Three Wallet Cases: Bellroy, Encased, and Smartish

Originally published at: Three Wallet Cases: Bellroy, Encased, and Smartish - TidBITS

With a new iPhone comes a new case. Adam Engst has become fond of iPhone wallet cases that store a few cards and a couple of bills, so he explored some new options for his iPhone 14 Pro.

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I have used the Edward Field classic for IPhone for a number of years. Very well made. Holds more than those you consider. Check it out.

How does MagSafe and these attached wallets affect the magnetic properties of credit cards?

I used a Toru XP Pro for my iphone Xr, so when I got a 14, I went back to them. The earlier case stored the cards inside the back, hinged cover and my Qi charger worked. The Toru iPhone 14 Pro with card case stores the cards on the back, and the card holder must be removed to do wireless chargine but otherwise this is a good case. Available via the Toru store at Amazon.

I’ve been using a MagSafe wallet for most of the last year. No issues at all with my credit cards. (Though honestly I don’t often swipe; these days most of the time it’s chip reading or tap-to-pay, or hand the card to the waiter at a restaurant to pay for dinner and I don’t know how they use it.)

I’d recommend you take a look at MagSafe wallets. The pop socket one has an incredibly strong grip. I’d also recommend looking at the MOFT wallet and case combo. The wallet can also be used as a stand in various configurations and their cases have an enhanced MagSafe magnet built in which is much stronger than the original MagSafe on the iPhone so is useful with multiple accessories not just their wallets given the extra grip.

I have had the Pad&Quill wallet for my 13 Pro Max for about a year. It’s similar to the Edward Field wallet at less than half the price. As a former leather shop owner, I can say that it is well-made. It will hold 4 to 6 carts, and then some, in the pocket underneath the cards. It accepts the MagSafe charger. I wish they would have the security strap set up so that it would hold the MagSafe charger in place when I set the phone on a stand. Otherwise I have been very happy with it. All the ports are available. The on off button is pretty stiff but usable. I don’t have to carry a regular wallet or card holder. I put some cards in my apple wallet. I wish the Wallet app could take a greater variety of cards. I use Pass4Wallet app but it’s not ideal for all cards.
David S

Looks nice, but I tried a folio wallet case with the iPhone 11 Pro and found having to put my iPhone in it when I left the house fussy, and then using the iPhone required entirely different physical interactions. I decided in the end that it wasn’t any easier than just putting a traditional wallet in my other pocket.

Looks good, and while the cards are little exposed, not using MagSafe to attach the card holder is probably more secure.

https://thetoru.com/products/mxp-compatible-with-iphone-14-pro

Both of those look interesting, and it’s good to hear they have really strong grips. The link below is for the iPhone 13 Pro because it’s a good explanatory page, but it also supports the iPhone 14 Pro.

https://www.popsockets.com/en-us/p/popwallet--for-magsafe/PopWallet-Plus-for-MagSafe.html

Much as I’m not looking for a folio wallet, Pad&Quill also has another wallet case with the cards on the back in a magnetic case that’s also sewn to the leather back. It looks a little bulky and would probably take some time to break in, given the stiff leather.

https://www.padandquill.com/traveler-leather-wallet-case-for-iphone-14-pro.html

Thanks for all the suggestions, folks!

I’ve been using Greenwich cases since my iPhone X. Always been happy with them, nice looking, strong, functional.

My only con is the expense.

https://greenwich.design/collections/iphone-14-pro-max-phone-cases

I use and am really happy with the “Peak Design Everyday Case” - it’s expensive, with strong magnet, very protective, and - beside a wallet and a kickstand wallet - there are a family of tools (e.g. mini tripod, cycle or motorcycle use) also including travel and photography gear. >>> peakdesign.com <<<

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I found a unique KIHUWEY Premium Leather case I really like. It doesn’t support wireless charging, but it has the card capacity I want and a nice look.

Thanks for the pointer—it looks like a really solid case and a clever ecosystem of accessories, although the wallet ($50 or $60) is more expensive than the case ($40 or $50). Backordered for a bit in the US for the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max, though.

