My Clarifi case arrived yesterday, and after living with it for a day, I've played with it plenty. I never really cared for slider cases in the past, since I never used the dock, I really had no need for one. The bottom of those cases always fit too loose, and slipped off easily, so my excitement for the Clarifi was luke warm because of this. Also, I thought I had found my perfect case in the Switcheasy Capsule Neo, so giving that up was difficult.
My first attempt at putting on the Clarifi, DESTROYED my Steinheil Anti-Fingerprint screen protector. Luckily for me, I had another one to put on. So, after re-applying a new screen, I tried again. The key to this is to slide the top portion of the case VERY slowly, as when it gets to the top portion, where the seam is (Where the material changes from glossy plastic to matt) the matt part sticks into the bevel a bit more, and causes the screen protector to get caught. Right at that moment, you need to lift the edge of the case off the bevel a bit to get it over that bump. I know this might not make sense, but in from of you, you'll see what I mean. Then, slide it to the top, all the way on slowly, and then it was perfect.
The bottom half, I was careful to slide it on slowly as well, being careful not to pinch the screen protector either. My best advice, is if you have a screen protector, or plan to use the one that comes with the Clarifi, put it on as PERFECTLY straight and centered as humanly possible. It does make a difference as this case is tight to the bevel. After that, the bottom half snugly slides into place.
I wish the two halves "locked" into each other better then then do, but right now, it's very snug, and with a tiny pit of pulling on the bottom, it doesn't seem to come off easily, so for me, the more snug the better.
The fit is good, no big gaps at the seams at all. The look between the gloss and the matt finish is very nice, and reminds me a lot of the Capsule Neo in terms of a "classier" look. It completely covers the bevel, and leaves all the buttons and ports exposed. My ONLY complaint is I got used to the Neo covering most of the top of the phone, leaving only the headphone port exposed, and the rest was covered by the rubber sleeve it had under the hard shell. This leave the entire top and bottom exposed, including the sim card compartment. They could have closed that off a bit for my taste. A small complaint really. It does also add a TOUCh more bulk then the Neo, only to the front around the bevel.
Now, onto the actual allure of the case, the marco lens. In a pinch, it does exactly what it claims to, and as you can see from the above photos from the OP, it does a fine job. If you're looking for something that's with you all the time, for those unexpected times to snap a business card, or a close up of a photo, or text, this is perfect.
The optimal results happen when you hold the camera away from the item by about 6 to 8 inches. It clears up the shot, but doesn't magnify for a true "marco" shot.
If you want to get even closer shots with the iphone, I strongly suggest (on a recommendation from Alex) this 9 dollar solution, the 3 lens magnifier from RadioShack. I get much better results then with the clarifi...
http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2102638
All of this said, I REALLY like the Clarifi, and I do believe I'm going to keep it on my phone. This just may have replaced my Neo as my new favorite iPhone case, for its look, and a unique function. Even if I don't need the Clarifi lens, I can keep it closed to protect the actual camera lens. This is something no other case does at the moment, so it's a bit of added protection.
Also, those who own the Neo, and use the universal dock adapter it came with, good news, the Clarifi fits PERFECTLY into the Neo's adapter.
All in all, I rate it like this...
Of of 5...
Protection: 4
Style & Attractiveness: 4.5
Innovation: 5
Overall satisfaction: 4.5
