review: NuGuard Hard Shell case for iPhone 4
October 11, 2010 by Christine Chan · Leave a Comment
What’s the point of getting a beautiful phone like the iPhone 4 only to end up covering it up with a case that doesn’t show off the natural beauty? Yes, we need to have some protection for a device like the iPhone 4, but it’s also nice to be able to show it off to everyone else, right? Well, the NuGuard Clear from Newer Technology is the solution. The NuGuard Clear is a two-piece snap on case that gives your shiny iPhone 4 protection while allowing the back to be seen by those around you. Getting it on your iPhone is easy, and it’s just as easy to take off. Newer Technology claims that this shell case offers more impact resistance than other polycarbonate shells out on the market. I’m not exactly going to test this claim though, there’s only so many iPhone 4s I can afford. But the case feels solid and secure when it is on your iPhone.
The feel of the acrylic shell offers a good grip when holding it, so you shouldn’t be dropping it anyway. It also does a good job of protecting your device from scratches, dirt and oily fingerprints, all while showing off your iPhone 4′s natural beauty. On the side is a large space for the ringer toggle and volume buttons, much like the other case I reviewed from Newer Technology, the NuGuard Carbon. The same cutout is on the back for the camera and flash. Since this is a two-piece snap on case, it protects the top and bottom of the iPhone 4. The top leaves the power button exposed and the bottom gets a space that is large enough to accommodate older iPhone cables.
Overall, this is a good shell case for your iPhone 4. The only little problem is that there is a logo slapped on the middle of the back. I see this as tarnishing the iPhone 4′s natural beauty, since it’s below the Apple logo and above the ‘iPhone’ text. The logo should be smaller and tucked away towards the bottom, where it’s not as obtrusive. I mean, you’re paying money for the case, why do you need to be walking around advertising it like a billboard? Despite the logo flaw, the NuGuard Hard Shell is a nice protective shell for your iPhone. Recommended.
review by Christine Chan
rating: four stars out of five • NewerTech.com
review: Newer Technology NuGuard Carbon Fiber case for iPhone 4
October 11, 2010 by Christine Chan · Leave a Comment
One piece snap on cases are simple, minimalistic, and add a splash of style to your phone. Newer Technology provides all of this in its NuGuard Carbon case. Snap on cases are some of the easiest things to get on your phone. With the NuGuard Carbon, just slip in one side of the phone first, preferably the side with the buttons. Then just push the other side into the case until it ‘snaps’ together. If you need to get it off for any reason, I find that separating the case from the phone on one side and then pushing the rest out is the easiest way, and is usually the standard way for snap-on cases.
The sides of the Carbon have a soft and smooth texture that gives the device some grip, which is always good to have considering that the iPhone 4′s glass can make it slippery. The back is covered with a carbon fiber pattern that adds a sense of style and texture to aid in getting a good grip on your phone. The ringer toggle and volume buttons are super easy to access with the exposed space for them, so there’s no trouble getting to them like with some other cases.
Since the top and bottom are exposed, the NuGuard Carbon has no trouble giving you full access to the charge sync terminal and the power and headphone jack. The camera is given an ovular cutout that gives the flash enough room without obstructing photos in any way. The only drawback that I can see of the case is that the top and bottom of the device is left open. This means that if the phone is dropped and hits a surface on the top or bottom, there isn’t any protection to save it from cracking or scuffs. But it shouldn’t be a problem for those that are careful with their phones, like I usually am.
If you’re looking for a simple and minimalistic case that will give you some protection while looking good, then the Newer Technology NuGuard Carbon Fiber could be a good fit for you. Ju st be careful with the top and bottom of the device. You’ve been warned.
review by Christine Chan
rating: four stars out of five • NewerTech.com
NewerTech unveils iPad leather case
March 31, 2010 by Beatweek · 5 Comments
Newer Technology has unveiled its “iFolio” leather carrying case for Apple’s iPad, which will begin shipping two days after the iPad itself hits the market. Available April 5th, the iFolio will sell for a $99 “introductory” price and will come in a choice of black or red Brazilian leather and a removable shoulder strap which can be adjusted in the range of 24 to 42 inches, along with a collapsible built-in handle. Once the introductory price expires, the iFolio will be officially priced at $129.
Learn more about the iFolio for iPad at macsales.com.
Review: NewerTech Charge & Sync
January 5, 2010 by Bill Palmer · Leave a Comment
NewerTechnology has a track record of taking expensive functionality and bringing it down to a breakthrough price point, as best demonstrated by the company’s $19 iPhone-specific earbuds two years ago, at a time when it was difficult to find such a product for less than triple digits. Here in 2010, where anything beyond lame snap-on batteries will cost you sixty dollars or (much) more, here comes the descriptively if not-so-catchily named Charge & Sync+ which offers battery brick functionality for forty bucks.
As you might expect, the price point brings some compromises with it. While the $129 ZAGGsparq offers a mind-blowing 6000 mAh of battery life, and form-fitting battery cradles typically offer 1800 to 3300 mAh, the Charge & Sync+ offers a mere 1400, putting it barely above the svelte Juice Pack Air battery case. What 1400 mAh means is that the Charge & Sync+ will not-quite-double your iPhone’s battery life, or if your iPhone’s battery is dead to begin with, not quite charge it up to full. For this price, I’ll take it.
Further attempting to push the value quotient, the Charge & Sync+ not only comes with an iPhone/iPod connector cable (several more expensive batteries inexplicably don’t), the cable is actually built in to the brick. Unfortunately this is an instance of a product outsmarting itself, as extending the cable requires undoing the kind of plastic trap door that you’d have to pop open to change the AA batteries in an alarm clock; not something you want to be fiddling with every time you go to use the product. And in a head scratching move, the built in electrical prongs can’t be extended until the cable has been unwrapped – meaning you have to go through all the trap door hoopla just to charge up the brick itself, let alone connect it to your device. It’s nice that they’ve included separate tips for charging mini and micro USB devices, but the cable implementation is so befuzzled that I’d rather have seen then go with a simple USB port and a separate cable. As such it’s a three star product that gets bumped up half a star for being a good value play despite the flawed concept.
Learn more at NewerTech.com
