Looking for THE case* - YouLookFab Forum

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Looking for THE case*

Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

My Google-fu has failed me; I’ve exhausted all my ideas of where to get a case for my phone, can’t find what I’m looking for anywhere. Can you suggest sources that ship to Europe or the US and have cases with a battery and paper?

I’m thinking of a folio style, that looks like a little book and opens up to have the phone on one side and card slots on the other. The spine needs to be big enough that I can put the cardboard backing of a little pad of paper in the top slot, and still close the case properly with the paper in it. I can jerry-rig a card case, but if it comes with paper in it, and maybe even a loop for a pen, all the better.

The kicker is that I also want it to be a charger case. The battery is a necessity. I have an iPhone 12 mini, so the case needs that kind of charger.

Like my search for white embellished cage sandals earlier this year, this is not a situation of not being able to find any cases (or sandals)—there are many, many out there. Lots of charging cases and lots of folios. The specific combo of features and the sheer volume to weed through are what makes it difficult.

Thanks for any leads!

*I’m not sure if phone cases are on topic—please move this to Other if not.

Shopping

23 replies

Latest reply was from annagybe

rachylou

Veteran

Speaking of impossible cases… I got a new phone and went looking for a case. I loved the case that I had been using - it has a cover for the screen and slots for cards and good drop protection. Phone and wallet in one. The only drawback was it was hard to take pictures because of the case. This time I’ve ended up with a ‘candybar’ case again—no cover. This is risky to me, but I’m trying it. I got a pop socket card case, but it only fits one card for practical usability purposes. So now I have to have a wallet again. I got a lanyard too, but I’ve already ditched it: it pressed on the buttons of the phone. The whole thing is an ordeal… maybe I should have got the service package. I don’t usually, but the whole thing worries me this time around.

Anyways sorry! That’s no help. But sympathies…

Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

Rachylou, you can get a transparent sticker thingy to cover & protect the front of a phone. Much more convenient than having a case cover it, for reasons you explain. And you can get those sticker of card slots with multiple slots.
But no, just like you said, your comment’s no help :p (<—affectionate teasing).

ETA you said “impossible cases”. I hope it’s not, and there some little maker hiding under a rock somewhere who combines these two very popular features in one case!

April

Veteran

Watching with interest - I hate changing phones and hang onto them way too long so am applauding your bravery with an iPhone 12 mini, SF.

kkards

Veteran

LOL paper???

nemosmom

Veteran

Not sure if this works with whatever charger you need, but a search for ‘iPhone folio charger paper’ resulted in this (on Amazon):

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rachylou

Veteran

Lol! I know! Unhelpful straight off the bat! Knew you’d ’appreciate’ that

… two phones ago, my phone had the sticky thing on it and it started ghost typing. My theory was there was too much touching of the screen by things in my pocket. So that’s why I started doing the cover.

Sal

Veteran

I have never seen a phone case with paper in it….. but they probably do exist.

In the last few years we have had an explosion of small tech shops repairing phones, selling cases and chargers. I would have 5 within walking distance of 15 minutes (malls, suburban shops) plus larger retailers selling phones and accessories. I would head to something similar.

Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

Nemosmom, that looks….bigger than what I’m hoping for, but better than anything else. Guess I’ll have to get on Amazon to research it (then look for someplace else to place the order). Thanks!

Kkards, yes, paper. I am giving up on being all-digital. Far too often, I have in mind several things to do, pull out the phone to do them and POOF the list vanishes from my mind. I wander around online & usually wind up here, lol. Oddly, my son, who is of the generation & age you would expect yo be most comfortable with being all digital, finds that there are also certain things for him that work better on paper. YMMV, but I need some paper & would prefer it stay near the phone. Really, just having card slots & a battery pack would be enough—I can repurpose paper from an agenda thingy easily enough. Again, I get it that your needs are different, and that is fine by me.

Sal, there are very many tiny tech shops like you describe, some of them grouped in particular areas, here. I hope I don’t need to visit every one of them, and suspect their merchandise would get repetitive after a while.

