Spigen Linear Mirror Alice, Clockwork Cases for iPhone 4S Review
/
Spigen SGP's Linear Case Series appears to be a hit amongst iPhone users with a slew of different styles and colors to choose from, with more new styles being released at a staggering rapid pace. We'll be taking a look at two of Spigen SGP's most recent Linear Series cases including the Mirror Series Alice and all too geary Clockwork. Two completely different styles in a all familiar case. Spigen SGP's confusing way of naming its cases never gets old. Be sure to check out the full review including a close look at Spigen SGP's new Mix & Match Series down below. Especially you ladies!
Not much has changed since we last reviewed one of the Linear Series cases, the Linear Crystal case apart from one or two improvements that we'll go over. The Linear Series case will of course fit both the iPhone 4S and iPhone 4, it really goes without saying these days, and it includes an Ultra Crystal screen protector that may not be as great as Spigen SGP's more premium offerings such as the Glas.t and the Ultimate Class, but for what it's worth it gets the job done and it's nice to see it included nonetheless.
Even though we're going to start the review off with the Alice case, both of these cases are priced at $28 and are no different than any other Linear case in terms of construction and how they're put together on the iPhone. The Linear Series case for those of you who aren't already familiar with it, is a 3-part case that's made out of hard polycarbonate and has three individual parts including upper, lower frames and a back plate which interlock with one another and then simply slide onto the iPhone to become a case.
The Alice is designed to be a mirror case presumably geared towards women more than men. By the looks of it, the Alice leans towards being a ladies iPhone case. Although strangely enough, I quite like the way it looks with all of that typography going on whereas other styles of the Alice case aren't as unisex. The cutout for the iPhone's camera was tastefully done right to both look good and not interfere with popping flash. The Alice case has that chic stylish look that sets it apart from many other plain plastic iPhone cases.
The Mirror Series Alice case is available in black white and pink, all of which feature a unique pattern, albeit the white is simply a plain mirror and quite uninteresting. But if you like the idea of having a mirror on the back of your iPhone at all times and with you wherever you go, the black Alice case we're looking at features a meaningless typography pattern design that's plastered all across the mirror plate adding a fun style that's also practical as you can still easily use it as a mirror to check up on what ever you need checking up on.
The iPhone fits very snug inside the case and thankfully there are no creaking noises when holding the case, which was an issue when we last reviewed the Linear Crystal Series case. The polycarbonate plastic has a high-gloss finish that unfortunately isn't a good material that provides grip. It literally is one slick case.
The long cutout along the side makes it easy to access the iPhone's volume buttons and silent switch, and the same goes for the sleep/wake button. Plugging in slim headphone plugs and charging connectors isn't going to be an issue.
It's worth noting that the mirror back plate with the typography design is not as clear to see with and use as the Alice case that features the clean mirror back plate. You'll still be able to make out what your face looks like though. What's different about these mirror back plates that come with the Alice case is that they're scratch resistant compared to the plain Linear Series cases. I actually found that to be true, however, it can still very much get scuffed if you're not careful with how strenuous your get with it.
Protection isn't the Linear's best suit. As with all of the Linear Series cases you don't get any front screen protection and no surrounding edge to lift the iPhone's glass screen from the ground in the event of a drop or face down placement. With that said, the touchscreen is easier to use with no raised edges to get in your way And that also means you'll be able to use any screen protector. Because the case is comprised from three parts which are questionably secured together, there's more of a chance they might end up just breaking apart on hard impact. Other than hard plastic, there's nothing here to absorb shock. Unless you're looking for basic protection, this isn't the ideal case.
Last year, Spigen SGP promised that it'll release individual parts that make up the Linear case available for purchase so that users can customise their case from top to bottom. The Linear Mix & Match lets you do exactly that letting you create your own Linear case using a slew of different colors while simulating how your case and color assembly will look like on either a black or white iPhone right on the Linear Mix & Match product page. Individual parts are also available for purchase starting at $5. It's a great way of changing it up and creating a creative design and style to suit your personal taste. I'd skip what Spigen SGP puts together entirely and go for this more creative and unique route.
Spigen SGP's Linear Series Clockwork case brings with it a different paint job and a unique back plate design, otherwise it's just another Linear case. The Clockwork is available in this Champagne Gold color as well as in all white color scheme that will look great on a black iPhone. With a silver Mix & Match bottom piece on hand, I couldn't help but add more contrast to the Clockwork by swapping the parts to suit my liking.
The polycarbonate back plate of the Clockwork is clear to let thru the color of the iPhone's back to fill in the rest of the Clockwork design which features a three dimensional clock gear abstract that has an interesting subtle depth. That small black outlined camera cutout takes away from the design and just looks outdated. It would have been nice to see a similar wide cutout like the one on the Alice case. At least it doesn't interfere with the camera flash. Contrary to the slick, high-gloss plastic finish of the Alice case, the Clockwork case has somewhat of a metallic matte finish with a subtle grainy texture that's a tad gripper but still not enough.
While we think Spigen SGP's Linear Alice and Clockwork cases lack added grip and impact protection, if you like these two quirky designs then we think you'll really enjoy using the Linear Series. It's slim, comfortable to hold and most of all, it's practical. We on the other hand weren't satisfied with handling these slick plastic cases and would much prefer a thin layer of rubberized coating that would feel much nicer to hold in the hand.
