Gear4 IceBox Pro for 2nd Gen iPhone

I decided against InvisibleShield for my iPhone - I used it on my 3G Nano and it's kept it free from scratches, but didn't save it from getting a dent in the top corner when it fell out of my pocket when I was getting out of my car once . Knowing that I am very likely to drop my iPhone at some point I knew I had to get a case and spent about 45 minutes pondering which one to get in the Apple Store. In the end I went for the Gear4 IceBox Pro and it's great! It was one of the more expensive cases (£24.95) - about £10 more than many of the silicone sleeve ones. However, it allows the design of the iPhone to show through the case, and it protects the whole front face too.

I was a little concerned that it might make the iPhone too bulky, and you can see from some of the close-up pictures that the casing is about 2mm thick. However, it still fits in my pockets and I feel a lot more secure that when (not if ) I drop my iPhone, it will probably survive more or less unscathed.

There is actually quite a knack to getting the iPhone out of the case, which is hard to explain but easy when you know how - when I put it in on the first day without actually cleaning off all the fingerprints etc from my iPhone I panicked a bit because I couldn't work out how to get the case off again. However, it is possible to remove the case pretty easily. I really recommend this case!

A few more photos...

(including one of my old customised cheap and cheerful Sony-Ericsson )

It's listed on the Apple Store website http://store.apple.com/uk/product/TS595ZM/A?fnode=home/shop_iphone/iphone_accessories/cases&mco=MTM1NzEwMA&p=1&s=topSellers but the Gear4 website has a slightly different description, mentioning brushed aluminium. The Apple Store description (clear plastic) matches what I bought.

Yes the entire front of the iPhone is covered with this case so no separate screen protector is needed-that was a big selling point for me over other clear hard cases which leave the front open. Also those other cases sort of stick out at the front with a bevel so the screen is recessed-I would find that annoying. As my photos show, this one is flat across the front with a round hole for the home button and a slot for the earpiece. The screen is protected yet is still perfectly touch sensitive-I just typed this on it!

IP3G said:

This case looks pretty thick.

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Well my pictures are very close up
In all honesty though, it adds maybe 1.5mm to the depth and 2 or 3mm to the width of the phone. Fits in my jeans pockets no problem.

WillMac4Food said:

I simply am crazy for this case. It "looks" better then any of the others that I have seen. I sent an e-mail to Gear4 hopefully to try to find out how to get one of these here in the US.

After pondering over this case for a bit, I'm amazed with the design and feel of the iPhone. Now I'm curious how fast this case may show scratches? The point of the case is to protect the phone, but I like the look of the case so much that now I'm thinking about protecting it too if I can get it. I know really silly. Soon I'll just be carrying everything in a padded metal briefcase if I continue to think like this.

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yeah I know what you mean. Well mine has no scratches yet (only had it for 3 days though...) I think small hairline scratches are inevitable, but I'd much rather they are on a removable case than on the iPhone!
The more I use it, the happier I am that I didn't go for the Belkin case with the raised bezel around the front and no screen protection (it was also £24.95 in the Apple Store, so if the Gear4 one is available in the US it should be about the same price as the Belkin case).

macman4291, GeneticFreak84, WillMac4Food you're all in the US? I just ask because the exchange-rate really isn't in your favour - according to the convertor widget on my dashboard £24.95 is $49.85, so you would be paying more than if the case were directly available in the US.
You can PM me though if you'd like me to help.