I just got my frosted black classic hybrid yesterday and let me tell you I am impressed with this case. It looks really good on my desert titanium 16 Pro Max and I am looking forward to using this case on a regular basis. I tend to buy several different kinds of cases for different kinds of activities that I do, but this will make a great every day case.
if only the stash stand is strong and won't come off. also if you use the stash stand case, you can't use the camera len protectors. if you apply camera len protector and then put on the case with stash stand, the stash stand doesn't stay closed, there is half inch gap.
I bought the ESR case with stash stand built in and also ordered screenprotector and camera len protector for my 16 pro. the camera len protector is not usable with this case. if you apply the the len protector and then put on the case with stand stand, the stash stand sticks out leaving a half inch gap and doesn't stay closed. I also question the durability of the stand stand as some are shpwing pics of how they come off after few uses. but the concept and design is better than regular kick stand case.
Hi David! Sorry to hear that the camera lens protector isn't fitting properly with the ESR case with Stash Stand. I don't have any experience with that combination. Are these the ESR Armorite lens protectors? Or ones from a different company?
Hello, I love each of your videos as you show with patience and detail the covers I would like to see soon for the iPhone 16 pro those of CASETIFY, by the way this year will you upgrade for the 16 pro?❤
Thank you!! I am definitely upgrading to the 16 Pro…I’ll pick up my White Titanium 16 Pro tomorrow. And I already have a bunch of CASETIFY cases for it, so you can expect that review in the next week.😊
Awesome review as always 🙌 hopefully Torras will give you cases for review. Got esr as well on my 15pro max, but using Torras and phone rebel now. Hoping and waiting for the third party cases to redesign their cases 👌
Hi Miles! Great to hear from you! And yes…it would be great to check out some Torras cases for the new phones!! I’m sure we will get redesigned Camera Control buttons soon.🤞
Oh no! What case were you using?? And which model of phone? I think the most protective case I’ve seen in terms of camera protection is CASETIFY’s Ultra Bounce…you have integrated camera lens protection…
I love cases with built in kickstand. This one isn’t right for me as I like using my phone with a stand in portrait mode. This is more designed for landscape. Great case though
@linhunnicutt6556 oh, I see what you mean…kind of a very reclined portrait mode? Well, you are absolutely right. I guess I think of portrait mode as being more upright.
Well, you do have those covered port openings...that's giving you protection in some very sensitive areas. But if you are referring to the cutout for the Camera Control button, then yes...that's definitely an area where dirt and dust can get in...
Even in these cases, the buttons are still partially exposed with those slit-like openings around the buttons. It seems these case companies are doing this to preserve the tactility of the volume control and power buttons @@TheTechReviewer
Yes, that's exactly why that 'slit button' design is so popular. It does make buttons more responsive. And I'm sure it is probably cheaper than a non slit button design. And it does have the potential to let in dirt or dust. But I was pleased to see the covered USB-C port and the mesh over the speaker and microphone area. That is rather unusual these days. And those areas are a lot more sensitive to damage from dirt or dust than the buttons. So at least they did that part right!
@@TheTechReviewer Unfortunately they completely wrong the positioning of the hard and rigid part of the cover, not going to include the new smart button on the right. In this way unfortunately it is very soft and I gave way especially for a long time
You are right that the rubber on the sides is soft and flexible, but it gives a pleasant amount of grip...and like all of ESR's cases this year, there is a cutout rather than a covered button for the Camera Control area. The vast majority of third party manufacturers went with that design this fall. My guess is that there will be redesigned cases coming out later this fall.
@The Tech Reviewer I got my Cloud Series ESR Case a few days ago (Iphone 16 Pro max), it feels nice and i like the stand, but the buttons are extremely heavy to push, why you didnt test the buttons, thats an important factor when buying a case!!!
