Review: The Mujjo leather iPhone 14 case has an Apple-like fit and finish and is available in black

With my previous iPhones, I’ve always relied on Apple’s first-party leather case option. It’s not cheap, but I’ve found that they’ve held up well to years of use, the click buttons have a nice feel and the branding is subtle. However, when I switched to the iPhone 14 Pro this year, I felt a bit alienated. Apple no longer offers a true black case option… and that’s where the Mujjo leather case comes in…

Mujjo makes flat leather iPhone cases for the iPhone 14,

Mujjo makes flat leather iPhone cases for iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max.

“>iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max (and of course older iPhones). They also make variants with a wallet holder sewn into the back, but I like my phones to have a simple flat back and just use a separate wallet to hold all my cards and cash.

I’ve tried Mujjo cases before and been impressed, but I’ve never really had a reason to use them over Apple’s cases before. The choice of color is really a deciding factor for me.

Apple’s dark case colors this year are Ink and Midnight, both with shades of blue and gray. You are not black. Mujjo offers a true black color option. It’s as black as my old black leather case from Apple and pairs beautifully with my space black iPhone 14 Pro. If you’re looking for something funkier, Mujjo also makes their cases in Monaco Blue and Tan tones.

A lot of third-party iPhone cases have really offensive branding with big logos on the back or maybe even the side. The logo on the Mujjo case is very subtle. The company name is embossed on the bottom case back. It’s arguably less noticeable than the Apple logo on Apple’s leather cases. When you hold the phone, your hand completely covers the Mujjo logo. If I could choose I wouldn’t have any lettering at all – but what they have is minimal enough that I’m fine with that.

Otherwise, the best compliment I can give the Mujjo leather case is that it comes incredibly close to the quality fit and finish of the official Apple case. The leather finish feels almost identical.

The case features machined metal buttons that line up precisely with the buttons on the phone itself. That means when you change the volume or put the phone to sleep, you’re clicking on a real piece of metal – not through mushy leather like some cheaper cases do. This results in a great key press feel.

It’s not all perfect. The similarities to Apple’s cases also mean that it inherits the same disadvantages. Apple’s older leather cases had an open bottom, meaning they didn’t have a lip over the bottom edge of the screen. This allows thumb swipe gestures to be performed freely from the home display without the case getting in the way.

A few generations ago, Apple switched to a closed bottom, preferring to protect all four edges of the display. The Mujjo case has the same all-surround design. After using the iPhone 14 in the case for a few weeks, be prepared to start the gesture slightly higher from the bottom of the phone to avoid the case edge, but a minor complaint remains.

The open bottom also made removing the case much easier. You could just peel off the bottom and the phone would pop out. The closed bottom prevents this shortcut. Removing the phone from the Mujjo case is annoyingly difficult, but again, the official Apple case has the same flaw. (I don’t think the built-in magnets for MagSafe help here). To remove the iPhone, you need to use a lot of force, poking through the camera module and gradually loosening the corners. If you regularly take your phone out of a case and put it in, then this probably isn’t for you.

Another detail to note is that the rear camera module is protected by a lip, again just like Apple’s case. This lip extends beyond the thickness of the rest of the rear case. This will raise the top of the phone a bit and if you tap your phone while it’s on a desk it will rock back and forth. If you want your iPhone to lay completely flat on a table with a case on, this isn’t the case.

Finally, Apple’s leather case is a bit overpriced at $59. Unfortunately, walking the Mujjo route isn’t much cheaper, selling for around $54. It would be nice if it was a little cheaper. But I can understand why they priced it so tightly – because it really competes with Apple’s case in quality. I’ve been using it full time since I got my 14 Pro a month ago and I’m very satisfied. This is the best recommendation I can give for the Mujjo Full Leather case for the iPhone 14 Pro.

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