Accessories

5 best cases for the iPhone XS and XS Max

A case for every occasion

Published

September 30, 2018

Chay Lazaro

If you just bought the new iPhone XS or XS Max, trust us you’re gonna want to get a case for it immediately. Breaking the glass on either side of the phone will set you back much more than a good case can.

Thankfully, one of the biggest and probably most underrated advantages of owning an iPhone is the array of third-party accessories you can get. Go online or to the mall and you’ll find one that matches your mood, the occasion, or your next destination. There are obviously more important factors to consider when buying a phone, but knowing you can get a case for your newest investment, in every style, color, or material possible after your purchase is always comforting.

Can you imagine going to an important meeting or on a night out with a flimsy jelly case? Neither can I. Here are some of my favorite cases for the new iPhone XS and XS Max.

1) Casetify Impact Cases, $50

If you’re a little clumsy like me and drop your phone often, there are a lot of military-grade cases out there that you can get. Unfortunately, they will most likely ruin the premium aesthetic of your new iPhone or your cute outfit. Fortunately, Casetify’s new Impact Cases come in fun, quirky prints. You can even pick the color of the bumper to match the color of your iPhone! The designs may look dainty but these cases have a two-layer construction of what they call qitech material so your phone will survive even a six-foot drop.

2) Casetify Leather Case with Strap, starts at $80

Need to elevate your outfits? This genuine leather case is the answer. It comes with a detachable chain wristlet and/or strap so you can wear it on yourself. There’s a version that comes with a card slot, perfect for a girls’ night out — you can hit the dance floor hands-free without worrying about misplacing your phone! The best part: You can personalize it with your initials. It’s a little pricey but power dressing is always better when paired with quality accessories.

3) Speck Presidio Grip World Edition, $39.95

It’s been three months and I’m still not over the World Cup so sue me. Speck’s iconic Presidio Grip cases now come in Germany, France, England, Spain, Brazil, and Mexico colorways (none for Argentina, sadly). The next World Cup may be four long years away but there are so many tournaments anyway, and these cases will surely come in handy. Not a football fan? The Presidio Grip line comes in other eye candy colors that offer the same amount of protection.

4) Native Union Clic Terrazzo and Clic Marquetry, price TBA

The new Native Union collections for the new iPhones are not out yet, but you can’t really go wrong with this brand. They offer some of the most tastefully made cases I’ve seen on the market and I can’t wait to check out the new Clic Terrazzo collection. It’s made of Jesmonite so no two pieces are ever the same, says Native Union. There are also going to be new leather color blocks for the Clic Marquetry collection which, I’m hoping, are more monotone and are made of different textures of fabric so they’re more versatile.

5) Gramas Hybrid Shell Case, ¥ 6,000

I first encountered Japanese brand Gramas one leisurely stroll at the mall. They stood out in a shelf of plastic cases not only because they looked t h i c c, but also because I’m always attracted to cases that combine completely different materials that somehow end up looking good. I believe they’re called hybrid for that reason, but upon closer inspection, I found that underneath that beautiful shell is a card slot made for IC cards in Japan. Most cases that double as card holders have their slots exposed because usually credit cards still need to be taken out to be swiped or inserted. Since IC cards work just by tapping, there’s really no reason for them to be out there. Of course, if you’re already using Apple Pay for Suica or if you don’t live in Japan, then the card slot is best occupied by something else, like say, an elevator or parking access card.

Bonus: Spigen Classic C1, $39.99

Every die-hard Apple fan freaked out when Spigen made these cases that look like the iMac G3 of yesteryears. They have yet to confirm whether the iPhone X cases are compatible with the new iPhone XS or if they’re making a version for the iPhone XS Max. But, seeing as how they succumbed to customer demand and crowd-funded versions for the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus, it won’t be long before the demand for cases compatible for the 2018 iPhones forces Spigen to make them.

Ever since the new iPhones were announced, brands have been quick to label their old iPhone X cases as compatible with the iPhone XS but that may not always be the case, no pun intended. One of the upgrades to the new iPhones is a bigger image sensor so the camera module at the back is actually also slightly bigger. That said, unless you can return them, it would still be wise to go to a store and try the cases on before buying them. You paid so much for your new iPhone after all, so you wouldn’t really want to rock a sloppy-fitting case, would you?

Related Topics:Apple Apple iPhone Apple iPhone XS Apple iPhone XS Max Casetify Gramas iPhone iPhone XS iPhone XS Max Native Union Speck Spigen

Accessories

2025 Black Friday Sale Gift Guide

Our Top Gift Picks With HUGE Savings!

Published

November 24, 2025

GadgetMatch and Michael Josh Villanueva

In the annual BLACK FRIDAY SALE, we’ve compiled and rounded-up our best picks with the best value you can get right now!

🧹 Get 50% off Dreame X50 Ultra on Amazon or click here on their website | Use code SAKITECH15 (5% off ’til Dec 1)

💧 Stay hydrated and get up to 30% off on the LARQ PureVis 2 here.

💡 Level up with Govee TV Backlight T2 or Govee Sync Box AI Kit 2.

> Samsung The Frame 65”

> Samsung The Frame Pro 75”

> Samsung The Frame Pro 85”

> Hisense C2

> Hisense C2 Pro

> Hisense C2 Ultra

> M4 MacBook Air

> M4 Mac mini

> Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7

> Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra

> Nomad Universal Cable for Apple Watch

> Nomad Tracking Card

> Nomad Base One Max

> Statik TireHero

> Samsung T7 Shield Portable SSD

> Amazon Kindle Paperwhite

> Coffee Check Matte Black

Accessories

Unboxing EVERY Color of the very exclusive iPhone Pocket

And why it got sold out instantly!

