While at CES last year I had to chance to chat with the team from Pong. The Pong case for the iPhone was the first case which was designed with the goal of blocking the iPhone’s potentially harmful radiation from reaching your brain. Then a few weeks ago at the Pepcom Holiday Spectacular I ran into the gang from Case-Mate. They informed me that they had teamed up with Pong and were going to be releasing a new version of the Pong case very soon.
Well the case has arrived and it’s called the Case-Mate Bounce. The Bounce case features the same quality and design elements you’ve come to expect from Case-Mate coupled with Pong’s radiation reducing technology.
The Bounce is available four color choices. Cool Grey, Green, Pink and the Black version Case-Mate was kind enough to send me for review.
Like every single case Case-Mate sells the Bounce case comes complete with one of the company’s screen protection kits. This includes a crystal clear screen shield, cleaning cloth and install card.
The case itself is made from a thick, heavy-duty silicone that is highlighted by ridges along the back. The ridges offer a nice design element and a great amount of grip too.
Inside the case is where you’ll find the micro-thin metallic circuit board which is there to deflect electromagnetic radiation away from your head. The Pong technology is the only one of its type that is certified by the FCC to reduce radiation. The strip inside the case deflects radiation out and away from your head.
The Bounce features all the port cutouts you’d expect for an iPhone 4 case.
The bottom has one large cutout for accessing the 30-pin dock connector, speaker and main microphone.
The side offers a small but accessible cutout for the vibrate switch. The volume buttons get covered by the case but give nice feedback when pressed.
On the top of the case there’s one cutout for the iPhone 4’s headset jack and secondary microphone. The sleep awake button gets covered by the case but like the volume buttons it also offers nice feedback when pressed.
This is a pretty beefy case as far as most silicone cases go but that leads to a large amount of lay-on-the-table protection as well as a ton of shock and impact protection as well.
On the back of the case there is one large cutout for the camera and LED flash. The ridges that run along the back side of the case offer grip in the hand and the Case-Mate logo lives in the lower right corner. Like most silicone cases this one’s no stranger to dust. But it still slides in and out of pockets easily.
Even if the Bounce case didn’t have Pong’s radiation reducing technology built into it I’d still tell you it was a good case. The thick silicone offers a good amount of both shock and impact protection as well as lay-on-the-table protection. The ridges along the back offer good grip and it’s available in four stylish colors. You even get a screen shield included. Combine all that with the fact that the case DOES offer Pong’s radiation reducing insert and you’re left with a case that not only serves to protect your phone but also to protect you from your phone too.
The Bounce case is available directly from the Case-Mate web site here.
MSRP: $49.99
What I Liked: Only radiation reducing case for the iPhone 4; tons of protection.
What Needs Improvement: Bulky
iPhone 4 Case Review: Case-Mate Bounce with Pong Radiation …: The Bounce features all the port cutouts you'd e… http://bit.ly/dg6Hdz
#iPhone iPhone 4 Case Review: Case-Mate Bounce with Pong Radiation Reducing Technology (Gear Diary): While at CE… http://bit.ly/bc5TxY
OK. Walk me through this. If it blocks the “radiation”, how does the phone connect to the radio network?
If it works, you get no signal, and your phone is an Ipod Touch. If it doesn’t work, you just paid $50 for a piece of rubber.
@Lee – this has nothing to do with your phone’s reception. This is straight from the Case-Mate web site:
Q) What is SAR?
A) SAR stands for Specific Absorption Rate and measures the amount of radiation in units of watts per kilogram (W/kg) absorbed by a cell phone user’s body including the head. The Federal Communication Commission (FCC) limits SAR levels in cell phones for partial-body exposure (including the head) to up to 1.6 W/kg (watts/kilogram). In general, the lower the SAR, the better the chances your phone is not a potential health hazard.
Q) Does the Pong technology degrade/interfere with my cell reception?
A) Not at all. In fact, because Pong helps your phone use its energy more efficiently, you may experience improved reception and transmission.