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Review: Epikcase Showcase (iSkin Solo FX alternative)

abijnk

abijnk

macrumors 68040
Original poster
Oct 15, 2007
3,287
5
Los Angeles, CA
This is my review for the Epikcase Showcase that you can buy off of eBay.

Purchasing
I think the only place to purchase these cases is on eBay. The seller I bought from is dcmugen88. They offer the following purchase options:
1 case @ $5.99
3 cases @ $12.99
5 cases @ $19.99
all with free shipping and you choice of color (9 to choose from)

Shipping
Shipping, for me, was very prompt. I ordered the cases on 7/14, selecting the free shipping option, got the shipping notification on 7/16 and received them today, 7/27. The cases ship from China.

What's in the Box
In the package were the five cases I ordered in plastic wrapping and five crystal screen protectors.

First Impression
This case is made of the same material as the iSkin Solo and Solo FX, a so-called "soft plastic." The design on the back is embedded into the case itself and as such it is smooth to the touch on the outside. The design is embedded by alternating textures on the inside of the transparent case. Because of this, some watermarking does occur, mostly on the Apple logo. This isn't a deal breaker for me personally, see the pics below for what I mean. One thing I was also concerned about was that the design would not line up properly, however, on all five of the cases I received the circular design lines up perfectly with the Apple logo.

The fit of the case is excellent. There are cutouts for the dock/speaker area, silent switch, camera, and headphone jack. The volume rocker and sleep/wake button remain covered. These coverings are not raised, which does make locating them slightly more difficult, but since I already know where the buttons are it doesn't matter to me. This case also wraps around to cover the bezel.

Cutouts, buttons and switches:

Volume Rocker and Silent Switch
3762719565_523a4eb889.jpg


Headphone Jack and Sleep/Wake Button
3763515206_2114e05d02.jpg


Dock Connector and Speakers
3762720481_6182a47f13.jpg


Final Thoughts
The iSkin Solo FX that I have is easily my favorite case. I purchased these cases because I like the design and didn't want to pay an arm and a leg for more colors in a case of this type. I am not disappointed. These cases are just as high quality as the iSkin case and for a tiny fraction of the price.

Comparison to the iSkin Solo FX
There are some minor differences between this case and the Solo FX. It feels thinner, but not in such a way that makes if feel cheaper. On the Solo the bits of plastic covering the volume rocker and sleep/wake button are raised, whereas on the Showcase they are merely contoured. The headphone cutout on the Solo FX is slightly off center, whereas on the showcase it is perfectly centered. The final difference is in the front of the case where it wraps around the bezel. On the Solo this area is flat creating an edge before laying down flat over the bezel. On the Showcase this area is rounded smooth all the way over the bezel.

Comparison photos (Purple iSkin Solo FX with Purple Epikcase Showcase):

Back to Back (notice the purples are slightly different)
3763511492_7eb6b4ff65.jpg


Volume Rocker and Silent Switch
3762716153_8cf193d3f3.jpg


Headphone Jack and Sleep/Wake Button
3763513232_6ba690cc9a.jpg


Dock Connector and Speakers
3762717995_b75269248d.jpg


Colors
These are photos of the colors I bought on my black iPhone 3GS. Sorry for the reflections and crappy lighting. :eek:

Clear
3762728437_0b8dd5ab1b.jpg
3762727421_394a4de608.jpg


Pink
3762726711_251f0fdfe6.jpg
3763522564_9e1bac0e72.jpg


Green
3763521818_d21af893b9.jpg
3763521040_87e33bdc4e.jpg


Blue
3762723645_4d073a02e2.jpg
3762722921_3207def221.jpg


Purple
3763518712_87a6c05fce.jpg
3763517826_7a8f71ef8f.jpg
 
Wow I really like the design style on it compared to my iskin solo fx. I love my iskin too so I'll scope it out. Thanks for the heads up
 
I also like the way these look a lot. Thanks for the review. Nice. How do you think they will be as far a possibly scratching the phone or bezel? I know my iSkin Solo is pretty good at not scratching my phone, so I hope these will be the same.
 
fishmd said:
I also like the way these look a lot. Thanks for the review. Nice. How do you think they will be as far a possibly scratching the phone or bezel? I know my iSkin Solo is pretty good at not scratching my phone, so I hope these will be the same.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I figure they will be exactly the same. I have a full bodyguardz on my phone under this, so its not something I've ever really thought about.
 
Very nice and if you're looking to unload one or two then I love the clear or even the purple.
 
Thanks for the review!

I was looking for the exact answers you provide.

I also use a Nokia E71, and I bought a dcmugen case for it based on this review:

The fit and feel of the E71 case is phenomenal. It improves the quality of the phone. It might not have the same positive effect on the iPhone--only because the phone doesn't need it.

