A week ago I decided I needed a case for my new iPhone 4S. After three days with the new phone, it was clear I’d eventually drop it without a case and I also wanted to protect the iPhone 4S from scratches and dings. I sent a message out on Twitter that I was looking for iPhone 4 case ideas and took a look at many of them online before settling on one. Ultimately, I chose the iFrogz Luxe Lean Case (Amazon affiliate link) pictured with this post.
Why I decided I needed a case
The iPhone 4S is all glass and metal. As such it’s sometimes slippery in my hand and I was concerned about dropping it. I also noticed that on smooth surfaces like desks, nightstands and end tables it slid around easily. I was concerned it could be easily and unintentionally knocked to the floor. Finally, the form factor of the phone, while nearly perfect, is a bit slim and I was hoping to pick up a little bit of size with a case. However, I didn’t want to destroy the sleek styling of the device with a case either.
How I decided on the iFrogz Luxe Lean Case
First, I’m not a big fan of soft neoprene type cases. I find they get stuck going in and out of pockets and that’s where I normally carry my phone. I’ve always preferred hard-shelled cases but normally they don’t provide the slip resistance on smooth surfaces like desks and tables. The polycarbonate they’ve fashioned with the Luxe Lean iPhone 4S case provides a hard shell that has just enough slip resistance on smooth surfaces yet still slides easily in and out of a pocket.
Since the case wraps around the top edge of the iPhone, one of the areas I’ve seen scratched on friends’ phones is protected. Yet, all ports and buttons have been left open and easily accessible. Also, the edges of the case are fluted which may have been done for style but also makes the phone easier to hold to your ear.
Overall, I’d recommend a case like the iFrogz Luxe Lean Case (Amazon Affiliate Link) to project your iPhone 4S investment. Typically, you can sell a one-year-old iPhone in good condition on eBay for exactly what you paid. To me that makes a $25-$30 investment in a case well worth it to prevent damage like scratches and dings.
Thanks for the review… I still have to choose a case for mine.
For my 3G I ended up buying the $19.99 case at the AT&T store, and it actually worked just fine for two years. (Well, it did start to tear a few months ago, but it’s held up pretty well despite that.)