Alumacase Aluminum Case for iPhone 4
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It's been a while since I first wrote about Alumacase back when they first started out making aluminum cases for the iPhone 4. At last, I've got my hands on the Aluminum Case. It would be more fitting to call these aluminum bumpers instead but nevertheless, you might want to stick around for the full review right after the break to find out if your hard earned money is worth the $59.95 this aluminum bumper is going to cost you.
In the growing market of aluminum cases for the iPhone 4, Alumacase doesn't stand out from all the rest. The Alumacase is your typical looking aluminum bumper case and that is perfectly fine if your after the look of simple and to the point, and that's exactly what the Alumacase bumper case is. The case I've got for this review is the Phantom Black model that has a glossy smooth finish to it. Glossy cases are not my cup of tea but I'm glad Alumacase makes matte models as well. Installation is very easy and requires screwing just 2 screws from the bottom to secure the Alumacase on the iPhone 4.
I was pleasantly surprised to find out that there are padded corners on the inside of each corner of the Alumacase. The foam-like non-conductive padding has a good amount of thickness to it so that your iPhone 4 will have some form of shock and bump protection which is exactly what I look for in cases, especially aluminum cases. Using the Alumacase did not impact my signal strength as much and both my reception and WiFi would lose one bar every now and then. Compared to other aluminum cases, the Alumacase actually performs very well at that.
There is a generous wide bottom cutout that will allow 3rd party sync and charging cables to work with the iPhone 4. Overall the Alumacase feels great in the hand and there is a significant edge around the front and back glass of the iPhone 4 that allows for good lay-on-the-table.
The open back design looks great if you pick out the right color for the right contrast. Alumacase also offers real carbon fiber backings for $15.95 to go along with the bumper for complete protection. You can see the connection between the bottom and top parts of the Alumacase are completely flush with each other even though the paint job makes the connection more noticeable to the eye.
Side buttons will not be very easy to press if you have large fingers and they are pretty recessed inside the bumper.
I don't like the top cutout for the sleep/wake button because it's far too recessed and it makes it hard to reach. I found the headphone jack port cutouts to be similar but it worked great with slim 3.5mm jacks. Overall the Alumacase doesn't add a whole lot of bulk to the iPhone 4 and it's a comfortable bumper to hold. While the look comes down to personal preference, I think that the Alumacase bumper does not stand out from the rest of the crowd at this point and time. Cases rapidly change and there are new modern designs popping out from every corner. Alumacase looks like it's stuck with the same design since last year. There are 14 colors and finishes to choose from starting at $59.95.
