Polzii Tech (and iPhone 4 Case / Accessory) Reviews

iTimber Rosewood Case for iPhone 4

2012-01-19T11:08:00.000-08:00

iTimber Rosewood Case for iPhone 4

The iTimber Rosewood Case for the iPhone 4 is a two-piece slider style case. The fit is tight. Installation requires a bit of effort because of the tight fit. Sliding the phone into the top piece is easily done, but getting the bottom piece to slide on to the phone required a lot of effort. I had to really work to get the bottom piece to slide in all the way so as to eliminate the gap between the two pieces.

The case feels slighlty bulky and adds a bit of weight to the iPhone 4. This also gives the case a very solid feel. If you are a fan of wood cases, you will love the looks of the case.The finish is very smooth, which does not help with grip.

The iTimber logo is etched on the back of the case towards the bottom as shown in the pic below.

I had a very hard time getting the volume buttons to work. Initially, the volume buttons were very stiff and would not move. I ended up removing the case and re-installing it several times before they kind of worked.

The power/sleep/wake button fires easily and provides good feedback.
The headphone jack port is quite recessed and is very small to boot. Do not expect any headphones other than ones with narrow straight-in-type jacks to work.

The cutout for the dock connector port is recessed and very small. Third party charger cables will not work. Neither will any docks.

The mute switch is also quite recessed and folks with stubby fingers will not be able to access it easily..

The camera lens on the back gets a nice big cutout. I did not have any issues with flash.

The back of the case looks very nice but for the case I received, it was apparent on a closer inspection that the two pieces were slightly mis-aligned.

Signal Reception: Immediately after installing the case, I noticed that my signal dropped a bar. I will conduct further tests and update this review in a few days.

Overall: A gorgeous wood case that seems to be hand made and has a few idiosyncracies that would make it hard to live with everyday.

Rating: 2.5/5

Price: $60 shipped

Availabile here: Amazon, eBay, http://www.itimbercase.com/

Magpul Executive Field case for iPhone 4

2011-12-21T09:45:00.000-08:00

Magpul Executive Field case for iPhone 4

The Magpul Executive field case is a simple, elegant and functional design from a company that has a history of supplying products to the military. The case is constructed from synthetic rubber and is a snap-on case. Installation is a snap thanks to the semi-rigid feel of the case.

The case has four ribs on either side. The ribs extend into the back of the case. The ribs and the texture of the material used enables the case to provide superior grip. Holding the iPhone in the pal of one's hand, one's fingers naturally rest between the ridges created by the ribs. This makes it very comfortable and ergonomic to hold the iPhone in one hand.

The ribs also enable the case to stand on either side as shown in the picture below.

There are decent sized cutouts for the dock connector port and the headphone jack. I had no issues with using a thicker (than the standard Apple provided one) third party charger cable or headphones with the straight-type jacks. An L-shaped jack may not be compatible with the headphone cutout.

The volume buttons and power/sleep button are covered and provide very good feedback. The cutout for the mute switch is a little small, and although I was able to access the mute switch firly easily, folks with big fingers might find this task a little cumbersome.

The case provides a small lip for the front of the iPhone 4. Hence you can lay the iPhone screen side down on a table, although I would recommend you install a screen protector before doing so.

The case is available in 8 different colors. the ones I chose for review are ORANGE and FOLIAGE GREEN.

Overall: A very impressive design from Magpul. Im amazed at how functional and elegant the design is. And at $9.95, it is extremely good value.

Rating: 5/5
Price: $9.95
Available here: Magpul Executive Field Case
More information

ID America Gasket Brushed Aluminum case for iPhone 4

2011-04-08T22:53:00.000-07:00

ID America Gasket case for iPhone 4

The ID America Gasket case for the iPhone 4 is an unusual looking slim-line brushed aluminum case that is inspired by the shape of a head gasket on an engine. The case is constructed from real brushed aluminum and has a suede inner liner to protect the back of your phone from getting scratched up.

This case will appeal tho those who prefer a slim case that provides scratch and bump protection while maintaining the slim, beautiful shape of the iPhone as much as possible. The case feels very solid and smooth when handled, and provides adequate grip. The front of the iPhone does not get a protective lip but a screen protector is included and can be used to protect the screen from scratches.

The Gasket Brushed Aluminum case is available in 4 colors, Titanium Gray, Modern Bronze (the color I chose for the review), Aluminum Silver and Vintage Gold.