So sorry you are having trouble with the Cloud Soft buttons. However, I couldn’t really test the buttons in my prelaunch video because I didn’t have the actual phone yet. The review was filmed using a dummy phone. Plus, I reviewed the iPhone 16 Pro version of these cases…not the 16 Pro Max. Have you contacted ESR regarding the button issue? You should probably be able to return or exchange the case if it isn’t working properly.
@@TheTechReviewer maybe the hard push is intended, so therefore it would be nice know if its normal, there should be no difference between Pro and Pro Max, if the case is the same
Tiny differences can make a surprising amount of difference between two sizes of phone case...so it is entirely possible that the buttons on the 16 Pro Max version of the ESR Cloud Soft case with Stash Stand aren't quite as good as the buttons on the 16 Pro version. I don't have the 16 Pro Max phone...just the 16 Pro. And I just tried on the ESR Cloud Soft Case on my 16 Pro, and checked out the buttons. To me, they don't seem hard to press. Perhaps very slightly harder than the ones on the Apple Silicone Case for the 16 Pro, but if so, it is a really small difference. I wonder whether something is wrong with your case? Are you sure you have it completely on (are all four corners pressed on properly)?
So no 3rd party case manufacturers are doing sapphire button covers? Man Apple has this in the bag if they don’t. No one wants that big of an open hole on the side of their case and can you even use the Camera Control button with that awkward of a deep hole? It seems to far down
Agreed! I used to use Mous cases for a while, but now they all have large cutouts for the new button on the 16 Pro Max, which I don't really like. I recently received a leather case from Decoded, but it also has a cutout. At first, I thought I'd use it, but now I'm seriously considering getting an Apple case where there's no such cutout.
I believe Apple had more time to develop their case, considering the new button on the phone, and they managed to do it in advance. It might also be a strategy to boost their case sales. Other case manufacturers likely only received sketches of the new phone without the finer details. I’m not entirely sure how it works, but it seems Apple had a bit more time. I think other manufacturers will eventually catch up and improve their cases to accommodate the new button. The large cutout isn’t ideal for many people. I was surprised to see that even UAG, a well-known brand for protective cases, has a huge cutout in their €99 case. Not only is there a cutout for the button, but the frame around the button is also exposed, which can get scratched. This issue isn’t limited to UAG; it applies to many other cases as well.
Be an ESR user for my iPhone 15 series. The kickstand case was a good for a until you used it too often.. the metal bit that holds the stand to the case dropped out eventually. Luckily I was able to find it and put it back... but still eventually it will slowly moves out of place and that is where you need to do 'regular' maintenance. The case also eventually curves outwards when removed (4-6months of use), not sure if its the nature of cases since I dont see this on other branded cases. As for the 'new' ESR magsafe charger... Disappointed its only 15watt charging when the iPhone 16 series can do 25 watt for magsafe..
Hi @garfieldRYL! Thanks for sharing your long term use data for your ESR case. Which ESR case model was it? And what kind of kickstand? Also, for the ESR MagSlim Kickstand charger, I can't really hold the lack of 25 watt MagSafe charging against it at this point...I don't think there are any third party chargers that do MagSafe charging at 25 watts yet. Plus, this is Qi2, not MagSafe. And the Qi2 standard is for 15 watt charging...not 25 Hopefully third party vendors will come out with 25 watt MagSafe chargers eventually, but I think it may take awhile. Thanks again for sharing your ESR experience!
@@TheTechReviewer I was using the ESR iPhone 15 Pro Max Classic Hybrid Case with Stash Stand Set (HaloLock). Just hope they can improve the locking mechanism for the kickstand, perhaps more similar to the Castify kickstand series. Otherwise a good case to use while it last. Currently just bought and using the 2m Apple magsafe pluck.. seems to be charging faster than the old version. Hope you can test & review this 1 out too. :)
@garfieldRYL Sorry to hear that your ESR case didn’t perform as expected. Did you try to get it replaced under their warranty? And I’m happy to hear that the new Apple MagSafe charger is working well. I’m going to try to get a hold of one, but I haven’t been successful yet. They are apparently not approved for sale in China, which is where I am currently located. Hopefully I’ll be able to get one in late October when I’m in the US.
