| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Extremely rigid shell | Slippery finish |
| Lightweight | Exposed bottom edge reduces coverage |
| Excellent corner and camera protection | Deforms after repeated drops |
| Best MagSafe performance among Apple cases |
The Apple Beats Case was easy to overlook when it first launched, but retesting it for the iPhone 17 lineup tells a different story. It’s still not perfect, but it’s tougher than it looks. As part of our iPhone 17 case drop test series, we’ve put it through more than 30 real-world impacts, measuring forces from every angle (corners, face-first, and camera drops) to see how well it really protects your iPhone.
How We Test
30+ drops per case | 6+ metrics recorded per impact | 100% independently tested
Our goal is to find out what cases are actually best for your iPhone. We don’t base our reviews on any of the marketing a company wants you to believe. We’re reviewers, not influencers.
Our case testing procedure for the iPhone 17’s:
- Buy the case ourselves
- Measure all the physical dimensions of the case:
- Weight
- Size
- Back rigidity
- Corner/Back Thickness
- Corner compression
- Rank the handling and access of the iPhone in the case
- Perform magnetic strength tests using a force meter
- Perform audio tests (if needed using a DB meter)
- Perform 30 corner, face and camera lump drop tests. This data is collected from the iPhone’s accelerometer and gyroscope. We’ve built custom drop rigs to ensure every drop almost identical. To gauge the iPhone’s protective abilities, we measure:
- Average peak deceleration
- Average decay rate
- Average impulse
- Average max rotation
- Average angular displacement
- Average settling time
- After we collect all the data, we then run it through or scoring formula to figure out how well the case ranks.
We’ve got a few more ideas to implement for the next round of iPhone’s including more data collection during drops as well as high speed camera photos of the initial impacts.
Design
| Metric | Value | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 33 g | 45 g |
| Added Case Thickness | 37% | 51% |
| Added Overlook Bulk | 46% | 66% |
Out of the cases we’ve tested, the Beats Case stands out for being the lightest at just 33 grams. The case will add about 46% to your iPhone’s overall bulk. The finish feels smooth and premium, and the microfiber liner covers the entire back interior right up to the curved camera edge. That said, the camera bump itself isn’t protected like other cases. The overall footprint is compact, which we really appreciate.
Accessibility & Handling
| Metric | Value | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Grip | Slick finish, very slippery in hand | – |
| Buttons | Flow-through; floating camera button | – |
| MagSafe Strength | Pull 10.0 N / Push 9.3 N | 10.1 N |
Apple Beats Case is super slick. Easily one of the slipperiest cases we’ve handled so far, which makes it a potential drop hazard. On the upside, the flow-through buttons feel responsive, the camera button floats nicely, and the open bottom means you can plug in any cable you want without issue.
For MagSafe, it scored 10N on pull and 9.3N on push which is just a hair below average. Oddly enough, this is the best MagSafe performance we’ve seen from an Apple-made case so far. It’s weirdly impressive given how minimal the design is.
The case measures about 1.9mm thick around the corners and back, and during bend testing, it resisted up to 58N which makes it one of the stiffest case we tested so far. Even with its exposed bottom edge, that rigid back helps dissipate impact energy more efficiently in drops.
That said, it does deform slightly after multiple impacts. If you’re planning to keep this case for the long haul, that’s something to keep in mind.
Protection
| Metric | Value | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Back Thickness | 1.9 mm | 2.4 mm |
| Corner Thickness | 1.9 mm | 2.9 mm |
| Air Pockets | Present | 10.1 N |
| Rigidity | 58.3 N | 29 N |
| Initial Impact | 10.370 G | 10.3 G |
| Rotation Rate | 288.14°/s | 300°/s |
| Time to Settle | 0.590 s | 0.53 s |
| Settling Rate | 0.122 s⁻¹ | 0.24 s⁻¹ |
| Total Force | 1.390 Ns | 1.5 Ns |
In our corner drop tests, the initial impact registered about 10.4G. Post-bounce rotation was slightly better than average at -4%, though its rigid back caused the phone to settle 50% slower than average. Overall energy transfer was just below average at 1.39Ns, so while it’s not top-tier, it’s impressively protective for such a small case.
Face-first drops were interesting. Unlike Apple’s Silicone or TechWoven cases, the Beats Case passed our face-first impact test. The rigid shell caused a 23% higher initial spike but absorbed the energy quickly, ending 47% faster than most cases which means the phone stops moving almost instantly.
Camera-lump drops told a similar story: the hard PC lip absorbed the initial hit well, but like the face-first test, the case’s quick stop leads to poor settling. Still, total force stayed low thanks to how efficiently it halts motion.
Value
At $45, the Beats Case delivers excellent stiffness and good MagSafe alignment, but usability takes a hit because of its slick finish. It’s clearly built for those who prioritize compact size and structure over grip comfort. If you’ve got clammy hands, it might actually work out well but for most users, that smooth surface will take some getting used to.
Verdict
Would we buy it if we weren’t reviewers? Probably not. The protection-to-size ratio is great, but the handling just kills it. Still, it’s rare to see an Apple case this rigid and this light, so if you need something slim yet surprisingly tough the Beats Case might be the weirdly specific fit you’re looking for.