Category: iPhone Cases

Perhaps the Case-Mate Egg for the iPhone 4 & 4S ($15) wasn’t designed to be a stress relief toy, but that’s exactly what the hundred or so rubber nodules that stick up from the back of the case remind me of. And while this “accidental” functionality is nice, what’s really important is that the Egg is an excellent all-around case that gets all of the basic design elements right while being one of the more affordable iPhone cases out there. Read on for both my video review and text review below.

Video Review

Text Review

Silicone Rubber. The affordable Case-Mate Egg is made entirely of silicone rubber. The elastic material makes the case a cinch to slip on and off. The case fits tight around the iPhone, hugging the corners with no looseness like that found in some other cheap, poorly designed rubber cases. Still, like any slip-on case, when the right amount of force is applied, a corner can still sometimes come undone. Fortunately with the Egg, such occurrences were rare.

The other downside of some silicone cases is the ability to attract lint when stored in pockets. I didn’t notice this problem with the Egg, but it could have been the light blue color of the case hiding the lint.

Protection. Silicone rubber is great for shock absorption, and the more of it, the more shock absorption. The Egg has about medium thickness when relatively compared to other silicone cases I’ve reviewed, and thus supplies about a “medium” amount shock absorption. I felt comfortable dropping the case from a normal waist-level height, but the Egg isn’t exactly a throw-it-against-the wall kind of case.

The Egg has a rim that sticks out above the iPhone’s screen about a millimeter. This provides some protection when the iPhone is laid face-down on a table, preventing the screen from coming into contact with surfaces. The case’s rim may also provide some shock absorption if dropped at the right angle. However, any iPhone case that does’t completely cover the iPhone’s front screen (as most cases don’t) creates a risk of the front screen shattering if the screen catches the edge of a rock or table corner.

Accessibility. The Egg is a well-designed case that doesn’t get in the way of everyday use of the iPhone. All of the iPhone’s ports and switches are accessible when you need them, the camera works fine with the case on, and all buttons work accurately when pressed. There is a large cutout area that leaves the dock connector and bottom speaker and microphone uncovered. Everything you need to plug in or press works with the case on.

Grip and Comfort. Another positive of silicone rubber is improved grip. The rubber material is a lot easier for fingers to hold on to than the iPhone 4’s double-glass sides. The raised nodules also supply added friction, improving grip even further.

In terms of comfort, the case and its rubber nodules remind me of a stress-relief massage toy, making the case quite relaxing to hold on to. I soon found myself running my fingers over the raised rubber nodules unconsciously in a soothing manner. I’m not sure that’s what Case-Mate intended them for, but it worked.

Style. With a bold design like the Egg’s, the beauty lies in the eye of the beholder. I liked the design, as it’s both functional and unique. The case is also well made, with nice smooth lines and rounded edges. No frayed edges from poor machine cutting here. Stylishly unique without being garrish is how I’d describe the Egg. It’s also available in several colors, including traditional black.

Weight & Thickness. The Egg is a lightweight case, although not the lightest I’ve seen. In terms of thickness and general added bulk, the Egg is of medium thickness relative to other cases I’ve reviewed.

Gallery

Review Summary

The Case-Mate Egg is an all-around well-designed case that doesn’t get in the way of using the iPhone on a daily basis. The Egg has style too, with its raised rubber nodules and the 3D-rounded-bumps pattern on its back. Medium shock absorption, a good fit, and an affordable $15 price tag combine to make the Egg a case worthy of wrapping around the iPhone. We rate it an 8.5 out 10, highly recommended.

Pros:

• All-around, well-designed case.
• Doesn’t get in the way of using the iPhone on a daily basis.
• Rubber nodules on the back are relaxing to touch.
• Inexpensive.

Cons:

• For protection-focused buyers, only medium shock absorption.

The last thing an iPhone owner wants to see is the iPhone’s pretty glass smashed and splintered. Drop it the wrong way, and that’s exactly what happens. For peace of mind against such damage, there are really only two options: you can buy a thick protection-focused case, or else you can shell out $99 for Apple’s insurance plan, AppleCare+ for iPhone.

One choice for a protective case you might consider is the G-Form X-Protect for iPhone 4 & 4S. The X-Protect is composed of a mushy foam material called Poron XRD that can absorp up to 94% of impact energy from accidental drops. This material is soft to the touch and squeezable, but upon impact, it compresses and stiffens up, eating up the impact’s energy.

While shock absorption is nice, there are many other elements that go into making an excellent iPhone case. Below are my video and text reviews for the G-Form X-Protect Case.

Video Review

Text Review

Protection. In the area of shock absorption, the X-Protect really is one of the better protective cases out there. The foam material is thick, and it’s thick in the right places. A bit of clever design places chunky pads in the iPhone’s four corners, known as the impact points (see below).

If there is one flaw for this case in the area of protection, it’s that it just barely protects the iPhone’s front screen with a raised rim, which sticks out a millimeter high above the screen. The rim is thick and high enough that it takes on some absorption should you drop the iPhone completely flat on that side, but the rim is not made out of the same shock-absorping material. And really, the sad truth of almost all iPhone cases is that if you drop your iPhone’s front screen on a well-placed stone or corner of a coffee table, it’s bye-bye screen. (One exception is the Otterbox Defender, which provides protection for the screen as well).

Design. The X-Protect is composed of two sections of case that interlock with each other to form the whole. One section is the shock-absorbing foam, and the other is a rigid plastic frame that the foam locks into. The frame is made of a slightly bendable plastic and has intersecting, X-shaped bands that provide the case’s unique look. The foam sticks out through these bands, creating unique 3D contours like something from the Aliens movies.

Inner lining. A nice subtle feature of the X-Protect is a soft fabric inner lining that prevents the case itself from scratching the iPhone. Case makers often ignore the inner part of the case when, in fact, the case itself can be a danger to scratching the iPhone.

Accessibility. The X-Protect provides excellent accessibility to all the iPhone’s buttons, switches, and ports. All of the iPhone’s buttons work as expected when pressed, despite being covered up by the X-Protect’s simulated rubber buttons. The iPhone’s camera is likewise unencumbered, as there is a nice large cutout area around the iPhone’s camera to provide plenty of clearance for the flash to do its job (but who uses the iPhone’s flash anyways?). The iPhone’s dock-connector USB cord plugs in with no problem, and the iPhone’s speaker and microphones are uncovered to allow sound to pass through. The only negative in accessibility is that you can’t use a dock with this case.

Weight & Size. While the X-Protect is lightweight, it is quite bulky in size. It nearly doubles the iPhone’s thickness and adds a few millimeters to its width as well. Despite its bulkiness, it was still pocketable in my loose jeans, but wearers of tight jeans might not able to slip this one into their pockets.

Grip & Feel. One of the benefits of the X-Protect’s unique contours is that it dramatically improves grip. It is also a comfortable case to hold once you get used to the mushiness of the foam. And the mushiness does take a little getting used to. At first, it’s like holding a squeezable stress toy. That could be a plus, depending on your stress levels. While the feel is unusual compared with most other cases, I quickly got used it.

Looks. Although the X-Protect’s masculine sci-fi look is love it or leave it, I do have a complaint about its aesthetic construction. The frame around the iPhone’s screen, which ideally would be a perfect rectangle, has a crooked look because it’s made out of bendy hard plastic. It gives the case somewhat of a cheap look when the iPhone is laid on its back.

Image Gallery:

Review Summary

If you’re looking for a unique and highly protective case, the G-Form X-Protect is one of the better protective cases out there thanks to its high-tech foam. Its main downside is its bulk, but the case is otherwise well designed, allowing you to use all the iPhone’s features without obstruction. Thanks to its foam material, the case’s overall mushy feel takes some getting used to, but if you would like to lovably squeeze your iPhone instead of feeling its cold edges dig into your palm, you can get used to it. Rating: 8.5 out of 10.0.

Pros:

• Excellent shock absorption thanks to its high-tech “Poron XRD” foam.
• Good accessibility to all of the iPhone’s buttons and ports.
• Lightweight for its size.
• Improves grip.

Cons:

• Bulky.
• Front-screen rim has a saggy look to it.

The CaseMate Pop! for iPhone 4 ($20) is part of a growing pantheon of “dual-layer” iPhone cases that combine two different materials—almost always plastic and rubber—to mine the best qualities of each. With some attention to detail, the combination usually succeeds, as it does with the Pop! The first layer of the Pop! case is a soft rubber lining. This layer not only protects the back of the iPhone from being scratched by the case itself but also takes on shock absorption duties. The second layer is a hard-plastic frame that makes up the majority of the case. The glossy hard plastic adds rigidity and strength while keeping the case lightweight. Also covered in rubber are the left and right sides of the case. The rubber here is textured, adding grip and a comfortable feel. The rim around the iPhone’s screen is rubber as well, sticking out a millimeter above the screen and preventing the glass from touching surfaces while laying flat.

The Pop! is a snap-on case, meaning you push the iPhone into the flexible casing until it clicks into place. The case is quite difficult to take on and off the iPhone, but the upside here is that there is little worry the case will accidentally slip off when handled or dropped. But it is enough to handle everyday drops.

In terms of protection, we’d say the Pop! is much better than average. There is some shock absorption, and it provides good coverage for the iPhone’s surfaces. But the case is still on the thin side, and in terms of shock absorption, it isn’t in the same category as bulkier cases like the Otterbox Defender or Impact.
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