It's really too bad all of these cases have cut outs for Camera Control. I bought the Apple Silicone and Beats cases for my incoming iPhone 16 Pro Max. I'm going to decide which I prefer and return the other. Hopefully other case manufacturers will update their cases once they have the actual iPhone 16 line in their hands. Or at least give options other than the cut out.
Yeah…I’m sure they are desperately trying to reconfigure their cases to work with the new button. In a few months, I think we’ll be seeing a lot of third party options…
@@TheTechReviewer Desert titanium. I was originally going to get natural titanium like my 15 Pro Max, but figured I’d get the new color. It’s going to be in a case anyway if I don’t like it. 😂
Too true on the case part, but of course you’ll see the color through the rear camera opening… I’m hearing lots of people getting the Desert Titanium…I went with White Titanium this year because I had the Natural Titanium for my 15 Pro and Pro Max, and I’ve always loved white iPhones 😊
I don't have an issue with the camera button cut out., It gives me a pretty good guy to wear it is. I got the desert titanium on my 16 Pro Max and have had several nice comments about how good it looks.
Fantastic review and l like how it was shot close up and you took the time to show us everything and I’ve been a fan of ESR products for years…Thanks
Thanks so much for your kind comments! I'm so happy you found the review to be helpful!
I just got my frosted black classic hybrid yesterday and let me tell you I am impressed with this case. It looks really good on my desert titanium 16 Pro Max and I am looking forward to using this case on a regular basis. I tend to buy several different kinds of cases for different kinds of activities that I do, but this will make a great every day case.
Hi Lin!! So happy to hear that you are loving your new ESR case! And I bet that black and Desert Titanium combo looks awesome. Enjoy!!!
if only the stash stand is strong and won't come off. also if you use the stash stand case, you can't use the camera len protectors. if you apply camera len protector and then put on the case with stash stand, the stash stand doesn't stay closed, there is half inch gap.
That is really odd. Have you reached out to ESR about this?
I bought the ESR case with stash stand built in and also ordered screenprotector and camera len protector for my 16 pro. the camera len protector is not usable with this case. if you apply the the len protector and then put on the case with stand stand, the stash stand sticks out leaving a half inch gap and doesn't stay closed. I also question the durability of the stand stand as some are shpwing pics of how they come off after few uses. but the concept and design is better than regular kick stand case.
Hi David! Sorry to hear that the camera lens protector isn't fitting properly with the ESR case with Stash Stand. I don't have any experience with that combination. Are these the ESR Armorite lens protectors? Or ones from a different company?
Hello, I love each of your videos as you show with patience and detail the covers I would like to see soon for the iPhone 16 pro those of CASETIFY, by the way this year will you upgrade for the 16 pro?❤
Thank you!! I am definitely upgrading to the 16 Pro…I’ll pick up my White Titanium 16 Pro tomorrow. And I already have a bunch of CASETIFY cases for it, so you can expect that review in the next week.😊
@@TheTechReviewer omgggg yayyyy thankssss 🔜🎉🥺
@merlyannroman ❤️
Awesome review as always 🙌 hopefully Torras will give you cases for review. Got esr as well on my 15pro max, but using Torras and phone rebel now. Hoping and waiting for the third party cases to redesign their cases 👌
Hi Miles! Great to hear from you! And yes…it would be great to check out some Torras cases for the new phones!!
I’m sure we will get redesigned Camera Control buttons soon.🤞
I had damaged the camera unit two times already when the phone hit the ground. Any recommendations for camera protection?
