The Speck FabShell Luxe is a form-fitting hard shell for the iPhone 4 and the iPhone 4S that aims to stand out and be unique with a genuine leather trim that coats the sides and the back of the case.
Its reinforced, one-piece construction promises to be super strong and shock absorbent, protecting your device from scratches, scuffs, and drops. It features rubber buttons for your sleep/wake button and volume rocker, and provides access to your mute switch, headphone jack, camera, and dock connector.
The FabShell Luxe comes in black, “cognac” (tan), burgundy, and “hunter green,” and offers a one-year warranty. But is it worth its $50 price tag?
The PixelSkin HD Wrap ($50) is an iPad (third-generation) case from Speck that promises to be “the perfect iPad folio case for anyone looking for lightweight protection, secure grip and pixelicious style.” It’s made from a flexible TPU that’s impressively robust, and provides full-body protection to your iPad with a number of nifty features.
Ideally, we’d all carry our iPhones as God intended — naked. But just as our pink and delicate human bodies need protection from the elements, so does the iPhone. Sometimes all it needs is a skimpy Speedo, other times a full suit of body armor, but you can be sure there’s a case for every occasion. Here’s our roundup of the best iPhone cases out there.
Some say that the iPad is almost unusable without a case. I actually love the feel of using mine bareback, but The Lady literally refuses to pick up an iPad if it isn’t protected in some way (she has a history of dropping the things).
But whatever your view, one thing is certain: a case can add all sorts of functionality to your iPad, or keep it safe in more dangerous situations. Here’s our pick of the best cases out there.
Now also available for the iPad 3, the Zagg wins for its compact size, light weight and clever design which allows it to double as a case (complete with sleep/wake magnets). It also has a great-feeling keyboard which is as good as Apple’s own.
The new Sure-Lock bumper system keeps Pad&Quill’s Contega ahead of the competition, and keeps the iPad safely inside the tough baltic birch and leather Moleskine-Style case, while the sleep/wake magnet and clever articulated rear cover (which turns the case into a stand) mean it’s anything but old-fashioned.
I have had this slipcase since the iPad 1, and it’s still going strong. The PadCover is made from leather and wool, with a soft lining and handy pull-tab which ejects the iPad from within. If you’re using the iPad 2 or 3, you can fit in a smart cover, too. Discontinued by the manufacturer, but still available to buy in various places.
The impact-absorbing material of G-Form’s cases is also used to make padding for professional athletes. The Extreme Portfolio will soak up the power of a bowling ball dropped onto its face, and yet remains flexible and comfortable to use. It’s the case we turn to when we really need to protect our iPads.
The Skech Porter offers all the protection of a fat folio case in a slim, great-looking package. A clever crease in the rear panel lets it work as a multi-position stand without adding extra bulk, an elastic handle is surprisingly handy and it packs a full compliment of magnets and camera holes.
This thin shell adds bulk at the corners where it’s needed, and has cutouts for everything from the camera through the speaker to the Smart Cover that it is designed to compliment. The plastic is smooth but grippy, and the little lozenge-shaped metal panel holds the Smart Cover in place when it is open.
The original, and in many ways still the best. Apple’s Smart Cover works in concert with the iPads 2 and 3, offering protection and a stand with minimal materials. It set the standard for every iPad case since, and is still the one to buy if you can’t bear to hide your beautiful iPad inside a heavy folio.
Our full review is waiting until we see a newly tweaked version of Thomas Fulton’s felt and leather case, but the Don’t Panic is already my favorite iPad case to use around the home. It’s light, offers some protection, and a clever arrangement of straps and magnets lets you prop it up on your bed, type, wrap it around your thigh, or just about anything you like. I think of it as my iPad’s favorite pair of slippers. It would be great out of the house, too, but the magnet in my prototype likes to zap my credit cards.
If you’re traveling around the world or to-and-from work, the Lacambra case has your iPad covered. Made to order in Spain from leather, the case zips closed and keeps the iPad safe inside. There’s a cut-out for the volume switch, pockets for business cards and boarding passes, and some extra tabs and straps to make typing or movie-watching easy. Don’t leave home without it.
Stick-on NFC chips could prove the need for NFC support in iOS
There have been a handful of technologies touted over the past few years that would remove (or dramatically reduce) the need to carry our credit/debit cards, loyalty cards, and even cash. For the past couple of years, NFC has been the technology of choice for turning our phones into digital wallets. Google and RIM have built NFC support into their respective mobile OSes and a handful of manufacturers have built NFC phones, but the technology hasn’t lived up to the hype.
BARCELONA, MOBILE WORLD CONGRESS 2012 — Speck, the prolific and (very friendly) gadget case maker, had something very special on show at the Mobile World Congress Mobile Focus even last night: An iPad 3 case, which you see above, now liberated and comfortable in the Cult of Mac Barcelona HQ. But all is not as it seems. It turns out the case isn’t quite as mysterious as you might think.
Never have I felt worse about buying a gadget accessory than I did buying the Speck SmartShell, a flimsy plastic cover for the back of the iPad 2 which Speck somehow summons the stones to sell for $35. Worse, I bought it in Europe, where it goes for €30, or $40. After a few months of use, though, it turns out to be the best iPad “case” I own (and I have rather a lot).
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – iPhone cases are like the condoms of CES: with an insinuating wink, everyone’s always handing you a free one. Speck’s latest case, though, managed to impress us despite the perpetual bombardment of its competitors. It’s called the Candy Shell grip, and it’s a sporty looking case aimed at gamers with a couple of neat little twists.
I’m a huge fan of Speck’s extensive range of accessories that compliment Apple’s iOS devices. I’ve had a number of Speck cases since the original iPhone, in addition to products for my MacBooks and iPads, and one thing that’s consistently good about these things is their build quality and design. They all fit well, do the job they were intended to do, and cope with whatever you throw at them.
The TRTL STAND iPhone 4 case ($30) is an eco-friendly case from TRTL BOT that, similar to its cousin the Minimalist 4, is made in the U.S. entirely from recycled plastic bottles. Not only does it aim to protect your device from scratches, scuffs, and scrapes, but it also boasts a built-in stand with a choice of three viewing angles.
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![The Speck FabShell Luxe For iPhone 4S Isn’t So Fab [Review]](http://cdn.cultofmac.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/IMG_5198.jpg "Speck-FabShell-Lux-1")
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![Speck Shows Off Prototype iPad 3 Case [MWC 2012]](http://cdn.cultofmac.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/speck-ipad-3-case.jpg "speck ipad 3 case")
![Speck SmartShell Has Got The iPad’s Back [Review]](http://cdn.cultofmac.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/speckshell-3.jpg "speckshell-3")
![Speck’s Sexy, Sporty CandyShell Grip Is The Last Case iPhone Gamers Will Ever Need [CES 2012]](http://cdn.cultofmac.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/speckcandygrip.jpg "speckcandygrip")
![The Speck CandyShell Wrap For iPad 2 Is Sizable But Stylish [Review]](http://cdn.cultofmac.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Screen-Shot-2011-08-05-at-17.17.29-e1312561094240.png)
I’m a huge fan of Speck’s extensive range of accessories that compliment Apple’s iOS devices. I’ve had a number of Speck cases since the original iPhone, in addition to products for my MacBooks and iPads, and one thing that’s consistently good about these things is their build quality and design. They all fit well, do the job they were intended to do, and cope with whatever you throw at them.![The TRTL STAND Case for iPhone 4: Always Handy, Never Pretty [Review]](http://cdn.cultofmac.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Screen-Shot-2011-07-13-at-16.10.31-e1310570432119.png)
