Do you want this Game Boy-themed iPhone 4 case? Well, how does it feel to want? Not all that hot from where we’re sitting, that’s for damn sure. Spotted at Incipio’s CES booth, the company put the case together to demo the company’s production capabilities. Sadly, for us, the thing won’t be coming to market at any time in the near future (unless someone in Shenzhen decides to take on the cause, that is). We must say, this is a big improvement over the company’s iPod nano watch bands — and an immense improvement over the guy who shoved an HTC Aria inside his old Game Boy (throwing in a fake iPhone 4 for good measure). Get another look after the break.
Apple has moved the Verizon iPhone 4′s ringer mute switch and volume controls around, and that means new cases, and thanks to XGear we’ve been able to give the first Verizon iPhone 4 case a test run. Lining up perfectly with the shifted controls, the case is so new it doesn’t have a name or a model number yet, but we were still able to slap it on the new CDMA iPhone 4 to see how it fits.
The good news is that it fits perfectly, the buttons now lining up with the tweaked volume controls, and the hole for the ringer mute switch in the correct place. There are the usual cut-outs for the top microphone and the camera and LED flash, too.
Of course, the flip side is that the new XGear case won’t fit the AT&T version of the iPhone 4, but we can’t see manufacturers being too disappointed: after all, they’ll be able to sell a whole new batch of accessories to those who previously thought they could keep their cases while jumping network. We’ll let you know how much the XGear case will be as soon as the company lets us know.
There are tons of iPhone 4 cases out on the market now, boasting functionality, protection, or just looking snazzy. A big question to ask is what are these cases doing for our environment? We received a TRTL BOT Stand case for the iPhone 4 and it not only has functionality, but also was made from recycled plastic bottles. How many other cases can take that claim?
The TRTL STAND for the iPhone 4 comes in a clear plastic clamshell with the case visible via the front, and cardboard inserts with information about the cases are positioned inside the clamshell to keep the case in place. Cardboard and plastic clamshells are made from recycled materials as well if you were wondering.
The case for the phone is made of plastic (duh) and only comes in black. It measures 4.53” x 2.43” x 0.51” and barely weighs more than half an ounce. Looking down on it there is a large open space where the phone would go, and has a lip to keep the phone in place. (A mighty good grip if you ask me) The tops and bottoms of the case are 90% open as to not impede any plug-ins for the phone. On the left side there is an opening for the volume and sound control switch, and a hole has been cut out on the back of the case for the camera. Starting at the bottom right corner of the back of the case is where the stand resides, which is imprinted with TRTL BOT in big letters, and on the bottom left corner is the logo.
It’s a rather plain looking case, but does its purpose nicely. The snugness of the phone in the case, and my inability to get the phone out of it is a bit annoying, but it does its duty as a case with kickstand abilities. The fact that it’s hard plastic makes me nervous, because I not only have to worry about my phone breaking, but the case as well. Not to mention the fact that the face of the phone is completely exposed. It costs about $34.99, but can be found for cheaper elsewhere.
Ever since Apple added Bluetooth keyboard support to iOS, manufacturers have been working to deliver products that add a hard keyboard to the iPhone with at least a little bit of style. We’ve checked out a number of these before — namely the Nuu Minikey and the TK-421 — but we’ve yet to find anything that actually makes it worth the extra bulk (not to mention battery consumption). BoxWave’s Keyboard Buddy is yet another sliding keyboard case built for the iPhone, but is it better than the rest? Read on past the break to find out.
Rumors of a Verizon iPhone have been around since its initial launch nearly 5 years ago. However, these rumors are now getting a bit more backing to them making them more believable. SmartPhone Medic has just posted some pictures of what they are claiming to be the Verizon-branded iPhone 4 or the fifth generation iPhone.
The major noticeable difference between the two frames is the new frame is missing the band near the headphone jack and it has been moved just above the silence switch on the device.
The controversial antennagate band is still present in the same location. Speculation is that the the actual antenna will be moved to the new location which will further avoid user contact to improve reception.
If these are, in fact, the Verizon iPhone, we can definitely expect to see it launching here soon. Even if it’s not, this confirms that the next generation iPhone case will solve the controversial issues that were so highly publicized with the iPhone 4 launch last year.
