Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Bumper Review (w/high quality photos)
- Thread starter Mark Booth
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Thank you! Yes, the Bumper lifts the back (or face) of the iPhone away from a table surface by about 1-2 cm.
If the iPhone was to slip out of my hand and fall perfectly flat face down (or up) on a flat surface, in my opinion the Bumper would offer some protection. And if it falls at an angle or along the edge, I think the Bumper offers even more protection.
I'm sure someone will come along (eventually) and do a drop test with the iPhone 4 + Bumper installed. I just know it's not going to be me.
Mark
Thanks for the review and the great pictures, Mark.
I'm with you about the shape of the new iphone. I prefer the curvy old phone and lines. Feels much better and secure in my hand. I have a Bumper arriving on Wednesday but I'm not sure it will be enough for me. I think I want something covering the back and bringing some curves into my hand.
I'm with you about the shape of the new iphone. I prefer the curvy old phone and lines. Feels much better and secure in my hand. I have a Bumper arriving on Wednesday but I'm not sure it will be enough for me. I think I want something covering the back and bringing some curves into my hand.
Has anyone else tried this? Is it working? I waited 7 hours in line on launch day and as soon as I got it and was really looking at it I had the yellow marks along the bottom. I took it back and the replacement still had them. I was given a free dock but told to keep it for a few days and see what happens. I was in the store today and was told to keep for a month and see if it improves. I love the phone but it is getting a bit frustrating. I would like a bumper but I think they should be given to anyone buying the phone.
Has calling and complaining worked for anyone else? I dont want to wait another month before I can get protection for my phone and solve the antenna issue. But I also dont like complaining haha.
That's what my set up will be. I'm very pleased with the way the Invisible Shield has turned out on both front and back. With these and the iPhone Bumper, it will be completely protected.
I just ordered mine online. They were sold out at the four closest Apple Stores. I selected two-day shipping, but won't get here until July 6-8.
My Mistake; I didn't see the link at the end of your post to Photo Booth, thank you!
what?
I actually order my green one, on the preorder day, during all that fiasco, and I have to wait until July 17th to get mine, but you call and complain, and you get any color you want for FREE shipped by monday?
That hardly seems fair to me
I scheduled a call with Apple, and they called me earlier, today. I told them about the issues with reception I had experienced by holding the phone in my left hand. The guy I spoke with said this is a known issue, appears to be a design flaw (his words), and apologized. He said that purchasing a Bumper would alleviate the issues. I told him I thought it was ridiculous to spend that much on the phone, only to be told to buy a $30 Bumper to get the reception we should already be getting. He agreed, then transferred me to his supervisor. The supervisor said he completely agreed, said that Apple is working on an update (he assumed a software update), and told me he would send me a free Bumper, any color of my choice. I decided on the black. He told me that it would be arriving in 5-7 days, and he would also E-mail me when the assumed software update was coming out. I'm happy. I think that Apple should give these cases to anyone who buys an iPhone 4, especially since their reps are telling people to buy them to help with the signal issue!
Got mine and it's all that mark writes about
Plus pop the top off the new dock, cut the well off and the bumper works fine with the dock...
Plus pop the top off the new dock, cut the well off and the bumper works fine with the dock...
Why would that matter? It's not like these photos are going to be sold for high value elsewhere.
Anyways, thanks for the pictures.
A few additional notes on the bumper.
1. While it adds protection by elevating it when laying flat, you can also lean it against something and know that the bumper is making contact not the glass, in addition to which it keeps the phone from sliding to a flat position.
2. No Apple dock is designed for use with any case. Even my very old universal dock that does not have inserts, just a larger opening, won't work because the thickness of the bumper prohibits the iPhone from completely seating onto the connector. You have 2 choices:
a. Get a universal and remove the insert so it can seat down with a case on.
b. Get a dock extender. http://www.sendstation.com/us/products/dockextender/ Comes black or white. But pricey. Otherwise I'd get 4 or 5.
3. I too have a car charger that did not fit but having had multiple iPhones and iPods, I simply plugged a white iPhone cable into the usb plug in the car charger and the dock end into the iPhone. That said the other issue you may run into is that with the bumper on many headphone jacks won't work. I have an aux input in my car that I plug into my iPhone, but with the bumper on, I cannot plug the fatter plug through the bumper hole. Luckily I had a recessed headphone adapter from the original iPhone days that I used to solve this problem.
If you run into this you can get either the Griffin Smartshare with adapter, which gives you a nice splitter and flexible adapter that I added on to my aux cable in the car for plugging into the the iPhone through the bumper.
http://www.griffintechnology.com/products/ssadapter
I don't believe they sell the adapter separately.
Or you can get one by Belkin. It is straight but quite small. There appear to be two different Belkin designs.
http://www.amazon.com/Belkin-Headphone-Adapter-iPhone-mini-phone/dp/B000V8V3JS
and
http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?In...&utm_medium=ShoppingSites&utm_campaign=F8Z270
EDIT: Apparently the Sendstation extender does not work unless you file it down, however they are supposedly working on a redesign. Meanwhile a potentially cheaper alternative is the Slim iExtend at valueoutfitters.com
1. While it adds protection by elevating it when laying flat, you can also lean it against something and know that the bumper is making contact not the glass, in addition to which it keeps the phone from sliding to a flat position.
2. No Apple dock is designed for use with any case. Even my very old universal dock that does not have inserts, just a larger opening, won't work because the thickness of the bumper prohibits the iPhone from completely seating onto the connector. You have 2 choices:
a. Get a universal and remove the insert so it can seat down with a case on.
b. Get a dock extender. http://www.sendstation.com/us/products/dockextender/ Comes black or white. But pricey. Otherwise I'd get 4 or 5.
3. I too have a car charger that did not fit but having had multiple iPhones and iPods, I simply plugged a white iPhone cable into the usb plug in the car charger and the dock end into the iPhone. That said the other issue you may run into is that with the bumper on many headphone jacks won't work. I have an aux input in my car that I plug into my iPhone, but with the bumper on, I cannot plug the fatter plug through the bumper hole. Luckily I had a recessed headphone adapter from the original iPhone days that I used to solve this problem.
If you run into this you can get either the Griffin Smartshare with adapter, which gives you a nice splitter and flexible adapter that I added on to my aux cable in the car for plugging into the the iPhone through the bumper.
http://www.griffintechnology.com/products/ssadapter
I don't believe they sell the adapter separately.
Or you can get one by Belkin. It is straight but quite small. There appear to be two different Belkin designs.
http://www.amazon.com/Belkin-Headphone-Adapter-iPhone-mini-phone/dp/B000V8V3JS
and
http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?In...&utm_medium=ShoppingSites&utm_campaign=F8Z270
EDIT: Apparently the Sendstation extender does not work unless you file it down, however they are supposedly working on a redesign. Meanwhile a potentially cheaper alternative is the Slim iExtend at valueoutfitters.com
As an Amazon Associate, MacRumors earns a commission from qualifying purchases made through links in this post.