The shell is smooth and has cutouts for controls. For my previous iPhone 5 I had an envelope with thick edges and covers over the buttons that made the operation a bit cumbersome, I did not want to have again.
The edges are forward a tiny bit, so that the display is protected from scratches when it is placed on.
A first fall of about 1 meter height on cobblestones (impact on the corner), my new iPhone unscathed thanks to the shell. The shell has a quirk, but no plan in place. I am very pleased with the shell.
I had bought immediately a new shell (just to be safe - if the phone should again fall on the same site), but unfortunately the price has risen from 9.95 to 14.99. I'll wait a little longer, maybe the price is happening something.