Macally Black Silicon Protective Case for iPhone 4: review

July 2, 2010 by Christine Chan

The iPhone 4 has been out for a week, and the cases are beginning to roll out, though much slower than with the 3G/3G because if the all-new industrial design. First up is the Silicon Protective Case in black from Macally.

Like most silicon cases, Macally’s case slips on easily over the iPhone 4, with no fuss. The rubber has opening slots for all accessible ports and buttons, as well asp perfect openings for the camera and LED flash. Unlike the Apple Bumper case, there is a bigger space allotment for accessing the mute switch and volume buttons. The bigger opening for the side buttons is great for those that found it difficult to access the mute switch because there is no small crevice tongue a fingertip into. It’s simply easier to access. Also, the bottom has an open slot that gives full access to the 30-pin connector port while exposing the mic/speaker at the bottom, so all previous iPhone/iPod cables should work without having to take the skin off. The only button that is covered is the power button, but the molded rubber placement on the case is in the correct spot.

The back of the case has a patterned surface that will add more grip and is non-slip on surfaces. There is also a detachable screen wipe in the middle of the back. Simply pull it off to clean your screen when needed, and stick it back when done – no need to carry a separate cleaning cloth for your new phone. An added bonus of the case is that it should help with the signal degradation that some people have been experiencing with their iPhone 4 units (the Vulcan “death grip” in the lower left corner).

The case has no problem with getting into a pocket – it slides in without sticking to fabric. However, silicon will attract those little bits of debris, and it will stick to the case. And from previous experience, it’s not much easier to get the debris unstuck – or to prevent it from happening at all. This is why I’m not particularly big on silicon cases. The case also is not a particularly tight fit – I notice that the sides seem to be a bit loose, and the bottom slides up easily. But there seems to be a good amount of thickness to absorb impact if dropped, since the screen glass is protected by the lift if silicon on the edges. It’s better than a cracked glass screen, at least.

rating: 2.5 out of five stars • Macally product page