It seems like wearing your gadgets is all the rage these days, and the Vyne is no exception. A belt-like flexible strip of plastic with a clip on the end for your iPod touch or iPhone (though we suppose it should work with any gadget that has the right dimensions), this product isn’t wholly unlike the Gorillapod. There’s no word on price or release date just yet, but just think of all the attention you’ll get while using this in public. Then again, your hands will be free to do tons of other things — like checking the time on your iPod nano wristwatch.
Today at CES, Mophie showed off a prototype of its Pulse game grip for the 4th-generation iPod touch, which features battery-powered front-facing stereo speakers and haptic feedback by Reflex Technology. We spent some time using the Pulse and came away rather impressed. Game audio, music, and even the keyboard tick sound get translated into convincing pulses and vibrations. The iPod touch interfaces with the Pulse via the 3.5mm headphone jack, and a switch on the bottom left edge turns the haptic feedback on and off. As a bonus, the Pulse also offers full case protection. No word yet on availability or pricing, but you can check out the prototype in the gallery below.
The eco-friendly company TRTL Bot, has given us a snazzy new iPhone 4 case that is made entirely of recycled plastic. This is a follow-up from the 3G/3GS case they’ve made in the past. This version provides an extremely useful credit card holder on the back part of the case. You can only fit about two plastic cards in there, despite me trying my best to play chubby bunny with credit cards.
This recycled plastic makes for a rather hard case, and protects your iPhone in all the right places. A snug fit makes this a great case for moderate protection. You will need a screen protector as it doesn’t come with one, but seeing as you get a mini wallet out of your phone case, is there really much room to complain?
This case comes in either white or black and will only set you back about $35 if you buy it directly from the company.
ZAGG launched a cool case back on Black Friday that I missed somehow designed for the iPad. There are two version of the case called the ZAGGmate. One of the versions is just a case that lifts the screen for you to watch more comfortably. The more interesting version of the case also has a keyboard that hides under the iPad.
The keyboard version has a keyboard that is inside the case and the iPad lifts up and is propped by a stand to revel the little keyboard. It’s a pretty slick system. ZAGG has announced that it has sold and shipped a bunch of the cases so far, to the tune of about $2 million worth.
ZAGG is also talking up its plans for CES where it will unveil more versions of the ZAGGmate. I wonder if the new version will be for iPad or if they will be for other devices. The coolest part about the ZAGGmate is that ZAGG claims it only adds a quarter inch of thickness when installed on the iPad. The keyboard version sells for $99.99 and the non-keyboard version is $69.99.
After you drop a few hundred dollars on an iPad, one of the most important things you’ll need to take care of it, is a protective case. You can have that special slot in your bag that keeps it stationary, but with everything exposed there’s still a chance of the face cracking or getting scratched from hitting something else that’s tumbling about in your bag.
The lovely people at Booq sent us a Taipan Spacesuit XS case, which can calm your nerves when tossing your iPad into the madness of this and that, that is your backpack, satchel, etc. Though this isn’t any heavy-duty protection, it will take case of screen scratches, and lessen the impact of your precious technology hitting something.
This particular type of case comes in three different colors: silver with a light blue interior, berry, which is a darker raspberry color with a black interior, and black with a bright pink interior. When closed, the interior color doesn’t show at all (for those of you who are moping about the fact that the black one is tainted with pink). All cases carry the same tidal wave looking design, and two zipper pulls. The material used for these cases is neoprene, and have a silky-soft jersey knit fabric covering. It is excruciatingly soft, and would make a terrific pillow…not that I tried that or anything.
The case measures at about 7.5” W X 10” long, and has a zipper length of about 12”. The sides and bottom are sewn with an outward facing overlock seam that matches the color of the material.
At $30 this is not a bad buy for a little extra protection, but didn’t seem overly appealing to me. The interior is meant to prevent scratches, but the top left and right corners of the iPad can be easily scratched by the zipper if you don’t pull the material out a little when zipping it shut. I actually already have some tiny scratches on those specific corners hitting the zipper. There is also an overly obsessive need to advertise, as there is not only two zipper pulls with logo and name imprinted on it, but a useless, and annoying tag that sits on the case aimlessly. There is also no way to remove said tag as it is sewn into where the zipper was sewn in.
