Magpul is best known for making rough and tough accessories for guns and high end equipment, so it was a little surprising to me to see them intro a few new electronic accessories, specifically tailored for the iPhone 3Gs and the iPhone 4. Today we will be taking a look at the Executive Field case for the iPhone 4. The Executive Field Case features a very hard and rigid outer layer, a plethora of different color combinations, ribbed sides for extra grip, and precise cutouts for all of your buttons and ports. So, can Magpul pull of a shot at the iPhone accessory market with their new Executive Field case, or are they better off sticking to heavy equipment accessories?
As always, let's take a look at the packaging that the case comes equipped in. Like ColcaSac, Magpul thought it would be best to keep the packaging as simples as possible. The case comes in a very nice plastic wrap that goes all around the outside of the case. On the packaging you will find a description of the company and what the Executive Field case is all about. Like many other case companies, you only get the case in this one, no added accessories like screen protectors are to be found here. Next up is installation. Installation as very easy and took a mere three or four-seconds. Unlike other cases that sit on the top of the glass of the iPhone 4, Magpul has created the Executive Field case to simple wrap around the edge of the antenna band, leaving the whole screen exposed and full screen protector compatibility.
Now that we have this bad boy installed, let's take a quick look around the perimeter of the Executive Field case. Starting at the top you will find a very nice ribbed covering for the sleep/wake button that feels great and even though doesn't register smoothly at first, breaks in after a few days of use. On the left of the sleep/wake button you will find a nice opening for the audio jack and the mic. I had no problems with ambient noise reduction on the mic and the audio jack was large enough to fit most headphones and earphones, although some beefier size cables may not fit quite well.
On the side of the case you will find a very small opening for the vibrate switch. While my small hands fit in here just fine, biggest hands may have to dig in a little bit to activate the vibrate switch. The volume rockers are covered by the same ribbed design as the sleep/wake button and do require a few days of break in before the volume rockers start to register properly.
Taking a look at the bottom you will find three individual cutouts for the speaker, the mic, and the thirty pin dock connector. While my Apple cable fit in the opening just fine, third party cables may not fit in here well and I am pretty sure you will be unable to dock this with most third party docks. Going to the back you will find a cutout for the camera and the flash. I did notice that the case did have a misaligned cutout and that the bright colored collection cases did wash out my photos and did leave a bright colored glow. That being said, I did not have any flash issues on the darker colored cases.
Let's get onto the quality of the case. The Magpul Executive Field case is made out of the same PMAG materiel that they use in their magazine cartridges. First, I would like to mention that this case is wicked tough. I dropped my phone from about four feet (on accident of course) and my iPhone was absolutely fine and their were no cuts, scratches, or cuffs on the case at all. As an added bonus, Magpul has included a few ridges on the sides of the case that do add an unbelievable amount of grip. I also liked how thin the case was. I very much like the sleekness and sexiness that my iPhone 4 gives off, and the Executive Field case adds very little bulk to the iPhone 4.
Now, there are a few issues to be present with the case. First off, the buttons are very hard to press until after a few days of break in, and even then they did not feel as responsive as I would have liked them to. Next up, we have the camera and the flash, which, as mentioned on the above paragraphs, due sash out my photos with the brightly colored cases. This issue can be fixed though if you are using one of the darker cases.
Overall, I can recommend the Magpul Executive Field case. Even though it has some very minor issues, the case still offers some pretty decent protection, has some pretty good functionality, looks stylish (at least in my opinion), and is very thin when being worn on the iPhone 4. You can purchase the Magpul Executive Field Case for the iPhone 4 in a plethora of colors on Magpul's website. Hit up the link for more info.
