When my wife Elana finally let go of her Palm Centro and made the move to BlackBerry she grabbed an iSkin case I had lying around to protect the handset. More than a year later I can’t get her to try another case. She loves it. She loves the simplicity, the great protection it offers and the way it feels in her hand. I can’t disagree. iSkin’s cases tend to be high quality, rather simple affairs that get the job done and, in the process, add a bit of style and color.
I’ve been checking out a few of iSkins new iPhone 4 and iPad cases and I am rather impressed. Today we’ll take a look at the iSkin Solo for the iPhone 4. It has a similar look and feel to the case Elana loves for her BlackBerry and, as such, it offer some nice protection for the shatter-prone iDevice.
Let’s take a look…
From iSkin:
Less is so much more. Go solo. Introducing solo for iPhone 4. The remarkably slim, sleek and low profile protector, with bold color and high-gloss style, gives you more than just bumper protection.
The solo’s sleek, minimalist design encapsulates the entire body of the iPhone. Its bold translucent color has a high-gloss finish that is a standout in a crowd. Frosted accents with polished buttons finalize the look as it seamlessly embraces the contours of the iPhone 4, while giving the biggest protection to the smallest details.
Features:
Style and Substance- Rigid yet flexible, this new generation “phthalate-free” polymer feels great and provides lasting protection without appearing worn or faded. It also gives the iPhone a much needed and secure grip.
The solo ensures you the most coverage as it fully protects the sides and back of the iPhone while its front border keeps the screen elevated when placed face-down on flat surfaces. It works to resist dirt, oil and grease that may occur from daily use of your iPhone 4. The volume and sleep buttons are fully protected while remaining fully functional.
Raising the Bar- The solo helps against antenna interference by perfectly insulating the iPhone 4’s antenna against contact with your skin. It is 100% radio-transparent so you can enjoy the best connection possible at all times on your iPhone.
Under Your Skin- The solo features embedded Microban® antimicrobial product protection to help inhibit the growth of fungus, odor and stain causing bacteria on the product. Your solo will look and smell great for as long as you own your iPhone 4.
Eye Candy- The solo comes in five standout colors: Carbon (translucent black), Quartz (clear frosted), Breeze (translucent light blue), Vive (translucent purple), Cosmo (translucent pink).
As you can see in the iSkin Solo is a simple affair. In fact, in using the line “Less is so much more.” iSkin makes clear the fact that, in this case, simplicity is a feature. In the package you’ll get the Solo, an LCD anti-static cleaning wipe, a cleaning cloth, iSkin decals and a card providing information on the case’s lifetime guarantee. There is, sadly, no screen protection included.
The case fits over the iPhone and has a small slit in each of the upper two corners to make it easy to put on and remove the case.
Because the case rises a bit above the screen it offers some “lay on the table” protection while not interfering with the touchscreen’s usability.
Along the bottom there are cutouts for the microphone, speaker and dock connector.
Along one side there is nothing but the smooth silicone of the case.
As you can see in the lower right the case bubbled my screen protector a bit. It you use this case and a screen protector you will need to be careful when putting it on. I wasn’t.
At the top is a cutout for the microphone and headphone jack. What is not apparent in the picture is that the sleep/awake button IS covered. Fortunately the case is designed in a manner that you lose little or no functionality. The button is easy to find by feel and depress.
Similarly, while the mute toggle is open the volume controls are also covered.
There is no question that this case takes a minimalist approach… and it works.
The back of the case is translucent and has a bit of interest embossed into it with the wave pattern in either corner. The iSkin logo and the name of the case is embossed in the center bottom of the case. It is done tastefully and in a manner that is not immediately clear.
The iSkin Solo for iPhone 4 is available directly from the iSkin Website.
MSRP: $29.99
What I Like: Simple; provides good protection; feels great in the hand; goes on and off easily; iSkin logo is subtle; high quality and should last a long, long time; solves potential antenna issues; has Microban germ protection
What Needs Improvement: no included screen protection; can bubble screen protectors;