Review: Incipio ATLAS ID for iPhone 5s

Incipio unveiled the original ATLAS case at CES 2013 which then followed up with the ATLAS ID in late 2013 to function with touch ID found on the iPhone 5s. Other than that, there aren't many differences between the ATLAS and ATLAS ID (iPhone 5 works just fine in the ATLAS ID case).  

The ATLAS line of cases are Incipio's take at a waterproof / dustproof / shockproof case that can handle almost everything you can possibly throw at it.  The case has similarities to competitors such as Lifeproof but one major benefit is the glass screen shield that is built in.  More on that later.

As you'd expect, all buttons and ports are covered by rubberized material.  The sleep/wake button, volume buttons and silent switch are covered and provide a decent tactile feel.  The bottom of the case has a flip out style "door" that reveals the lightning port and rubberized plug for the headphone jack. In order to use headphones, you simply remove this plug and attach the provided headphone extender.  

The major selling point on Incipio's ATLAS ID case (and ATLAS case) is the built in glass screen shield.  The user feel when using glass versus plastic on other cases is far superior.  The glass doesn't feel quite as slick as the bare glass but I feel safe to say this will break-in over time and will become more smooth.  Touch responsiveness is slightly muted but is expected when you add a material on top of the phone's surface.  The "ID" version of the case adds a thin membrane over the home button that allows touch ID to work.  I didn't find any issues using touch ID.  

Call quality is slightly degraded as well.  Incoming clarity seemed to be slightly muffled but not in-audible whatsoever.  Outgoing clarity was not affected.  

The warranty is linked to the iPhone 5s you register with, and is non-transferable. Registration is done using their free app.  The app also walks you through claims on the case or the phone. Incipio’s warranty is good for one incident of liquid or physical damage, and you have the option of extending the coverage to two years for an additional fee.

Overall I really like this case.  It is outstanding for somebody who wants to take their phone everywhere and never have to worry about it.  ATLAS ID is available in 4 colors; Black, Dark Gray, Pink & White for $89.99 here.