Power Support's $30 Crystal Jacket Set for iPhone (
) is another in that long line of time-honored combinations: a clear plastic iPhone case paired with belt holster.
Like many of its ilk, the Crystal Jacket comprises two pieces-front and back-that snap together with the iPhone in the middle. Power Support includes a thin, static-adhesive screen protector, but the screen is not protected by the case itself. There are openings for the headphone jack and the Sleep/Wake button on the top of the case; for the camera on the back; for the volume controls and Ring/Silent switch on the left side; and one for the microphone, speaker, and dock-connector port on the bottom. A small slit in the plastic lets you use the receiver speaker and there's a cut-out in the front of the case for access to the Home button.
Once you've got the iPhone in the case, you can pop the whole thing into the included holster. From my tests, it seems that the holster prefers you to orient the phone with the screen facing in. You can make it work with the screen facing out, but there's definite resistance to that direction. The belt clip rotates 90 degrees clockwise or counter-clockwise, and though the clip itself feels a little flimsy, it held up well enough in my everyday use. The case itself is pretty slim; it doesn't add a a lot of bulk to the phone.
The only problem I ran into the with Crystal Jacket was that when I put the case into the holster, one corner of the case would catch on one of the holster's brackets, pulling the two halves of the case apart slightly. It may have been a slight imperfection in the particular unit I was testing, but it wasn't a huge problem; the solution was just to push it a little more firmly, and the case would snap back together and into the holster.
Other than that minor glitch, though, the Crystal Jacket Set is a decent entry in the hardshell/holster lineup, though it's perhaps a little pricey for the rather barebones features that it offers.
By now, you might think that we'd seen every plastic/polycarbonate case that's been made for the iPhone. Ever. But, just like delicious homemade chocolate chip cookies, there's always room for one more. So it is with GizMac's $35 Titan Clear for iPhone (
; $25 if you opt to go without a belt holster).
Like most of the other polycarbonate cases we've seen, the Titan Clear leaves the front of the iPhone exposed so you can use its touchscreen, and provides openings for the volume buttons and Ring/Silent switch on the side headphone jack and Sleep/Wake button on top; camera lens on the back; and dock-connector port, microphone, and speaker on the bottom. The front and back halves of the case snap securely into place around the iPhone-so much so that I found it difficult to remove the case until I discovered that the plastic is flexible enough that you can pull firmly on the structurally thinnest side (the part over the volume and Ring/Silent controls) to unsnap the two pieces.
The neatest feature of the Titan Clear is that the back half of the case actually incorporates a pair of kickstands that fold out: one for keeping your iPhone propped up in landscape mode, the other for the portrait orientation. Both kickstands are adjustable, allowing a wide variety of viewing angles. And GizMac has thoughtfully put small, rubber feet on both the bottom and left side of the Titan Clear, so the case won't slide around when you prop it up. When you don't need the stands, they fold flush back into the back of the case.
Polycarbonate is pretty tough and the Titan Clear feels solidly made. With the exception of the unprotected screen, your iPhone is well protected;though even here, as with most other plastic hard shells, the screen ends up slightly recessed due to the ridge formed by the case, offering a bit of protection against damage.
The included holster is sturdy and allows you to rotate its belt clip 90 degrees clockwise or counterclockwise. Two rounded brackets at the bottom of the holster hold the iPhone in place while leaving the speaker and microphone open to the air; a flexible arm at the top of the holster lets you snap the case into place either face-in or face-out, and a convenient tab atop the arm makes it easy to pop the iPhone out when necessary.
If you're looking for a good case/holster combination, the Titan Clear may very well suit your needs. And if you want a change from the standard clear-case look, you can also pick the Titan up in translucent smoke or pink colors.
Marware's $15 Sport Grip for iPhone is a silicone skin case for the iPhone that's available in blue, pink, clear, and black. The Sport Grip provides simple protection for the iPhone while leaving all of its controls easily accessible.
As with most silicone skins, the Sport Grip has a large opening at the front for accessing the iPhone's touchscreen; you also use this opening to insert and remove the iPhone from the case. The front of the case also includes small holes for the iPhone's earpiece and proximity sensor as well as an indentation over the Home button that makes it easy to locate by touch. The back of the case has a small opening for the iPhone's camera lens, and holes in the edges of the case let you get at the iPhone's headphone jack, Ring/Silent switch, microphone, speaker, and dock-connector port. Rather than leaving openings for the volume buttons and Sleep/Wake switch, Marware has chosen to instead provide small nubs of silicone over those buttons to let you operate them through the case. The company also includes a thin, adhesive screen protector along with the necessary tools for applying the film to the iPhone.
