Category: iPhone 4 Case Reviews

Review: Gumdrop MotoSkin iPhone 4 Case

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.


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Review: Case-Mate Barely There iPhone 4 Case

The Case-Mate Barely There iPhone 4 case ($25) is an eggshell-thin, plastic hard case that doesn’t offer up much in the way of protection or any other area for that matter. Its poor design makes it hard to justify the expensive price tag, even as a possible remedy for the iPhone 4’s external antenna atennuation.

When we reviewed the original Barely There case for the iPhone 3G, we were able to overlook its lack of shock absorption and give it a mild recommendation thanks to its stylish glossy exterior that matched the iPhone exactly and its scratch protection properties. But the new iPhone 4’s front-and-back glass have changed the iPhone case priorities away from scratch resistance toward shock absorption.

Unfortunately, the Barely There’s eggshell-thin plastic offers almost no shock absorption. The case’s rim around the iPhone’s screen barely rises above the surface, so the full force of a drop would be fully felt on the iPhone’s glass.
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Review: Case-Mate Vroom for iPhone 4

The Case-Mate Vroom ($15) for iPhone 4 is an affordable silicone rubber case that sports a masculine tire-tread pattern on its back. While we weren’t impressed with the previous version of the Vroom for the 3G thanks to a loose fit, the iPhone 4 version has improved enough for us to drastically change our opinion. We love the Vroom’s excellent protection at a cheap price, the improved grip, and as a remedy for the iPhone 4’s antenna attenuation problem.

As mentioned, our biggest issue with the previous Vroom was a loose fit that would cause the iPhone to slip out of the case during everyday use. It was so bad, we couldn’t give the case a recommendation. The issue has now been mostly fixed, as the corners fit much tighter, helping to prevent the case from slipping off easily, although there is still a little bit of looseness we’d like to see corrected.


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