The reason I was taken with the iPhone 4, when it was released in 2010, was because it was made of metal and glass when most of the available Android phones were made of plastic. With this in mind, it’s hard for me to wrap my head around the buyers who would replace the metal chassis on the iPhone 5 with a clear plastic case.

Don’t get me wrong: iPhone5mod’s new Translucent Mod Kit for the iPhone 5 shows off the iPhone 5′s incredible design. It resembles the offspring of a skeleton watch and the Clear Gameboy. If nothing else, it certainly does more favors for the phone than the impossibly scuffable stock back panel on the otherwise impeccable black iPhone 5.

iphone transparent

Don’t get me wrong, the iPhone 5 looks incredible in a transparent case.

Unfortunately, it’s plastic, which doesn’t tend to feel as smooth or as solid as either glass or metal. That said, iPhone5mod claims the plastic is highly durable, a bit elastic, and can survive strong collisions and bending–but we’re not so sure that applies to the rest of the phone’s components. The case comes with matching transparent buttons, and a glass camera lens/flash cover which is supposedly the same quality of the original. (Can’t you make it better, iPhone5mod? We could do without the aggressive purple lens flare.)

The clear plastic also comes in tinted variants, including pink, red yellow green, blue, and black–in addition to white, which we assume means ‘no tint.’ You can even mix and match the colors you want, though it’s a pity that iPhone5mod only posted actual photos of the uncolored transparent mod kit, as the digitally tinted mockups in the video don’t tell us much of anything.

iPhone5mod transparent

Think of it as an ‘early warning system’ for when the battery explodes. ;)

Because the back plate of the iPhone 5 is tricky to take apart, you might want to talk to a repair shop before ordering the mod kit. Also, we’re sure this will tip off the Geniuses that your phone’s warranty policies have been violated, but at least if there’s an issue, you’ll be able to safely peek at your phone’s innards yourself. You can order the Translucent Mod Kit from the iPhone5mod site, here. The basic kit costs $39.90.

Would you replace your iPhone 5′s case with clear plastic? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.