review: iSkin Solo and Solo FX

iSkin is famous for its “Duo” cases which wrap an iPhone or iPod in two layers of different-colored material in such a way that it’s as visually striking as it is protective, but here the company offers up a more straightforward design in the form of the aptly named Solo, a single-piece flexible rubber design for iPhone available in a choice of four colors.

Easy to attach and remove, the Solo plants itself in the upper crust of one-piece rubber iPhone cases by covering the iPhone’s volume and top buttons in such a way that you can still use them, rather than leaving them exposed as some of the more budget-oriented cases on the market do. But beyond the small raised “iSkin” logo on the back, there’s very little about the Solo that makes it seem like it’s an iSkin case, save for the pair of contoured cutaways that run up the bottom half of the case’s back.

The Solo FX, on the other hand, offers a stylistic flair for three dollars more by making the case translucent and including a series of circles on the back which give the case some life, but it’s still nothing to write home about stylistically.

What ultimately makes the Solo and Solo FX recommendable, then, is the fact that they’re protective (the aforementioned button coverage), easy to use (the aforementioned ease of removal), and the fact that screen film comes bundled with the product. Fans of iSkin’s usual flair for striking design will be disappointed here, but those users looking for solid protection and ease of use won’t go wrong – unless they consider its price tag too high for such a simple case, as the seemingly inflated $29/32 price did nearly cost the Solo a half star.

Learn more about the iSkin Solo and Solo FX for iPhone 3G and 3GS at iSkin.com