When I came to choose a case for my iPhone 4, I couldn’t find any reviews of the incase Snap Case, so here are my thoughts on it for anyone else that might be considering one.

First, a little background as to how I acquired the case. There has been a lot of publicity regarding the signal attenuation problems with Apple’s new iPhone 4 handset. In my humble opinion, it has been blown way out of proportion, mostly by people who don’t even own an iPhone 4. To be totally honest with you, I have experienced the so-called ‘death grip’. At my desk in the office where I work, I’ve always had a low signal. 3G is a distant dream, and a middling 2G signal is pretty much the best I can hope for. When I bought my iPhone 4, holding it in my left hand facing me (note: I only hold it like this when texting or emailing), the signal bars would indeed begin to decrease, and after a few seconds the signal would disappear completely leaving me with ‘No Service’. At home, however, where I have a strong 3G signal, I could never replicate the problem. I suppose what I’m trying to say is: Yes, it was a real problem, but not one demanding as much attention as it did. I suppose it comes with the territory for Apple. They have a tendency to generate huge amounts of hype around their product releases that even the slightest of problems will be met with huge amounts of negative feedback.

To address this negative feedback, Apple launched the iPhone 4 Case Program. This program provided those who experienced the signal attenuation problem with a free case. Either an Apple iPhone 4 Bumper, or a third-party case from a given selection. Evidently, I opted for the incase Snap Case Clear.

As nice as Apple’s bumpers are, the ‘naked’ iPhone 4 really is a beautiful piece of design work, and it seemed a shame to cover it up. The clear hardshell case allows all of the iPhone 4′s glass and stainless steel components to remain in full view, whilst providing a reasonable amount of protection. Precisely what I was looking for.

I’ll dive straight in with a few photos of the case attached to the iPhone. The case clips onto the iPhone without much fuss, and without any adhesives. Removing the case isn’t as easy as some of the clip-on cases I’ve seen, which I personally prefer as I’d rather the phone stayed in the case than inadvertently pop out.

The case comes packaged in a fairly nondescript, yet more than adequate box, but what did catch my eye is the ‘Stand included’ badge on the front. This wasn’t listed as a feature when I selected the case, but is actually a very nice addition. Its just a small piece of transparent plastic, which looks like a lop-sided W from a side profile.

All of the edges that touch the iPhone/case are rounded so it’s unlikely to cause any damage. You place the iPhone 4 into the stand on it’s side (landscape) and its nicely angled for watching videos. Turn the stand around, and the iPhone is tilted at a steeper angle. Particularly handy for me as I quite often travel by train watching videos on my iPhone. Note: This stand has clearly not been designed to hold the phone in portrait, and I wouldn’t advise it using it this way. It does work, but it is certainly not stable.

The box also lists a feature called a ‘Flash Ring’. Essentially, this is a black ring around the rear camera hole to stop the light from the flash from causing glare by reflecting on the case.

Pros:
Slim & lightweight
Transparent
Hardshell construction (doesnt ‘catch’ in your pocket)
Unobstructed accessory ports
Desktop landscape stand included

Cons:
Top & bottom of iPhone unprotected
Incompatible with official Apple Docks*
High-Gloss coating provides little grip
Perceived lack of drop protection – i.e. hard shell = low impact absorption

*It does fit in an Apple Universal Dock without any dock adapters, but this may potentially cause stress on the dock connector.

For me, the pros are definitely more important than the cons, given the alternative cases currently available. If you’re worried about the phone receiving significant damage from being dropped, then this style of case probably isn’t for you. You would be more suited to a more fully enclosed case. Incidentally, I also use my SENA Ultraslim iPhone leather pouch from my old iPhone 3G for additional protection. It fits perfectly fine with the Snap Case attached. You could, of course, opt to protect the screen from scratches by applying a screen protection film, but you’d then lose the oleophobic properties of the iPhone 4′s bare screen. I prefer mine without.

Rob's Rating: