iFrogz Luxe Case for iPhone 3G Review
Search Brand/Device: iFrogz | iPhone Reviews
CaseandCover.com reviews iFrogz cases and covers for the iPhone, iPod, and BlackBerry. Trusted reviews, from trusted sources throughout the internet.
The folks at Dr. Bott were kind enough to send us an ifrogz Luxe case for the iPhone 3G to review. We drew straws (virtually) and I won the opportunity to kick the tires, so to speak, and give you my impressions.
Personally, I'm not a big fan of cases on my phones and PDAs; they go in and out of my pocket so often that anything that adds bulk or friction ends up being more of a pain than its worth. That pretty much eliminates any silicone-style cases for my purposes. Thankfully, the Luxe case is made of a hard plastic with a satin finish, providing more grip than a naked iPhone, but not so much that it's a pain to get out of a tight pocket.
The ifrogz Luxe case comes in a number of colors. My review case is a deep wine red color, which looks understated and quite appropriate. The case colors in pictures online look too bright and gaudy for my taste, but I can say that I am quite happy with the look of the red version in person, at least.
The case is a two-piece affair, clamping together with a little round button on the back. While this is a clever way to hold the two halves of the case together, it unfortunately makes the iPhone much harder to use on a flat surface, as it rocks from side to side as you tap on the screen. My only other complaint is that the case fits maybe a bit too well, in that it can be a real pain to remove it once you have fit your iPhone snugly into it. If you rarely ever need to take your iPhone out of the case this will be more of a positive than a negative for you.
The screen protector was a real surprise for me. I expected it to significantly interfere with the accuracy of my iPhone's screen, but after just a few minutes I forgot that it was even there. It is easy to apply, and easy to forget, which makes it darn near perfect in my opinion.
My wife is currently in the market for a case for her iPhone, and were it not for the rocking on a flat surface problem, we'd almost certainly be getting her the Luxe for her phone. To be honest, nothing else we've seen really stands out as better, so there's still a good chance she'll end up with a Luxe on her phone, even though the rocking is more of an issue for her than it is for me. I plan on going out to get one of these cases for my iPhone 3G.
by Jason Clarke on Sep 22nd 2008
Personally, I'm not a big fan of cases on my phones and PDAs; they go in and out of my pocket so often that anything that adds bulk or friction ends up being more of a pain than its worth. That pretty much eliminates any silicone-style cases for my purposes. Thankfully, the Luxe case is made of a hard plastic with a satin finish, providing more grip than a naked iPhone, but not so much that it's a pain to get out of a tight pocket.
The ifrogz Luxe case comes in a number of colors. My review case is a deep wine red color, which looks understated and quite appropriate. The case colors in pictures online look too bright and gaudy for my taste, but I can say that I am quite happy with the look of the red version in person, at least.
The case is a two-piece affair, clamping together with a little round button on the back. While this is a clever way to hold the two halves of the case together, it unfortunately makes the iPhone much harder to use on a flat surface, as it rocks from side to side as you tap on the screen. My only other complaint is that the case fits maybe a bit too well, in that it can be a real pain to remove it once you have fit your iPhone snugly into it. If you rarely ever need to take your iPhone out of the case this will be more of a positive than a negative for you.
The screen protector was a real surprise for me. I expected it to significantly interfere with the accuracy of my iPhone's screen, but after just a few minutes I forgot that it was even there. It is easy to apply, and easy to forget, which makes it darn near perfect in my opinion.
My wife is currently in the market for a case for her iPhone, and were it not for the rocking on a flat surface problem, we'd almost certainly be getting her the Luxe for her phone. To be honest, nothing else we've seen really stands out as better, so there's still a good chance she'll end up with a Luxe on her phone, even though the rocking is more of an issue for her than it is for me. I plan on going out to get one of these cases for my iPhone 3G.
by Jason Clarke on Sep 22nd 2008
Review: Marware SportGrip, C.E.O. Glide, and C.E.O. Premiere
CaseandCover.com reviews Marware cases and covers for the iPhone, iPod, and BlackBerry. Trusted reviews, from trusted sources throughout the internet.
My buddy Gavin Baker, CEO of Abunga, took three iPhone cases from Marware for a spin. He took a look at the SportGrip ($14.99), C.E.O. Glide ($24.99) and the C.E.O. Premiere ($34.99).
Which best suited this CEO on the go? Read his take below for the answer...
I first tried out the Marware SportGrip, the silicone case that has a rubberized feel and covers the back and sides of the phone leaving the touch screen open. This was my go-to case for about 2 weeks. It easily protected the back and sides of my phone from scratches and the material deadened any type of accidental drop of the phone, reducing the damage inflicted. I had no fear about tossing my phone around onto tables, chairs or in my Jeep. The downside is that the protection afforded by the cover also creates a much bulkier pocket profile. This made it more difficult to slide into pockets. One major downside was that I took the cover off after about 1 week and noticed it had collected a lot of dust, dirt, lint, etc. on the inside of the cover, creating some smaller scratches on the backside of my phone. I'm sure had I taken the cover off more frequently this wouldn't have been an issue.
The Marware C.E.O Glide was next on my list and it didn't make it long; partially because of the red snakeskin cover, but it is essentially a vertical sleeve with a Velcro clasp to keep the phone inside. It's not functional for me since I prefer my phone to be in my pocket and easily accessed or on my belt. This was a mix of the two and a cover that doesn't work in that circle isn't the best for me.
