The Griffin Motif for iPhone 4 ($15) is available as one of the cases in Apple’s Free iPhone 4 Case program, but we find it’s not one of the better choices. We didn’t like the semi-transparent TPU material the case is made out of, as it has a sticky feel and poor shock absorption. Even an interesting diamond pattern that shimmers in the light can’t save this below average case.
One of the many cases available through the iPhone 4 Case program, the Speck Fitted Case ($20) is arguably the most stylish of the choices. Its two-piece construction impressed us with the protection it offers, though we did suffer a few minor accessibility issues with some of the iPhone’s ports. While none of Apple’s free cases have blown us away, the Speck Fitted is one of the better options.
When Apple announced that you could pick up a number of third-party cases for free as part of the great antennae debacle, I was instantly drawn to the Speck Fitted Case. I use a Speck case on my MacBook Pro, and adore it, so I hoped I would have the same feelings with their iPhone products.
The Cellet Jelly ($8) is one of the most inexpensive cases we’ve seen yet for the iPhone 4, and while not particularly spectacular in any area, it features solid design (its only flaw being a loose fit) and doesn’t get in the way of using the iPhone, making the case a good value.
Our only complaint about the Cellet Jelly is a semi-loose fit that occasionally allows a corner of the case to slip off when removing from pockets. It’s not the worst fit we’ve seen, and the case will stay on the iPhone in normal use, but it’s nevertheless a minor annoyance. The loose fit also causes the case’s frame around the iPhone’s screen to take on a slightly bent or warped look at times.
But that’s about the only fault we could find with the case. Its most standout feature is not any one design element, but rather that, overall, the case doesn’t get in the way of using the iPhone on an everyday basis. If that seems like a no-brainer design wise, it’s telling that so many case manufacturers get it wrong.
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With the majority of iPhone cases costing in excess of $20, or else being ugly hunks of low-quality plastic, you have to wonder if it’s possible to get a decent case for your phone at a good price. The Amzer Silicone Skin Jelly Case ($10) comes in at a hair under $10, and while hardly without flaw, for that price it’s surprisingly good.
The Jelly is a simple soft silicone case, comprised of two different textures: rough and spackled around the edges and smooth on the back. The texturing reminds me of nothing so much as chew toy, hardly re-assuring. Personal views aside, the rough areas are pretty easy to grip, and pulling the phone from your pocket is a breeze.
The Minisuit Smoke Skin Circle for iPhone 4 ($15) is a transparent plastic case that suffers from bad design and bad looks. There’s little about this case that should interest an iPhone owner other than its affordable price.
The Minisuit Smoke Skin is made out of a rugged material called thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU). The material is slightly pliable but has more in common with hard-shell plastic than it does with the more common silicone rubber. The case is transparent and decorated with a semi-transparent pattern of concentric cicles, which come in 6 different colors (pink, blue, black, green, orange, red, and whitish clear).
The main reason we can’t recommend the Smoke Skin Circle is that it makes the iPhone’s sleep button very difficult to press. The case covers up both the sleep and volume buttons with its own raised areas of plastic. The problem is that the material is so inflexible, it takes too much pressure to push and activate the iPhone’s sleep button through the case. It hurt our fingers to do so. While the volume buttons are not affected quite as much, they still are much more difficutlt to press with the case on.
The SwitchEasy Colors case for iPhone 4 ($15) continues its tradition of being one of the best-fitting silicone cases out there. And what it lacks in style, it makes up for in functional design and fit and feel.
A lot can go wrong with the design of an iPhone case (and often does), so that’s why it’s a pleasure to come across a case like the SwitchEasy Colors, which gets almost all the details right. Our favorite feature of the Colors is a perfect fit and feel. The case hugs the iPhone 4 like a glove, with very little looseness and no sagging that some lesser cases experience. Its surface has a pleasant soft texture that feels good to hold, where some silicone rubber cases take on a sticky rubber-tire feel.
If you’re looking for the absolute tiniest case imaginable, then you can’t really get much more petite than the Sonix Snap Slim Case ($24). However, while it’s light and tiny, it also feels flimsy, and likely it wouldn’t survive more than a fall or two.
The Snap Slim is designed for those who want to add as little size or weight as possible to their phone, which is where it excels. It weighs next to nothing and adds less than a millimeter in any direction. More than any other case I’ve used, you just don’t notice the extra size at all. When it’s in your pocket, there’s not that feeling of bulk that can sometimes accompany protection.
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The Empire New-Skin for iPhone 4 ($15) is the type of case that benefits from slick marketing photos, making it look like it’s made from better materials than it really is. In reality, the New-Skin looks cheap and suffers from durability issues. But it’s not all bad, as the case doesn’t get in the way of using the iPhone like some cases do. And it does have at least one feature of note: a cut-out for the iPhone 4′s SIM tray, something we haven’t seen yet, and which may appeal to frequent SIM switchers.
The Griffin Reveal Etch ($30) is the prettier sibling of the Griffin Reveal, a see-through case we reviewed last week. The Etch shares an identical rubber border, but in place of a clear acrylic back is an attractive opaque triangle-patterned design for the back of the iPhone. Overall, the Reveal Etch is a solid case, lacking the typical flaws of lesser cases and offering good shock absorption.
The Reveal Etch‘s border is a semi-soft rubber band that is melded with the hard plastic back. The soft edge juts out from the rest of the case and thus takes the brunt of impacts, offering good shock absorption. This same band also prevents the iPhone 4′s grip of death, putting itself between your finger and the iPhone’s 4′s sweet spot.
A glimpse at the extra thick silicone of the Gumdrop MotoSkin ($30) is enough to know it offers excellent shock absorption for accidental drops. Unfortunately, at least one major design flaw ruins the usability of the case, making it an also ran in the growing pantheon of iPhone 4 cases.
Our main problem with the MotoSkin is that it makes the iPhone’s sleep button difficult to press. The sleep button is probably the iPhone’s second most-used button, and to interfere with its functionality is unacceptable. The case fails to leave enough room for your fingertip to access the button, so when you press down, you’re pressing the silicone of the case. Extra force is required to press down both silicone and button. While it’s not impossible to press the button, it’s much too difficult.
