CaseCrown is known for making some very stylish and functional electronic accessories, the majority of those products being Apple related. Being the Apple junkie that I am, I felt attracted to CaseCrowns vast selection of abstract iPhone & iPad cases. I slipped across the Chameleon Glider for the iPhone 4 and thought that it looked very appealing. I signed up for the reviewer campaign and sure enough, my brand new Chameleon Glider arrived a few days later. The Chameleon features a very cool color changing mechanism, a plethora of metallic color combinations, a case from the slider/glider genre, and added support for screen protectors. Read on for the full review to find out if the Chameleon Glider has what it takes to overtake the crown as the new king of iPhone 4 slider style cases.
Lets begin the review with the packaging and everything that is included with the Chameleon Glider for the iPhone 4. CaseCrown decided it would be best to keep the packaging as simple as possible this go round as the case was neatly presented in a very small plastic box that simply slides up and out. Taking a peek inside I found the case itself, a fake Apple iPhone with CaseCrowns information, a very nice screen protector (will have a mini review on that at the end), a microfiber cloth, and an application card.
Installation came in two parts, first the screen protector application, and actually sliding the case itself on the phone. While the screen protector was very easy to get on and took a matter of minutes without any bubbles or debris, installing the Chameleon on the phone was another story, a difficult one at that. At first, the case bubbled my screen protector when installing the bottom piece. What? Why would they include a screen protector if it doesnt work with the case itself? After taking a few minutes of investigation I noticed that if you gently push on the back of the phone with the case installed, it will slightly snap above the screen, leaving just enough of a gap for a screen protector to shimmy on through. After that, it was like bread and butter sliding the top piece on, which, even though was a pretty tight fit, didnt cause much of a problem.
Overview of the buttons, isnt that what we always do? Lets get started! At the top of the Chameleon Glider you have two fairly large openings for the sleep/wake button and the 3.5 mm headphone jack. Both of these openings were large enough that I could press my sleep/wake button just fine and I had no problem whatsoever with larger size cables fitting in the audio jack. Running down the side of the slider you will find a nice long cutout for the volume rockers and the vibrate switch. All of these buttons were very easy to access and were very responsive when using their usual functions.
On the bottom of the case you have one single opening for the speaker, the mic, and the dock connector. While my Apple cable fit in here just fine, you may have some problems when it comes to beefier size jacks and I can absolutely guarantee that this will not work with most docks unless you remove the bottom half of the Chameleon. On the back you will see that there is a nice opening for the camera and the flash. I am pleased to report that the Chameleon Glider had no problems when it came to using the flash in low light conditions, and I think this is mainly due to the fact that the case has a very crest like camera cutout that stretches outwards.
Now, I have a few things to say about the case, some positive, some not so positive. Lets start off with the good, and we can get to the negatives at a later date. The first thing that I absolutely loved about the case was the style and the simplicity. The colors of the Chameleon were absolutely beautiful and the ability to change color with a simple twist at an angle was marvelous. In the green version, it is a very vivid and bright green, very much like grass. When turned at the right angle, it turns a very vivid and a rather dark blue, a very different shade then the ever so bright green that can be viewed face on. Also, I love the use of the metallic colors, which make it even more sparkly. Unlike some other solid colors, which, in my opinion, can be rather boring, the metallic coloring adds another layer of style and will definitely attract eyes.
Now, I do have a few negatives to point about the case. The first being that this case is a very tight fit. As I said in the beginning, the Chameleon did bubble the provided screen protector, and even though there is just enough room for a very thin protector slide on through, you may have a problem with some other beefier shields. Also, since this is a slider style case, you may experience some bulk when rocking this case as slider style cases do add some overall thickness to the side of the phone. I would also like to mention that the price is a little steep at $40, so if you're not one who has money to burn, you may want to hold off. Last but not least, I did find that even though this is a very well made case, there is still some flash running along all of the sides of the case. Even though this is not a huge deal for me, it may be for some people who are picky about the little details.
Your probably wondering if the provided screen protector is even worth a double take. Having put on hundreds upon hundreds of screen shields since getting my first iPhone, I have came across some really good ones, and some really bad ones. Let me be the first to tell you that the CaseCrown screen shield was pretty decent. It went on perfect, everything lined up pretty decently, it was super crystal clear, and it was very scratch resistant. Besides the obvious fingerprints and things like that, this shield was very scratch resistant, unlike some other top brands that I have tried. Refer to the pictures for a closer look at what I am talking about.