The ridged sides of the case make it easy to grip and the slightly tacky-feeling silicone means that the phone won't slide off a table or other smooth surface, though that texture also means that it's more troublesome getting the phone in and out of a pocket. The silicone on the back of the case is somewhat thicker, giving the Sport Grip a solid, comfortable feeling in your hand.
I found the opening for Ring/Silent switch to be a little on the small side for convenient use, yet I still accidentally triggering the switch on more than occasion when putting the phone into my pocket. The silicone material gathers a decent amount of dust and lint, some of which can become trapped between the case and the phone, but this is a problem we've encountered with several cases.
Overall, the Marware Sport Grip is a respectable entry among silicone iPhone cases, and it's a fair sight cheaper than many of the others we've tested.
Over at the Mothership, I review five headphone adapters (microphone and clicker included) for the iPhone. The contenders are: the Griffin Technology SmartTalk, the Shure Music Phone Adapter, the Boom Bags iJack, the Newer Technology Mic Extender, and the FastMac iPhone Adapter w/ Mic.
Click on over to Macworld.com to read about which product -- hint: it's not the one that'll cost you $40 -- reigns supreme. Second hint: you may find it to the left.
I admit I was a little skeptical of Seidio's $30 Rubberized Spring Clip Holster for Unskinned iPhone after my first encounter with it. The simple holster uses a mostly-open design with only two small, curved brackets at the bottom and a spring clip at the top for keeping the iPhone in place. How could this possibly be a secure way to carry your iPhone?
Turns out it's surprisingly secure. The case is molded precisely to the iPhone's contours, and the tension in the spring clip makes it easy to snap the phone into place; pulling the phone out requires only a slight lift of the clip--enough that you won't do it by accident, but not enough that it's difficult. The inside of the holster is covered by a soft felt that won't scratch your iPhone's back (or screen, depending on which way you prefer to put the phone in the holster). Face in or face out, all of the iPhone's controls and ports are easily accessible (with the obvious exceptions, of course, being the Home button and touchscreen if your opt for the face-in orientation). The rest of the case is finished with a rubberized coating that's smooth and pleasing to the touch.
The only other feature of note on the holster is the rotating belt clip on the back. This sturdy clip turns 90 degrees clockwise or counterclockwise, and the bottom of the clip features a slight hook so that the whole assembly won't fly off your belt.
My only complaint with the holster was minor: if you ever wear a shirt or sweater that falls over the holster, it can sometimes be tricky to take the phone in and out of the holster without the fabric getting in the way; I dropped my iPhone at least one while trying to do this. (I supposed this could be a problem with any holster, but for some reason I noticed it more with the Seidio.) Another think to keep in mind--and this applies to most holsters--is that the the phone is unprotected when it's not in the holster.
From a protection standpoint, the Rubberized Spring Clip Holster doesn't provide anything special. But it is a simple, easy to use, and well-constructed holster for those who like to have their phone always close at hand.
Belkin's $30 Acrylic Case for iPhone is like many other plastic iPhone cases on the market these days: it's transparent, protects most of your iPhone from damage, and--most importantly--doesn't get in the way of using the phone.
The Acrylic Case consists of two halves that sandwich the iPhone between them: one covers the iPhone's entire back (except for a small hole for the camera), the front is basically a ridge that goes around the iPhone's face. The case fits securely as long as you make sure to firmly press the clasps around the edges into place; you'll hear a definite click when each clasp is fastened. An opening in the left side of the case provides access to the volume up/down and Ring/Silent buttons; the top has openings for the Sleep/Wake button and the headphone jack; and the bottom has an opening to accommodate the microphone, speaker, and dock-connector port. To remove the case, you just pull on the top edge of the front piece--there's a small tab for doing so--and the front will pop off.
Since the case is constructed from acrylic, it's fairly resilient. Dropping an encased iPhone didn't do any substantial damage to the case or the phone, although I did get some nicks and scratches on the case's plastic. As long as you've securely fastened the clips, the case should stay together, too.
Although the case provides no screen protection, the front half of the case forms a raised ridge around the screen that helps avoid incidental scratches while leaving the Home button, touchscreen, and earpiece accessible. The case doesn't add much bulk, either, so you can still slip your phone into your pocket without any trouble.
