In a marketplace filled with cookie cutter plastic cases, the distinctive look of wood is often imitated but never achieved. That’s why Woodcessories cases, designed and crafted in Germany exclusively for Apple products, actually use genuine wood.
The EcoCase is a slim case custom fit for the iPhone 6/6S that consists of a thin, polycarbonate snap-on shell and full wood back panel made from bamboo, walnut, or cherry wood. Each case has its own unique wood grain pattern, and no two cases are exactly alike. The wood panels are laser engraved near the bottom with the Woodcessories logo, two crossed axes, for a look that is clean and elegant. In the hand, the case feels warm and solid with enough texture for you to keep a firm grip on your phone.
The interior of the EcoCase is a lined with a soft-touch silicone rubber that protects the back of your phone from scratches and adds some shock absorption. When combined with the hardwood backing, the case provides a fair amount of protection against everyday wear and tear or the occasional drop.
However, there is virtually no protection in front for the phone’s screen. While there is a very slight rim around the edges, it’s nearly flush with the screen and won’t raise it up much when you place the phone face down. We highly recommend adding some sort of screen protector, like tempered glass, for a bit of impact deflection or at least PET film to guard against scratches.
The iPhone 6 slides easily into this snap-on style case, and its trim profile barely adds any dimension to the phone. The buttons and ports are fully exposed through sectional cutouts on the sides and bottom for easy access to all the exterior features of your phone, though these large gaps offer a bit less physical protection overall.
The wood comes pre-sealed with a natural wax that extends the life of the wood, provides some water resistance, and prevents it from cracking due to dryness. However, over time, this coating may wear off. While no specific care instructions are included with the case, occasional maintenance of the wood with oil or wax sealants from time to time can help preserve it.
In addition to its aesthetics and durability, wood is arguably a sustainable and eco-friendly resource that is both renewable and recyclable for a greener alternative to plastic. Since the EcoCase is available for less than $25 on MobileFun, that makes it not only an environmentally conscious option but an affordable one as well.
Two new highly requested iCloud plugins just got added to ChatGPT, giving people who rely on Apple’s Mail and Calendar services a way to search emails, check appointments, and manage their schedules directly through the chatbot.
The integration is rolling out to all ChatGPT plans, including the free tier. You can access it on the web, desktop, and iOS.
Google Play is borrowing one of the Nintendo Switch’s most useful little tricks. A new Sidekick tool called Playbacks captures a short clip after something interesting has already happened, sparing players from running a screen recorder throughout an entire game.
Playbacks is part of Google Play Store v53.8 and keeps saved clips on the phone. Google first announced it earlier this month, but the new Play Store update marks its arrival for players. Anyone who has watched a perfect win vanish because the record button came too late already understands the appeal.
Samsung’s scandal over its Game Optimizing Service, or GOS, has returned with a bill attached. South Korea’s Fair Trade Commission has tentatively fined the company 20.1 billion won, or about $15.1 million, over gaming claims made for the Galaxy S21, Galaxy S22, and Tab S8.
The regulator says Samsung promoted the devices as gaming powerhouses without disclosing that GOS placed preset CPU and GPU limits on certain demanding games. Samsung disputes that conclusion, calling GOS a legitimate way to manage heat.