iLounge's brief round-up aside, we haven't really had a thread for the free case program with all the info on the cases. Some people may still be stuck on what to choose. Well, I decided to help them. Here we go:
Bumper - Black: (Apple)
Pros:
- Shows off your iPhone 4
- Looks minimal while still covering antenna
- Makes iPhone grippier
- Makes sure glass doesn't come into contact with other surfaces (and therefore scratch)
- Metal buttons for volume on the case
Cons:
- Doesn't protect the back
- Only black offered
- Silent/Vibrate rocker can be hard to get to with big fingers
- Headphone socket too small for many third party headphones
- Dock connector only supports Apple cables.
Retail Price: $29
Snap Case - Smoke/Clear: (Incase)
Only Smoke and clear available
Pros:
- Thin
- Big cut-out for camera flash
- Lightweight
- Shows off the iPhone 4 while still providing scratch protection for back (Clear only)
Cons:
- Not much in terms of protection
- Only offered in Smoke/Clear colour (Apple's fault, not Incase's)
- No buttons on case for the volume, only a cut-out
Retail Price: $N/A
Shield Micra - Clear: (Belkin)
Pros:
- Shows off the iPhone 4 while still providing protection
- Ultra-thin
- Big cut-out for camera flash
- Flexible
Cons:
- Ugly looking volume button bit on side
- Not much protection
Retail Price: $24.99
Motif - Diamonds/Smoke: (Griffin)
Pros:
- Funky looking back of case
- Provides a fair amount of protection
- Still sort of shows off iPhone
Cons:
- The back of the case may scratch easily
- Ugly volume button cut-out design
- Looks like it may interfere with the camera flash, not sure if it has been updated?
Retail Price: $19.99
Reveal Etch - Black: (Griffin)
Pros:
- Looks very nice
- Good protection
- Interesting looking back of case
Cons:
- Looks like it may interfere with the camera flash, not sure if it has been updated?
Retail Price: $29.99
Fitted - Black Tartan: (Speck)
Pros:
- Good looking
- Fabric on the back
- Made by a company with a good reputation for build quality
Cons:
- Two piece: may come apart if dropped
- No buttons on case for volume buttons, just a cut-out
- Only in Black Tartan (Apple's fault, not Speck's)
Retail Price: $29.95
PixelSkin HD - Black: (Speck)
Pros:
- Mixture of TPU and silicone
- Matte square's on back with a glossy underneath, no fingerprints and looks good
- Protection with minimal bulk
- Sturdy for a half-silicone case
Cons:
- An untidy looking seam around the edge, can't be helped
Retail Price: $29.95
So, I hope this guide has helped you choose which case to use! I personally got the Speck PixelSkin HD. Let me know how you liked the guide and what case you got below!
Bumper - Black: (Apple)
Pros:
- Shows off your iPhone 4
- Looks minimal while still covering antenna
- Makes iPhone grippier
- Makes sure glass doesn't come into contact with other surfaces (and therefore scratch)
- Metal buttons for volume on the case
Cons:
- Doesn't protect the back
- Only black offered
- Silent/Vibrate rocker can be hard to get to with big fingers
- Headphone socket too small for many third party headphones
- Dock connector only supports Apple cables.
Retail Price: $29
Snap Case - Smoke/Clear: (Incase)
Only Smoke and clear available
Pros:
- Thin
- Big cut-out for camera flash
- Lightweight
- Shows off the iPhone 4 while still providing scratch protection for back (Clear only)
Cons:
- Not much in terms of protection
- Only offered in Smoke/Clear colour (Apple's fault, not Incase's)
- No buttons on case for the volume, only a cut-out
Retail Price: $N/A
Shield Micra - Clear: (Belkin)
Pros:
- Shows off the iPhone 4 while still providing protection
- Ultra-thin
- Big cut-out for camera flash
- Flexible
Cons:
- Ugly looking volume button bit on side
- Not much protection
Retail Price: $24.99
Motif - Diamonds/Smoke: (Griffin)
Pros:
- Funky looking back of case
- Provides a fair amount of protection
- Still sort of shows off iPhone
Cons:
- The back of the case may scratch easily
- Ugly volume button cut-out design
- Looks like it may interfere with the camera flash, not sure if it has been updated?
Retail Price: $19.99
Reveal Etch - Black: (Griffin)
Pros:
- Looks very nice
- Good protection
- Interesting looking back of case
Cons:
- Looks like it may interfere with the camera flash, not sure if it has been updated?
Retail Price: $29.99
Fitted - Black Tartan: (Speck)
Pros:
- Good looking
- Fabric on the back
- Made by a company with a good reputation for build quality
Cons:
- Two piece: may come apart if dropped
- No buttons on case for volume buttons, just a cut-out
- Only in Black Tartan (Apple's fault, not Speck's)
Retail Price: $29.95
PixelSkin HD - Black: (Speck)
Pros:
- Mixture of TPU and silicone
- Matte square's on back with a glossy underneath, no fingerprints and looks good
- Protection with minimal bulk
- Sturdy for a half-silicone case
Cons:
- An untidy looking seam around the edge, can't be helped
Retail Price: $29.95
So, I hope this guide has helped you choose which case to use! I personally got the Speck PixelSkin HD. Let me know how you liked the guide and what case you got below!
