Cross-post from here:
https://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?p=16275569#post16275569
I received my Switcheasy Tones case in Black/Grey two days ago.
It is exactly what I was hoping it would be: simple, low profile, convincingly protective, provides good grip but also easy to take in and out of my pocket, and, most importantly, the buttons are extremely easy to press! Since the Switcheasy Tones is made of two materials (hard plastic for much of the back and sides, softer rubberized plastic for some of the sides and the top/bottom), it provides strong protection and ease of use.
I had a Speck Pixelskin HD for my iPhone 4 for two years. I liked the low-profile, slim, protective nature of that case. But what I didn't like is that I always had to press the volume or lock buttons extremely hard through the case to get them to work. Not the case for the Switcheasy Tones. The softer material over the buttons make them very easy to press. You still feel the "click" with your finger almost as well as not having a case on at all. MUCH better than the Speck case was (and I still think the Speck case was a good case for the iPhone 4. I've heard that the iPhone5 version has fit problems.).
Also, the softer material on the edges makes it easier than the Speck Pixelskin HD to remove the case. (Agree with the above poster: start peeling from the bottom or top, not the sides, and you won't have a problem.)
The hard plastic on the back provides rigid support for the main body of the phone (I'd imagine this may help reduce likelihood of the phone bending or the screen cracking as a result of a bend.) And because the hard plastic is more "slick" than the rubberized sides, it allows the phone to slide easily in and out of my jeans pocket.
The "bezel" of the case IS raised above the screen's surface, but only slightly. So you can put it face down on a very flat surface and the screen won't touch that surface. But as I recall the Speck's raised bezel was raised a bit higher. So to protect your screen from scratching I'd still recommend using a screen protector. (I use a BSE screen protector which I had before this case. But the case comes with a good peel-on screen protector, so need to buy a separate one.)
I can strongly recommend it to others who like minimalist cases that still protect the front, sides, top, bottom, and back of the phone, while maintaining ease of use.
