Allow me to set the scene. You’re sitting on the beach in a faraway tropical location sipping on a fancy frozen drink, while listening to tunes streaming from your iPod touch which is resting gently on your towel. Looks good right? That is until the family of six comes marching by with a horde of beach toys, chairs, karts, umbrellas etc. kicking sand all over your precious Apple product along the way.
Pelican has been in the business of protecting gizmos and gadgets for over 20 years. Their heavy-duty cases our industry known as ones that offer the maximum amount of protection your gadgets both need and deserve.
During CES I visited the Pelican booth and was given their new i1015 iPod touch and iPhone case for review.
How does the i1015 stack up against other heavy-duty cases I’ve reviewed? Read on to find out.
The i1015 is specifically designed to fit the iPhone and iPod touch. But it also fits other smart phones such as the Blackberry T-Mobile G1 and various Nokia devices.
The case features an “easy open” latch on the side. It’s made from very hard very durable clear plastic.
The inside of the case features a rubber liner that doubles as an o-ring which when closed creates incredibly tight seal keeping dust, debris and water from getting inside.
What’s really cool about the i1015 is its integrated head phone jack. Inside the case you’ll find an audio in cable which you plug into the top of your iPod touch or iPhone. Once inserted you place the iPod or iPod touch into the case and close it.
On the outside of the case you’ll find a receiver for headphones.
Once plugged in you be able to hear whatever audio is streaming from the device that’s tucked neatly in safely inside the case. One caveat. You must start the music playing before closing your iPod or iPhone inside the case. You cannot access any of your devices controls through the case. Also the microphone function does not seem to work for the iPhone. This case should be strictly used for audio listening only.
The inside of the case also features a nice area to store your headphones on, otherwise known as a cable management system.
It also features a carabiner style clip at the top for attaching the case to your belt bag or virtually anywhere.
The strength of the i1015 is unmatched. I’ve tried other protective cases for my phone and while they might offer more functionality they do not offer more protection. If you need maximum, I mean really the most amount of protection than you can possibly find for your iPhone or iPod touch you might want to take a look at the i1015 from Pelican.
While it’s true this case does prevent you from using most of the functions of your phone think of it more as a protected place to store your device when you know you’re going to be in a hazard like situation. Canoe trips, camping, at the beach, hiking, biking, white water rafting, kayaking, and more. All these activities are the perfect situation to keep your device safe inside a Pelican case.
To learn more about this product had to the Pelican website by clicking here.
M.S.R.P. – $37.00
What I like – maximum protection but still allows for music to be streamed to your headphones.
What I don’t like – can’t use any of the devices functions other than music playback while devices in case.