I spent the past week using the PixelSkin Case for iPhone 4. Speck has a lot of great accessory lines from iPhone cases and skins to everything iPad and iPod as well, but I was a little hesitant at first as I’m not a fan of cases that add bulk and most pattern or etched cases do.  I was pleasantly surprised with this one and still have it on my iPhone. 

I’ve never been a huge fan of textured cases, but this one is deceiving. It isn’t really “textured”. Most of the square pattern you see is actually smooth on the outside of the case. It feels nice in the hand and slides in and out of pockets incredibly easily. Part of the reason I have always preferred smooth cases is I’m not a purse girl by any means. I prefer keeping my phone in my pocket. I carry about a messenger type bag with me for all intensive “purse purposes”. Throwing my phone in there, it would take me 20 minutes to find it when I needed it. Pockets are quicker and easier. So I’ve always looked for cases that don’t fight me when trying to slip it back into my pocket. Finding smooth, thin cases and not sacrificing any protection is always a tough battle.

This particular case not only feels good in the hand, but protects the sides of the phone and allows the screen to be a bit recessed without adding extra bulk. I’m the master at dropping my phone and I dropped it once with this case on it. It landed face down on hard wood floor with no damage to be seen. Since the case comes up over the edges, it helps for those times when you’d like to set your phone screen down, or Jobs forbid it, you’re like me and just have the clumsy gene. Either way – if you’re looking for a case that provides a decent amount of protection without adding “too” much bulk, check out the Speck PixelSkin case for iPhone 4 in the TiPb Accessory Store. It’s available in purple, pink, and black. If you already have it, let us know your thoughts on it in the comments as well! Still not the case for you, browse the rest of our case selection in the TiPb iPhone 4 Accessory Store!

Pros

• Doesn’t collect dust or pocket lint

• Extremely smooth despite being silicone

• Rugged look but smooth in your hand

• Doesn’t add bulk

• Doesn’t get dirty quickly like many silicone-based cases

Cons

• Stretches out a bit after being taken on and off

• Some 3rd party chargers and accessories may not fit into the dock connector with the skin on

The Speck Fitted Case for iPad is a hard shell case with a soft fabric backing. It snaps together from two parts — the plain black bezel that wraps around the top and outlines the ports, and the textured, pink and black plaid that covers the back plate.

Two part cases are typically more secure but more of a pain to put on and take off. Both of those are true for the Speck Fitted Case, which means it’s best suited for people who like to put a case on and leave it on. I’m usually so not that type of person (my job here at TiPb doesn’t let me be!) but I like this case so much it’s stayed on way longer than I originally expected. I just really like it.

Now with the colors being gray, pink, and black the Speck Fitted Case could be considered girly, though Rene claims he or any other man would be proud to have a Bret the Hitman Hart pink and black attack case for their iPad. Fair enough. He does know something about pink cases, after all…

The bezel extends up over the top so you can, if you want, lay your iPad down flat on its face without risking scratches on the glass. It also has wide cutouts for the ports so many, if not all, accessories should fit. (Not Apple docks, of course).

It’s nice to hold as the cloth has a little bit of grip to it. Because it’s so light colored, I do worry about it getting dirty eventually but I haven’t had any problems so far.

I looked at the ClassicPlaid version of the Speck Fitted Case for iPad but the TiPb iPad accessory store also has it in Houndstooth and TartenPlaid. I am sad that it does not have a kickstand.

Pros

• Looks great, if you like the colors
• Fits securely
• Provides good grip

Cons

• Requires some effort to put on and take off

Do you want an option for carrying your Bluetooth headset without having to wear it in your ear all day, hanging it around your neck, or risk breaking it in your pocket? When you are driving and your Bluetooth headset isn’t in use, do you place it in one of your cup holders like I do? The Speck Products Clip Pod for Bluetooth Headsets is available here in the TiPb iPhone Store for $14.95 and it just might be the answer for your Bluetooth headset-carrying needs. Read further for the full review!

