Dec 11
 | Griffin Elan Form with EasyDock for iPhone 3G (Black) Feature:
Average Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Price: $17.29  |
Customer Rating 3 of 5
Customer Summary Case ok, screen protector not so much
Customer Full Review I'm probably a nightmare customer for iPhone case manufacturers. Really, I want something that doesn't alter the look or feel of the phone at all, yet protects it from every possible mishap. Maybe I should just learn to be more careful with my phone, huh?
Anyway, I got this case because it seemed to offer a reasonable amount of protection without adding a ton of bulk, like many cases do. I like that I can access the screen and all of the controls all the time -- I definitely didn't want a case that had to be opened up to use the phone. The case obviously makes the phone a bit bigger, but it doesn't feel much bulkier to me in my pocket. The fact that it's smooth instead of rubbery like many other cases lets the phone easily slide in and out of my pocket. The pieces fit well, including the holes for the switches and camera.
I do have some complaints. The "leather" doesn't really feel like leather to me. Maybe it is, but it's very thin and glued to hard plastic. I wouldn't want it all padded and bulky and tacky, but this may go slightly too far in the wrong direction. Between the paper-thin leather, the hard plastic case and the lack of any other padding, there doesn't seem to be much protection from drops. Also, on one of the corners, you can see a bit of glue where the leather is attached. It's not glaring, but it does make the product look a little cheaper.
This case also comes with a clear polycarbonate screen protector. Unlike the "Invisible Shield" type protectors, this is a stiff piece of plastic and it has no adhesive -- it's just held on by the case. That's nice, because the first application doesn't have to be perfect. Also, I like that the shield is much smoother and shinier than the adhesive type. I find it much easier to use the phone with this protector than the others. However, it was basically impossible to get the protector on without any dust or anything under it, and any tiny bit of dust looks horrible. Much worse, the cover keeps getting stuck to the screen in different spots, making it look horrible. The only way I've found to unstick it is to remove it from the phone, forcing myself to go through the whole dust removal process all over again. And usually within 5 minutes of being in my pocket, it has a stuck area again. Totally unacceptable. I probably won't end up using that piece at all.
So, I'm not totally satisfied with this case. I'm not sure it really provides all that much protection (there's no padding at all), the fit and finish is only mediocre and the included screen protector is unusable. However, I do think this is the best iPhone case I've seen to date, and I acknowledge that I'm probably picker than most. So I'll give this 3 stars. The case on its own without the screen protector would earn 4.