There are large cutouts for the dock connector, volume buttons, mute switch, headphone jack and power/sleep button. None of the buttons are covered, and hence they work just as well as they would without the case installed. The case works perfectly with the standard Apple dock. Connecting third party headphones and charger cables also worked without any issues whatsoever. The camera gets a big round cutout on the back and I had no issues with taking pictures using flash.

All ID America cases come in a nice package and include a front and back (clear) shields (protectors) along with a cleaning cloth and squegee.

Pros:
Absolutely GORGEOUS case, very UNIQUE, sleek, slim design
Signal reception was not affected at all (even though the case is made of metal)
Generous cutouts for dock connector port and all switches/buttons, make it very amenable to dock your iPhone

Cons:

No lay on table design, no front lip to protect the glass screen

Rating: 4/5
Price: $29.99
Available here: ID America Gasket Case

ID America Skyline Rigid Flex Case for iPhone 4

2011-04-08T21:39:00.000-07:00

ID America Skyline Case for iPhone 4

The ID America Skyline Case for the iPhone 4 is a "Rigid-Flex" case that is made of a hard but flexible material (feels like TPU). The case is flexible enough to install easily on the iPhone 4. Yet, once installed, it feels very hard and rigid enough to provide very good bump and shock protection for your iPhone 4.

The case feels nice and soft when handled and provides very good grip. This probably is due to the material used and the perforated pattern on the back. The case provides a very useful front lip that not only provides very good protection for the front screen of you iPhone 4 but also allows you to lay your iPhone on a table screen side down.

The case has a big cutout for the camera and and a nice perforated design on the back. No washout effect was noticed when taking pictures using flash.
The cutouts for the dock connector, volume buttons, mute switch and the headphone jack are generous. I was able to use the case with the standard Apple dock, and the dock connector port was big enough to allow a charger cable that had a longer and thicker connector than the standard cable supplied by Apple. The volume buttons and the mute switch are easily accessed. The power/sleep button is covered and provided good feedback and fired without issue every time I tried it.

All ID America cases come in a nice package and include a front and back (clear) shields (protectors) along with a cleaning cloth and squegee.

Rating : 4.5/5

Price: $24.99

Available here: ID America Skyline Case

Element Vapor Case for iPhone 4 Review

2011-01-08T13:07:00.000-08:00

Element Vapor for iPhone 4
UPDATED March 8th 2011

The revised Vapor case for iPhone 4 from Element Case is a beautiful, sleek looking bumper style case made of CNC machined aluminum. It consists of two pieces that are held together by 4 screws. A small wrench is provided. You also have the option of custom laser engraving the case.

I chose the Satin Nickel color, which is absolutely gorgeous and really brings out the beauty of the iPhone 4's shape.

The case is available in several colors and you can mix and match the colors for the frame and the cap. It also features a side cutout for the sim tray.

Signal reception is an issue with this case. if you have a very strong signal to begin with, it may not affect the usability of your phone. Happily, this case worked great for me since I normally get a very strong signal from AT&T. But, if you normally have only 1 or 2 bars of signal, then this case will attenuate the signal considerably, to the extent of having just 1 bar or even less of reception.

I also had sporadic issues with deterioration of wifi and gps signals.

Here is a comparison of the signals for a naked iPhone and the Vapor 4 case :

Vapor 4 signal -99dB

Naked iPhone signal -82dB

UPDATE on Jan 10th 2011:

Atomic Hybrid Signal -81dB

Pros:

Exquisite eye-catching design, I absolutely love the satin nickel color.

Nubs on right side make using the iPhone in landscape mode a pleasure

Cons:

Affects Signal reception

Small recessed headphone port and deep dock connector port

Requires dock extender

Minimal lay on table design

Overall: Absolutely gorgeous, exquisite looking case that causes some signal attenuation in weak reception areas. If you have very strong signal reception, the case performs well. Not recommended for weak reception areas.

Rating: 3.5/5

Price: starting at $79.95 + shipping

Available here: Vapor for iPhone 4

Atomic Hybrid Case for iPhone 4 Review

2011-01-08T07:21:00.000-08:00

Atomic Hybrid for iPhone 4

UPDATED March 8th 2011

I have owned several aluminum cases for the iPhone 4 including the original and newer Vapor from Element Case, the original Atomic case and the Fusion RAW. All of them have attenuated the phone's signal reception considerably.

