Ready to talk about cases for a minute? I know, we don’t often approach this topic around here, but Tim and I happen to be using the same case at the moment because we actually like it and wanted to share some thoughts. The Pitaka MagEZ Case 4 has won both of us over.
That’s a sentence that shouldn’t completely surprise you if you have read this site over the past couple of years. I’m a huge Pitaka fan and told you about their Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S23 cases. Years ago, I started dabbling in the Aramid fiber case scene and forked out the cash for a Pitaka case, only to then slap it on every expensive phone I could. Since they limit the phones they support, that’s almost always meant a case on my current Samsung device or iPhone.
Pitaka reached out to us when the Galaxy S24 series was about to launch and asked if we wanted to take a look at their line-up. Again, as a fan, this seemed like an easy “Yes” knowing that I was probably going to buy one anyway. I was most excited for Tim to give them a try, though, because I was curious if they’d win him over like they have me. As it turns out, they did.
About a week ago, I said to him that I was preparing to write-up my thoughts on the Pitaka MagEZ Case 4 for my regular Galaxy S24 and asked it he could send me pics of his review case for the Galaxy S24 Ultra, assuming he hadn’t touched it. His response was basically, “Yeah, that’ll be easy because I’m still using it and love it.” It was a weird moment because Tim and I have for years never touched a case.
Pitaka MagEZ Case 4: Galaxy S24 series
Anyway, so the Pitaka MagEZ Case 4 is their latest Aramid fiber case for the Galaxy S24, Galaxy S24+, and Galaxy S24 Ultra. It has that lovely Aramid fiber weave, an extremely thin body that is structurally strong, and is “fully MagSafe compatible,” according to Pitaka. It comes in Black/Grey (seen here on my S24), Sunset (seen above on the S24 Ultra), or Moonrise (it’s the blueish version of Sunset).
They cost a whopping $69.99, which yes, is an insane price to pay for a case. I know a lot of you just stopped reading and completely understand that. I’d imagine you can find knockoffs on Amazon for half the price or less. I can’t say that I believe their quality will be as good as Pitaka’s, but hey, do what you gotta do. For alternatives from other known competitors like Latercase or Mous, you are looking at anywhere from $50 to $70 for theirs as well.
What’s good about this case? If you are wondering what it is that would get me to spend $70 on a case like this, I’d probably give you a list of 4 things: fit, feel, look, and MagSafe compatibility.
For fit, I love these cases because of how thin they are and how tightly they squeeze onto a phone. Phones are so enormous these days (and also insanely expensive) that if I decide to add protection, I like to do so without the bulk of a regular case. These Pitaka cases are 1.14mm thick, so they aren’t adding much to your already-big phone.
For feel, I just love the soft yet grippable feel of Aramid weaves like this. It’s wonderful to touch all day, because you feel like you have a good handle on your phone because of it, while it also won’t annoy your senses like a TPU case might. It’s so lovely.
For look, this is obviously just a preference of mine, but these cases are quite snazzy. I keep using the normal black versions with angled patterns, but I’m kind of jealous of the Sunset on Tim’s S24 Ultra. The weave and color adds a nice touch that remains pretty minimal. I love that Pitaka is continuing to explore designs and color palettes outside of the old school grey/black.
And finally, for MagSafe compatibility, these cases give you access to a bunch of cool accessories that Apple made popular with MagSafe. You can slap magnetic wallets on the back, use some MagSafe wirelessly chargers, use magnetic car mounts, and also the little grips for the backs of phones. By using the strong magnets within this case, you open your phone up to a whole new world of accessories. In a way, a portion of the high price here is making your phone compatible with a big ecosystem of fun.
What are some downsides? Obviously, the price is going to turn off a lot of people. $70 is a lot to ask people to pay for a case, especially because online shops have trained our minds to expect to pay under $20 for them.
Pitaka also only describes the level of protection as “reliable daily protection,” so because of the thin profile, they aren’t saying you should throw your phone off of a building. The protection is going to help from minor scuffs and drops, but maybe not the big one. When you buy a case this thin, you do so acknowledging that it isn’t an Otterbox tank.
The other thing I don’t like is the design change by Pitaka to now blast their huge logo on the backsides of these. In older cases, they would slap on a very minimal logo towards the button that wasn’t so in-your-face (you can see it in this comparison of older cases). For this new MagEZ Case 4 series, they attached it at the top by the camera housing and it is hard to ignore. That sucks. Their minimal approach was always so appreciated, so I hope they reconsider this change as it is quite the turnoff.
Should you buy a Pitaka MagEZ Case 4 for your Galaxy S24 or iPhone? Like I said earlier, if Pitaka hadn’t reached out to see if we’d like to review these, I was probably going to buy one anyway. These are my favorite cases for expensive phones and have been for some time. The quality is high, the design is to my liking, the MagSafe stuff is great to have, and they offer the right amount of protection for me while keeping my phone thin enough.
Shop Pitaka Cases: Amazon | Pitaka Store