Overall, the Chameleon Glider by CaseCrown is pretty good. While some people may not enjoy the fashion, the expensive price, and the bulk that this case offers, others will love the design, the color changing effect, the sense of style, and some added protection. I have gotten loads of comments from my friends telling me how cool this was, CaseCrown has now officially pimped out my iPhone 4. You can pick up the Chameleon Glider for the iPhone 4 on CaseCrowns website for $39.99 and it includes the case itself, a microfiber cloth, an application card for applying your screen shield, and of course, the handy dandy screen shield. Hit up the links for more info.
Pictures:
Lets begin the review with the packaging and everything that is included with the Chameleon Glider for the iPhone 4. CaseCrown decided it would be best to keep the packaging as simple as possible this go round as the case was neatly presented in a very small plastic box that simply slides up and out. Taking a peek inside I found the case itself, a fake Apple iPhone with CaseCrowns information, a very nice screen protector (will have a mini review on that at the end), a microfiber cloth, and an application card.
Installation came in two parts, first the screen protector application, and actually sliding the case itself on the phone. While the screen protector was very easy to get on and took a matter of minutes without any bubbles or debris, installing the Chameleon on the phone was another story, a difficult one at that. At first, the case bubbled my screen protector when installing the bottom piece. What? Why would they include a screen protector if it doesnt work with the case itself? After taking a few minutes of investigation I noticed that if you gently push on the back of the phone with the case installed, it will slightly snap above the screen, leaving just enough of a gap for a screen protector to shimmy on through. After that, it was like bread and butter sliding the top piece on, which, even though was a pretty tight fit, didnt cause much of a problem.
Overview of the buttons, isnt that what we always do? Lets get started! At the top of the Chameleon Glider you have two fairly large openings for the sleep/wake button and the 3.5 mm headphone jack. Both of these openings were large enough that I could press my sleep/wake button just fine and I had no problem whatsoever with larger size cables fitting in the audio jack. Running down the side of the slider you will find a nice long cutout for the volume rockers and the vibrate switch. All of these buttons were very easy to access and were very responsive when using their usual functions.
On the bottom of the case you have one single opening for the speaker, the mic, and the dock connector. While my Apple cable fit in here just fine, you may have some problems when it comes to beefier size jacks and I can absolutely guarantee that this will not work with most docks unless you remove the bottom half of the Chameleon. On the back you will see that there is a nice opening for the camera and the flash. I am pleased to report that the Chameleon Glider had no problems when it came to using the flash in low light conditions, and I think this is mainly due to the fact that the case has a very crest like camera cutout that stretches outwards.
Now, I have a few things to say about the case, some positive, some not so positive. Lets start off with the good, and we can get to the negatives at a later date. The first thing that I absolutely loved about the case was the style and the simplicity. The colors of the Chameleon were absolutely beautiful and the ability to change color with a simple twist at an angle was marvelous. In the green version, it is a very vivid and bright green, very much like grass. When turned at the right angle, it turns a very vivid and a rather dark blue, a very different shade then the ever so bright green that can be viewed face on. Also, I love the use of the metallic colors, which make it even more sparkly. Unlike some other solid colors, which, in my opinion, can be rather boring, the metallic coloring adds another layer of style and will definitely attract eyes.
Now, I do have a few negatives to point about the case. The first being that this case is a very tight fit. As I said in the beginning, the Chameleon did bubble the provided screen protector, and even though there is just enough room for a very thin protector slide on through, you may have a problem with some other beefier shields. Also, since this is a slider style case, you may experience some bulk when rocking this case as slider style cases do add some overall thickness to the side of the phone. I would also like to mention that the price is a little steep at $40, so if you're not one who has money to burn, you may want to hold off. Last but not least, I did find that even though this is a very well made case, there is still some flash running along all of the sides of the case. Even though this is not a huge deal for me, it may be for some people who are picky about the little details.
Your probably wondering if the provided screen protector is even worth a double take. Having put on hundreds upon hundreds of screen shields since getting my first iPhone, I have came across some really good ones, and some really bad ones. Let me be the first to tell you that the CaseCrown screen shield was pretty decent. It went on perfect, everything lined up pretty decently, it was super crystal clear, and it was very scratch resistant. Besides the obvious fingerprints and things like that, this shield was very scratch resistant, unlike some other top brands that I have tried. Refer to the pictures for a closer look at what I am talking about.
Overall, the Chameleon Glider by CaseCrown is pretty good. While some people may not enjoy the fashion, the expensive price, and the bulk that this case offers, others will love the design, the color changing effect, the sense of style, and some added protection. I have gotten loads of comments from my friends telling me how cool this was, CaseCrown has now officially pimped out my iPhone 4. You can pick up the Chameleon Glider for the iPhone 4 on CaseCrowns website for $39.99 and it includes the case itself, a microfiber cloth, an application card for applying your screen shield, and of course, the handy dandy screen shield. Hit up the links for more info.
Pictures:
