To celebrate the One Piece anime reaching the reveal of Luffy’s Gear 5 form, CASETiFY has released a new drop centered all around the newfound power displayed at the end of the Wano arc. The drop includes new accessories that haven’t yet gotten the pirate treatment yet, as well as new device support and a sleek black and gold treatment to compliment Luffy’s new look. To see for myself, CASETiFY passed along a couple of examples for me to compare and give the full Rookie Pirate Radio analysis.
While the new drop of course supports the shiny new iPhone 15 and 15 Pro models, I’m still an Android user who just happened to swap phones recently. That’s given me an opportunity to see what a case maker like CASETiFY will do with a bit more striking of a device – in this case my shiny new foldable Galaxy Z Flip 5. From a purely functional standpoint, I’m admittedly impressed by how their design solves for the phone’s ability to fold in half. The case is technically two pieces for both main parts that fold together, but the two have a small connecting piece between them. That little detail makes actually applying the case to my phone more like putting one on a slab phone. Before testing these cases out, I was using a two piece case from another maker that was okay to install but slid up and down just going from pocket to hand. This conjoined design fits just as tight as two separate pieces but I believe holds each other in place.
Of course, the real test of a themed case like this is whether or not it does a good job of showing off its theme. The GEAR5 drop is much smaller in design options than previous One Piece drops, but I think that works in the design’s favor. It allows CASETiFY to offer designs to more devices rather than the iPhone getting to hog all the glory. I test drove both the “Gear 5 Motif” design, which features a bunch of references around Luffy’s chest scar, and the “Gear 5 Luffy” design, which is a replication of the moment Gear 5 Luffy leaps joyfully in front of the moon. Both have parts that are etched in similarly to the excellent water bottle from the Chainsaw Man drop and that etching does a huge favor to the logo design in particular. I found myself way more torn between which to use when out and about once I got the logo on my phone, which I did not expect given how iconic the Moon scene already is.
I’m using a bit of a weird phone, but both cases are up to the task for scaling down to the half size needed for the phone’s back – however there was an unfortunate cut off on the logo case that results in there not being a full Straw Hat Jolly Roger. Full sized phone users shouldn’t see this problem, so it’s hard to blame the design. The trade off is actually worthwhile for us flip phone users, because Casetify’s style makes it perfect for setting up a matching image or video on the Z Flip’s cover screen and fully theming out the phone. For the past couple of days, I’ve been rocking the case with Luffy in full Gear 5 glory on the back and a clip of Luffy from the most recent One Piece OP as my cover screen wallpaper and it’s been excellent. Full marks, in my opinion.
Once again, CASETiFY has done a great job turning a mobile device into a reflection of a series I love while actually being a case worth using. I’m admittedly a sucker both for the brand and this series in particular, but I have no qualms recommending a case from this line in particular. The One Piece GEAR5 drop is available now for various devices, along with new MagSafe accessories for iPhone owners, on CASETiFY’s Co-Lab site and app.
CASETiFY is a global tech and lifestyle brand with double headquarters in LA and Hong Kong,
known as the home to the first and largest platform for customized tech accessories. Created
with the highest-quality materials and most cutting-edge designs, CASETiFY’s products
empower self-expression by turning your personal electronics into highly designed, stylishly slim, drop-proof accessories. Known for tapping top artists, big celebrities and creatives for its
Co-Lab program, CASETiFY gives brands and individuals the opportunity to share their unique
visions with the world. With 30+ retail shops, CASETiFY Studio provides a one-stop, visual retail
experience where customers can customize their accessories on the spot. For more information
on CASETiFY, its stores, partners and products, please visit www.CASETiFY.com.