It's not as protective as a Capsule Rebel kind of case, but it's pretty cool to use.

Now I"m going to go ahead and order this resin case for my 3GS as well. Which I'll alternate with my Case-Mate Stealth slipped in a Sena Corsa Designer Pouch--if it ever arrives.
 
I saw these cases too but i'm not a huge fan of alternate designs ... however these look pretty nice. Thanks for the pitcures!

I waiting for a black/smoke solo F(ake)X but i might order one of these also.

I can't say it enoough that this material is the best overall for cases.

The only downside of these vs. the real solo's are the lack of raised buttons and a little bit less thickness.
 
Great review. I just jumped on board and bought a 2 pack. I want to replace my slider as it has put a really deep scratch in the back of my 3gs. So sad. Hopefully it want show through these cases.
 
Thanks for the review, I'm definitely considering it.

Do you think these would work well with a BSE simple back? Gelaskins?

People have tried the iSkin Solo with a BSE simple back and have noticed staining issues. The iSkin stains the BSE. I wonder if this case will have the same issue? I might just go with the a Gelaskin though, because I think this case is transparent enough to see the design.
 
Does these cases have different softer and smoother inner surface similar to the Solo FX ?
 
/b/ said:
Does these cases have different softer and smoother inner surface similar to the Solo FX ?
Click to expand...

The gel/resin substance is pretty soft to the touch, and judging by my E71 version, can't hurt the phone. Can answer more when my iPhone Epik cases get here shortly.
 
abiyng87 said:
Yeah, I figure they will be exactly the same. I have a full bodyguardz on my phone under this, so its not something I've ever really thought about.
Click to expand...

How's the fit like with the BG under the case?
Does the case leave stains on the BG after some time?
 
Firstly sorry for the poor lighting condition.

Got my cases yesterday. Got the clear, black, blue, red and pink.

CLEAR
clear.jpg


BLACK
black.jpg


BLUE
blue.jpg


PINK
pink.jpg


RED
red.jpg


Impression

The clear case is my favorite so far. This material is silicone-based to the feel. So unlike hard cases, the material will absorb some shock if the phone is dropped. Since the material is soft, it will not crack like a hard case. The spiral design actually looks very trendy on a white 3GS. Since the photos taken are raw and unedited, the cases are better than they look.

The pink and blue are my next favorite ones. I don't really fancy the black and red basically I think black on white is just wrong. The black essentially musk the elegance of a white 3GS. The red is a bit tacky as the red is too bright, and the spiral design doesn't really show through in this case.

There is not a chance dirt will enter this case. That is because except for the cut out for the headphone jack, there is no cut out for the sleep/wake button, thus minimizing the chance of dirt entering the case from the top. On the side, except for the cut out for the silent/sound switch, there's no other cut out. I cannot see how dirt can enter this case.

Since the material is soft, stretchable in nature, you get a tight fit on the 3GS. However, the good thing about having silicone-based material is that you don't end up scratching your iphone case due to material-to-material contact and/or dirt entering this case. The bonus with this case is that you get zero watermark.

I'll stick to the clear case for now. It's the best looking clear case for the white 3GS as far as I'm concerned. The look and feel is great. Tight fit, no movement. Although at the odd chance of a lousy installation, the front edge of the case covering the silver bezel will scrape against your screen protector (if you have one), causing air bubble. But that's easily solved by stretching and lifting the front edge of the silicone case up a little, and rubbing the screen protector. Then all you need to do is releasing the silicone edge making sure it covers the bezel nicely. Since the case overlaps the bezel, you can now lay your phone face down without worries of scratching the screen.
 
here is few more pics

THE BEST $9 SHIPPED I SPENT EVER FOR iPHONE SKIN!

got two of them.. green and blue. Like the green more though.

I also have BS Ever underneath.

615969785_EK56N-L.jpg


615969654_2o7tF-L.jpg


615972123_mrpCD-L.jpg


615972119_2h4SE-L.jpg


615972151_Lyy3i-L.jpg


615971783_sFd6o-L.jpg


615971875_qCrsW-L.jpg


615971817_5mX23-L.jpg
 
Received my Epik cases: blue, purple and red. Decided to use blue to match my Nokia E71 case.

Just as nice as the E71 cases I already have.

I'm using the Epik over a Case-Mate Stealth backing, and with a Power Support screen protector--a bit of grab over the screen protector, but smoothed back in.
 
With cases like this, a White iPhone would look good. I have the black and still looks pretty good. I have the China equivalent of the Solo FX. I have the Orange.
A brighter Orange would be great.
I love this case except for one drawback (at least, to me)
I like the Silicone cases for having better grip and not sliding on consoles, or seats. This one is a little slick and will slide too easily. Other than that, it's great.
 
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