/ Saltwater Brewery - What's Brewing / Pick the Design, Then Check the Model: Phone Cases for a Florida September

Saltwater Brewery - What's Brewing

Pick the Design, Then Check the Model: Phone Cases for a Florida September

Written by The Saltwater Brewery Team September 16, 2026

September in South Florida still runs hot, and a phone rides along for all of it: the truck cab at the ramp, a towel on the sand, a cooler lid on the boat. Picking a case comes down to two decisions, in this order: the design you want to carry, then the exact model it is made for.

One honest note first. The product pages for the three iPhone designs below promise a slim profile, raised edges around the screen and camera, and precise cutouts. None of them promises protection from water, drops or heat, and we won't invent a rating. What gets a phone through September is mostly habit, so the second half of this post is Apple's own guidance.

Product photo from our store listing: the Hook iPhone case, a single white fishhook on a black case, lying on a light wood desk beside a laptop and a potted succulent — The Hook. Product photo from our store listing.

Start with the design you will actually carry

The Hook puts a single bold fishhook front and center, white on black. It is the minimalist pick of the three.

Saltwater Express is a sportfishing boat drawn in white line art, tower and all, running across a black case.

Saltwater Stinger is the full-color option: a jellyfish drifting through deep blue water.

All three pages list the same basics, so choose on looks. Fit comes next.

Product photo from our store listing: the Saltwater Express iPhone case, white line art of a sportfishing boat on a black case, on a dark desk with a pencil, glasses and a watch — Saltwater Express. Product photo from our store listing.

Then match the model

Each design has its own size menu, and the menus differ. Match your phone's exact name, not just its number: Apple lists five different phones with 16 in the name.

Brand graphic, not a photograph. Model names as Apple lists them.

Here is what each design's size menu listed in September 2026:

Hook, from $19.95. $19.95 for iPhone 7/8, X/XS, XR and SE; 11, 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max; 12 mini, 12, 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max; 13 mini, 13, 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max; 14, 14 Plus, 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max; 15, 15 Plus, 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max; and 16, 16 Plus, 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max. $24.95 for iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max and iPhone Air (listed as iPhone 17 Air). There is no Hook listing for the base iPhone 17.
Saltwater Express, from $19.95. The same $19.95 list as the Hook, plus all four newest listings at $24.95: iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max and iPhone Air (listed as iPhone 17 Air).
Saltwater Stinger, $19.95. iPhone 7/8, X/XS, XR and SE; 11, 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max; 12 mini, 12, 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max; 13 mini, 13, 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max; and 14, 14 Plus, 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max. No iPhone 15, 16, 17 or Air listing.

None of the three lists the iPhone 16e, 17e or XS Max. If your exact model isn't in a design's size menu, that design doesn't come in your size. One catch: the menus say "iPhone SE" without a generation, and Apple has sold three; the product pages don't say which one fits.

Saltwater Stinger. Product photo from our store listing.

On a Galaxy? The Hook also comes as a Galaxy case, and every design in our Samsung cases collection is $19.95. Saltwater Express and Saltwater Stinger don't come in Galaxy sizes. In that collection, the sizes you can order are Galaxy S20, S20 Plus, S20 Ultra, S21, S21 Plus and S21 Ultra. As of September 2026, nothing newer is listed.

Not sure which iPhone you have? Apple's Identify your iPhone model page lists each model with its model numbers and details.

What a hot day does to a phone

Apple's support page If your iPhone or iPad gets too hot or too cold is plain about the numbers. iPhone and iPad are designed for use where the ambient temperature is 32° to 95°F, and using one in very hot conditions can permanently shorten battery life. Apple says to store the device between -4° and 113°F, and not to leave it in a car, because temperatures in parked cars can exceed that range.

Apple's list of conditions to avoid reads like a September day here: a car on a hot day, long stretches in direct sunlight, and GPS navigation in a car in the heat. When an iPhone gets too warm, charging (wireless included) can slow or stop, the display can dim or go black, cellular signal might weaken and the camera flash can be temporarily disabled. While navigating, it may show "Temperature: iPhone needs to cool down" and turn off the display.

Nothing on the case pages above claims to change those numbers, so plan around them: shade, and never a parked truck. These are Apple's figures for iPhone and iPad; on another brand, check its maker's support pages.

Generated illustration, not a photograph of a specific place: a nearly empty South Florida beach on a hot afternoon, a towering thunderhead cloud over the ocean reflected in wet sand, sea grape leaves in the foreground — Generated illustration, not a photograph of a specific place.

Salt, sand, sunscreen and a wet port

Apple's page About splash, water, and dust resistance of iPhone 7 and later says that resistance is not permanent and might decrease with normal wear, and that liquid damage is not covered under warranty, though you might have rights under consumer law. Its avoid list includes high-velocity water such as water skiing, wake boarding, surfing and jet skiing, and it says to minimize exposure to insect repellent, lotions, sunscreen and oil.

Apple's list says "any liquids" without naming salt water. For a liquid other than water, it says to rinse the affected area with tap water and wipe the phone with a soft, lint-free cloth. After any liquid exposure, unplug all cables and don't charge until the phone is completely dry; Apple says to allow at least five hours before charging with a Lightning or USB-C cable.

If a liquid-detection alert appears, Apple's alert page says to tap the phone gently against your hand, connector facing down, and leave it somewhere dry with some airflow; it can take up to 24 hours to fully dry. Don't use an external heat source or compressed air, don't put a cotton swab or paper towel in the connector, and skip the bag of rice.

One habit of our own, not Apple's: after a beach or boat day, take the case off, brush out any sand, and let the phone and the case dry before they go back together.

Brand graphic, not a photograph. Source: Apple Support iPhone guidance.

Find your case

Browse the iPhone designs in our phone cases collection and the Galaxy designs in Samsung cases, then match your phone's name in the size menu. Orders over $75 get free U.S. shipping; merchandise ships within the USA only.