Oh no! What case were you using?? And which model of phone? I think the most protective case I’ve seen in terms of camera protection is CASETIFY’s Ultra Bounce…you have integrated camera lens protection…
I love cases with built in kickstand. This one isn’t right for me as I like using my phone with a stand in portrait mode. This is more designed for landscape. Great case though
I hear you! It is unfortunate that you can’t do portrait mode with the stash stand design!
You can use the stash fan in portrait mode, I have already tried it this morning with my classic hybrid case for my 16 Pro Max.
@linhunnicutt6556 oh, I see what you mean…kind of a very reclined portrait mode? Well, you are absolutely right. I guess I think of portrait mode as being more upright.
The Cyber Tough cases look promising at first; but then they offer very little protection from dirt ingress
Well, you do have those covered port openings...that's giving you protection in some very sensitive areas. But if you are referring to the cutout for the Camera Control button, then yes...that's definitely an area where dirt and dust can get in...
Even in these cases, the buttons are still partially exposed with those slit-like openings around the buttons. It seems these case companies are doing this to preserve the tactility of the volume control and power buttons @@TheTechReviewer
Yes, that's exactly why that 'slit button' design is so popular. It does make buttons more responsive. And I'm sure it is probably cheaper than a non slit button design. And it does have the potential to let in dirt or dust. But I was pleased to see the covered USB-C port and the mesh over the speaker and microphone area. That is rather unusual these days. And those areas are a lot more sensitive to damage from dirt or dust than the buttons. So at least they did that part right!
The first one is a bad copy of Commuter, 10 years later.
Similar design, for sure…not certain it is a bad copy, though. Seems pretty well made…
@@TheTechReviewer Unfortunately they completely wrong the positioning of the hard and rigid part of the cover, not going to include the new smart button on the right. In this way unfortunately it is very soft and I gave way especially for a long time
You are right that the rubber on the sides is soft and flexible, but it gives a pleasant amount of grip...and like all of ESR's cases this year, there is a cutout rather than a covered button for the Camera Control area. The vast majority of third party manufacturers went with that design this fall. My guess is that there will be redesigned cases coming out later this fall.
@The Tech Reviewer I got my Cloud Series ESR Case a few days ago (Iphone 16 Pro max), it feels nice and i like the stand, but the buttons are extremely heavy to push, why you didnt test the buttons, thats an important factor when buying a case!!!
So sorry you are having trouble with the Cloud Soft buttons. However, I couldn’t really test the buttons in my prelaunch video because I didn’t have the actual phone yet. The review was filmed using a dummy phone. Plus, I reviewed the iPhone 16 Pro version of these cases…not the 16 Pro Max.
Have you contacted ESR regarding the button issue? You should probably be able to return or exchange the case if it isn’t working properly.
@@TheTechReviewer maybe the hard push is intended, so therefore it would be nice know if its normal, there should be no difference between Pro and Pro Max, if the case is the same
Tiny differences can make a surprising amount of difference between two sizes of phone case...so it is entirely possible that the buttons on the 16 Pro Max version of the ESR Cloud Soft case with Stash Stand aren't quite as good as the buttons on the 16 Pro version. I don't have the 16 Pro Max phone...just the 16 Pro. And I just tried on the ESR Cloud Soft Case on my 16 Pro, and checked out the buttons. To me, they don't seem hard to press. Perhaps very slightly harder than the ones on the Apple Silicone Case for the 16 Pro, but if so, it is a really small difference. I wonder whether something is wrong with your case? Are you sure you have it completely on (are all four corners pressed on properly)?
So no 3rd party case manufacturers are doing sapphire button covers? Man Apple has this in the bag if they don’t. No one wants that big of an open hole on the side of their case and can you even use the Camera Control button with that awkward of a deep hole? It seems to far down
Agreed! I used to use Mous cases for a while, but now they all have large cutouts for the new button on the 16 Pro Max, which I don't really like. I recently received a leather case from Decoded, but it also has a cutout. At first, I thought I'd use it, but now I'm seriously considering getting an Apple case where there's no such cutout.
