The Arc Pulse has been one of the most popular options this year among 9to5 readers, bumper style or otherwise. It would seem more and more folks are looking to leave the Apple design and their color of choice on display while still trying to maintain some semblance of drop protection at the same time, and the Arc Pulse very much does that. But let’s dive in with some hands-on impressions to see how everything shakes out in practice.
You’re reading Tested with Electronicsforward, where we explore everyday tech essentials that make life a bit easier. Browse through our entire guide for all of the latest reviews, and sound off in the comments below if there’s something you’d like to see featured.
Hands-on with the Arc Pulse iPhone 16 Bumper Case
The new Arc Pulse bumper cases come in black, silver, gold, and rose bronze for iPhone 16/16 Pro Max, and black or silver for iPhone 16/16 Plus.
Just remember to use any of the links in this post to secure our exclusive discount on any of them while you still can. Prices will land as seen below at checkout if you do so:
Update: Use code 9TO510 at checkout if you don’t see the discount in the cart.
- Arc Pulse for iPhone 16/Plus from $54 (Reg. $60)
- Arc Pulse for iPhone 16 Pro/Pro Max from $63 (Reg. $70)
Arc Pulse is designed to elevate your phone, offering an exceptional combination of aesthetics and protection. Crafted from aerospace-grade Aluminum, Arc Pulse provides a delightful tactile experience while ensuring unmatched safeguarding. The outer metal shell distributes impact, while a custom inner layer absorbs shocks. Arc Pulse represents the pinnacle of style and functionality, embodying the perfect synergy between elegant design and robust protection. Enhance your phone’s safety and elevate your style with this statement accessory.
Features at a glance
- Aluminum 7075-T6 with high-end anti-scratch coatings.
- Unique, adhesive-free, slide-on fit.
- Proven durability through rigorous 10ft drop tests.
- 360-degree protection from every angle.
- An outer aerospace-grade metal shell
- Inner custom-engineered elastomer provide a secure friction-fit lock.
Electronicsforward’ Take
I guess the first thing to touch on when it comes to bumper cases, is just that…it’s a bumper case. This sort of design and form-factor isn’t going to be for everyone, myself included, but the new iPhone 16 Arc Pulse bumpers might have me changing my mind.
Many folks felt that last year’s were easily among the best in the category, and, despite the fact that I have traditionally been far more likely to wrap my iPhone in leather, in my opinion they likely are a top choice again this year after getting to test them out.
The Arc case, if you want to call it that, is really more of a two piece skeleton that snaps on the top and bottom of your new iPhone. The small package pops open to reveal the top bumper that wraps around the top two corners of your device and surrounds the camera array, while the bottom piece is an even more minimalist option that safe guards the bottom of the Apple handset.
In terms of installation, it takes two seconds and there’s no adhesive needed – simply slide the top down on your device and snap it into place, and the same goes for the bottom. The shiny aerospace metal treatment here is lined with a softer custom-engineered elastomer rubber-like material to ensure your iPhone 16 isn’t damaged in the process.
One thing I think a lot of folks, myself included, and readers were concerned with was how the Arc bumper looks from the front:
There’s a small lip that curves around each corner of the device and slightly over the front side. This ensures the iPhone never actually hits the table no matter which orientation you’re dropping down – the same goes for the camera array around back.
Do I wish this lip was thinner, yes I do, but really only from the front and it’s really more of an aesthetic thing for me. It just looks a touch too thick from the front view when looking straight on at the screen for my tastes, but it very much does its job in terms the amount of protection a case like this is capable of providing, and we are indeed, at least in my case, talking about maybe 1mm or so too thick. It’s not exactly the way I want it to look, and I do wish the entire bumper (both top and bottom) were just more slender overall, but it is very, very close to perfect.
As anyone who reads my case and accessory reviews will already know, I just have to spend a quick second either heavily complaining about or praising the use of visual branding on the product, so I will again here too. In the case of Arc, we are all good to go. Nothing but an extremely subtle logo is visible on either of the bumpers, and it’s wonderfully etched right into the top left hand side (when you’re looking at the back of your phone) of the metal. It’s perfect, and the whole visual experience might even be better off with it there than not.
The standard Arc bumper cases (there are super high-end models that are very pricey and hard to get your hands on) are made of Aluminum 7075-T6 with high-end anti-scratch coating – an “outer aerospace-grade metal shell.” They are indeed about as shiny as they look on the site and in the pictures you see in this review, that isn’t just for the marketing photos…they are extremely polished.
They are rated to protect your device from 10-foot drops – a test I’m not willing to run on my brand new iPhone 16 Pro, but also seem quite durable in and of themselves. I can take one of the bumpers and drop in on the concrete ground, no scratches. Aggressively slide it against the edge of my wood desk, no scratches. Scrape it with a closed pen, again no scratches. The only way I could really get them to mark was with a tiny electronics screwdriver, and even then I had to really give it to see anything overly noticeable. Good stuff here.
They are available in black, silver, gold, and the rose bronze you see on display here. If I had to think of something to complain about on this front it would be that the brand seems to clearly be catering more towards iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max users as it only offers black and silver for the other two models, as opposed to a range of colors to tie in with Apple’s new paint jobs. Having said that, the Pro colors look fantastic against the Apple treatments, and the black and silver aint too bad either on iPhone 16 and 16 Plus.
When it all comes down to it, it’s really a matter of bumper case or not. And if you’re going to bumper case, you ought to consider Arc quite seriously. I would presume the main draw for folks when it comes to these sorts of cases is to really show off the Apple design of the iPhone 16 and the color they chose, and that these Arc cases very much do, clearly, and still manage to offer some notable drops and bump protection in the process. If you like the look of these cases from the imagery online, including the pictures you see above, you’ll almost certainly like them in person.
Buy the Arc Arc Pulse bumper case for iPhone 16
FTC: Electronicsforward is reader supported, we may earn income on affiliate links
Subscribe to the Electronicsforward YouTube Channel for all of the latest videos, reviews, and more!
