I suspect I’m like a lot of iPhone owners: when out and about, I tend to keep my phone in the pocket of my jeans.
But iPhones are fragile, as I discovered when I dropped my 3G on the concrete floor of a warehouse. It survived, amazingly, with just a small crack in the rear case. But the iPhone 4’s rear case is glass and I’m sure would have shattered on such an impact.
So wrapping it in some sort of case is a good idea. But I wanted one that wasn’t so bulky that it would prevent me keeping the phone in my pocket.
When Apple announced the free cases program for iPhone 4 owners, I took a careful look at the cases on offer and plumped for the Speck PixelSkin HD. I’m very glad that I did.
The PixelSkin is flexible enough to wrap around the iPhone 4, but rigid enough to feel like a hard plastic coating once it’s on. The simple square pattern on the rear is attractive without being attention-seeking. The rubberized button covers over the volume and on/off buttons are firm and take a little getting used to; more pressure is needed to get the buttons pressed. But this isn’t a big deal and I got used to it very quickly.
Best of all, though, is the smooth texture of the plastic. It’s not silicone, it’s made of thermoplastic polyurethane. It causes no friction with my jeans pockets, so the phone still slides in and out easily. The case is also very slim, adding very little bulk to the phone itself. There’s a raised bezel – about 2mm high – that surrounds the front of the phone and provides decent protection for the screen without getting in the way of your fingers.
I’m extremely pleased with this case and I’d recommend it to anyone who prefers to keep their iPhone 4 in a jeans pocket.
