Review: Scosche kickBACK S

review by Bill Palmer

That the new iPhone 3GS has a physically identical body to last year’s 3G model has given accessory makers the opportunity to take another swing at revamping their existing iPhone 3G products, often times in a creative way. In the case of the Scosche kickBACK, whose original claim to fame was the kick-out leg on the back which allowed the iPhone to be propped up horizontally for presumably watching video content, that means evolving from an all clear plastic body in the original version to a mixture of clear plastic and black, pink, or grey rubber on the new kickBACK S. Despite the nomenclature, this new version of the kickBACK works with both the 3G and 3GS.



The combination of soft rubber around the edges and clear plastic in the center means that your iPhone has impact protection where it counts, but can still be largely recognizable as an iPhone (even from the back) while inside the product. And generally it’s a very well done product. The top button and volume buttons have play-through rubber bumps over them, the cut-out for the vibrate switch is of the right size, and so on. The kick-out leg on the back is sturdy and can be adjusted for slightly different viewing angles. The iPhone itself is easily inserted and easily removed.



What keeps the kickBACK S from greatness is that it’s just barely technically a case. Thanks to the iPhone’s seemingly bulletproof screen and the fact that it needs to be touched frequently, iPhone users have largely decided that they’re okay with their screen being either completely exposed or covered by thin clear screen film. This means that most iPhone cases barely have any material on the iPhone’s front surface. But the kickBACK S has none at all, its rubber siding stopping about a millimeter short of even covering the entire silver bezel. That’s fine for the “shield” or “sled” products that cost $10-$15, but at $35 the kickBACK S is too expensive to lump into that group, even if it does beat the pants off of all of them. Based on my tests the iPhone isn’t going to accidentally fall out of the kickBACK S no matter what – not even if you shake it violently. But the lack of full bezel protection seems an odd choice for an otherwise excellent product. Is my gripe a big deal or just a minor concern? You can decide.

Learn more about the kickBACK S at Scosche.com