Review: The Case-Mate Dockster Leather Case for iPhone 3G

Chad Garrett — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 18:34:05 +0000

The Case-Mate Dockster Leather Case for iPhone 3G is available and can be purchased in iMore Store for $34.95. If you are looking for a case that is slim and dockable, then this case might be for you. Let's see how it measures up after the break!

Design

If there is one thing that bothers me with cases, it's the fact that most are not dockable. That issue goes away with Case-Mate's Dockster brand case for iPhone 3G. The case is composed of a hard plastic frame that separates into two halves. The case is very strong and has openings for all of the usual suspects including camera, volume controls/ silent switch, headphone jack, sleep/wake button, front sensors and 30-pin connector on the bottom. The outside of the case is covered with a soft leather. This case also comes with a screen protector too, if you need one.

Daily Use

Like some people, my iPhone 3G is always with me. So, it has it's fair share of battle scares from the last 7 months. I use a variety of cases for the iPhone, some good and others not so good. I was not sure what to expect from the Dockster. I can say I am quite pleased.

Placing the case on your iPhone could not be any easier; simply slide the top end on, then slide the bottom end. There are no buttons to snap, no clips to latch; they just slide together easily. Once the two pieces of the car are together, they are secure. I did not have to worry about one side slipping or falling off. The other benefit of this case is it adds a little extra grip too without become too think. The leather feels really nice in your hands and solid plastic frame adds piece of mind if it is dropped.

Docking the iPhone is easy, simply slip off the bottom end and yo are in business. I was very surprised at how easy it was to do.

Conclusion

Using this case daily, I really, really like it. The case is non-obtrusive and it looks good (to be honest, I would like it more if I had a black iPhone; the white kind of sticks out; Case-Mate, how about a white case?). There are not that many dockable case solutions on the market for the iPhone that are thin and attractive. This one really is a great solution!

Pros:

It is dockable!
Attractive leather finish
Sturdy plastic supportive frame
Thin
All ports are very easily accessible

Cons:

I really can't find any pertinent negatives with this case
A variety of colors, currently black-only