Case Design

The Speck Clip Pod case is triangular in shape with rounded corners, a metal belt clip with the “Speck” logo on back and an elastic mesh pocket in the front to store your Bluetooth headset. The pod is a hardened shell with a soft cloth interior to protect your Bluetooth headset. The Clip Pod can accommodate most Bluetooth headsets, up to 2 inches wide and 3.25 inches long. Included is a Velcro-secured Nylon strap for attaching the Clip Pod to the visor in your car.

Performance

I haven’t used a Bluetooth headset very often in the past due to the hassle of not having a convenient way of carrying one around with me. Wearing a headset in my ear constantly is not comfortable and I don’t care for that look. I don’t wear a headset on a lanyard around my neck and I don’t want to risk breaking my headset by carrying it in my pocket. Having the Clip Pod for carrying my Bluetooth headset is the answer to my headset-carrying challenges.

The Clip Pod is slightly cup-shaped, providing a recessed area for your BT headset to be safely tucked away. When placed in the pocket, the Nylon mesh/Vinyl combo with a sewn-in elastic band keeps your headset firmly in place with the hardened protective shell around it. Protection in the front of the Clip Pod is compromised in order to allow easy access to your BT headset. This compromise is both a pro and a con, in my opinion. When your iPhone rings, you want to be able to access your headset quickly.

When strapped to your visor, the less-protected open front is not really an issue, but if you are wearing the Clip Pod on your waist, you will want to be careful to avoid crushing your headset against hard objects. The metal belt clip is very robust and should provide lots of wear without failure.

Verdict

The Speck Products Clip Pod for Bluetooth headsets is a nice little accessory to have if you tote a Bluetooth headset. I think it is especially useful in the car – strapped neatly to your visor, it’s a great place to tuck away your BT headset when not in use. In my case, it keeps my cup holders free and substantially reduces the risk of loss or damage.

Wearing the Clip Pod on your belt or waist is a handy way to carry your BT headset on your person, but protection of your headset is compromised by easy accessibility. Personally, I have not used a BT headset carrying case before and I’m glad to have found such an accessory. It isn’t perfect – although the pocket keeps your headset firmly in place, it is vulnerable to bumping against hard objects, like counters – but the pros outweigh the cons.

Pros

• Strong metal belt clip
• Protective recessed hardened shell
• Included strap for securing to car visor
• Elastic mesh pocket for secure storage and easy access

Cons

• Storage pocket provides little protection against hard objects, like counters

Searching for a unique case that’ll make heads turn? Looking for a case that offers great protection and adds superb grip for your iPhone 3G? Well then, the Speck Products PixelSkin for iPhone 3G ($24.95) just might be for you. With a waffle-like texture wrapping around the entire case it offers both daring style and a sense of security. How does it perform? Are all those squares really put to use?

Read on for the rest of the review!

Design

Make no mistake, the Speck Products PixelSkin isn’t an ordinary iPhone 3G case and it doesn’t pretend to be. Where other case makers choose to offer simple designs that try to remain as invisible as possible, the PixelSkin is loud, fun, and bold.

The PixelSkin is a rubber case that is textured with square blocks that wrap around the entire case. Imagine it as a big graphing grid or a waffle or a turtle shell or even a grenade. The rubber is thicker than most other cases and offers great protection of nearly the entire iPhone 3G—the PixelSkin even offers protection for the home button!

The color options are bright, bold, and plentiful. Black, White, Purple, Blue, Green, Pink, and Yellow are all available—for this review we’re using the Yellow version.

Usability

By choosing a thicker rubber, the textured grid of squares offer a much more superb grip than ordinary iPhone 3G silicone cases. Not only does it offer better protection than thinner cases, it also feels magnificent in hand. The rubber that Speck chooses is certainly best-in-class. However, the downside of using thicker rubber is the added thickness—you would have to debate whether the added protection outweighs the thickness.

Design-wise, the PixelSkin is likely to be a hate-it or love-it type affair. When using it as my main iPhone case for the past couple days I’ve received numerous compliments on it and questions asking where did I get one. I think for those wanting a stylish, attention-grabbing case— the PixelSkin is as good as it gets. It is eye catching and it is fun. The coloring is also wonderful, the yellow was more bright and bold than mold and mustard.

