There are many different possible designs for a phone case, but this is my favourite ever. I'll break it down.
1. I find it a total pain to put a screen password into my phone, just to see my diary, or even to check if the tube is running OK, for Christ's sake. So I have no lock on my phone itself, but instead using something like Applock to lock each individual app that I deem to be private or sensitive in some way. It works great!
2. Then the problem you get is that if the phone is in your pocket, it can get woken up by random key presses or button presses (not sure how it happens but it does). So the phone now MUST be in a case which has a cover.
3. The Samsung official S5 mini case is great because it locks the screen automatically when you close the cover. Beautiful... but, I find the side-opening cover a pain when you want to make a call, and it gets totally in the way if you rotate the phone to landscape mode to get a wider keyboard. Ergo, the case must have a flap that opens downwards, from the bottom, like this Encase one.
4. Next problem: how does the cover stay shut? Many manufacturers put a little flap with a press-stud closure on the cover. WRONG! When the case is open that flap has a life of its own and creeps round to cover the screen. And when the case is shut, the flap and press-stud adds a good 5mm depth to the phone - so remind me then, why did I buy a thin phone? Therefore, the flap must close with a push to shut type edge clip, just like the Encase does.
5. Finally, we have the Encase design! Now how is it implemented? Very well actually. It's not overengineered in premium leathers, so the price is correct. It's well made and has a nice bit of cushioning, but not so much that you can't still slide the phone into a tight pocket. The case adds only a minimal amount to the depth, height and width.
6. The clip on the top works like a dream, and when the cover is open, the clip acts as a mini stand on the table, to orient the phone slightly in your direction.
7. The case has all the openings so you can still access ALL the switches and ports with none of those awful hard plastic over-buttons that you have to press thru to get to your real buttons, if you know what I mean.
8. Well, you've probably realised by now that for me, this is the Holy Grail of phone cases. And whichever phone I have in the future, I'm going to be looking for this Encase type, if I can get one.