The Marware C.E.O Premiere is the last case I tried out. It is a horizontal belt case and allows easy access to the phone while providing a secure environment. As soon as I put the case on I was very confident with it. I wasn't worried about the case falling off my belt, and the case has a Velcro enclosure to ensure the phone stays in the case. The interior of the case is soft but not microfiber so I have no fear of putting my phone into the case and it coming out in worse shape. I've used the case daily for about 2 weeks and the exterior of the case shows minimal wear. My only complaint about the case is the Velcro closure. In the weeks I've used it the Velcro has started to loosen and is not as tight as it once was. Other than that the case has been phenomenal and it is the one I've settled on for everyday use.
All of the Marware products come with a cleaning cloth and protective film.
Thanks Gavin!
by Victor Agreda, Jr. on Nov 21st 2008
Which best suited this CEO on the go? Read his take below for the answer...
I first tried out the Marware SportGrip, the silicone case that has a rubberized feel and covers the back and sides of the phone leaving the touch screen open. This was my go-to case for about 2 weeks. It easily protected the back and sides of my phone from scratches and the material deadened any type of accidental drop of the phone, reducing the damage inflicted. I had no fear about tossing my phone around onto tables, chairs or in my Jeep. The downside is that the protection afforded by the cover also creates a much bulkier pocket profile. This made it more difficult to slide into pockets. One major downside was that I took the cover off after about 1 week and noticed it had collected a lot of dust, dirt, lint, etc. on the inside of the cover, creating some smaller scratches on the backside of my phone. I'm sure had I taken the cover off more frequently this wouldn't have been an issue.
The Marware C.E.O Glide was next on my list and it didn't make it long; partially because of the red snakeskin cover, but it is essentially a vertical sleeve with a Velcro clasp to keep the phone inside. It's not functional for me since I prefer my phone to be in my pocket and easily accessed or on my belt. This was a mix of the two and a cover that doesn't work in that circle isn't the best for me.
The Marware C.E.O Premiere is the last case I tried out. It is a horizontal belt case and allows easy access to the phone while providing a secure environment. As soon as I put the case on I was very confident with it. I wasn't worried about the case falling off my belt, and the case has a Velcro enclosure to ensure the phone stays in the case. The interior of the case is soft but not microfiber so I have no fear of putting my phone into the case and it coming out in worse shape. I've used the case daily for about 2 weeks and the exterior of the case shows minimal wear. My only complaint about the case is the Velcro closure. In the weeks I've used it the Velcro has started to loosen and is not as tight as it once was. Other than that the case has been phenomenal and it is the one I've settled on for everyday use.
All of the Marware products come with a cleaning cloth and protective film.
Thanks Gavin!
by Victor Agreda, Jr. on Nov 21st 2008
Incase Protective iPhone Cover Tested (Verdict: OK)
Search Brand/Device: iPhone Reviews | Incase
CaseandCover.com reviews Incase cases and covers for the iPhone, iPod, and BlackBerry. Trusted reviews, from trusted sources throughout the internet.
By Brian Lam, 6:46 PM on Thu Jul 12 2007
This Incase Protective cover is the first piece of iPhone retail-bait I couldn't resist in the Apple store.
The good:
It's the sleekest of all cases in stock there, so it won't make your iPhone look like a Tonka truck; it's rubberized, available in black, red, and grey; and has a neat topographical pattern all over it that supposedly helps grip; cutouts or ridges for all buttons; helps the iPhone fit snuggly in iPod docks.
The bad:
It's isn't actually so skinny that it allows handset to dock with the Apple iPhone dock, despite it being the sleekest around (see photo), requiring me to remove the case or just use the dock cable alone. You should be acutely reminded that this won't help protect your screen, but this isn't so much a fault as a part of the design. (Maybe it'll work well with the Invisible Shield coating. The company says it won't impact the touchscreen's sensitivity, but we've yet to test that out.) As I remove the case for docking reasons, it is starting to stretch out, like a wizard's sleeve. That could be a problem as debris falls in between the sleeve and the iPhone. (I think this would result in abrasions, not pearls.) This should cost $15, not $30, and Incase, you know it.
Verdict: I'm satisfied with it.
By Brian Lam, 6:46 PM on Thu Jul 12 2007
This Incase Protective cover is the first piece of iPhone retail-bait I couldn't resist in the Apple store.
The good:
It's the sleekest of all cases in stock there, so it won't make your iPhone look like a Tonka truck; it's rubberized, available in black, red, and grey; and has a neat topographical pattern all over it that supposedly helps grip; cutouts or ridges for all buttons; helps the iPhone fit snuggly in iPod docks.
The bad:
It's isn't actually so skinny that it allows handset to dock with the Apple iPhone dock, despite it being the sleekest around (see photo), requiring me to remove the case or just use the dock cable alone. You should be acutely reminded that this won't help protect your screen, but this isn't so much a fault as a part of the design. (Maybe it'll work well with the Invisible Shield coating. The company says it won't impact the touchscreen's sensitivity, but we've yet to test that out.) As I remove the case for docking reasons, it is starting to stretch out, like a wizard's sleeve. That could be a problem as debris falls in between the sleeve and the iPhone. (I think this would result in abrasions, not pearls.) This should cost $15, not $30, and Incase, you know it.
Verdict: I'm satisfied with it.