Having the Iphone for 3 years now, I have been through case after case. Hard-shells, soft shells, bumpers– I have tried everything. If you drop your phone as much as I do, there is no case durable yet fashionable enough to save my Iphone from disaster. I have been through four Iphones, two of which were so badly cracked it was dangerous to talk on the phone or send a text. However, I have started fresh with the white Iphone 4s and ready to open my mind to alternative cases.
When finding an Iphone case what it comes down to is whether or not you are willing to sacrifice the appearance of a small clean Iphone for protection. A cracked screen or a less attractive cell phone?
OTTER BOX – Iphone 4s Defender Series
8 colors
$49.95
While personally I would never purchase this case purely because of its bulk, my mom raves about her otter box. She can live at ease with one less thing to worry about each day, cracking her cell phone. The otter box does provide the ultimate protection, but is not necessarily very practical for someone’s everyday routine. The otter box is bulky to an extent where you can’t fit your Iphone in the back pocket of your jeans. The Iphone was engineered to be a sleek portable mobile device not a rubber box. Yes the otter box protects the Iphone from scratches, cracks, etc. what is the point of having an Iphone 4s if you cant even tell that’s an Iphone. The average person does indeed drop their cell phone on occasion, but they certainly do not throw it across the room every the chance they get. The otter box might as well be a case for a children’s pretend cell phone, because no one needs a case durable enough to withstand constant contact with the floor. So, is the otter box very functional? Yes. The hottest Iphone case out there? No.
KATE SPADE – Rigid Iphone 4s cover
6 designs
$40
Kate Spade is correct in naming their case a “rigid” cover as the slightest bang will crack it. Like many other designer Iphone cases, the Kate Spade Rigid cover was not created with protection as top priority. The case comes in a number of designs and patterns parallel to the signature Kate Spade style. I purchased a Kate Spade case with a pink trim, white background, black polka dots, and of course with Kate Spade printed in gold. From the looks of it, the case seemed ideal. Again, it seemed sturdy enough to withstand falling from your hand or out of your handbag and the design was just so attractive, I was sold. A few days went by and the compliments piled up as people continued to admire the clean slim design of the case. I occasionally dropped it but no drop too severe or out of the ordinary, and within the next couple days it cracked. Not only in one place, but in several. I brought it back and received another case for free thinking I had just received a case from a bad batch, but then that one cracked too. The moral of the story – don’t judge a book by it’s cover.
SPECK – Candy Shell
$34.95
15 colors
it’s cheap, attractive, and shock absorbent. What more could you ask for in an Iphone case. With a combined rubber and plastic shell the Candy Shell is somehow magically not nearly as bulky as the otter box. I have now successfully been protecting my Iphone with the Candy Shell for weeks; yet to see one crack in the case or the phone. No, this case does not provide the protection to the extreme as the otter box, but it isn’t embarrassing to pull out in public. It doesn’t have a fancy designer patter but it’s combination of durability and simplistic design cancel out that aspect. So, if you are looking for the perfect balance between attractiveness and stability look no further.