Atomic Hybrid Signal -81 dB

Naked iPhone Signal -82 dB

With the Atomic Hybrid composite case, I have experienced none of the signal issues. Atomic Industries has designed a superior case that has the hallmarks of the classic shape we have seen in the Vapor and the original Atomic case, but one that is made from a combination of Delrin/Graphite composite (the frame) and T6 Billed Aluminum (the cap). The result is an extremely good looking case with none of the ill effects of using a full aluminum case.

Pros:
Reception, Wifi signal and GPS signal are not affected in my testing for over a month.
Good looks (The case is precision engineered and CNC machined and the logo is tasteful and understated)
Extremely light (15 grams)

Cons:
Minimal Lay on the Table design
Glass Back of the iPhone 4 is not protected
Deep dock connector which will not work with most docks, needs a dock extender.

Features:

The frame of the case that covers the entire left side of the phone and the top and bottom is made of Delrin and Graphite composite. The delrin feels pretty good to my hand. It does bow and flex a bit if the phone is held in a certain way. But it is an extremely lightweight material and that adds to the attractiveness and good overall feel of the case.

The cap covers the right side of the phone and is made of CNC machined Aluminum. The machining of the aluminum is great. Very well done and it feels very solid.

The delrin frame comes in Black and White.
Various colors are available for the cap to enable customization, the colors are orange, lime green, silver, gunmetal, blue, fuschia red and chrome.

Two extra hex screws were included as was an Allen wrench for installation.

Installed the case feels very good in the hand. Solid and well built. I love the nubs on the right side of the case. I frequently browse and use my phone in landscape mode and the nubs add to the comfort level of using the case.

The dock connector accommodated every cable I tried, which is nice. Unfortunately it seems a lot deeper than I had expected. I had to order a dock extender. I got mine on ebay for about $13 shipped.

The lock/sleep button is slightly recessed below the delrin. It does provide good feedback and works every time you press it. It also prevents the power button from being accidentally pressed when in your pocket.

A nice large cutout for the vibrate switch and volume buttons makes them easily accessible and I had no problems with usability. Compared to the Apple bumper though, I have to say that the Apple bumper is far more tactile and superior in this aspect.

Overall:

Overall, this is case is amongst my Top 5 cases. I find myself using this case a lot. At approximately 90$ shipped in the US, it is on the expensive side, but I feel its well worth it since it avoids all the reception issues completely.

Rating: 4.8/5
Price: ~$90 shipped
Available here: Atomic Industries

SIGNIcase Zebra Wood case for iPhone 4

2009-09-27T15:27:00.000-07:00

SIGNIcase Zebra Wood case for iPhone 4

The SigniCase Zebra Wood case for the iPhone 4 is a handcrafted, light weight (weighs just 22 grams) case made from eco-friendly "zebra" wood. The zebra pattern is laser engraved onto the wood surface.

I really love the looks of this case. Ive been testing out the case for about a week and have received several compliments. The case has a smooth finish. If you look at the photos, you would expect a ridged surface. The "ridged" look, however, is achieved by laser engraving, and hence, the surface is actually very smooth (which is not ideal for grip).

The case is very flimsy. It came with a warning saying "Do not use protector film on the back or it may crack the case" (something to that effect). Not exactly confidence inspiring. During installation, I tried to be very ginger, since it felt like the case would crack if I pushed too hard. The case did install easier than expected and the fit is very snug. I did have to be careful during installation since I did not want to bubble-up my screen protector.

The case provides a very healthy front lip which was a welcome surprise. Great lay on the table design. While this case provides good scratch and bump protection, I would not be very confident dropping it. I fully expect the case to crack into several pieces if I drop it on a hard surface. I believe the iPhone would be protected in such a scenario, but due to its flimsy nature, the case itself would not survive such a drop.

As you can see in the pics above, all ports are extremely recessed. The case is compatible with both AT&T and Verizon iPhones due to the way the cutout for the volume buttons and mute switch is done. I did have issues access the power/sleep/wake button. A small detent is provided where your index finger would rest naturally when you hold the phone, but the button is still fairly recessed and one has to dig in with one's index finger to fire the power button.

Using third party charger cables is out of the question. A dock can be used provided you install a dock extender.

Overall: A beautiful case that is a bit flimsy but provides good bump and scratch protection. The zebra wood design is very eye catching.

Rating: 3/5

Price: $40 shipped

Available here: Amazon.com, SigniCase.com