Arc Pulse and Sapphire for Apple iPhone 13 review: Luxury minimalism with focused protection

While it is debatable which smartphone is the best, it’s pretty clear that there are more types of cases for the Apple iPhone than any other model of smartphone. With such dominance in cases, it can be difficult to find cases that offer unique features and fit your exact needs.

Various surveys show that 85% to 90% of iPhone owners use a case. Even though I bought Apple Care Plus and can use my iPhone without a case in confidence, I am also one of the majority that wraps my iPhone in a case. The designers at Arc developed a unique case that lets you protect the key areas of your iPhone while also optimizing your iPhone experience the way that Apple intended.

After a couple of weeks of using the

Arc Pulse

on my Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max I can definitely see the appeal of carrying your iPhone in a mostly naked condition and am loving the look and feel of my iPhone. The case is very expensive, $218 for the Titanium Silver and Gold models, but it is stunning and unique. It will never break and offers many benefits, including being 100% recyclable.

Also: Best iPhones 2022 : Which model is right for you?

Arc Pulse case

Arc has

Arc Pulse

cases available for all four models of the iPhone 13 and the three larger models of the iPhone 12 series. The aluminum matte black case is priced at $109 while the two titanium options are priced at $218. You can select the color of your iPhone in order to view the Arc Pulse on your iPhone and select the model that works best for you.

I have a Graphite color iPhone 13 Pro Max and was sent a Titanium Silver Arc Pulse to test out. As you can see in my image gallery, this combination looks fantastic. Extremely professional and classy so it looks great in the office and out on the town.

The case comes in a long box and when you pull down on the fabric tab, both ends of the case slide out with the Arc Pulse pieces embedded in black foam. The case is comprised of two separate and distinct pieces. Shock-absorbing elastomer material lines the inside of the titanium outer material. Simple installation graphics are shown on the box and you simply slide on one side and then rotate to push the other side into position.

Each piece is secured in position through friction and perfect fit. It is actually a bit tough to remove each piece and clearly requires a purposeful effort to make it happen. I dropped my iPhone a few times on the carpet to test what happens when I drop it and every time a corner hits first with no movement of the case.

The Arc Pulse is designed to fully protect all four corners and the rear camera array. If you drop your iPhone flat on the front or back on a flat surface then the Arc Pulse should also protect it in this situation. Your iPhone could scratch or break if you drop it on an uneven surface, like gravel, since there is no protection for the majority of the front and back between the ends.

Other than the incredible good looks and minimalist coverage of your iPhone, the Arc Pulse case is very light (22.5 grams for the one I tested and that is the heaviest of all models), offers the same heat dissipation as a naked iPhone, does not cover any of the antennas so perfect cellular reception is maintained (you can see antenna lines with the Arc Pulse perfectly designed to fit beyond any of these areas), and is 100% recyclable so landfills don’t fill up with cases when people get tired of an old case.

I was worried that the case would impact my ability to use some of my standard wireless chargers, but even with the top piece around the camera array my iPhone still charges on wireless charging pads like the Volonic Valet 3. MagSafe accessories that I have tested all work with the case in position as well and obviously Apple Pay works with the back of the iPhone mostly exposed to sensors. There may be some MagSafe accessories that bump into the Arc Pulse around the camera array.

The cost of the case is a tough pill to swallow, but if you are someone who enjoys carrying a naked iPhone or someone who would like to but is scared of dropping your iPhone then this case may be for you. It has garnered a lot of questions over the past couple of weeks and when I showed it off people are impressed by its design and functionality, but not its price. Then again, we’ve seen celebrities and others spend a lot of money on accessories and cases so the Arc Pulse may appeal to this audience too.

Also: iPhone 13 Pro review: A trifecta of meaningful upgrades

Arc Sapphire screen protector

To help protect the display on your iPhone, Arc also has the

Arc Sapphire screen protector

. It is the most expensive screen protector I have ever tested at a price of $76. The majority of the screen protectors I have tried before are tempered glass protectors with cheap ones on Amazon priced at $10 and higher quality ones from established supplies priced at $40 to $50.

The Arc Sapphire is 99.99% pure sapphire with a MOHS hardness of 9. You may see 9H used with tempered glass, but this type of glass has a MOHS rating of 6-7. Arc states that the screen protector is five times harder than regular tempered glass screen protectors.

In addition to being harder than tempered glass protectors, it is also 50% thinner so you clearly will not experience any degradation in the performance of the touch display. It is second in scratch resistance only to diamond so the protector should serve you well for the life of your iPhone.

The installation kit contains an alcohol wipe, a dust removal sticker, a microfiber cloth, and an installation guide. Installation is the same as most other protectors and I was able to install it without any bubbles or flaws in the installation. A thin black border is contained on the edges of the protector, but the entire viewable display is unobstructed by the protector.

The Arc Pulse fits onto the iPhone with the Arc Sapphire in place without impacting the protector in any area. It’s clearly an expensive screen protector, but with the hardness, thickness, and performance it may be the best available too.