A REAL waterproof iPhone case? - Catalyst Waterproof Review - iPhone 6

Looking for a waterproof iPhone case you can take underwater up to 16.4ft? Get the Catalyst for the iPhone 6!

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The Catalyst looks more like a bumper than an actual waterproof case. The clear back is a nice design feature that allows you to showcase your iPhone. The entire design of the case is really nice but it doesn’t do as well in terms of access to your iPhone in terms of the screen and certain buttons. In short, the Catalyst is an above average waterproof case that will protect your iPhone but hamper the accessibility of your iPhone inside the case.

In terms of design, the Catalyst is a fairly slim case and keeps the general roundness of your iPhone. Its not as small as the LifeProof Fre but definitely isn’t as bulky as the Seidio Obex or Dog & Bone Wetsuit. Installation of the case is fairly straightforward as you snap two pieces together but during our testing period, we did notice that one piece of the case may be easier to lose if you’re not careful.

In terms of build quality, we’re big fans of how it holds up over time and the clear back generally stays clear as the rubber feet on the back of the case keep it off the ground. The only gripe that we have with this case is that it has a tendency to squeak which according to Catalyst is normal and it doesn’t have an adverse effect on the case. But still. It squeaks.

Now despite the sqeaking, this case is pretty tough. We’ve put this iPhone in a Catalyst through the dishwasher, snow and concrete.

The Catalyst is a tougher iPhone case as it allow you to take your iPhone up to depths of 15 ft. which is twice as much as you could with the Fre, Nuud, Obex and Wetsuit. If you’re into snorkelling and other shallow, submerged water sports, I’d definitely go with the Catalyst.

The screen protector on the Catalyst is on the thicker side and holds up well against debris, keys and coins.

In terms of accessing your iPhone inside the case, there are some really great points and some really awful points. Getting the the hardware ports on the case is a cinch as all you do is pull back the rubber plugs that completely seal the jacks. The cutouts are large enough to handle larger than average Apple accessories.

In terms of the buttons, we found that getting the volume and sleep buttons were tougher than average. We’re guessing that they are going to get easier over time but still, they’re not fun to use. Now the mute switch is accessed through this turning mechanism which is much easier to use that the normal rubber flip switches you find on almost all the other cases.

The TouchID membrane works and isn’t one of the clear “sticky” looking membranes which we like. Camera and flash generally work but the high edges on the flash means that the edges of your flash photography are going to be slightly discoloured which isn’t great.

Sound coming from the iPhone is noticeably quieter from the ear piece speaker but isn’t an issue for the regular speaker though we do have to point out that the sound is directed from the bottom of the case to the back so there’s less chance that you’ll mute the sound physically.

In terms of accessing your screen inside the case, the screen protector on the catalyst does have a noticeable gap and as a result it reduces the sensitivity just a bit. It’s a very slight sensitivity loss that I’ve noticed the most when scrolling through my Facebook feed. There is a bump where the ear speaker membrane is that makes the area right under it a little dead in terms of sensitivity.

In terms of screen viewability, the gap between the screen protector increase the glare and it makes the reflections coming off the iPhone wobbly. There is a slight diffusion of the iPhone’s touchscreen but if your’e looking at the screen from a normal distance, it’s not going to be an issue. Fingerprinting isn’t a big issue but will accumulate after a bit of usuage. Good thing its waterproof as a couple seconds under the tap with some hand soap takes care of that problem.

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