A Case for a Case

I am going to swim against the fan tide regarding the new iPhone shape. I picked up the 12 for the first time and my reaction was the same as the first time I picked up an iPhone 4 after having a 3GS.

How do you go from ergonomic and smooth and comfy to a lego?

The 12 feels old. Ancient.  Brand new out of the box. A bigger iPhone 4. A decade-old design brand new phone.

I understand it is easier to design parts for boxes. The 12 is a form follows function device in that sense. It's easier to stack parts in the vertical walled shape. From an engineering/manufacturing point of view, it makes sense. Maybe that is why 12's cost less than 11's?

The visual cues are like old slab-sided cars from the 1970s. 

The 12 is retro.

The phone is also supposed to go in my hand. The function of the phone is to be touched. Not held in a bench vise. In form follows function, there is nothing ergo about this. This is a phone shaped for Lego Batman.

I bought a Tech21 case sight-unseen based on my love for the Tech21 on the G20. 

Opps! 

That was a mistake. It's still a good case, but it mimics the slab-sided shape of the phone. Not what I wanted. I wanted to round the sides back out. Make it fit in my round hands.

I bought a 'Humixx for iPhone 12 Pro Max Case Shockproof Clear'. Not cheap. The Humixx was advertised as having rounded edges and compared to the phone or the Tech21 they do. It's better. Still not exactly what I want, but better.

I tried a Floveme. Big old thick case. Textured for grip. Still has the slabbyness, but less so. Also, the buttons don't work well, and the bottom-up gesture that is already iffy to launch the tack manager does not work at all.

I now have 75 bucks invested in cases for this phone.

Back to the Humixx and no more online buys. Going to have to see it in person now.

The search for a curved, grippy case continues. Something that adds nice fat bezels so that my fingers are not always touching the screen. But that has working side buttons and lets me launch the task manager within a few tries. I have 'backtap' set to launch task manager (Apple calls it application switcher)

Also: à propos of nothing: I miss the S20's in-screen TouchID. I wish Apple would put that on the power button like they do that one iPad.