Hands-on Review: 4 iPhone4 Cases

The iPhone4 hasn't been available in Canada for more than a month, but there's already an embarrassing wealth of cases for the device, and more being announced with every passing day.

This review of a mere quartet of the choices out there is necessarily arbitrary, but worth the read (I hope) in that the cases examined here serve to illustrate the sorts of tradeoffs one should consider.

There can never be such a thing as the perfect case. They vary widely in form, function and style. Some trade more style or form at the expense of function, and others in the degree of protection offered.

For example, flip cases, which have a protective lid covering the display, are cumbersome to use, not only for the extra step of having to pry the lid open before every use; but because the dangling lid gets in the way during calls or charging.

But they alone provide full protection against a fall that has a protruding object hit the screen. Minimalist (a.k.a. bumper) cases are truest to Apple's design goal of a svelte, elegant device. But they offer the least protection. And so it goes.

Of the four cases, two are flip cases that I ordered online, and had custom made to my choice of colours. Both are of excellent quality leather, and beautifully constructed, in spite of arriving with a landed cost of under $60 (each). 

The third is an Incase minimalist bumper cover, which came to me as the ‘freebie' Apple is offering because of the alleged antenna flaw. I say alleged, in that the uncased iPhone4 handily bests a Generation (2G) iPhone that I had been using in real world testing, with or without the ‘death grip.' (And yes, I'm basing that on real dB reception numbers, not the doctored bar graph that means so little in side-by-side comparisons. End of digression).
And finally, there's the Roots Tuff Skin for the iPhone4: a generously featured case with impact protection as it main design goal, along with take-no-prisoners aesthetic.
We'll start with the flip cases.

The Melkco Leather Case for Apple iPhone 4 - Limited Edition Jacka Type from Melcko (www.melckco.com), available for US$32, stands as a real bargain, especially since shipping is free.

The Melcko case, shown here in festive maritime colours, feels luxurious to hold with its generously padded, leather lid.

I choose a maritime theme for this case: a white body broken up only by a 3/4" navy band running centrally along the front lid, with matching navy stitching. The lid is well padded, giving it a soft, billowy appearance, and a luxurious feel.

The lid fastens to the top edge of the iPhone via a central tongue that bends outward from the navy band at a right angle, maintaining just enough pressure to keep it snug. Its underside is the same soft leather of the band, along with some concealed stitching. I encountered no abrasion on the steel band of the iPhone4 where the tongue constantly rubs in daily use, but some wear seems inevitable down the road.

The inner surfaces are of black suede with blue stitching, which heightens the impression of style, quality, and attention to detail as the phone is being accessed and the lid is dangling. On the other hand, the width of the band tethering the lid to the case makes it resistant to sideways motion, which means it tends to get in the way of the lower palm.

Also, and this may be a personal foible, something about the appearance of the closed phone invariably had me confused as to which end was up. The bottom seems more tailored than the top because of the tongue, so I was prone to opening it at the wrong end.

Finally, an unforeseen glitch awaits those using this kind of case with the iPhone4's camera in flash mode. The combination of a thick, hard plastic shell and suede lining provides a bit of a tunnel for the camera lens and LED ("flash") to fire through. My case being white exacerbated the problem, in which the flash bounces off the sides of the opening and washes out all images taken. Every single flash shot resulted in a milky haze that spoiled the image.

A case that presents a deep well that the flash has to shoot through (like the Melcko) will cause every shot to be spoiled; especially if it's white.

The Melcko Limited Edition deserves full marks for protection, and very high for style and quality; although it introduces a Gucci-type aesthetic that contradicts the Teutonic Braun-Audi-Apple statement made by iPhone4.

The top of the Melcko's lid terminates in a tongue that folds over to grip the top steel edge of the iPhone4. It works well, but some buffing over time seems inevitable.

That also goes for the iPhone 4 Leather Flip Case from Shinnorie (www.shinnorie.com). The online price is US$42 with free shipping; an outstanding bargain considering its workmanship.

The flat lid lends the Shinnorie case a more severe appearance than the Melcko. Inside there's a sleeve for a credit card.