April, i hear you on hanging on! My old phone was an SE, purchased in 2017. I think even SEs have been revamped a few times in the interim. I like my new phone—the camera is so much better that eagle eye Synne noticed it on YLF—but the notes app is badly in need of a bug fix.

Rachylou, makes sense about the cover. They say screens have to be spotless before putting them on. I’m still going to make fun of you for being a non-contributor here, nananah.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

This is also bigger than you want -- but I have one. I use it with my ipad mini, not my phone, but it also holds paper, pen, passport (if wanted), cards, etc.

https://bellroy.com/products/n.....vy#slide-1

They have other gorgeous products that might be repurposed.

Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

Suz, that looks very promising indeed! Thanks for posting.

Anonymous

Was going to suggest Amazon too. I'm with you for preferring paper sometimes!

Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

It seems the mini isn’t considered to be a “serious” tool. I’ve found the kind of thing I want for other, larger models, but still looking for a charging case with card slots for my iphone mini. It’s getting really old….

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

I make all sorts of lists on paper too! And I keep a daily dairy that I keep everything in. Written with a pencil.

Would perhaps having a charging case with a separate notebook work? That way either is more accessible.

Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

Angie, once upon a time, I carried a trifold thing that contained a calendar, an address book, and blank paper. I called it my auxiliary brain, really couldn’t function without it. Now that the phone has taken over the calendar and address book functions, I really wish someone would make a device that contained it all, just like bitd.

What I might do is get a battery car & put a sticker with card slots on it (the kind I told Rachylou was unhelpful to mention). Then I’d stick the back of a pad of paper in the top card slot and put a 3€ pen loop on it. That solution is anything but elegant, but it would work, and would fit in my various pockets & bags.

Jenn

(website)

Veteran

Can I ask why you need a battery case? An iPhone 12 mini's battery should easily last you through a normal day of use. If it's not, you might have an app that's gone rogue and taming it would be a better solution than fruitlessly looking for a case that doesn't exist.

Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

Jenn, it does get me through I normal day. I guess I’m being hyper-conscious of the possibility of failure. Hmmm

kkards

Veteran

SF…i was joking. I’m a huge paper person, the physical act of writing helps me to process and remember. But i wasn’t joking about the ability to find a phone case that includes paper as the push by technology is to get us away from paper

Jenn

(website)

Veteran

If you're not having battery issues, my suggestion would be to look for a case that has just the notebook and maybe get a little external battery (we like both Anker and Mophie in our house) and, if it's not MagSafe, a 6-inch charging cable to throw in your bag for travel or days when you want to be extra safe.

ETA: Moleskine and Field Notes are both super-popular with daily carry people, so if you don't mind using a 3.5x5.5" notebook, it might be worthwhile to search for cases made to accommodate those. Those notebooks are also similarly sized to passports, so folios designed to hold a passport and a phone -might- accommodate them.

Anonymous

Is this what you mean?

https://www.amazon.com/Chargin.....B07XDLKLNF

Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

Nikki, that’s an interesting configuration. I *think* it has the features I want, but the format winds up being much bigger than my sweet little phone that slips into pockets so easily. Thanks for posting it for me.

This would be exactly what I want, if only they made it in the mini size. https://www.otterbox.de/de-de/.....o_s=gplade I considered the standard size 12, but had my cognac purse with me, and it wouldn’t fit in the back pocket. My purses are not terribly expensive, but replacing several of them at once would be, & it’d be a pain. I didn’t realize the case would also be such a pain. I suppose I could go as Jenn suggests & get more disciplined about charging it every night. That’s the plan, but bricks & cords wear out, so I wind up arm-wrestling my son over who can use them.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

This isn't quite big enough, I suspect, but might be a partial solution? https://www.amazon.ca/Asuwish-.....f=sr_1_196

Jenn

(website)

Veteran

How about this? https://nomadgoods.com/product.....ne-12-mini

I found several options by searching for "iPhone 12 mini MagSafe folio case."

annagybe

(website)

Veteran

Get a braided charging cord. They are much more durable than the standard ones