Seidio Active Innocase - Peeling After 2 weeks!

[iphone4customer]

I'm very disappointed in Seidio. I previously owned the Innocase II Surface for my old iPhone 3G and was largely happy with the feel of it and quality until the front bar on the lower half of the case snapped. Nonetheless I kept using it because it had the best fit of any case I had seen.

I ordered the Innocase Active for my new iPhone 4 back in July and after 4 delays in shipping, received it in late August. Now, 2.5 weeks into using it carefully (i.e. either placing in my pocket or safely on a table) the powder coating on the plastic around each corner has started to peel off. I'm shocked at this poor quality and want to inquire if other users are seeing this too. A call to customer service provided me little information from a representative that was borderline rude in insisting to me that there are no known reports of such a defect in the case. I was told I could either file a refund request online (couldn't do it by phone??) or be sent a replacement case, but that I would have to ship the defective product back to them on my dime before receiving a new one.

I encourage Innocase Active customers who may be experiencing the same degradation in their case to report it to Seidio and please reply back here. I think it's unfair to put the onus on a loyal customer and leave them with a defective case. I'm concerned as to why the material is peeling off and the safety of the material. We've got an infant in the house who wants nothing more than to grab the phone every chance she gets (we're still quicker than she is but not for long) and I'm concerned about her safety.

My new assessment of Seidio is poor quality and poorer treatment of the customer.

I've attached some shots of the defective case.

 

[iphone4customer]

trying to post pics again

Trying to post pics again

 

[oldimac]

I was very happy with my first Seidio case for my v1 iPhone. It was a two part snap together hard plastic shell with a soft rubberized surface with kind of like a felt inner lining. I bought it together with the holster – cost about $68. A little expensive I thought but later it was well worth it. I dropped my phone (popped out of the holster – no fault of the holster) from a 6’ ladder and when it hit the concrete floor it split apart and absorbed the impact and my iPhone came out no worse for wear. Now, this didn’t happen once but 3 times. (No comments about why I would have my iPhone on the ladder 2 more times please – I’ve already beat myself up for being so stupid.)

I waited forever it seemed for this case for my v4 because like the OP previously stated, Seidio took forever to get it too market. The holster is fine, release has a strong spring and it is hard plastic. The surface appears to be made out of black plastic so there is nothing to wear off. The inside of the holster has the same kind of “felt” feeling lining so should be good for the screen either with a protector or without.

The case itself is a 2-part design with the inner part made out of a soft black rubber (many different colors available) which goes around the entire phone and “covers” the volume buttons and the top on/off button and work fine even though they are covered. There are “openings” for the mute switch, the headjack and the bottom two speakers and dock port.

The outer part is a hard plastic with a soft rubber coating which, like my first case wears off pretty quickly and exposes clear plastic underneath which didn’t bother me at all – in fact, was kind of like a badge of honor. The two pieces fit together very nicely but is not made to be continually taken off and put back on the phone. The sides of the inner rubber case is held in place very well with the rigid black outer plastic case wrapping around the sides and coming to within an eighth inch of the top of the rubber case wrapping around the screen BUT there is no hard plastic on the top of the case nor the bottom of the case to hold the soft rubber inner case close to the phone and therein lies the problem.

When attempting to put the iPhone into the holster, the holster release gets hung up on the rubberized unsupported top and bottom of the iPhone (see photos). It may not seem like a big deal but I wear the case on my belt sometimes with a shirt in and sometimes out. If my shirt is out it is a REAL PAIN getting the iPhone not only into the bottom of the holster but very difficult to get the top part in without pushing the soft rubber case out (see photo). You have to lift the holster release very high to get it to clear the case on the iPhone. Even with my shirt in, it is still difficult. You can put the phone in either upside down or right side up but if you put it in upside down, the very thin soft rubber piece is pushed around VERY easily and as the OP stated, will break very soon therefore you have to put it in with the top of the phone to the top of the holster. It is easier to put the phone in the holster right side up face out but that defeats the “face-in” design and you then have the problem of getting the phone out without lifting the soft rubber top (see photos).

I paid $70 for the case and holster – was shipped priority mail and had no problems there nor with their website but I CANNOT recommend this case. The top of the soft rubber part of the case will soon tear and the thin bottom piece will tear/break soon – that’s just a given fact with the design of the case. If you carry your phone in a pocket it might be better but it will be difficult to get out due to the soft rubber (but then it probably won’t just fall out either so that part of the design is a double edged sword).

I hope this has helped someone. This case is not as thin as the v1 version either BUT it does seem like it will protect the phone very well if you can live with the fact that the thin bottom piece will break within a very short time and the top of the soft rubber case will also tear before long. The springs on the holster release as well as the belt loop piece appear to be hardier than my original v1 holster.

 

[oldimac]

I should have attached a couple more photos. Hope these help.

 

[psywzrd]

A friend of mine has the same case and he has the exact same issues. When I saw his case I asked him if he had dropped his phone and he told me that he had not. I couldn't believe how bad the case looked and I certainly would not carry around a case that looks like that. I realize that some people drop their phones a lot or their phones take a beating due to their line of work, but this guy is not in that category. Makes me feel even better about my decision to send back my Innocase Surface since I'm sure that case would have eventually ended up looking like this too. I didn't like the case anyway since it was too boxy and bulky and nowhere near as nice as the old Innocase Surface.