Ego Slide Case & Snap Case for iPhone 4 Review
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Slider cases have been out ever since the first generation iPhone came out and were perfected by their founders, Incase, which has since kept the tradition and did not really evolve the Slider's design. A company called Ego has took it upon itself to create what might in fact be the best slim slider case ever made for the iPhone 4. Ego's Slide Case is the most interesting slider case we've seen in a long time. Ego's Slide Case wasn't all that good when it first came out, but luckily we've got our hands on Ego's most recent new and improved cases. We're going to take a look at both of Ego's iPhone 4 case offerings including the Snap Case right after the break!
I would consider myself to be a huge fan of slider cases and I've been using them ever since the first generation iPhone came out. So when I first began using the Slide Case, I couldn't be more excited on how different it looked and felt compared to other slider cases, mostly the ones made by Incase. Ego was nice enough to send out three colors of their Slide Case, and every single one of them is stunning to look at. Visual appeal is really important to most people and having a case to show off can really make your day that much better. Ego's Slide Case come in a two-tone color scheme with a slew of colors to choose from. You can create your very own color combination to mix things up if you've got two of these, or you can purchase separate bottom and top parts of the Slide Case as well. In any case, the Slide Case will run you $34.95.
Before we move on though, I want to point out the soft and slightly padded inner black lining the Slide Case is covered with. It feels very smooth to the touch and helps the iPhone 4 slide in and out as smooth as butter while also adding a little bit of shock protection.
Obviously, the Slide Case attracts attention no matter where you go. Bright colors are only half of what the Slide Case has to offer. In breaking the traditional slider style design, Ego has designed the Slide Case to have a slanted connection for the two pieces to come together. And the two parts connect flawlessly with each other. Overall, the exterior of the Slide Case looks and feels very refined. Every contour makes you want to touch this case. Not only that, but the Slide Case has a matte exterior finish with a soft-touch coating which feels silky smooth unlike any other soft-touch coating I've felt before. Maybe it's because Ego hasn't went crazy with it and only used the right amount of coating for that creamy, smooth texture your fingers will enjoy. There's also quite a bit of grip because of the soft-touch coating, but not too much to the point where lint attracts to the case.
Also, it's worth mentioning that if you opt for the black color, it will show oily fingerprints and scratches overtime a lot more than all other colors.
Protection wise, the Slide Case is made out of tough Lexan which is the same material used in ice hockey helmets. I wouldn't necessarily recommend this cases such as the Griffin Survivor of course, but with that being said the Slide Case will provide you with good enough protection for everyday use and minor drops. There's also a very decent, yet slim lay-on-the-table edge recessing the front screen of the iPhone 4.
As far as cutouts go, the Ego Slide Case nails every single one of them with cutouts making the volume and sleep/wake buttons fully reachable as well as a wide enough top pill-shaped cutout for both the mic secondary mic and headphone port. I haven't has any issues using all of my headphones' plugs with this case, nor did I have issues with the wide bottom dock connector cutout. The only issue you will find with the Slide Case is if you pick any other color than black for the top section, colors will tint your images if you use the LED flash, which I never use myself.
Ego Snap Case
Ego's Snap Case for the iPhone 4 is at essentially a Slide Case that has been stripped down to its bare nakedness. Featuring a much more slim form factor with a back snap-on style design that is really for those who hate bulk and only need the slightest bit of back and metal band protection. There are some key differences though, like the more pronounced back facing camera cutout. Unlike its more protective brother, the Snap Case will not interfere with your images if you use the LED flash.
The inside isn't as protective as the Slide Case and does not have the padded black liner. What I really liked about this case is that it was very easy to snap onto the iPhone 4 and just as easy to remove, unlike a lot of other similarly designed cases on the market.
Staying true to the slim overall form factor of a simple back snap-on case, the Snap Case will not offer any sort of protection for the iPhone 4's front face. Both the top and bottom of the iPhone 4 are exposed due to the Snap Case's large openings. The Snap Case is really only slimmer than the Slide Case by very little due to the fact that there isn't any lay-on-the-table edge.
Taking a look at the back side of the Snap Case, you'll notice that the texture isn't the same as the Slide Case. Instead of a smooth finish, the Snap Case has a more gritty and rough finish that is scratch-resistant and does a great job in not showing any oily fingerprints. Ego has also added a coating of the matte soft-touch coating onto the Snap Case so it doesn't feel left alone. The Snap Case comes in only three colors that are muted in comparison to the Slide Case color selection.
All in all, Ego's Slide Case has deemed itself worthy enough to be called the best iPhone 4 slider case currently on the market. I only hope Ego will have these cases available as soon as the iPhone 5 gets released out into the wild because quite frankly, I'm in love with these cases. It's a real shame these don't replace Incase's Slider cases in all Apple retail stores.
