Otterbox Commuter Case for iPhone 3GS strikes the perfect balance between convenience and protection. If you're rocking Apple's other big smartphone release this year, the $99 iPhone 3GS (or the unlocked iPhone 3GS, depending on where you live), or still lucky enough to have a 16GB or 32GB iPhone 3GS from last year, this case should be on your radar. (It also fits the iPhone 3G.)
Confession: I thought I'd hate it when it first arrived. I don't know why exactly, maybe it was fear of layers bulk, uncertainty about dual color schemes, dunno, but I was not looking forward to testing out the Otterbox Commuter. Then I put it on.
AD&D analogy time -- If skins are the chainmail of the case world and the Otterbox Defender is the full plate armor (yes, even the pink one), the Commuter is the in-between, plate-mail option. It's strong but still a but flexible, solid and secure but still snug and light.
Like plate-mail it comes in two layers, the silicone that you slip on first, and that has covers for the 3.5mm headset jack and 30-pin dock connector, and the plastic shell that goes over it. Together they provide protection against scrapes and scuffs and minor impacts.
The Otterbox Commuter also comes in a ton of colors -- yellow, white, blue, green, brown, burgundy, and black. (Yes, I'll spare you the strained surcoat analogy).
Again, not as big as the Defender, not as thin as a skin, I found myself leaving it on even after my typical week-long review period was over. Since I've been carrying an iPhone 4 around as well, maybe I was a little more concerned about my iPhone 3GS getting damaged, maybe I started to like the look, or maybe I wanted my fellow SPE editors to think I had an imaginary, super-secret iPhone 5 prototype hidden in a fancy camo case (I'll never tell!)
The iLuv case itself is snug. I could shake it -- gently -- upside down with only minor panic that it might slip out. However, with the velcro belt in place it's locked in. Shake away!
Twitter lit up this morning with signs that an iPhone 4 jailbreak and unlock is definitely on it's way. On the other side of things, original iPhone Jailbreaker, GeoHot (George Hotz) has apparently deleted his Twitter account and made his blog private. What's going on? Keep reading.
The TiPb store just got the new Case-Mate Barely There Case for iPhone 4 in stock, so I decided to take a quick look at it. As you'd expect by the name, it's super thin and doesn't add any perceivable bulk to iPhone 4. Same token, while it will protect against scrapes and bumps, there's no padding to help you out in case of a high fall.
The XGear Folio Carbon Fiber Case for iPad is slim, strong, and sexy, with a suede interior and what feels like a darn-near bullet proof outer shell. In sharp contrast to the plush, old-world, executive leather of the Marware Eco-vue, the XGear Folio is sleek, futuristic materials and textures. It adds considerable protection against scrapes and scuffs, if not as much against shocks and drops.
Incipio dermaSHOT case for iPad is high-density silicone protection in black, pink, green, or blue. As a bonus, it's designed to protect your precious iPad without collecting excess and annoying lint.
It's not the thinnest skin in the store but the thickness does provide extra protection against those little bumps and scrapes that would otherwise impact the device. (Except for the area directly over the Apple logo on the back -- that's left thin and translucent of course...)
The incipio dermaSHOT case for iPad includes a screen protector and is available now from the TiPb iPad accessory store.
TiPb readers will remember Element Case for their original Liquid case for iPhone and the Joule stand for iPad, and you just had to know they wouldn't sit out something as sexy as iPhone 4, right? Enter Vapor:
Available in a wide array of custom color options and custom features, the Vapor consists of a solid, CNCd aluminum frame made from aircraft grade metals lined with a new, shock-absorbent liner material to protect and stylize.
And yes, it'll also insulate the iPhone 4 antenna band to prevent any attenuation-related issues.
We'll be getting our geeky little hands on some soon, and thanks to their usual awesomeness, doing a give away just for you. In the meantime, in joy the pics!
UPDATE; Element Case just sent us one more pic, an exclusive look at the cutouts. Check it out below.
The Smartphone Experts S&C retractable sync and charging cable for iPhone [$4.95] is something Georgia took a look at recently for iPad and iPhone 3GS but, frankly, I needed a convenient, tidy, highly portable way to sync and change my iPhone 4 on the go and so I grabbed it. Literally.
The Smartphone Experts S&C Retractable Cable for iPhone expands to a length of 2 ft. and has a locking feature which allows you to choose which length you would like the cable locked at. A light tug on the cable and it retracts back to its wound state. When wound, the Cable is only 4.5 inches long, making it very easy to bring with you. My regular usb S&C cable was always a tangled mess when I carried it loose in my briefcase. A good deal of time and effort was spent on untangling the cord from whatever it had become attached to. With the Smartphone Experts S&C Retractable Cable for iPhone, charging and syncing my iPhone is a snap, just take it out of my briefcase and plug it in and when I am done a quick tug and is thrown back into my bag. The cable is quite well constructed and after a month of use it is still working like new.
It's also $4.95, so I'm not too concerned about lending them (which usually translates into giving them away). If you want to keep your iPhone 4 synced up and charged, check it out.
And check out Georgia's video after the break to see it in action on the iPad and iPhone 3GS. (Works the same with iPhone 4).
The Griffin Jumper [$27.95] is a nice neoprene case for the iPad. If you're in the market for a sleeve for transporting your iPad, this case may be what you're looking for.
The neoprene material of the is excellent because it doesn't need to be very thick to provide protection. It is also very stretchy so that there is a snug fit around your iPad. In fact, the Jumper was almost too snug when I first received it; but after a few uses, the neoprene stretched out just enough to be snug but not a challenge to use.
The inside of the Griffin Jumper is lined with a very soft fleece-like material. There will be no concern of your iPad receiving scratches when sliding it in and out of the sleeve. In fact, a few of the fingerprints on your iPad likely get wiped off when removing it from the Griffin Jumper.
The Griffin Jumper offers full protection of the iPad except at the corners of the flap. Many times there is a very small part of the iPad exposed at one or both of the corners. This may be cause for concern for some, but I don't see it as a huge problem. Something would have to poke into the spot in order to make contact with the iPad.
I have been very pleased with the Griffin Jumper. The nice slim design, soft interior, and tough neoprene exterior make this an excellent sleeve case for the iPad.
The Case-Mate Gelli Checkmate Case for iPad is a beautiful way to add grip and color to your iPad. It is made with a soft silicone base that makes holding your iPad easy and much more secure.
The Case-Mate Gelli is easy to apply and remove from your iPad. The case is translucent so it allows the back of your iPad to still show through. The case also has a triangle pattern on it which gives the case a bit of style in comparison to a regular plain silicone case. The case is very easy to put on the iPad and has open spaces to allow for all the buttons and ports and controls. The case goes over the edges of the iPad so it will protect the iPad against minor impacts.
Case-Mate Gelli Checkmate Case is about 2 to 3 mm in thickness at it greatest points so it is still lightweight but also durable. This case is a nice silicone case as it has good grip but does not feel sticky as some other silicone cases can. I have been using this case for a week and I am quite happy with it. I would have liked if it came with a screen protector.
