Alex told me that on my prototype the micro-suction pads were cut by hand rather than with a production laser cutter, but I've examined it minutely and I honestly cannot tell: the workmanship is very precise. Stitching is flawless and the velvety microfiber inner coating is just as pleasant to the touch as the buttery leather. The good: The Access Case is made out of very high quality materials Nodus says it is using "the best Italian leathers" and I can believe it. Also, as you can see in the pictures above, my case has been in my pockets for a couple of weeks and has picked up a little pocket lint I deliberately left that in place to show how the case looks after some use. Obviously, the design may change between this prototype and the final product. Evaluating the caseĭisclaimer: my opinions below are based on a pre-production sample of the Access Case for iPhone 5 that Nodus's Alex Jack was kind enough to loan me. It's not something you'd want to throw into a pocket alongside keys and change that could scuff your iPhone's bezel. One thing to be aware of: the case provides no protection for three of the edges of your phone. It can lose stickiness if it becomes gummed up with fluff or dirt, but a simple wipe with a damp cloth or a dab of a piece of sticky tape to remove lint brings it back. Nodus assure me that the suction pad doesn't wear out and should last indefinitely.
The Nodus video has a quite dramatic demonstration of swinging the iPhone around held on only by the suction pad, and I was initially skeptical but the first time I tried it (and realized how much force it takes to remove the iPhone again) I realized it isn't showmanship: it really does hold your phone perfectly securely.
I remember Marco Arment writing about an iPhone dock that used this tech to great affect, but until I handled it for myself I hadn't really realized how well it works. When you want to take the device off again, just grab the device in one hand, the case in the other, and pull - surprisingly hard. Offer up a flat surface such as the aluminum backing of an iPad or iPhone and the suckers grab on with astonishing force. To the touch, this feels only slightly tacky but the surface is actually made up of tiny suction cups. The Access Tablet swaps this for a sheet of micro-suction material. Most of these sorts of cases use a hard shell glued into the leather that clips around your phone, which sometimes are tricky to remove the phone or tablet. Then there's the unique bit: the attach mechanism by which the Access Case holds your device. When you want to use the device, you open the wallet up, and either leave the flap to the one side, fold it right around the back, or (in the case of the iPad version) fold it into a stand. Like most of these sort of "wallet-folio" style cases, the Access is made out of a single piece of leather that wraps around the front and back of your phone or tablet, providing front-and-back protection. Let's do the boring conventional stuff first. Not now Turn on Turned on Turn on A tour of the Access Case You can disable notifications at any time in your settings menu. What if there was an answer to all this, a case that offered good protection, a premium feel, and yet could let you remove your device instantly for those times when you need it to be naked? Nodus, a company founded by two British designers, have an answer for your consideration: the Nodus Access case, which is soon-to-be-funded on KickStarter. Most cases that grip the device snugly enough to be secure also end up being tricky to remove the device from, so simply pulling it in and out of the case isn't ideal. Perhaps you find all cases a problem, because you also like to use accessories that rely on a naked device, such as docks, car mounts or the Olloclip. Perhaps you'd like something that protects the screen of your iPhone in your pocket, but most cases only wrap around the sides and back.
Perhaps it bothers you that Apple's cases have narrow cutouts that won't work with your favorite headphones. Perhaps you want something a little more premium-feeling than the traditional plastic. You've dropped a cool chunk of change on an iPhone or an iPad and you want to protect it from life's bumps and thumps, but you don't like the conventional case options.