A hybrid hard/soft case that’s just right

One of the first things I did after I ordered my iPhone 3G was to search for a hard case.  Let’s just say I’m not very good at keeping my phones new.  My last phone, the Blackberry Pearl, has 2 holes, 1 dent, and 1 missing piece in it after 16 months of use.   I am determined that my 3G is here to last and this time I will do everything to make sure it’s kept as new as possible.

The first thing I did was keep the clear plastic screen cover that came with the iPhone on the phone until I could find a proper screen protector, which I subsequently replaced with a BestSkinsEver full body skin.  The skin would cover all of the scratches for those times when I put the phone in my pocket and forget to take out that last quarter.  The second was to find a hard case that looked good, and protected my precious iPhone from falls.

After a lot of research, I decided to give the Capsule Rebel from SwitchEasy a try, and so far I really like it.  It’s actually a combination of a hard and soft case.  The phone is wrapped in the soft case, which is a light rubbery material SwitchEasy calls ADSP (Adaptive Dynamic Soft Polymer), then supported by a “backbone skeleton” made of Lexan plastic (the same stuff Nalgene bottles are made of) which cover the four corners and approximately alternating 1cm intervals on the side.  The ADSP even covers the volume and lock buttons, which is something I really like about this case.

After putting it all together, I find that I quite like this case.  My iPhone with the full body skin was a little tight, but I was able it fit it after a little bit of work.  the ADSP is an interesting material.  Soft when you put it onto the phone, but add the backbone support and it feels quite hard.  Other than the button covers and the very bottom, once the backbone is on it tightens up and you can’t really tell that it’s soft material. It seems to harden up somewhat.

The package comes with quite a bit of stuff.  Besides the case itself, the box comes with 2 screen protectors, 1 screen cloth, a plastic stand for watching video, and a plug for protecting the USB connection when you’re not using it.  The case looks good, doesn’t add a lot of additional size to the phone, and I feel pretty comforable that my phone is safe if (when) I drop it.

Conclusion

I plan to be using this case for a while - it looks good, and the combination of hard and soft case should provide the iPhone with ample impact and shock absorbtion.   Combined with my full body skin, I feel like I can keep this phone even until the next iPhone comes out.

Review Score: 4.5 out of 5

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