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12 June 2011
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Have a good look at iFrogz addition to the tough-as-nails genre of iPhone cases, and see if they can lift themselves above the standard just-add-padding formula we're all used to. 
What is it we expect in a case today? In general, it's something slimline and sleek, something that compliments the design of the iPhone, and something that looks just plain funky. But these cases, in general, don't stop your phone from breaking if dropped from any decent height, which basically renders them useless. But if we want protection, we often have to make sacrifices, by wrapping our iPhone up in what essentially boils down a lump of plastic and silicon. But do we really have to sacrifice style?
I always thought we did, but not anymore. I contacts iFrogz after seeing some of their products online, and they were absolutely super to work with, sending me out review units almost straight away. The live chat on the site was brilliant (If you end up talking with MacKenzie H, you've got someone great), and email support has been fantastic as well. I don't know if this is because I'm press or not, but I doubt it. They seem like a company genuinely providing fantastic customer service because they can.
But I didn't contact them for their customer service. I contacted them after browsing through their site, which is filled with some of the most amazing looking iPhone (And iPad and iPod) hardware out there. No ugly headphones or boring product names, instead you get style, colour, and an awesome name to match. Which is where the BullFrog fits in. My unit they shipped is the green and black edition, and it looks fantastic. A definite head turner, it'll have people asking where you got it from - I guarantee it.
So it passes in style, but what's it like for protection? This offers the usual plastic shell and silicon outer we're used to, but is strangely lacking
the built-in screen protector that many cases designed for defense have as a standard feature. Ignoring that missing layer of defense, the other two work well, without adding a huge amount of bulk. Yeah, you're iPhone will be about twice as thick with the case on, but that still isn't particularly large, and definitely not as large as some other cases, like the Griffin Survivor.
But with that reduced level of padding comes a reduced level of protection. At least, that's the theory. And that theory's probably right, but with this case you're phone will still easily survive your average fall. Those include a drop from head-height onto concrete, or the usual open-the-door-and-step-out-without-realising-your-phone-is-on-your-knee drop that many of us have experienced. You're not going to be able to throw this off a cliff or through a wall, but in all honesty, not many of us are going to want to do that.
But protection isn't only limited to drops and bumps. This case also features rubber overlays for the volume, sleep, and home buttons, which are still all easy to use, although I did find myself having to push a bit harder than normal on the home button. The silicon there felt kind of squidgy, to me. There's the cover for the 16-pin dock-connector, which is sturdy and secure while at the same time being easy to remove and put back in place. There's a similar cover for the headphone jack at the top, which is also easy to use. There's no cover for the silent switch, although I didn't feel like that was an issue, since you still have to poke your finger in the hole to use the switch.
But even with all that, where this case really shines is the lens protector. Other companies either ignore the camera altogether, giving no protection, or they add a chunky-monkey lump of rubber to block it, which can be a pain in the posterior when you're trying to get a picture. iFrogz answer is a sliding... Umm, a sliding slider that can either completely cover the camera, or be slid completely out of the way. The slider locks into place when covering the camera, and can be a bit sticky the first few times you use it, but it loosens after a while. Not to the point of sliding on its own, but loose enough to not require much effort.
And how about usability? Well, it's easy to put on, with the felt-lined two-piece plastic shield sliding directly over your iPhone, before being covered by the silicon outer section. Not super easy to take off, but not a major problem either. Just bear in mind, though, that if you regularly swap cases around, you'll want to be careful not to rush the removal and accidentally rip the silicon, which is quite thin in some places.
I've alread said the the camera cover is easy to use, and definitey earns bonus points in the usability section. The other plus is the extra large hole surrounding the headphone jack, meaning that even if you're 'buds are a little fat around the 3.5mm end, they'll still be able to fit without an issue. Unfortunately the case loses points when it comes to the dock connector. There's some plastic on the bottom of the case, partly for protection, partly to make the silicon protector fit better. Unfortunately, they haven't allowed a whole lot of space to fit the charger. You're generic Apple charger will fit fine, and it will go straight on to most docks without a worry, but my third-party car charger couldn't get past the plastic. I'm sure other people have this problem, and it would be easy enough to fix by simply allowing another millimetre or so around the dock connector.
So what do we end up with after all this? If I'm reading my own typing right, we've got a snazzy, stylish case that provides a medium level of protection without being overly bulky. Combine that with some genius ideas, such as the lens cover, and this case is a winner. The problems aren't major, and are easily outweighed by the positives. Definitely a case worth looking in to if you're after some protection without making your iPhone look like a rubber brick.
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