I believe Apple had more time to develop their case, considering the new button on the phone, and they managed to do it in advance. It might also be a strategy to boost their case sales. Other case manufacturers likely only received sketches of the new phone without the finer details. I’m not entirely sure how it works, but it seems Apple had a bit more time. I think other manufacturers will eventually catch up and improve their cases to accommodate the new button. The large cutout isn’t ideal for many people. I was surprised to see that even UAG, a well-known brand for protective cases, has a huge cutout in their €99 case. Not only is there a cutout for the button, but the frame around the button is also exposed, which can get scratched. This issue isn’t limited to UAG; it applies to many other cases as well.
Supcase is doing the new capture button same as official, I have it already and it looks great
@@VivekKumar-qr4ek Thanks
Awesome! Thanks for sharing about the new Supcase case. Hope the covered button works well!
Be an ESR user for my iPhone 15 series. The kickstand case was a good for a until you used it too often.. the metal bit that holds the stand to the case dropped out eventually. Luckily I was able to find it and put it back... but still eventually it will slowly moves out of place and that is where you need to do 'regular' maintenance.
The case also eventually curves outwards when removed (4-6months of use), not sure if its the nature of cases since I dont see this on other branded cases.
As for the 'new' ESR magsafe charger... Disappointed its only 15watt charging when the iPhone 16 series can do 25 watt for magsafe..
Hi @garfieldRYL! Thanks for sharing your long term use data for your ESR case. Which ESR case model was it? And what kind of kickstand?
Also, for the ESR MagSlim Kickstand charger, I can't really hold the lack of 25 watt MagSafe charging against it at this point...I don't think there are any third party chargers that do MagSafe charging at 25 watts yet. Plus, this is Qi2, not MagSafe. And the Qi2 standard is for 15 watt charging...not 25
Hopefully third party vendors will come out with 25 watt MagSafe chargers eventually, but I think it may take awhile.
Thanks again for sharing your ESR experience!
@@TheTechReviewer I was using the ESR iPhone 15 Pro Max Classic Hybrid Case with Stash Stand Set (HaloLock). Just hope they can improve the locking mechanism for the kickstand, perhaps more similar to the Castify kickstand series. Otherwise a good case to use while it last. Currently just bought and using the 2m Apple magsafe pluck.. seems to be charging faster than the old version. Hope you can test & review this 1 out too. :)
@garfieldRYL Sorry to hear that your ESR case didn’t perform as expected. Did you try to get it replaced under their warranty?
And I’m happy to hear that the new Apple MagSafe charger is working well. I’m going to try to get a hold of one, but I haven’t been successful yet. They are apparently not approved for sale in China, which is where I am currently located. Hopefully I’ll be able to get one in late October when I’m in the US.
It's really too bad all of these cases have cut outs for Camera Control. I bought the Apple Silicone and Beats cases for my incoming iPhone 16 Pro Max. I'm going to decide which I prefer and return the other. Hopefully other case manufacturers will update their cases once they have the actual iPhone 16 line in their hands. Or at least give options other than the cut out.
Yeah…I’m sure they are desperately trying to reconfigure their cases to work with the new button. In a few months, I think we’ll be seeing a lot of third party options…
What color 16 Pro Max are you getting?
@@TheTechReviewer Desert titanium. I was originally going to get natural titanium like my 15 Pro Max, but figured I’d get the new color. It’s going to be in a case anyway if I don’t like it. 😂
Too true on the case part, but of course you’ll see the color through the rear camera opening…
I’m hearing lots of people getting the Desert Titanium…I went with White Titanium this year because I had the Natural Titanium for my 15 Pro and Pro Max, and I’ve always loved white iPhones 😊
I don't have an issue with the camera button cut out., It gives me a pretty good guy to wear it is. I got the desert titanium on my 16 Pro Max and have had several nice comments about how good it looks.