The story of Simon and the 4 iPhone cases
Girls and Boys – are you sitting comfortably? Then I’ll begin.
Once upon a time, actually last week, I got the new iPhone 4. Prior to this one, I had the original “Classic” iPhone as well as the 3Gs, which was a nice step up. Both lived in a black, fairly lightweight case which protected them from drops and light scratches. I was OK with hiding the back on the earlier versions as the back was basically just black.
However, the iPhone4 is something of a departure in that it is no longer curved on the back. Its noticeably thinner and flat on both sides. For me, the nicest visual feature of the phone is the metal band around the outside. I still recall Steve Jobs referring to the overall look as akin to a Leica Camera. As a fairly serious photographer, that resonated and it kicked in my predictable pavlovian response. Then came antenna-gate, but lets skip that for now.
Bottom line is I got the iPhone4 and I have to say it is an amazing piece of technology. The look and feel is flawless and the apps/OS flow in a highly impressive manner. There is no lag, or jitters, it just seems to be a perfectly executed product. I’m sure it will have its issues down the road, but for now, its a gorgeous device which does what I need.
My problem now becomes, what is the best case for such a gorgeous device? I love the metal band, so I really don’t want to cover it up. So I went shopping.
First stop: Target
I went into Target and they had the Belkin Grip Vue. Its a clear case for iPhone4. The only problem with this was the packaging. As is becoming the norm for these items, it is locked inside a plastic sarcophagus making it next to impossible to tell what the product actually looks like (see photo). It does have a hole in the packaging which allows you to touch the surface, but its still a bit of a guessing game. It did not help that the store assistant was fairly convinced that this was not returnable once opened. Why was unclear.
Belkin Grip Vue - too rubbery and frosted
The price was OK, $24.95 – so I picked it up. After opening the box I found that the Grip Vue was a clear, but frosted case and most importantly was a rubbery, soft case. This is OK as it provides a soft “bumper” protection, but also means the case itself is going to stretch over time. The nail in the coffin for this was that with the case on, I could not plug in my Honda iPod connection cable. Returned to Target.
Second Stop: Best Buy
For my iPhone 3Gs, I had the Case-Mate snap case which has a low profile hard case which comes in 2 pieces which slide together. Worked great on that, so I grabbed the iPhone4 version, the InCase Slider case in black for $34.99.
InCase Slider Case - Too bulky
I put it on the phone and although it did the job of protecting the back and sides, a couple of things bugged me about it.
1. the frame around the front protruded quite a bit, presumably to protect the screen
2. the black case hid the beloved Leica-esque metal band along the edge!
Although it was $10 more than the Belkin case, it also came with a nifty mini stand for the iPhone4 which allows it to stand up in either horizontal or vertial position. Although I’m not sure why you would stand it up vertically as you cannot attach the cable that way. The 3Gs version of this case came with a peel and stick screen cover. This one did not.
Once again, it did not allow me to plug into my Honda iPod setup. I almost kept this case, as it was clearly going to protect the phone, but in the end I decided I was a truly clear cover with minimal “stuff” in the way. Returned to Best Buy.
Third Stop: Apple Store Biltmore
Oddly, they had no Iphone4 cases at all in the store. Not a one. Presumably as this was around the time of the rebate on cases. It still seemed odd though.
Fourth Stop: Apple Store Scottsdale
This store not only had the Apple iPhone4 cases, but many from other manufacturers as well. The assistant/apple dude was more than happy to crack open any case packaging and sat there patiently while I tried several cases on the phone. I found a different Belkin case, the Belkin Shield Micra ($24.99) which is a hard, clear plastic case. I also found the InCase Snap Case ($34.99). This was basically identical to the Belkin one. The InCase one came with the handy dandy stand, but its basically a $10 extra. From 5 feet away, both cases look identical, so I swapped them back and forth for a while. In the end, the InCase one, though $10 more had less sharp edges along the front and seemed somehow a slightly better fit, so I picked that up. Best of all the top and bottom of the case are effectively open so there is no issue plugging in iPod adapters.
Just right! - InCase SnapCase
Finally, I have a case for my phone where I can feel its protected while also being able to see the entire phone.
I’m happy.
One More Thing…
For those eligible for the free case from Apple, they have a very slick system for ordering it. Rather than fill out a lengthy form online, you download the Free iPhone4 case app from the iTunes store. you run the app and of course it confirms you have an iPhone4 and confirms dates. It knows who you are and shows your info. Click to confirm. All you have to do next is select a case from the list it shows.
I picked the Black Apple bumper, just to cover up the metal band. 🙂