Because of the PixelSkin’s unique bottom port design (it kind of extends a thinner layer of rubber outward) it is able to be docked. This is highly unique with rubber cases because the added thickness typically does not fit. Applaud Speck Products for creating a great design. Frown on Apple for not including the dock with the iPhone 3G. Also, the cut for the headphone jack is very snug with the included Apple headset, so there may be connection issues with bigger headphone ports.

The problem with the case however is that the square grid design creates a lot of grooves for dust to settle in and the material itself seems to attract a lot of lint and dust. Though this isn’t a huge factor, I did find myself brushing off dust inside the grooves more than a few times.

Final Thoughts

Overall, I loved the feel of the PixelSkin—it manages to use a bold styling choice that doubles as a wonderfully grippy texture. The grid design will certainly have onlookers wondering just what the heck you are carrying. Though some might find the added thickness a nuisance, I think the added protection is worth it. Some silicone cases protect from just nicks and scratches, I’m fairly confident that the PixelSkin can survive drops. I think the PixelSkin should be considered by anyone looking for a fun case that adds good protection and incredible grip.

PROS

• Fun & Bold Design
• Grippy Material
• Many Color Choices
• Great Protection

CONS

• Design Might Not Appeal To Everyone
• Adds Thickness
• Attracts Lint & Dust

RATING:

The Speck Products Techstyle Classic Leather form-fitting case and holster ($24.95) for your iPhone, available now at the Phone different store, is an elegant, “classic” look (as the product suggests) that provides good protection for your iPhone with traditional leather styling. Keep reading for the full review!

I’ve always been a leather guy. I ride a Victory motorcycle (weather permitting) and there’s nothing like pulling on the leather jacket, Google Mapping a scenic route on my iPhone, and roll some thunder down the open road.

As much as I like the tough-guy image (ha ha), I’m still an uber-geek at heart, so I love trying out new things for my iPhone. When my Speck Products Techstyle Classic Leather case and holster arrived in the mail from the Phone different store, I eagerly opened the plastic packaging and studied the design of this case-and-holster combo.

Design

This Speck case is form-fitting and available in black or brown. I selected brown because all other cases I own are black and I wanted something different. The case fits snugly over your iPhone and has a velcro/leather tab at the bottom to secure it in place. I’m usually not a fan of velcro flaps, but in this case, it’s a good design and stays secure. This Speck case is accentuated with white stitching, adding a nice contrast to the brown leather. The leather protects the iPhone fairly well, with slightly raised surfaces for the “home” button and volume buttons on the side of the iPhone. There is a cut-out for the ear speaker. The corners of the iPhone are all exposed and accessible, which is both a plus and a minus to me. Although the speaker/microphone on the bottom of the iPhone and the power button/headphone jack and volume on/off switch are exposed and easily accessible, this is a two-edged sword — these same areas are vulnerable in the event you drop your phone or bump it against something.

Also, to gain access to the connector at the bottom of the iPhone for syncing or charging, you have to undo that leather velcro flap, which can become a small nuisance. Nevertheless, I like the form-fitting snugness of this case on my iPhone and it is a quality leather case. The lining of the case is relatively soft and shouldn’t scratch your iPhone. Also, during the time of my use over a couple of weeks, I did not experience any stretching of the leather. It maintains a snug fit and your iPhone should remain nice and secure in this case.

Holster

The holster for this Speck case is the second half of the combo. It’s made of leather with similar white stitching and has a swivel metal belt clip encased in leather. I like the swiveling feature because it gives the user the option to wear an iPhone in profile or landscape mode. The belt clip is quite robust and should provide a long life for wear. The pattern on the holster bears the identical plaid fabric as the interior of the matching leather case.

