Decisions, Decisions… Do I want to protect my iPhone? Or would I rather make it easier to take photos?
With three hundred gazillion cases on the market to cover your iPhone, it must be a bit difficult for vendors to stand out. But some do. Here are two.
Kinetic Energy X-Orbing
The Nuguard KX claims that it is military drop tested and meets a certified military specification on that matter. Made out of a gel that feels exactly like rubber, the case does provide impact protection for your iPhone. Nugaurd calls this kinetic energy x-orbing. Cute, huh?
Having spent a lot of time with lots of phones, I can verify that the iPhone is one of the slipperiest on the market – so having a protective case is a good idea; and the Nuguard KX does seem to fit the bill.
Most people buy cases to make a statement, though; so looks are important. The Nuguard KX comes in a lot of nice colors including Eagle Shield, Trooper, Midnight, and Roulette. You figure them out. Most of them are nice. I chose Buzz – which is black with yellow trim, perfect for a Pittsburgh fan, since Pittsburghers bleed black & gold.
Although the company also claims the case gives easy access to all ports and buttons, I found this to be the weak spot. The yellow buttons on the case hide the tactile feel of the iPhone buttons; and several docks couldn’t reach the iPhone cable-connector properly on the bottom edge of the iPhone with the KX installed. (It works fine with a standard cable.)
A New Angle On Your iPhone
For newbie smartphone owners, the way you hold your phone to take photos takes some getting used to. RHP Multimedia makes it so you don’t have to. Its MirrorCase lets you point the phone at your subject as if you are pointing a flashlight, making it more comfortable for some people to hold the phone for snapshots.
It’s not rocket science. They put a mirror in a case that repositions the angle on which the camera lens sees the subject. Then they give you an app that lets you set the angle properly for both portrait and landscape mode photos.
Personally, I don’t care whether I point the back or the top of the phone at my subject. I can take good photos (and bad ones) either way. But I can understand how somebody might want to set down the phone on a desk to record a lecture or presentation, as suggested by the MirrorCase box. And I do like the way you can use MirrorCase with flashlight apps, as it changes the direction of the flash on your camera.
Nugaurd KX is $35 at http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/Apple/iPhone_Accessories/cases/NuGuard_KX
MirrorCase is $59.95 at http://www.mirrorcase.com/