Gadgetoid

gadg-et-oid [gaj-it-oid]

-adjective

1. having the characteristics or form of a gadget;
resembling a mechanical contrivance or device.

iPhone 3G FlexiShield Skin

I’ve never been a huge fan of *bling*, but there’s something kind-of appealing about the diamond patterned back of the transparent iPhone 3G FlexiShield Skin. The unique pattern of diamond-shaped lenses makes for an eye catching case back to the extent that it must be the first iPhone 3G silicone case that I’ve not torn off my iPhone and discarded in disgust.

Silicone iPhone cases have, in my experience, been thoroughly naff with even my beloved Proporta somehow managing to churn out an abortion of a dual-layered iPhone case which I just couldn’t stomach leaving on my phone. My bad experience with silicone cases started when I bought one with my iPhone to ensure it was protected. It was that, original, utter abortion of a case which made me decide that both myself and Gadgetoid could probably benefit from a few iPhone case reviews.

Now, almost a year later, I’ve finally found an iPhone skin that isn’t perfect, but gets a damned sight closer than the others I’ve tried. Yes, unfortunately the FlexiShield Skin does have imperfections and is cheaply manufactured.

The FlexiShield covers both the volume buttons and the power button on the iPhone, making them slightly awkward to use but certainly offering a damned sight more protection than any alternative I’ve tried, the cut out for the headphone jack is also a little too small to birth the mahoosive connector on my ‘phones, which has a screw thread for connecting a quarter-inch adaptor.

Furthermore, the cheap price of the FlexiShield Skin is reflected in its quality, whilst most of the skin was perfectly good, and fit the iPhone like a glove, around the front edge (on the sample I was sent, at least) there is a bit of a rough edge, perhaps from moulding. I couldn’t cut it off after a few minutes of hacking away with an extremely sharp scalpel, which I suppose demonstrated how durable the case was, but that little imperfection really got to me.

For the money, all of tenner, you can’t really complain. The FlexiShield Skin looks quite eye catching, I’ve already passed it onto a friend and new iPhone owner whose eye it caught. Although, admittedly, it’s probably just a little bit girly. It’s durable, protective, and doesn’t have those ugly cut-outs around the iPhone’s speaker and proximity sensors that some cases, in their determination to protect the front of the iPhone, seem to opt for.

If you’re looking to protect your iPhone, and also give it a quite distinct look without masking the fact it’s an iPhone (come on, you want to show off your new toy!), then the iPhone 3G FlexiShield Skin, combined with a screen protector to cover the front of your phone, is definitely not a bad choice.

Wednesday, July 8th, 2009, iPhone.