Wallet cases for the iPhone tend to be rather functional, and they don’t exactly scream fashion, for the most part. Gresso hopes to change that by introducing the Gresso Slider, a wallet case that hopes to be the wallet case.
On the outside, the utilitarian aluminum design with the simple Gresso logo on the bottom doesn’t immediately impress as stand-out design. But there’s more going on than you can see, and that becomes evident once you realize why this wallet case is called the Slider: you can pop your card and ID out using a patent-pending sliding mechanism.
In reality, the Slider is comprised of three components: the aluminum back panel, the sliding mechanism, and the thermoplastic polyurethane inner shell. To access the card slot, just slide the back panel and out goes the slot. Once you’re done with it, just slide the back panel back to position and away it goes, with Gresso promising a satisfying “click” when it’s put back in place.
Easily qualifying as a neat parlor trick, this sliding mechanism does have some practical benefits, the biggest one being quick access to your phone. Bypassing the more traditional fold-out design gives you faster access to your iPhone, and in addition, the aluminum material of the Slider itself is sure to withstand a bit more abuse than your typical plastic-clad wallet case, with the rounded edges giving it an ergonomic, albeit perhaps slippery, feel.
Unfortunately, if you carry a lot of cards with you, the Slider might not be for you, since there’s only room for a credit card and your photo ID.
If that hasn’t pushed you away from the Slider, though, you’ll be glad to know that its Kickstarter page should go live today. Early birds can get the aluminum Slider in silver, rose gold, or black for $79, and the later retail price will be $120. If aluminum isn’t your thing, however, Gresso also made a titanium version of the Slider. Unlike last year’s prohibitively-expensive titanium case, however, the titanium Slider will be available to early birds for $700, after which the price shoots up to $1,000. Only 100 titanium Sliders will be made, however, so you might want to act quickly if you want some titanium action.
Regardless of which version of the Slider case you get, it will initially be available only for the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6S. However, Gresso confirmed that a version for the iPhone 6 Plus and iPhone 6S Plus is currently in the works.