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SwitchEasy's Vulcan case for the iPad is made out of a Hydro Polymere material, very much like a TPU material except SwitchEasy's Hydro Polymer Vulcan case is scratch resistant. Cases with such glossy finishes always get scratched up in daily use and is just doesn't look good. I decided to test out SwitchEasy's claims on the Hydro Polymer material of course in the full review right after the break.
Incipio's NGP case for the iPhone 4 stands for "Next Generation Polymer", which is a fancy name for TPU or thermo polyurethane. The Incipio NGP case has a matte feel to it, seems to be a little bit on the bulky side, and offers a lot of protection, will it have what it takes to make it to the top of my favorites list? Catch the full review of the Incipio NGP after the break.
If you loved the iSkin Solo for the iPhone 4 then you're gonna love the new iSkin Solo FX case for the iPhone 4 even more. Made out of a flexible TPU material, the Solo FX adds even more style and protection for the iPhone 4 with it's circular pattern design and even more frontal screen protection. The Solo FX is essentially the same as the Solo case with a few changes here and there. One noticeable difference in the new Solo FX is it's top opening. Read on to to find out how well the new Solo FX performs.
The iSkin Solo case for the iPhone 4 is a straight forward simple yet good looking TPU case. The Solo is one of the better TPU (Thermoplastic) on the market, it doesn't feel like a cheap case and it's very well designed. The back of the Solo has a shiny glossy finish which shows fingerprints and a bit of lint if you pick a dark color. After using the Solo for a while I found that it can get scratched easily but it isn't all that noticeable.
It's not everyday you see a case like this around. This is the iSkin Vu case for the iPad and it isn't your typical iPad case, this case is an eye catcher. The Vu looks amazing with it's semi-transparant color combination and unique detailed pattern that is found all over the case. The Vu features a hybrid combination of hard clear plastic and a colored TPU material which is also known as Thermoplastic, a semi-flexible rubbery plastic. This combination of hard plastic and TPU materials make the Vu a great all around protective case against bumps, scratches and even small drops. iSkin's Vu has Microban protection to help keep the colors from fading and discoloring over time, and it also helps keep germs off. If you're using Apple's iPad Dock, the Vu has a back dock cover which slides on and off do allow for docking.
While looks are great, function is always a big thing with cases, and the Vu does have a few negative aspects. The Vu has a pretty thick TPU that covers part of the iPad's bezel and fully covers the bottom home button area. This is great for protection but it also makes for very hard and somewhat frustrating installation. Once I got the Vu on my iPad I noticed that there is a good lip all around the iPad's bezel, however these lips did not completely sit flush on the glass surface. Because of the thickness of the material it looks like it lifts a bit off the surface. This isn't a big issue with comfort but it does make it a bit hard to press down on the side volume buttons because they are fully covered. Also, the volume and rotation switch are covered with flaps that you need to dig in with your finger nails just to get to those covered areas.
The Vu features a back dock cover which you can remove in order to dock your iPad with Apple's iPad Dock. But this cover is a big pain to get in and off and it just made me not even want to take it off ever. But once you do have this dock cover installed on the Vu, it does not completely stay flush with the seem that it connects to. I do hope this does get fixed after a while. Overall the Vu looks fantastic when it's on the iPad and it also feels great to hold with it's textured patters all over the back on the front of the case. Both the texture and the TPU material gives you a good grip. The Vu does not attract any lint or dust so it keeps looking good. For $64.99 I would expect the Vu to not have any of these issues mentioned, but it certainly gives you that great protection and good looks. The Vu is available in seven colors. Price $64.99.
If you love how slim your iPhone 4 is and want to keep it that way but still need protection, then you might want to look at Case mate's Gelli case. The Gelli case is a TPU case that is so slim, you won't even know you have it on. Unlike other TPU case out there, the Gelli is much more flexible and very easy to put on, hence the name Gelli. The Gelli features vibrant, semi-transparant colors and patterns which show off the back of your iPhone 4's Apple logo. Because of how slim and thin the Gelli case is, it won't be a good drop protector, however it will do great protecting your iPhone against scratches and light bumps. The cutouts on the Gelli case are perfect with easy to press buttons. There is a nice lay out the table front lip so that you don't need to worry about your screen to much.
The Gelli case overall is a simple, slimline case for the iPhone 4. It's a great case for those who seek such a case for their iPhone. The Gelli doesn't feel like it's made from a high quality material like the iSkin Solo, however for the price it isn't bad at all. The Gelli comes with one screen protectors, a cleaning cloth and an application card. You can get the Gelli case in six colors and patterns. Price $19.99.
The Belkin Grip Vue is a thin TPU case that does not add a lot of bulk to your iPhone 4. It is very durable and scratch-resistant material. This case offers a great amount of protection and slides in and out of pockets with ease. I would recommend this case to anyone wanting a nice clear case for their brand new iPhone 4. I didn't mention in my video (as I've had more time using the case) that the clear version does turn a yellowish color over time. I would suggest washing the case with dishwashing soap and water (without the iPhone in the case of course).
The Belkin Grip Vue is available at local Best Buy store for $25 and also comes in two more colors; Pearl Black (Smoke) and Purple.
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