I put an Apple Bumper Case on my iPhone 4 the second I bought it.  I really like that style of case, because it provides some protection without completely engulfing the sleek iPhone inside a huge case.  I’ve admired the beautiful machined metal bumper-style cases that have been reviewed here on The Gadgeteer.  I was very happy to be selected to try out a metal case for myself when Xtrucase sent one of their Duo Slider cases for iPhone 4/4S.  How does it perform?  Will it replace my Bumper?

The Duo Slider case is made of CNC (computer numerical controlled) machined 6061-T6 Swiss Imported Aircraft Grade Aluminum.  There are several anodized finishes available, including some styles with Swarovski crystals.  I received the the Blazing Orange color, which is a bright, clear, metallic orange.  It’s a beautiful case.  So beautiful that my case-hating daughter begged me for the Duo Slider as soon as she saw it.

The Duo Slider case measures 4.7″ long X 2.5″ wide X 0.5″deep and weighs 0.71 ounce.  It’s heavier than the Apple Bumper Case, which weighs 0.32 ounce.  The edges on the Duo Slider aren’t as rounded as those on the Bumper, so it feels different in my hand.  It’s not uncomfortable to hold, just a bit different than I’m used to.

Unlike many metal cases, the Duo Slider doesn’t require that you screw it together around the phone.  As the name suggests, the back of this case slides off.  You push the phone into the case, slide the back on, and make sure it snaps together.  The back stays on securely.  I’ve had no problems with the back sliding loose while I’m using the phone.

The phone fits snugly into the Duo Slider.  I had to push my iPhone 4 to get it into the case, but not so hard that I was afraid I’d break the back glass.  The interior of the case has synthetic rubber pads to protect the metal sides of the phone.  The rubber pads are probably designed to prevent contact between the metal of the case and the iPhone’s metal antenna, too.

The only installation instructions for the metal case were printed on the back of the package insert.  The Duo Slider came with two “Crystal Laminate Protective Film” screen protectors – one for the touch screen and one for the back.  There were no installation instructions for these films.  I got them lined up well, but I did end up with quite a bit of dust underneath both films.  (I do not do wet installations for screen protectors.  After my daughter killed two MacBook Pros in less than a year by spilling water on them, I can barely allow water in my house. )  Ignoring the dust bubbles, the screens are clear and they have a good feel.  They don’t cause your finger to “drag” as you swipe the screen.

The back cover has a cutout for the back camera and flash.  It didn’t interfere with taking photos.  The front piece has cutouts for the home button, the telephone speaker, and the front facing camera.  The proximity sensor is covered by the film.

It was easy to slide my phone in the Duo Slider front piece.  The back piece slid into place and snapped closed.  I think the case looks very nice installed on my white iPhone 4.  I would have personally preferred the red Duo Slider, but the orange appeals to my daughter.  Orange is one of her favorite colors, and she has Apple’s orange Bumper for her iPhone 4.

The case has a rim that fits over onto the front and the back of the iPhone.  This keeps the glass surface off the tabletop when you lay your phone down.  This will help prevent scratches to the glass, even if you choose not to apply the screen protectors.

The cutout for the mute slider and volume buttons is large enough that I am able to use them with no problems.  There’s a large piece of the synthetic rubber that shows through a large cutout below the volume buttons.  The only branding on this case is the Xtrucase name on this rubber piece.

The opposite side has three cutouts.  The middle one gives you access to the SIM card drawer on AT&T phones; the other two are simply for design symmetry.  I have a Verizon iPhone 4, which has no SIM card drawer, so these slots are purely decorative for my phone.

The bottom of the case has a big opening to expose the 30-pin connector, the speaker, and the microphone for the phone function.  I was able to charge my iPhone with the cable while the iPhone was in the Duo Slider case.  I can’t test the fit in a dock, because I don’t have one.

The top has a silver button that covers the iPhone’s sleep/wake button.  It’s easy to use this button to wake up my iPhone.  There’s a large, keyhole-shaped cutout for the headphone jack and the top microphone.  My earphones have a straight plug, and I was able to plug them in with no problems.  I would image the keyhole shape would give a little extra room so you could plug in earphones with a right-angle plug.  I’m not sure why it has to be quite so big, though.  (You can also see some of my dust bubbles in the screen protector in the bottom picture.)

The case looks beautiful on the phone, but simply sliding the phone into the front piece of the metal case caused my iPhone to drop one signal strength bar, sometimes two bars.  I can regain the bars simply by removing the case from my iPhone.  I’m lucky to live in an area with good service, so I can still make phone calls that sound clear with the case on the iPhone.  If you live somewhere with poor service, you might find yourself without a signal with the Duo Slider case in place.  I think this is true of most every metal case, though, at least the one’s I’ve seen reviewed.

If you’d love to have a metal case for your iPhone 4 or 4S that comes in a variety of beautiful anodized finishes, one that goes on and off easily without using tools, and if you can afford a slight loss of signal strength without dropping calls, you can’t go wrong with the Xtrucase Duo Slider.  I really like the case, but it hasn’t replaced my Bumper Case.  It’s replaced my daughter’s Bumper case. 

Filed in categories: iPhone, iPad, iPod related, Reviews

Tagged: iPhone 4/4S, Metal case

Xtrucase Duo Slider iPhone 4/4S Case Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 13, 2012 at 11:00 am.

Fourth generation iPod nano owners that are interested in keeping their device looking as good as the day they purchased it, might want to check out the aluminum slider case from CoreCases. They sent me two samples to review and here are my results.

This slider case is made of anodized aluminum and is available in Brushed Silver, Brushed Black, Brushed Red and Brushed Purple.

The case is comprised of two parts. A top half and a bottom half. The top half has a large circular cutout for the touch wheel and a poly-carbonate window over the display.

The bottom half of the slider case is lined in EVA foam. You can also see the attachment point for the optional (free) lanyard.

The nano slides into the bottom section of the slider case and then the top half slides over it, snapping securely in place.

As you can see, the bottom of the nano is completely open, allowing easy access to the headphone jack and sync port. I had no issues docking the nano in the Griffin Simplifi USB Dock (I don’t use the nano sized adapter though…).

The top edge has access to the hold switch.

The slider case adds very little bulk / weight to your nano. All edges are smooth and I have had no issues seeing the display through the plastic window.

This case will protect your nano from scratches and dings. It is easy to use and looks nice (if the color you purchase does not clash with the color of your nano). That said, I did find one ‘problem’ with both samples that were sent to me.

The poly-carbonate window has a protective plastic covering over both sides. No big deal right? Just peel it off and go about your merry iTunes way… Well yeah, you would think so. But the problem is that on both of my sample cases, the covering on the top side had its edges stuck between the plastic and the metal surrounding it. So, it tore when I tried to peel it off, leaving pieces stuck in the seams. I’ve tried to pull them out, but no luck… It looks pretty crappy. I thought I might be able to pop out the window, but it’s glued in. Garrrrrrr… I would have let this issue slip if it had only happened on one of the samples, but since it was two, they definitely need to look into this problem.

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear

Tagged: iPod nano, Metal case

CoreCases iPod nano 4th Generation Aluminum Slider Case originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on February 27, 2009 at 6:04 pm.