Just spent a lot of money on your new iPhone and data plan? What better way to protect your investment than with a protective case. Speck has created a number of different cases for Apple’s latest toy, but are they really worth it?
This review will cover three of Speck’s cases: The ToughSkin, the Fitted, and the PixelSkin.
The biggest and most complicated of the three cases is the ToughSkin. Designed to be clipped to your pants instead of being kept in a pocket, the ToughSkin looks very tough but is one bulky case. The iPhone is a bigger phone compared to most other cell phones on the market, but this case makes it even worse. Out of all the other cases, however, this one can definitely survive falls, drops, and bumps. The hinge that connects the unit allows the user to angle it at will, but it could have been built a little sturdier. It almost feels like if you remove the phone from the clip the wrong way, the entire clip might break off. One the plus side, it is possible to use the clip as a dock, giving the user the ability to stand the phone in a vertical position. The covering gives access to all ports and sensors, but the covering over the screen can make touching the iPhone difficult. On plenty of occasions, hitting buttons on the touch screen required multiple attempts because of the unit’s plastic covering. It only comes in one style and one color (black) and recently had a price drop now selling for under $20. If your daily lifestyle has you more prone to accidents (working outdoors, factory, etc), then this case might not be a bad choice. However, if you are looking for something slimmer and a little more user friendly, you should definitely look else where.
One of the more unique cases is the Fitted style. Instead of slipping your iPhone into this case, you actually clamp it together by connecting both pieces of the case together, kind of like making an iPhone sandwich. By clamping the unit shut, the entire phone will be protected. Negatively, snapping the unit closed is more tricky than it needs to be. Once it is snapped together, the user has the most control with this case because the screen is exposed (not covered by a thin layer of plastic). The back piece of the case is actually a fabric as opposed to straight plastic. This feature alone is rather unique for a case. Sporting a few different styles, hopefully there is one that will appeal more than the others. However, they are all pretty similar in style and color so don’t expect anything too drastic. This case does feel like it can take a few blows while protecting your iPhone, but keeping it clean might become a problem. Because the back is fabric, there really isn’t a solid way to clean it. If you were to drop this case in coffee or black slushie snow, getting stains out might be near impossible because you cannot simply just wipe it down. Selling for about $15, this case might appeal to a wider audience than the ToughSkin model.
The final model is the PixelSkin. If you are looking for something basic in design, then this is definitely the model that will catch your eye. Like a condom for your iPhone, this model is really nothing more than a piece of rubber than encases your iPhone. There are a ton of colors to choose from, but most are highlighted with by a single neon hue (neon yellow, neon green, neon pink, etc). The case is one piece and totally surrounds the unit, but still has access to the extras of the iPhone like the camera. Although it doesn’t add too much bulk to the unit, its overall feeling of the rubber is actually quite slippery. This seems strange because the images on the web make this unit look like it would be very easy to grip. But this rubber is rather smooth and no where near as grippy as one would think. If you were to leave this phone sitting on your dashboard while driving around, expect it to be sliding everywhere. Selling for under $15, this case is the cheapest but is also is the most basic of cases.
The iPod and iPhone are so popular, there is a sea of accessories for these Apple made gadgets. Since there are a ton of cases on the market for both the iPod and iPhone, I feel that there are some better options out there. Not that these Speck cases are bad, I just feel that there are other cases on the market that perform a little better for the same price or even a little less. But everyone’s needs are different. Because of this fact, Speck has created a wide variety of cases that are all posted on their website. Perhaps there is one that will strike your fancy.
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