Daily Tech DivaAfter a year of waiting, tech jealousy, back and forth decisions, surreptitious fondling of floor models, and near theft of friend’s phones, my husband and I are finally taking the plunge and moving over to AT&T when our T-Mobile contract is up on August 31. Despite recent reports of cracks in the plastic, we each plan on getting a white 16GB iPhone 3G. To celebrate our upcoming iPhone Liberation Day, I will be making an iPhone-related post each day.
After I decided which iPhone I wanted to get (white or black really isn’t a hard choice!) the first thing I started thinking about was the kind of case I wanted for my phone. I know that the iPhone is very elegant on its own, but I’m being realistic here–not only am I a girl who likes to accessorize, but I’m a clumsy girl at that. If I’m plunking down $299 for a phone, I want it to be as well-protected as it can be without losing any style or usability. I know lots of people like carrying their iPhones naked, which is all well and good for them, but it just makes me too nervous.
My case requirements are as follows:
- Must be a hard case or really, really good silicone case
- Must include a screen protector or be screen protector friendly
- Must completely cover all parts of the iPhone except for the screen
- Must NOT include a belt clip
- Must include a color choice I like
The first case on my radar is the Griffin Wave. I love the wave styling on the side that gives the case its name, and I like that it includes a screen protector too. It’s a hard case, which I really like, because I’ve grown very used to the Agent 18 Nano Shield I have my red iPod nano G3 in. Investigation into the Wave has produced some great reviews on the original iPhone model, all which lead me to believe I would really feel good about choosing this case for my 3G iPhone. I also think that the Wave is a great price–ony 24.95 for both a good case and a screen protector. That’s a value! And, of course, it comes in pink…I definitely like that!
Another case I want to check out is the Agent 18 Eco Shield. As I said, I’ve been really happy with the Agent 18 case that I have on my iPod nano–I put it on almost as soon as I got my nano, and while the case looks a little dinged up in places, my iPod is in pristine shape. A friend of mine is a huge fan of Agent 18 and he turned me on to their cases–I’m glad he did! The Eco Shield is also a hard case that covers most of the iPhone while still providing access to all the buttons and the screen. It features silicone pads for extra cushioning and a dock adapter so you can dock your phone without taking it out of the case. It doesn’t come with a screen protector, so that’d be extra. The Eco Shield runs at a very reasonable $29.95. It also comes in pink!
My friend Kathleen is really happy with the iSkin revo that she has for her 1st Gen iPhone. iSkin has come out with a version of the revo for the iPhone 3G–the revo2. It has a lot of great things going for it, like full silicone coverage, antimicrobial material, good screen protectors, and much more. Despite its list of impressive features, it is the one that I’m least sold on. It looks really rugged and not very sleek in all the pictures, and none of the color choices are jumping out at me. I’m also concerned that a silicone case may not be protective enough, or durable enough. The last silicone case I had for my PDA phone tore in quite a few places. I also hate how silicone cases pick up any lint or hair that is in the area–and I’m usually either covered in cat hair or shedding my own mane! I’ll give it a look, but I’m not sold on the revo2.
What case is protecting your iPhone? Do you have any other suggestions for me? Talk back in the comments!
4 Comments Received
July 31st, 2008 @9:14 am
looks like they’ve changed the look of the iSkin Revo 2… the ear piece is completely covered now. with the 1st gen iPhone iSkin Revo, there’s a cut out wider than the ear piece slit. so dust, cat hair, (or dog hair, in my case) can get into it. i also don’t use the hard plastic cover to protect the screen because i do have a thin screen protector, but i normally put my phone in the cell phone pocket in my purse. plus, the Revo 2 doesn’t come in pink, so that’s already a downer. LOL yeah, i wouldn’t go for the Revo 2. it does look a bit more rugged and not at all girly.
i will say, the Revo i have is pretty durable. i don’t take the phone out of the case at all so i don’t worry about it coming apart.
July 31st, 2008 @9:50 am
Cali tried about 47 different cases for her first gen iPhone before finally liking the Naked Case by Case Mate. I don’t think they have a version out for 3G, yet, but I’m sure it’s only a matter of time.
July 31st, 2008 @10:02 am
I have the Agent 18 Eco Shield, in black (just like Dr. Horrible!), and have been really happy with it. It’s minimalistic yet protective. I like it. Wish I had it in pink, though.
I’d also highly recommend getting an anti-glare screen - not for the glare reduction, but for the reduction in fingerprints on the screen.
July 31st, 2008 @9:39 pm
For my original iPhone I’ve used a DLO Jam Jacket, which I loved. It’s silicone, which I take as a plus since it makes it much less likely the phone will fly from my hand at a bad moment (even more a concern with the advent of PhoneSaber). Inexplicably and unforgivably, I don’t use a screen protector. I’ve had no problems, and my screen is fine despite carrying it in the same pocket with keys, but I’m not sure I’d recommend this for others. I just don’t like the feel of screen protectors I’ve seen and I seem willing to take a chance. For my 3G, I bought an Incipio Silicrylic Gel/Shell Combo, because it was the closest thing to a Jam Jacket for the 3G that the AT&T store had. It’s silicone, with a hard shell back that fits over the soft case. I don’t like it quite as much as the DLO, but maybe it will grow on me.
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