The Shinnorie case is immaculately finished in high quality leather with the user's choice of colours right down to the stitching. The matching strap was optional. The old fashioned button snap is surprisingly convenient to use.

Once again, the leather quality and stitch-work is immaculate. That one can have a custom-made case of this quality sent right to the front door for under $50 has me shaking my head.

I attempted what can vaguely pass as a stab at Empire Style for this case: stately indigo blue for the outer shell, broken up by golden ochre stitching matching the colour of the inside of the lid. The Web site allows one to choose colours and view the results onscreen. The finished product completely matched my expectations.

The lid is a tad harder than the Melcko's, but not padded, so its top surface lends it a somewhat more severe appearance. Inside the lid is a sleeve for a credit card.

The Shinnorie case is immaculately finished in high quality leather with the user's choice of colours right down to the stitching. The matching strap was optional. The old fashioned button snap is surprisingly convenient to use.

I find this feature invaluable, in that it houses the electronic card needed to open the gates to the parking facility at Marketnews' headquarters. This used to sit in my wallet, where hauling it out was literally a pain in the ass. Now I need only flash the iPhone, which is always by my side while I'm driving.

The lid opens and closes via simple, old-fashioned button snap. Shinnorie says it deliberately eschewed a magnetic catch, because that would interfere with the iPhone's compass or risk data loss. I found no problem with this scheme: the index finger easily locates and flicks it open in practice, and there's no fear of iPhone abrasion as with theMelcko.

A longer and narrower lower hinge on the Shinnorie case (compared to the Melcko) leaves a hole for the pinky to keep the lid from wagging in use.

The leather tether at the base of the lid is narrower and longer than the Melcko's, but still quite durable, and I found the lid much less awkward in daily use as a result. It produces a gap that allows my little finger to curl through, keeping the lid from flopping during use.
The somewhat thinner profile and dark blue colour scheme caused no discernable effect on the iPhone's flash function. It also interfered less with screen commands, in that the sides of the hard case only rises slightly above the top screen surface of the iPhone.

The Shinnorie comes with a metal ring on its backside to which you can affix an optional hand strap or lanyard that can be ordered to match. I opted for the handstrap in indigo with gold stitching.

All told, the Shinnorie matches the Melcko in appearance and style, with improved functionality in key areas, at a still attractive price.

The Snap Case from Incase (www.goincase.com) came to me at no charge as stated, but after September 30, it will costs all comers US$34.95 online. We'll have to wait until after that date to see the Apple store price reappear: the prices of all cases eligible for the iPhone4 reception program have been blanked temporarily.

The simplicity of the minimalist Snap Case from Incase comes a relief after days of using the cumbersome flip cases, and even the thick-skinned Roots Tuff Skin.

In its own way, the Snap Case equals the flips in exuding luxury. The thin, hard plastic shell has a velvety finish that is as delightful to hold as it is visually alluring; especially in the light smoky grey translucent colour. It catches just enough ambient light to impart a subtle glow along its edges that heightens the high-tech look of the iPhone.

You can easily make out the Apple logo on the backside, where the translucent cover imparts an appealingly misty magenta cast.

The translucent Snap Case from Incase imparts a high-tech smoky magenta cast over the Apple logo.

The shell is completely devoid of mould marks or seams.

Still, the asking price seems very steep for what is just a moulded bit of plastic (albeit a perfectly finished one with fine attention to detail); especially by comparison to the flip cases, with their leather finery, stitch-work, and the complication of providing a custom colour fabrication.

Using the Incase after the flips was akin to stripping off a heavy layer of clothing. Operation is far more immediate and direct than with the other cases (and its sides rise above the touch screen only as much as the Shinnorie does).

The downside is the protection. It's easily the trailer of this group in that respect.
The Roots Tuff Case (www.gentec-intl.com) provides a stark contrast, standing at the far end of the function versus form tradeoff.

The backside of the Roots Tuff Case emphasizes its rugged appeal at the expense of Apple's high-tech statement.

