Wolverine Invaded My iPhone 4 Case!

I ordered a new iPhone case from Performance Designed Products which is part of a line of Marvel Comics-themed cases.

The $29.99 cases are 20% off for the month of August if you use the code "comiccon2011."  I thought, "Hey, they're cool!" so I bought one.  I originally wanted the Captain America shield case but it was sold out.  So, I got the next best thing - The Wolverine Red Rage case.

While this is a very nice case, there is a HUGE problem with these hard cases.  I'll explain after I give some thoughts about the case itself.

The case has a very nice feel.  It is similar to the feel of the red Mophie Juice Pack Air for the iPhone 3G/3GS I bought a while ago.  I love it.

I also love how the art on the case appears to be cut up by Wolverine himself!

Although the case covers the iPhone's bezel/antenna on its sides, the top and the bottom of the iPhone is not covered at all.  For those seeking maximum protection this could be a problem.  For those who want a minimal case, this is good news.

There's a large hole in the case for the camera and the flash.  I took one picture with the flash on and it seems to work okay.  There's also a cutout for the volume buttons and the mute button.  The case is compatible with both the AT&T and Verizon versions of the iPhone 4.

For me, there are some glaring problems with this case.

For starters, the case does not protect any part of the iPhone's front glass.  My everyday iPhone 4 case is the Griffin Motif.  The case wraps over the edges of the front glass and provides minimal protection for the glass screen.  The PDP case does not.

So, if you were to put your iPhone face down on the table the glass screen will be touching the table.  I don't like that.  Many cases I have bought keeps the glass screen off of the table.  If you were to drop your iPhone with the glass screen facing down onto concrete, you'd be lucky if your glass didn't shatter.  So, this case wasn't made for people who constantly drop their iPhone.

This case was also not made for people who need to take their iPhone in and out of the case often.

Because the Verizon iPhone differs slightly from the AT&T iPhone, case manufacturers have had to adopt a generic design that will fit both phones.  And it seems this type of hard case is popular amongst the manufacturers.

In the past, hard cases were usually in two pieces so it was easy to take the iPhone in and out of its cases. Soft cases are usually in one piece and are even easier to put on and take off.  But, this type of hard case is really tough to get your iPhone in and out without damaging your nails or your case.  I sort of figured out a way to get my iPhone out of the case after watching this video and this video.  My technique involves a combination of both of those videos plus using a card like a gift card.  Not easy even after knowing how to get it off.

If I knew it was this hard to get the case off, I wouldn't have bought it.  I love to use third party equipment with my iPhone like the olloclip, the Steadicam Smoothee, and the Glif.

I'm going to use the Wolverine case for a day or two to see how it goes.  I hope I don't drop my iPhone.