The best Apple iPhone 16 cases for 2024

Apple finally unveiled the iPhone 16 at the company's It's Glowtime event, and it beings next-level features that will improve your quality of life with your iPhone. Those features include Apple Intelligence, the company's special brand of AI, and Camera Control, where you can open the camera and take high-quality pictures and much more with just a push of the side button. For the gamers, the new model has an updated thermal design and a new thermal substructure that runs games like Resident Evil 7 with 30% higher performance than its predecessor.

Depending on how much storage space you need, the base model iPhone 16 — which comes in ultramarine, teal green, pink, white, and black — costs between $800 and $1,100. Regardless of how much you're planning to spend on a new iPhone, you need a phone case to protect that precious investment. To help you choose the right one for you, we've rounded up five affordable phone cases for you to choose from, ranging from clear to colorful. Here are the iPhone 16 cases we picked for your consideration.

Spigen Thin Fit MagFit Case

Most cases add a little bulk to your phone for extra protection, but Spigen's Thin Fit case will protect your iPhone 16 just as good as the heavy-framed ones. It's made out of premium PC and TPU materials but still light as a feather. Light enough that it fits on your phone like a glove. The raised lips add roughly 0.06 inches more depth to your iPhone 16 to protect the camera and screen.

This case will cushion your phone's fall with military-grade Air Cushion Technology, so you can rest assured that it having a thin phone case won't make it more fragile than it would be without a case to begin with. If you're going for a case with less bulk but more drop-protection strength, the Thin Fit case by Spigen is for you.

OtterBox Defender Series Case

Leave it to OtterBox to come in clutch by releasing the latest case designs to go with the iPhone 16, especially the Defender Series case. It has the signature rugged texture and triple layer protection to protect your phone from seven times more drops than the average military standard case.

Even with those drop protections in place, you can still attach a phone strap to the bottom of the case if it gives you some peace of mind. It is quite pricey, but it's worth the money if you swear by OtterBox every time you get a new case — or a new iPhone, for that matter.

CANSHN Magnetic Case

The magnetic case by CANSHN is as fashionable as it is functional. It has a hard PC back coated with a matte texture enclosed in a flexible three-ply TPU frame, making it a sensory delight for some iPhone 16 users and shielding it from 12-foot drops. It not only works with MagSafe chargers but it's also compatible with Qi wireless chargers, so don't worry if you don't have a MagSafe charger of some kind.

This case is available in red, black, deep blue, deep green, deep purple, hot pink, light blue, and pink. It's not a wide color selection, but one of them is sure to fit your aesthetic.

UAG Essential Armor Case

The iPhone 16 looks futuristic enough with Apple Intelligence and the new Camera Control button, but UAG's Essential Armor case makes it look like a phone straight out of Cyberpunk 2077. The MagSafe ring is shaped into a hexagon to match the hexagonal pattern lining up the back of the case. The edges of the case are contoured to reinforce drop protection and shock absorption from falls of up to 15 feet, and ensure that you're able to grip your phone comfortably.

Despite its slim frame, the corner edges add a little more bulk to the iPhone 16. But then again, fortifying your phone like a wall of steel is part of its design.

Spidercase Magnetic Translucent Case

While not exactly a clear case, this translucent case from Spidercase shows off a little bit of your iPhone 16's original color while adding a touch of its own. It comes with two tempered glass screen protectors, features 1.5mm raised bezels to protect the camera lenses, and has a strong MagSafe ring that won't let your phone fall off the MagSafe charger regardless of its rotation due to its high absorption capacity.

In the off chance that your phone does fall off the MagSafe charger, this case protects it from falls of up to 12 feet with 360-degree shockproof airbags and three-layer frames.

Diaclara Defender Series Case

Diaclara's Defender Series case allows you to show off the color of your iPhone 16 while giving it the full-body protection it rightfully deserves. It comes with a built-in screen protector and rugged clear back cover to ensure that both your screen and the glass back are protected from falls, scratches, and cracks. The rugged frame amps up the protection with dual layers that raise the screen and camera edges by 1.5mm and 4.5mm, respectively, to cushion your phone's fall like a pillow.

The back cover of the case also has a camera cover that fully protects the camera without obstructing the lens. You don't have to worry about dust and oil surrounding the camera bezels, either.

AICase Shockproof Case

If you bought a white iPhone 16 for the whole family and your child or spouse wished their phone was a different color, like pink, blue, or purple, get them an acrylic case in any of those colors courtesy of AICase. This case is equipped with three layers of military-grade protection and features soft TPU rubber shell underneath the hard translucent shell. All four corners are laced with advanced impact-resistant cushions that protect your phone from 12-foot drops. The case further protects your phone from falls and other forms of damage by raising the screen and camera 3mm and 5mm, respectively.

The case comes in blue, black, green, hot pink, purple, and clear, and it doesn't just work well with the white iPhone 16. You can add a green case to the black phone or a purple case to the ultramarine phone and it'll still look just as stylish.

i-Blason Armorbox

If you want full-body and military-grade drop protection for your iPhone 16, i-Blason’s MagSafe-compatible Armorbox is the way to go. It comes with a built-in screen protector, so you don’t need anything extra, plus it has a built-in camera cover that doubles as a kickstand. The zinc alloy anodized camera cover protects the high-power lenses on the back of the phone. The most unique feature on the Armorbox is the built-in camera control button which utilizes copper conductors to seamlessly match the operations of the unique button. It’s rugged through and through so it’ll survive a 20-foot drop.

Even with that protection it’s not bulky, it’s not ugly, and it works with so many different MagSafe accessories because of the powerful N52 magnet. For example, you can still mount your phone to a hands-free car adapter, even while it’s still in the case.

From now until October 9, on Amazon you can enjoy 10% off on iPhone 16 series cases.

Antshare Privacy Case

Are you in the market for a case that protects your phone from damage and shields your screen from the prying eyes of other people? Let Antcase provide you with a case equipped with a built-in privacy screen protector made for your eyes only. The case has a 45-degree left and right viewing range so no one in your vicinity can see any sensitive information you're accessing on your iPhone 16, even if you drop it by accident.

The only caveat is you're going to have to remove your screen protector before applying this case. It'll be worth it in the long run if you're privacy-conscious.

Ratcase Oil Painting Printed Flower

Ratcase's oil painting printed flower case will have your iPhone 16 looking like a work of art. The light purple flowers on the case look like they came straight from a Monet painting, making the case as beautiful as it is protective. The soft TPU shell and hard back shell help protect your phone from the shock of falls, bumps and scratches, leaving it as intact as the Mona Lisa at the Louvre.

Ratcase has other designs for the iPhone 16 phone case, with patterns like cherry blossoms, strawberries with a white dog, multicolored hearts, and sunflowers, but the cost depends on which one you think is the prettiest. Either way, each artistic case will keep the iPhone 16 looking like a masterpiece.