Published

November 24, 2025

GadgetMatch and Michael Josh Villanueva

In this video, we’re unboxing the iPhone Pocket in ALL ITS COLORS!

Also, it gives us a glimpse of Apple’s shared history with ISSEY MIYAKE.

Lastly, THE Michael Josh will show you what fits and how to style it.

Here’s our first look at this very exclusive accessory, the iPhone Pocket.

Accessories

BOYA mini 2: A step-up for content creators, more

Sub-US$ 60 package where audio quality, convenience, and portability align

Published

November 24, 2025

Manila Connoisseur

In today’s vertical-first, voice-over-heavy social media world, audio isn’t just important; it’s the dealbreaker. Better audio sets the tone instantly.

Content creators know this, especially that production for social media consumption has changed dramatically over the past half decade.

It’s only vital for creators to resonate with audiences clearly, as the latter are all ears aside from eyes on videos.

That’s where the BOYA mini 2 can come in and upgrade that aspect of content creation — mine included.

Portable, lightweight, easy to use

These thumb-sized, 5-gram transmitters are portable, long-lasting, and can give you a quick and easy workflow to finish whatever you’re working on.

Scour quickly on BOYA’s retail website and you’ll find plenty of sets to choose from. You can start with just a charging case and one transmitter and receiver, but you can also opt for two transmitters and both a Lightning or USB-C receiver.

I had the set that had everything, and this entire package costs just US$ 54.99 (PhP 3,290). There’s Matte Black and Lunar Silver color options as well.

The charging case is likewise small and portable, and having it is as if you’re just carrying earbuds along. It fits pockets, pouches, sling bags, handbags, and more. No extra baggage needed.

Plug and use

What you’ll love with the BOYA mini 2 is that it works right out of the box. The package I have had both the lightning and USB-C receivers.

Just plug which one is compatible with your phone and you’re ready to go. The default audio quality is already leagues ahead of muffled clip-ons and built-in phone mics.

Each mic lets you record up to 48Khz-24 bit quality audio, giving voices clarity with minimal distortion.

But of course, if you’re big on tailor-fitting the audio for what you’re about to produce, you can just download the BOYA Central app to make changes in several settings.

There is a 6-level gain, so you can have the transmitter absorb louder audio. You can also switch between mono and stereo recording if you have two transmitters turned on.

In addition, there are preset EQ modes, but you’re free to customize your own mix as well. My go-to is the Vocal Boost mode which amplifies whatever I say on record.

Speaker mode, meanwhile, allows you to review recorded audio or video immediately afterwards. This is helpful especially if you’re just recording with a phone.

Do note that the app needs internet connection to work, but other than that, you’re all set.

Noise Cancellation: A big help

Moreover, the 3rd-generation AI-powered Noise Cancellation feature works wonders. It blocks off unwanted noise (-21dB to -40dB) to a certain degree.

BOYA trained this with over 700,000 real-world noise samples. In practice, it shows.

There are times I recorded in crowded areas or had a cooling fan behind me for a food review, but I couldn’t hear them whenever I played such videos on my phone.

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Conversely, if your area is already quiet enough, the audio stands out even better.

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Obviously, if you have more high-end headphones, you’ll be able to hear more layers of sound, but considering the target audiences of creators who’ll likely play content from their phones, it’s all good.

And such feature is helpful for interviews, stand-uppers (i.e., talking-head shots), and more scenarios.

I can imagine traditional media leveraging this and the wireless nature of the mini 2 for packed media scrums where you can’t be in front of the guest/s.

A step-up for vloggers, content creators, more

In my case, I started making vlogs again back in 2023. Before that, I had a YouTube channel that lasted from 2018 to 2021 that focused mainly on Korean BBQ restaurant reviews back when the samgyup hype was at an all-time high.

My videos had the regular 16:9 aspect ratio and lasted about 5 to 10 minutes long. But those days are well behind us.

Nowadays, it’s all about vertical short-form videos with voice-overs. I was well aware of this and had to figure out how to keep up with this generation’s way of making vlogs.

While I’ve always trusted my skills and my midrange smartphones to deliver the visual part, the voice recording side was the one that’s tricky. I used to just record my voice inside my wardrobe closet to block off noise and absorb echo.

At some point, our ever generous managing editor did give me a condenser mic before, but using it also involved a lot of steps in the workflow. I had to use a laptop to start recording and then transfer the audio file to my phone.

Simpler process

This is where the BOYA mini 2 changed the game for me. The product’s versatility allows for a more simplified and seamless production flow.

My partner, on the other hand, was also able to use the system for her makeup product reviews with front camera shots.

She even leveraged the transmitters for livestreaming sessions so that she could use both arms for swatching different lipstick shades and focusing on Shopee or TikTok’s livestream controls.

A little patience goes a long way

As you’re not paying a fortune per se with the BOYA mini 2, don’t expect perfection either.

The one hurdle we had to deal with was whenever we switched from the Lightning to USB-C receiver, you will have to reconnect the transmitters again.

It takes a while to figure it out. Without reading the manual, I just double-pressed the button on the transmitter until it turned green after blinking steadily. You will also have to do the same with the mics, which restart several times before finally syncing again.

Other than that, there weren’t much problems encountered.