Help Me Choose an iPhone Case/Protector
I just got my first iPhone. Yes, I know I’m late to the party, but I didn’t need one, and it was too expensive. I was living in a village in the mountains, and as I work at home, I rarely had use for a cell phone. But I’ve moved to a larger town, and changed my personal situation, as it were, and it would be practical for me to have a good phone. Also, since the French ISP Free introduced an unlimited iPhone plan for €20 (only €16 for Internet customers, which I am), I decided to go for it.
While I’m not worried about scratching the screen, I am worried about dropping the phone, and I think I need either a simple case or silicon protector. I’ll be checking some local stores to see what they have, but in the meantime, I’d welcome any recommendations. Given where I live – a smallish city in the French Alps – there aren’t a lot of options. There are phone stores that have some cases, but the selection is very limited.
And, if you’re a vendor who makes iPhone cases, feel free to contact me (there’s an e-mail link in the sidebar to the right). I’d be happy to mention any cases I receive that I like.
Follow-up: So I ended up getting a Speck Candyshell, which I got cheap on Amazon.fr (€8). It is exactly what I wanted. It fits well, isn’t bulky, and looks like it offers excellent protection. I would have bought the Otterbox Commuter, but it is quite expensive here in France, and the company’s shipping prices from the US are outrageous.
I went for the SwitchEasy TRIM (http://www.switcheasy.com/product.php?product=TRIM_iPhone4/TRIM.php%23). It was highly rated by iLounge, comes with a bunch of well thought out accessories (extra port protectors, screen protectors and a stand for the phone) and is inexpensive ($20). My phone is still like new.
I’ve reviewed a number of cases, but I’m still using the Trunket wooden skin with an Apple bumper and like the combo a lot.
http://www.macdrifter.com/2011/10/iphone-cases-review/
I have a Contour case (bought at the local Apple Store) that I like. I’ve also heard good things about the solidity of Otter cases.
I had a good Contour case years ago for an iPod…
Hi Kirk,
you should check out SGP (www.sgpstore.com; they are in the process of switching to a new website, but they sell their stuff via Amazon too http://www.amazon.com/b/qid=1323737165?ie=UTF8&me=A2SFKRF5TPZMT5)
Anyway, I have the Neo Hybrid 2S, it’s a bumper style case consisting of two pieces, an inner rubber one that protects against falls and an outer plastic one for overall protection.
I really like it (made my wife buy one also… :)
Good luck!
Hi, Kirk,
I’ve been VERY pleased with this one:
http://store.apple.com/us/product/MC839ZM/B?fnode=MTY1NDA0NA
I love the protection I have from a product made by Ballistic. I wish I had purchased their Life Style model, which was not available until after I bought my product. Amazon’s prices are much lower that what I would have paid if I had ordered directly from Ballistic.
I love FastMac’s Impact Shield case I bought at Macworld last year. Looks like they are currently sold out: http://store.fastmac.com/product_info.php?products_id=477
Kirk,
My (very thoughtful) son bought me a great present, the Magpul cover.(http://store.magpul.com/prod_detail_list/125).
Low profile, excellent protection and easy access to all buttons and access points.
That looks nice, but they don’t ship outside the US. (I’m in France.)
Kirk
Je voyage parfois aux Étais Unis.
Si vous voulez, je vais en acheter un pour vous.
Hi, Kirk!
I’ve been using Sena pouch-type iPhone cases for several years. They are available on Apple Internet store and directly from the maker.
http://www.senacases.com/apple/iphone-4s-cases/ultraslim/
http://www.senacases.com/apple/iphone-4s-cases/sarach-ultraslim/
One nice iPhone case is BookBook:
http://twelvesouth.com/products/bookbook_iphone/
i suggest you SGP Neo Hybrid EX2 Series. The case has two parts. One is made of soft rubber which serves as protection for iPhone and cushions its contact from the hard frame part of the case. you don’t have to compromise on the original slimness and the beauty of the iPhone. it also comes with two screen protectors for the front and back. good deal.
I looked all over, and couldn’t find a really ideal case. All of them either cover too much or too little for my taste. What I’d really like is a hard bumper that has enough thickness to protect the screen when dropped face down on a flat surface.
I eventually ended up using the incase case, as something is better than nothing, but it’s not the best.
The one I got extends above the screen about 1/8 inch, and that part is rubber or silicone, so it seems to protect the screen well (though I haven’t tested that).
Also, a heads up: not all iPhone cases fit all iPhones. I tried one on in a store that was pretty good, except the vibrate switch did not light up with the hole! So be careful if you buy online.
Kirk: I’m in the same boat — just got an iPhone 4s a week ago. (I actually had an original iPhone back in the day, but AT&T’s signal was so bad in my neighborhood I have to give it up.)
On the spur of the moment I went with the black Apple bumper that was there in the phone store. (I bought the phone from our regional carrier, C Spire.) Pricey, yes, but I’m actually loving the phone + bumper instead of a full case.
Don’t know if it’ll help with a 5-foot drop (and I’ve got no testing of that scheduled ;-) but it’s been great for adding grip and for tossing on the test.
Plus, the comments on it have been very interesting — I’ve been at tables full of folks looking at their iphones in cases, then they look at mine and ask … “is that iPhone different from mine? Did you get a prototype or something… iTodd?” they ask, accusingly. ;-)
I hesitated about the bumper: it seemed pretty expensive for what it is, compare to “real” cases.
Check out the reviews I’ve posted in the past couple of days for two cases I have so far…
I TOTALLY hear you on the expense and hesitation — I wouldn’t have bought the bumper if I hadn’t decided to just charge the whole thing to my phone bill. (In fact, my thought was to buy the bumper and then shop for another case later.)
But I’m saying I’ve been pleasantly surprised with how much the bumper… let’s call it “fails to detract” … from the iPhone experience in the way that I feel too many cases do.
- Todd
Yes, the bumper won’t make the iPhone any thicker. But have you dropped it yet? I’d be afraid that it doesn’t protect the phone enough.