Belkin has also included a rotating belt clip that doubles as a stand for watching video. The stand function works well--the clip, which rotates 90 degrees clockwise or counterclockwise, actually folds out, letting you stand the iPhone in either portrait or landscape orientations, though at only one particular angle. (I found that in landscape mode, it wasn't tilted quite as far back as I'd like.) The clip attaches to the case using a thin strip of plastic, as long as the phone, which clips onto the back of the case. It's nice that Belkin gives you the option to use the case without the belt clip, which makes the case thicker. My only complaint is that the clip sometimes folds out into stand mode more easily than it comes off your belt, which can be awkward.
Overall, the Belkin Acrylic case is a solid offering in the plastic hard case market, and the stand functionality and belt clip are helpful add-ons that extend the usefulness beyond just mere protection.
I'm not usually a huge fan of holster cases; there's something about them that makes me feel a little too corporate. I also worry from time to time—perhaps irrationally—about the phone falling out of the holster and being dashed into a million pieces. Still, I can understand the appeal of not having to constantly fish your iPhone out of your pocket. Contour Design's $30 iSee for iPhone does what it can to alleviate my second concern by pairing a belt holster with a transparent plastic case.
The iSee comes in two sections that you snap together around the iPhone. The back section reaches down only to where the black antenna portion of the iPhone begins; that part is protected by a wrap-around section of the front part of the case that creates a little cradle for you to slide the bottom of your iPhone into. Snap on the back half and you've got full coverage for your phone. The case gives you complete access to the iPhone's touchscreen, Home button, and earpiece on the front; the headphone jack and Sleep/Wake switch on top; volume controls and Ring/Silent switch on the side; microphone, speaker, and dock-connector port on the bottom; and camera on the back. There are also two small dimples in the sides of the case that help it snap securely into the included belt holder. One nice touch: the back of the case features three non-stick rubber feet that keep your iPhone from sliding around when you put it down on a table or counter.
Although the iSee's plastic feels a little flimsy when you don't have the phone in it, the construction is actually pretty solid: I dropped the whole shebang on the floor a couple times—by accident of course—and had no damage to either iPhone or case. I was also a little worried about the belt holster, which is just a plastic frame into which you snap the iPhone, but those worries proved unfounded; the iPhone feels very secure when you insert it into the holster and only extremely violent shaking dislodges it. Although the iPhone's screen is left uncovered by the case, the case is thick enough that the screen ends up slightly recessed, which helps offset potential damage. Also, you can put your iSee-encased iPhone in the holster with the screen facing inwards for all-over protection.
From an accessibility standpoint, my only complaint is minor: the opening for the iPhone's dock-connector port is a little narrow, so while Apple's standard dock cable fits fine, larger accessories that rely on the dock-connector port may not. On the other hand, like the screen, the iPhone's other controls end up slightly recessed, which I found actually helped prevent accidental button-pushing.
The iSee does add a little bulk to the iPhone, but not considerably more than similar cases. It may not be the most attractive case of its type on the market, but it's hardly the ugliest either. All in all, while it may not provide the most robust protection on the market, the iSee is a good case that should keep your iPhone safe and sound.
With its brown canvas covering and "pouch" design, Incipio's earthy-looking Ecocase ($20) provides almost complete coverage of the iPhone-once you slide in your iPhone, nearly all its surfaces are protected. Of course, as with all pouch cases, you have to take your iPhone out of the Ecocase to access the touchscreen.
The front and back pieces of the Ecocase are held together by a pair of elastic strips that also pull the canvas snugly against the iPhone; it takes a considerable jerk to make the phone slip out of the case. This elastic covers a majority of the iPhone's volume switch, but the elastic is thin enough that you can still press the switch. A soft lining doesn't scratch the phone's screen or backside.
What you'll have to figure out when you use the Ecocase is how you want to insert your iPhone. If you put in the iPhone topside-up, the phone's headphone jack is accessible, but the speaker is covered by the case, muffling the ringer. If you aren't wearing your earphones you may not hear your iPhone ringing, especially if you keep the ringer volume low. You can put the iPhone in the case upside-down, exposing the speaker, but then you can't access the headphone jack. More importantly, the iPhone power switch bangs against the bottom of the case, turning on the phone and sapping your iPhone battery. Imagine this happening dozens and dozens of times a day; it will have an affect on your iPhone battery life.
Topside-up or upside-down, the Ecocase holds up well. The canvas exterior does show some wear and fading over time, but this weathered look adds charm. On the other hand, the case's front and back pieces are each fairly thick, so the case may be too bulky for some. Overall, the Ecocase is an affordable pouch-style case for anyone who wants to add a natural look to the iPhone.
