I have literally used more cases for phones than I have fingers and toes. Seriously. But this is the first case I have ever used that claims to have antimicrobial technology and negative ion generation. Thanks to Tenerarca for sending us a Galaxy Note 2 leather case with UPSKIN and IONISE technology.
First let’s give you an idea of what Tenerarca means by UPSKIN and IONISE technologies. Let’s begin by looking at the two areas Tenerarca is targeting, harmful bacteria and Electromagnetic Radiation. Then we will see what Tenerarca’s solution is for fixing these targeted problem areas.
Harmful Bacteria
Research shows that smartphones are highly prone to harmful bacteria. We tend to assume that our phones are clean since we typically never let it out of our sight. However, this is not the case.
Just think about all the public surfaces that your device touches on a daily basis – your office desk, the gym floor, airline tray tables, and your kitchen counter, for example. We then place these phones in close proximity to our faces and mouths without even considering cleaning them. In addition, we often share our phones with others, thereby sharing the germs embedded on the phone. The fact that we have limited solutions in disinfecting these smartphones besides a professional cleansing, it makes it hard for us to keep them free of bacteria. An electronic device such as a smartphone is not part of our everyday cleaning routine.
Electromagnetic Radiation
Several studies have found that heavy cell phone usage can increase the risk of developing cancer or other health problems, most likely from the electromagnetic radiation that is emitted by cell phones. According to new research, radiation can be absorbed into the body tissue closest to where the phone is held, causing the tissue to heat up and damage the molecules, eventually causing tissue failure. This is an alarming public health concern with the increasing population of cell phone users and is increasing rapidly, especially among young adults and children. There are various methods in minimizing cell phone radiation, such as keeping the phone away from your body, but this hinders proper usage of the cell phone as it was designed and built to be utilized.
Here’s the solution: PAR’SK USA Inc.’s Tenerarca, eco-friendly, health-conscious leather cases for iPhones, iPads, and Samsung Galaxy Note. Tenerarca cases are treated with PAR’SK USA’s proprietary antibacterial, sanitizing, and negative-ion-generating technology, UPSKIN™, an environmentally friendly method of treating leather. A Tenerarca case can eliminate up to 99.99% of harmful bacteria. In addition to the antimicrobial effects, UPSKIN-treated leather generates negative ions, which some studies have shown to neutralize harmful electromagnetic waves.
Eskei Park, the President of PAR’SK USA, describes the UPSKIN-infused Tenerarca smartphone and tablet cases as a revolution in leather that combines classic style and feel with ultramodern functionality.
“Tenerarca’s cases have been imbued, through an eco-friendly process, with negative-ion-emitting effects that soothe the body, the mind, and the soul,” explains Eskei. Studies also show that negative ions have a calming effect, and a reduction of anxiety, stress and exhaustion.
“We are confident that consumers will appreciate the value of our eco-friendly and health-conscious cases,” he adds.
“Additionally, we anticipate that more producers of leather goods will utilize UPSKIN’s pioneering leather. This is the beginning of a very healthy trend.”
So there you have it. We know how bad bacteria can get, especially on the things we tend to use and touch every day. And we know that electromagnetic radiation is an issue especially in consumer electronic devices. It would be a difficult task for us to review this case on the above criteria as we do not have the equipment to test bacteria or electromagnetic radiation. So we will have to take what Tenerarca says about the matter in confidence. Instead, we are going to review this case on the merits we can gauge.
Shipment was fast and the case was packed extremely well. The packaging was premium and done very well. A very nice black box with Tenerarca branding that held the case wrapped in Tenerarca branded paper. There was no lack of detail in the packaging at all, it was well done and showcased the premium branding that is Tenerarca.
After opening the packaging and pulling out the case, the very first thing that struck me was how supple and soft the leather was. The quality of the leather is evident not only in the feel of it but also the smell, you know that smell when you walk into a store that sells leather coats, yeah that one. So both packaging and initial feel and smell have the telltale signs of a premium product. Tenerarca has definitely gone to lengths to establish its worth. The case has a steel constructed shell under the leather that keeps the shape of the case and holds the phone in place.
Slipping the phone into place is straight forward and simple, no magic tricks. There are cutouts for the S-Pen, charging port, headphone jack and microphones. The power button is curiously covered and we found that a bit cumbersome and sometimes difficult to use. The leather obscures the button and we found ourselves hunting for it to power on and off. The opposite is true of the volume rocker, it was not covered and was easy to reach and operate. One other area that gave us some issues was the microphone. The cutout is exactly where it should be but we found that the phone would sometimes shift causing the cutout and mic not to be aligned. This caused call quality issues as people could not hear us on the other end. It’s a quick fix by just shifting the phone back into position but then who wants to do that all the time. One nice touch is the T shaped speaker cutout on the front. I believe this has something to do with the radiation shielding offered in the leather construction. Talking on the phone with the flip cover closed is supposed to protect you from electromagnetic radiation and the T cut out allows you to hear the phone conversation.
The case offers outstanding protection for the device as it covers the entire front and back, and I feel the device would fare well in any normal drop. That’s one of the great advantages of a flip cover case, virtually all-over protection for your device. Of course you’ll have to flip that cover open every time you want to check the weather or time on your lockscreen, so the pros and cons are evident there. I have reviewed other premium leather cases in the past and I have to say that Tenerarca’s offering is much more supple and natural feeling. I love how it feels in the hand and for a leather case, it is slim. But they accomplish that while offering great protection for the phone.
Highs:
- Offers above average protection for the device
- Premium materials used and it is evident
- Forward thinking with Antibacterial and Electromagnetic shielding features
- Feels great to hold, craftsmanship is wonderful
- Attention to presentation and customer care
Lows:
- Power button covered making it hard to find
- Mic suffers when phone shifts and the cutout does not align
Overall I feel that the Tenerarca case is well worth the investment , there are some minor annoyances concerning the power button and mic cutout but the case is well crafted and offers so much protection for the device. Top that off with Tenerarca’s UPSKIN and IONISE technology and you have a real unique case you are not likely to find anywhere else. I’d recommend these cases to those who want great protection and a natural feel as opposed to a plastic otterbox. I wouldn’t recommend this to those who might check their lockscreens for weather and time on a consistent basis as flipping the cover every time can become tiresome. I give the Tenerarca case a solid 4 out of 5 stars, it will run you around $85. They also make cases for a variety of other devices so check out their website just click the logo below.
Last Updated on September 23, 2017.
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