Interesting! There are a variety of Chinese manufacturers making this sort of wallet case, which has a folio-style flap, but on the back, so it doesn’t obscure/protect the screen and can act as a kickstand. My only hesitation with these is they look like they’d be pretty thick in the pocket. But they’re really inexpensive and thus easy to try.

https://www.amazon.com/KIHUWEY-Compatible-Magnetic-Kickstand-Protective/dp/B0BBM2H5QQ

https://www.amazon.com/KIHUWEY-Compatible-Kickstand-Shockproof-Protective/dp/B0BBMMMFB4

Boo! That’s not very good customer service. Keep us posted.

Going to follow up on my previous critical posts on Smartish. In reviewing all paperwork, now can’t tell, but might have been my fault. Still hoping for my Smartish cases and glass protectors that fit my phone.

I had an Apple Wallet and translucent MagSafe case. Yes I overpaid, but thought I’d try keeping to within the ecosystem.

After over the year with iPhone 13 Pro, I lost the wallet 2 days ago. I think of Find My, and it shows the wallet’s location at 7+ miles away at an REI retail store. Great! I’m about to retrieve my wallet …

… NO …

The Apple Wallet does not support precision finding, unlike an AirTag. It doesn’t support an audible alarm, unlike an AirTag. I therefore had Apple Maps navigate me to the store, but then utterly fail to find the Apple Wallet. While I searched inside and outside the store manually, abetted by very gracious retail personnel, it was hopeless. An Apple device in an Apple software Find My ecosystem had no chance of being found.

I call this a UX flaw. Do you agree?

The standard answer would be to get a bigger wallet and use an AirTag. Kinda going backwards in tech to get a big wallet, and besides my main need is to be able to find it – sonically or otherwise.

Is there such a thing as a Wallet that supports Find My with an audible alarm? I don’t recall anything in @ace article mentioning that, and don’t recall anything in comments either. Anyone heard of such?

P.S.
I could have started a new forum topic, but @ace article on iPhone Wallet Cases in September was a good one with good comments. I thought I’d try responding to @ace

That’s correct - the MagSafe Apple Wallet has no AirTag like functionality. It just tells you where it was last connected to your phone after you disconnect.

I know I’ve seen ads for wallets that let you put an AirTag in them - but they may not be MagSafe.

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Thanx for your comment, Doug. I’ve searched some and can only echo what you said. There’s no such wallet that acts like an AirTag without including an AirTag.

I will continue to review articles and comments on wallets, and keep an open mind. Honestly don’t know how I’ll choose.

I can’t add anything to what @ddmiller said, but I hadn’t previously thought of the fact that the wallet comes off the iPhone entirely as a bad thing. At home, it’s a good thing, since you can carry the wallet only when going out. But if you were to lose it out of the house, yeah, that’s problematic and not something that could happen with the integral wallet cases I’ve been writing about.

I honestly wish that the wallet had the ability to not notify me at specific places of my choice (home, for example). I don’t use the wallet all of the time - only occasionally, when I am making a quick trip somewhere and don’t want to carry my full wallet, and really don’t need to see a notification that it’s separated when I’m at home.

I know other devices have the ability not to warn you when you are away from them when you leave a specific place - I’d like the wallet to do that as well.

It’s not a big deal, just a nice-to-have if Apple adds it.

My experience, by the way, has been that the wallet stays connected to my Apple magsafe leather case fairly well. Sorry that Suman didn’t have that experience.

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Turns out Apple lied to me. :slight_smile:

Find My told me my Wallet was last seen at an REI store last week.
Instead, it was found today at my workplace. It was run over and beat up, but it had my license and other two cards within it.

Points for reference:

  • I daily use a MagSafe vent mount for my iPhone 13 Pro with its transparent case. That means I must separate my Wallet every time I get into the car. Maybe that wasn’t an optimal implementation?

  • I wonder if @ddmiller keeps his Wallet connected and never separates it when he’s out and about?

  • Maybe I should use a non-MagSafe mount? My intent was to try out MagSafe technology at the time, as something relatively new from Apple. I wonder what car mounts people use. I’ll search for iPhone car mount articles

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