It is pretty amazing to consider the variety and range of styles of iPhone cases that you can find.. There are simple silicone cases, leather cases that double as a wallet, and metal frames that suspend the iPhone in the midst of what looks like an exoskeleton. Today we’re going to take a quick look at one of the more unusual cases we’ve seen, The Gasket Brushed Aluminum Case from id America.
From the Company:
Conceptual inspiration: Inspired by the shape of a head gasket on a performance engine, our Gasket Brushed Aluminum Case transcends technology with its unique design language.
Lightweight elegant stylish: Integrate style to your iPhone with our Gasket Brushed Aluminum Case. Precision built to be light-weight and rigid, the Gasket Brushed Aluminum Case brings out the race car driver in you.Secured perfect fitness: Gasket Brushed Aluminum Case is made with real brushed aluminum with suede inner lining to provide maximum protection from Hartnell for protecting your iPhone from scratches and shocks.
The perfect combination: We have compiled the perfect combination you need to protect accessorize your iPhone. With Gasket Brushed Aluminum Case package, you receive “gasket brushed aluminum case,” “front and back crystal clear screen protector film” “installation squeegee” and “microfiber cleaning cloth”
As you can see from the first few pictures this is a rather unusual case. Yes, it’s made from aluminum but so are numerous other cases that are currently on the market. Because it has so many openings, this one doesn’t seem to interfere with the iPhone’s signal the way that some of the other cases we tried do.
The design for this case comes from, as it says above, the head gasket for a car engine. It certainly looks that way and it also feels that way. More on that in a moment.
The case comes in a number of different colors and finishes and inside the box you get a good assortment of extras. Inside you’ll find the case, the front and back screen protector, a squeegee to put on the screen protectors and a cloth for cleaning off the iPhone with fingerprints begin to collect. That’s a nice package at a relatively low price for a metal case.
When you take the case out of the box you are immediately are struck by the fact that it is brushed aluminum. It’s brushed aluminum in the very best sense… and, unfortunately, in the very worst sense. It is strong. That’s positive. It looks really interesting. That’s a positive. But I found the edges around the cutouts to be a little bit sharp and that’s clearly a negative.
To address the sharpness of the metal being placed against the glass back of the iPhone. The case is lined with felt. This certainly obviates the issue that might have otherwise existed of the metal coming into contact with the iPhone but it doesn’t totally alleviate the issue. More on that in a moment as well.
When you go to place the iPhone into the case you find that it is a great fit. That is exactly what you would want from the case that is designed to cling to the iPhone. If you look along the upper edge of the case the metal bends inward a little bit. That’s designed so that that edge slips over the front of the iPhone’s antenna band and holds it in place because the screen is slightly recessed from it.
The result is a case that fits the iPhone like a glove. It almost looks and feels as if the case is part of the iPhone itself. The problem is that you need to get that metal edge over the silver antenna and that’s easier said than done. I was worried that I would scratch my iPhone when I put it in and even more worried when I went to take the iPhone out.
And speaking of removing the iPhone from the case – this is probably the most challenging case I’ve seen when it comes to removing the device. It took me a while and I had to slip my finger under the edge of the metal and pull back all the while worried that I would either scratch my iPhone or the metal would cut my fingers.
In all, I like this case in concept. I think it looks interesting, I think it is unusual. But I have some concerns with it. I worry about the sharp edges of the metal. I worry about getting the iPhone into it without damaging the iPhone and I worry about removing the iPhone from it.
I think if you plan on putting this case on your iPhone and not removing it’s worth a look. If, however, you’re one of those people who changes cases on a relatively frequent basis I don’t think I would recommend this particular case. It does look interesting though and if you want something that’s going to get people’s attention this IS one of those cases that stands out from the rest of the crowd.
The id America Gasket Brushed Aluminum Case is available for $29.99 and can be ordered from the product page on the company web site.
What I like: inexpensive, comes with a complete kit, holds to the iPhone and fits very precisely.
What needs improvement: sharp edges at some points on the metal: difficult to get the iPhone unit and remove the iPhone from it