Ever since the H1N1 virus made national headlines, it seems more and more people are becoming uber-germ conscious. I can’t seem to turn my head without spotting another bottle of hand sanitizer strategically placed near the front of some store or by the check out lines.
Computer keyboards and mobile phones are some of the worst offenders when it comes to spreading germs around. According to Proporta the average mobile phone has close to 26,00 germs on it per square inch! Yuck!
To help protect you from these germs they’ve released an Antimicrobial Silicone Case for the iPhone 3G and 3Gs and they were kind enough to send me one for review.
The case arrives in see through packaging and includes a dummy iPhone insert as well as a crystal clear screen shield.
The case itself is made from medium density black silicone and has a gray lining.
The phone slides into the case with ease. The fit is tight enough that the phone fits securely, but loose enough that it’s easily removed when you want to do so.
The case features a lay on the table design that fully protects the iPhone’s chrome bezel.
There is a large cutout on the bottom of the case for accessing the phone’s dock connector, speaker and microphone.
The volume rocker is covered with black silicone nubs and set over a gray background. The subtle gray background adds a nice touch to the case.
The top of the case features a cutout for the headset port that should accommodate most any brand of headphones.
The sleep/awake button is covered by the case but is easily depressed when needed.
The case’s camera cut out lines up nicely.
On the lower portion of the case there are two holes which you can use to attach a lanyard for carrying. I appreciate the holes and their use, but for those of us who don’t wish to use a lanyard the holes look out of place.
The Proporta Antimicrobial Case may look like your garden variety silicone case, and while that’s partially true it’s also much more. It offers you protection from germs. Germs that live on and around your phone and germs that you can not see. If you’re concerned about keeping these potentially harmful bacteria away from yourself this might be the sort of protection you need.
It’s good to see that Proporta isn’t trying to price gouge us with claims of protection from things which we can not see. While it may be true that the average consumer doesn’t really have any way of knowing if the case is protecting them or not, this case doesn’t cost any more than other silicone cases like it. Therefore if you like the look and design, you don’t lose anything for giving the protective qualities a try.
You can learn more about the Antimicrobial Case as well as order one for yourself by visiting the product page on the Proporta web site here.
M.S.R.P. – $20.95
What I like – protection from bacteria, good fitting case.
What I don’t like – if you don’t use a lanyard the two holes looks out of place.