The method in which this holster secures your iPhone in place is interesting. Wide leather-encased clamps on either side of the holster and another similar, smaller clamp on the bottom of the holster hold your iPhone securely in place. I found that it was beneficial to forcefully (but gently) flex the side clamps outward a bit to allow an easier time in sliding my iPhone into the holster. Once your iPhone is holstered, it is NOT coming out accidentally. The entire holster will come free before the iPhone leaves the holster! During my use of this combo, I never once had an accidental separation of iPhone and holster. In fact, this is my only gripe about this particular combination of case and holster — the holster does such a good job of securing your iPhone that it is a two-handed operation to place your iPhone in the holster. I much prefer being able to slap my iPhone in a side holster or case with one hand. Conversely, when I need to answer a call or use my iPhone for any other reason, I prefer one-handed access. This Speck holster makes this just about impossible. You really need two hands — one to grasp the holster and keep it secured to your belt, the other to remove the iPhone. It may come down to your personal taste, but for me, this was the main Achille’s Heel for this case/holster combo.

Conclusion

For protection and design of case and holster, and if you really dig form-fitting leather like I do, the Speck Products Techstyle Classic Leather form-fitting case and holster ($24.95) for your iPhone is a great choice. It’s a good value for the money because of the quality leather and a holster that should stand up to plenty of wear-and-tear. It’s an elegant look for your iPhone that should stand apart from the rest of the silicone/metal/plastic cases you see out there.

Pros

• Nice form-fitting leather design.
• Protects your iPhone while providing full access to all buttons, speakers and microphone.
• Swivel holster.
• Holster secures iPhone very well.

Cons

• Leather form-fitting case leaves corners of iPhone vulnerable.
• Velcro flap on bottom of iPhone must be opened each time for charging/syncing.
• Using holster requires two-handed operation.

All in all, I give this a 4 out of 5.

The Speck SeeThru Case ($29.95) for the Apple iPhone is a hard plastic case that also comes with a belt holster. When I saw Speck at Macworld, I was impressed with their wide array of cases and also with their clip/stand system. After some time with their SeeThru case, I continue to be impressed.

Read on for the full review!

Design of the Case

The SeeThru comes in two colors – red and smoke. I naturally chose the red. To use it, You put the rear-cover on, then slide the front on the bottom until it goes over the lip of the rear side and then snap it on top. The “snap” at the top is very secure and there’s a convenient “divot” to get your fingernail in there if you want to remove the case.

The end result is that the entirety of the iPhone (minus screen, ports, and buttons, of course) is covered and protected. The “ridge” between the two halves of the case is non-obstrusive and designed to not grab every piece of pocket lint that it comes in contact with.

Being hard plastic, the SeeThru does a very good job protecting the iPhone from scratches, but it might not necessarily be ideal for drops, as hard plastic can be brittle. That said, I think the red looks great on the iPhone.

Of course, the iPhone won’t fit in the standard dock with this case on it.

Design of the Holster

The holster is actually quite clever. It comes with a relatively low profile, ratcheting belt clip. It rotates 360 degrees and feels very sturdy. The only knock on it that I’d like the spring on to be a bit stronger. It’s fine on a belt, but clipping it to my pocket (as I usually do with these holsters) felt a little dicey because of the weak spring. More on the clip in just a moment.

The holster is matte black plastic and is very sturdy – it’s just flexible enough to not feel brittle. The iPhone can go in face-in or face-out (an important detail), and is inserted by placing the bottom into the holster and then snapping it in beneath a tab at the top. It took quite a bit of force to yank the iPhone out without lifting the tab, so it shouldn’t be falling out of the thing. When you actually do want to remove it, it’s easy to do.

Of course, you should note that the holster won’t work without the case, as it’s designed to fit it. If you just want a holster on its own you can find several here.

Holster as Music Stand

The clever thing about the holster is that at the top of its ratcheting belt clip is a small tab. You can squeeze the clip open all the way and then lock it in place with that tab. When you do that, the belt clip becomes a desktop stand!

It will work both vertically and horizontally, but when you are using it horizontally be sure that you leave the clip in the “vertical” position, otherwise the whole thing will fall over.

