopters, Apple and Beats cases are the best right now. All of that said, if you had an iPhone 5c, this case harkens back to those days, and the hit of nostalgia every time I pick up my phone makes me smile.