“Our team is based in Austin, Texas, and has strong opinions on phone cases, tacos, and live music. We are a jaunty, down-to-earth, and highly-caffeinated group of folks that, since 2009, have taken our products seriously, but ourselves … not so much.”
“Smartish products? Yeah, you read that right. Our products are just clever enough to make your everyday life a little better, but admittedly they won’t teach you Kung Fu … yet. That’s what we call smartish.”
“Smartish products? Yeah, you read that right. Our products are just clever enough to make your everyday life a little better, but admittedly they won’t teach you Kung Fu … yet. That’s what we call smartish.”
Silk’s mantra, as mentioned above, is “smartish”, which I think is a good word to segue into their new adoption, the Q Card case for the Samsung Galaxy S8/8+ (also for the iPhone 7/7+). Honestly, when I first took the Q Card case out of the box, I thought the design was a bit odd, and thought the designers were even more odd, which quickly turned into an appreciation for the neatness and utility-ness (I might as well make up words as well) that the Q Card case brings to the table.
The Look: The Q Card case looks top-notch! My initial impressions of the design were definitely not matched with how impressed I was with the quality and seamless blending of materials. The Q Card case incorporates a pouch on the back of the case, which is inlaid into the case itself, allowing for a flush mounted card holder when a credit card/ID card is inserted into it (it feels a bit off if there isn’t anything in the pouch) Silk claims that you can place up to three cards and some cash into the pouch, which I think tests the limits of the material, but placing one or two cards into the pouch is quite effective, and the cards are held securely in place. In addition to being a card carrier, the Q Card can use one of those cards you’re toting around as a stand, enabling you to prop the phone up for video watching. Just above the card pouch on the backside of the case, there is a groove just larger than a standard-sized card that you can wedge one of your cards into to create the base for the case stand (it’s fairly nifty). The rest of the case has a very sharp appearance, appealing to my inner professional stylings, meaning I think that this case would look very fancy tucked away inside of a suit pocket, or stowed away in some slacks. The Q Card case only comes in Onyx Black for the S8/8+, but it does come in four different colors for the iPhone 7/7+: Black Onyx, Gunmetal Gray, Champagne Gold, and Rose Gold.
The Feel: The overall feel of the device is very nice. I think the best way that I can describe the design is simple, yet elegant. The blending of the hard rubber material, and the incorporation of the pouch on the backside is done very well. At first, the form factor was a bit off-putting, but that was mostly because it felt awkward to me with the cut-out area around the pouch, which is supposed to be holding a card of some sort. When you insert a card or two into the pouch, it fills out the area nicely and doesn’t feel like something is missing when you’re holding the case. However, I can say that after a day or two of carrying the case without any cards in it, it isn’t really anything I pay attention to anymore. Honestly, one of the hardest parts about doing reviews is forcing yourself outside of your comfort zone and trying different things that you aren’t normally disposed to purchase, and then giving an objective opinion on the product – this case has been one such instance for me. Normally I’m not too keen on the idea of being “exposed”, for a lack of better words when it comes to carrying around my personal belongings, i.e., leaving the wallet at home and tossing a credit card in my phone case. I must say though that after using the Q Card case as it was intended and actually putting my ID and debit card in it, it’s very liberating being able to walk out of the house and not have to worry about toting around my wallet. In fact, it’s really something I have been wanting to give a whirl ever since I finally adopted Samsung Pay and fell in love with it. I still have the occasional failure when attempting to use Samsung Pay, and in those instances it’s very important to have a backup method of payment, which is why you can’t really ditch your wallet. Well, the Q Card really comes in handy for further untethering yourself from the social norm of carrying around a wallet and allows you to stow away your ID card, and a choice credit/debit card or two for when you need one. So… in fairness, you really have to give it a whirl to really appreciate all that the Q Card brings to the table.
Protection: The overall protection on this phone case is surprisingly good. The hard rubber material protects the phone really well from potential slips and drops, and one security feature that I really like is the lip of the case that protects the surface of the phone. One area that many other cases have failed in for the Galaxy S8/8+ series, is screen protection. From cases to screen protectors, the curved edges of the infinity screen have caused infinite headaches for designers and owners both, in attempting to secure the screen in a realistic and meaningful way. Well folks, I’m happy to say that the Q Card case has brought a little bit of their smartish ingenuity to the table and found a way for you to place your phone face-down on a normal surface without compromising the integrity of the screen, or having to create a cumbersome case to do it. The edges of the case are recessed, which gives you full access to the screen, yet the lip on the top and bottom of the screen protrude just enough to keep the screen lifted off of flat surfaces which allows you to safely place your phone down, face-down (+2 to smartish)
Overall: This case is great for day-to-day use, it looks professional, and provides better than average protection for your phone without having to jump into the impact-resistant category. For the price, it’s fantastic. The materials that were used to create the Q Card case are premium quality, and really make you feel like you’re using a case that compliments the flagship status of your phone without breaking the bank. It works well if you’re not carrying around cards in it, but it helps take you to the next level of minimalism and efficiency when you use it as it’s designed and stow a card or two into the pouch. This case is a solid buy for just about anyone.
Pros:
- Stow-and-Go option with the built-in pouch for cards/cash
- Provides solid protection even though it’s not a protective style case
- Premium build quality and intuitive design
- Full access to the screen without sacrificing on aesthetics or protection
Cons:
- The card kickstand works, just don’t forget to put your card back in when you’re done
- Only comes in Black for the S8/8+
- It’s not overly expensive, but it isn’t cheap either
- I give up… I’m having to look for things that I don’t like about the case at this point
If you’re interested in picking up one of the Q Card cases, head on over to Silk’s new website at: https://silksmartish.com. You can pick up one up for the everyday low price of $24.99. Silk also offers a lifetime warranty for their cases. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to leave them down in the comments section.
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