Conclusion

The Speck SeeThru ($29.95) is a solid, quality case. I’m a fan of the case itself and I like the holster as a music stand. As a holster, though, it will only really work if you’re going to put it on a belt, otherwise the spring on the clip may not be strong enough to attach to, say, a purse strap or a pocket. Still, though, a worthwhile purchase if you’re in the market for this style of case and want a desktop stand to go with it.

Pros

• Stylish and protective case
• Holster works face-in and face-out
• Holster makes a good desktop stand for watching video

Cons

• Spring on belt clip is too weak

4 out of 5

Besides Google (much more on that tomorrow, stay tuned!), there weren’t a lot of “iPhone Web Apps” booths. Actually, none that I can remember. What there are a ton of at Macworld are accessories booths. Clearly the accessory market for the iPhone is ramping up quickly and may even near iPod accessory market status sometime soon.

…But it’s not there yet. Case in point, I saw probably a dozen different iPod speaker docks — all of which were “compatible” with the iPhone in flight mode only. Apple is requiring (and rightfully so, I suppose) that accessory makers submit their accessories for their seal of approval, iPhone-wise, so that the dreaded GSM-interference issue is taken care of. I personally wish Apple had managed to handle that on the device rather than forcing companies trying to interact with the Dock connector to re-make their products, but c’est la vie.

Otherwise, the thing to see, iPhone-wise, is cases. There are more skin cases here than you could shake a stick at, but there are some other gems as well. After the break, our three favorite cases at Macworld 2008.

Bodyguardz

Best case of the show has to go to Bodyguardz. Their booth was small, but it was absolutely mobbed. Probably because they were offering a Macworld-only special. Bodyguardz are simple, transparent films pre-cut to fit your iPhone. There are others like them, of course, but these seem quite a bit better than the competition. iLounge agrees, they named Bodyguardz the best of ’07.

First off, each package comes with two sets of films for your iPhone, in case you muck up the application or if you want to replace your films later. They also come with a decent set of instructions, the application solution spray bottle, and a squeegee to apply the film.

The iPhone may be durable, but it’s not invincible. The Bodyguardz makes your iPhone absolutely key-proof without adding any bulk at all. It also is a sight less slippery than the iPhone itself, to boot.

…and yep, the Phone different store sells ‘em for $24.95.

Speck

When I die, it’s highly likely that I’ll want to be buried with my Timbuk2 Commute Messenger Bag. The thing is attached to my shoulder pretty much any time I’m standing up. So when I was perusing the gobs of iPhone cases at Macworld, I was keeping a special eye out for something I could attach to the shoulder strap of my messenger bag. Speck came to my rescue – their TransPort get the #2 in our Best-Of-Macworld.

They announced the TransPort iPhone case at Macworld. Awkward capitalization aside, it’s a great case. It’s designed to fit on any shoulder strap by way of large velcro flaps. The iPhone itself slides into a hard plastic holder that firmly keeps the iPhone in place, facing out.

The case also has a removable front-flap that flips down to use the iPhone but generally is meant to protect it from the dangers of urban life. Basically it’s the perfect bike-rider’s iPhone case.

The downside to the case is that it’s not very useful away from a messenger bag, but that didn’t really bug me too much — as I said, my bag is always so close at hand that it’s not a big problem for me.

The TransPort case isn’t available for purchase yet and Speck couldn’t comment on pricing.

Seidio

Rounding out our Best of Macworld is Seidio’s Inno.Case — Speck may randomly capitalize letters inside words, but Seidio one-ups them by adding a period inside words. Take that!

Ahem. The Innocase is a very neat little plastic hard case for the iPhone and the iPod Touch. I like it because it features the ever-popular “rubberized soft touch” feel that makes it very grippable. The Innocase adds very little bulk to the iPhone, but enough that it wouldn’t fit in the standard iPhone dock. Seidio handily solves that problem by making the portion on the bottom snap off, as you can see in the first picture below.

Really, though, what caught my eye were the colors – the red and the blue versions are very slick. You can’t tell from the pictures below, but the red and blue are a little “metallic” and have the sort of “depth and complexity” of color that make me wish I could actually write about color intelligently. Kudos, Seidio.

The Innocase is also not available yet, but should be in February.