Of the four cases reviewed here, it alone comes with a screen protector, and it's of the highest quality. The protector (there are no adhesives: it can be removed, washed, and reapplied) is easy to affix with a minimum of bubbles, and the gossamer smoothness makes it near impossible to tell from the unprotected screen. There's absolutely no orange peel or telltale ripple. You do lose the benefit of Apple's impregnated coating that helps resist smudges, but that's subject to wear and at least the protector keeps it fresh for future use.

Thick sipes and visible mould seams conspire to erase the iPhone4's minimalist appeal, but the sipes doubtless add to the peerless shock protection offered by the Roots case.

Although I wouldn't rate the screen protector equal to the flip cases in the event of a frontal blow, the rest of the case deserves the highest rating. The thickness of the rubber and its durometer ensure the very best protection, placing this case is in a class by itself in providing a shock absorbing effect.

Having shelled out 800 after-tax dollars for Apple's new bauble, I wasn't about to test Roots' claim that the phone would survive a four-foot drop over a hard surface, but if I were forced to drop it, it's the one of the four that would get the call.

The Tuff Case was the only one to come with a belt clip, and it's a clever design that has a swing-out stopper so the clip becomes the leg for a viewing platform that swivels for landscape or vertical orientation. There are three notches on the inside of the clip to afford as many angles of view!

The slippery rubber case combined with the smooth, translucent holder makes for very easy retrieval of the iPhone. The generous U-shaped based allows the iPhone to go in either way: its backside facing outwards during general use, and screen side out for desktop viewing. All told, this is an excellent, functional design.

Finally, Roots alone provides a carabiner clip that threads through a hole in the belt clip. With a selling price of $34.99, I rank the Tuff Case as the value leader of the lot, by a wide margin.

The clever clip holder of the Roots Tuff Skin has a U-shaped bracket that swings out and locks into one of three channels designed to offer varying tilt in landscape or portrait mode.

The fly in the ointment is its style. Beauty may well be in the eye of the beholder, and the following is necessarily subjective, but its hard to overlook how fiercely the tough look flies in the face of the minimalist Apple aesthetic. Apple says ‘Audi TT,' and the Roots replies ‘ATV.' The leather flip cases say ‘Gucci,' and the Tuff Case says ‘Kodiak Work Boots.'

The siping running across the rubber may well be necessary to provide extra shock absorption, but it's unattractive, collects lint; and in any case, the seam running along the perimeter should have been de-burred. As for the diamond pattern with the huge Roots maple leaf that dominates the back surface, it needs to be said that it drew condescending remarks from every one of my friends and acquaintances (who admittedly know me for being anal about style and averse to the tough look).

So how does one rate these cases? It depends on what you want: they're all over the map when it comes to tradeoffs.

For functionality, I point to the Tuff Case and the Shinnorie as the co-leaders, with the Tuff Case arguably providing considerable more bang for the buck. But if you have a pressing need for that inner sleeve the Shinnorie alone provides, that can be a deal maker.

The Incase comes closest to preserving Apple's elegant design aesthetic, by a mile; but it offers the least protection, by the same measure. The others deserve a three-way tie, with the flips winning in case of a frontal blow and the Tuff Case winning in all other scenarios.

The two flip cases equal the Incase in elegance, but point to a different expression of luxury; and offer a degree of personalization not offered by the Roots and Incase designs.
The Tuff Case is designed to maximize functionality and value, while providing elevated protection with complete disregard for aesthetics, and completely meets its objectives.

For what it's worth, here's my personal evaluation. I tend to rotate the cases according to mood and need. My overall favourite for style and function, the Shinnorie gets the most use. That it betters the Melcko functionally while delivering the same kind of design statement means the Melcko gets the least use, in spite of the latter's excellence.

The Incase gets the nod when I yearn for the Apple minimalist look and simplicity, but always leaves me feeling queasy because of its limited protection.

The Roots Tuff Case gets the second most use, in spite of my antipathy for its appearance, because of its unmatchable combination of protection and features. Anytime where desktop viewing might take place (such as air travel), it's the best choice. Also for tradeshow work and the like, the superbly engineered belt clip provides the cleanest access to the iPhone.
If I were to base a rating purely on the hours logged, the ranking would be: 1. Shinnorie 2. Roots Tuff Case 3. Incase 4. Melcko. Needless to say, your mileage may vary.

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