Lavish Earth for iPad 2

Before we begin with this iPad 2 case, I’ve got to quickly notify you that we’ve reviewed only a couple other iPad 2 specific cases before, one of them being the iFrogz iPad 2 Summit Case which I’m sure you’ll find rather similar to the purple case we’ve got here today, the next being the HandStand2 for iPad 2 which you’ll look at and instantly understand why we say it’s in a class all its own, and finally the Apple-made iPad Smart Cover case shown inside our big iPad 2 main review. What Cygnett offers with its Lavish Earth iPad 2 leather-style multi-view folio case is a refined look and feel (not to mention a couple of rather unique colors: Sandstone and Purple) for an all-encompassing case that allows you to set your iPad up on its own in several positions.

Drawbacks here are the fact that you’re no longer able to experience the top-class design that is the iPad 2 without a case on it. One of the main reasons the iPad 2 was released alongside the Apple-made Smart Cover is that it works without covering up the inherent loveliness in the industrial design of the iPad 2 hardware. Another drawback here is the added bulk, however small, that comes with basically any protection solution. The Lavish Earth cover makes up for this in fine craftsmanship around all the edges and unique look (purple, in this case) of the entire unit.

You can find out more information about purchasing the Lavish Earth case at Cygnett as it is released – these cases will likely be available at locations in the gallery image posted below, the same being true of the iPhone 4 products in this post as well:

UrbanShield for iPhone 4

Next there’s the iPhone 4 brushed aluminum case by the name of UrbanShield. This rather simple looking case ads a minimal amount of clasping rubber finish casing around the rim of your iPhone 4 and a lovely “precision-machined from premium-grade brushed aluminum” backing in several colors: black, silver, bronze, or blue. All of your ports, switches, buttons, and doodads are easily accessible with the case fully on, and with each purchase you also get a screen protector and microfibre cleaning cloth. each of the cases has a black-colored rim except the blue-backed case which has a silver-colored rim. Your camera and LED flash along the back are also of course still very usable as the case has an oval-like shape opening right around them.

Similar to what I just noted about the iPad 2 case, one of your biggest concerns should be, if your a design-conscious citizen, making sure the iPhone 4 hardware shape and industrial design essence, if I may be so bold, shine through. UrbanShield appears to be doing this quite well. Check out more information on UrbanShield at Cygnett’s dedicated product page and note that the same retailers listed above will likely be carrying this case as well as the Lavish Earth.

WorkMate Pro for iPhone 4

Lastly there’s a case that takes the lovely industrial design of the iPhone 4 we’ve been speaking about and covers it all up with either a cool black and gray or a bright powerful gray and orange – thick and truly heavy-duty. This case is made up of two separate parts, a high-action set of layers of silicone plus a high-quality polycarbonate on top to protect your iPhone 4 from nearly any sort of fall or toss you’re going to encounter in your day-to-day activities. Like the UrbanShield, you get a screen protector with this case and a microfibre cleaning cloth, and believe it or not, you’ll still have easy access to all of your ports, controls, and connectors.

Drawbacks of course include your inability to see most of the device other than the display, again, as I’ve been saying, but when you get this far into actually protecting your device, you should start to be willing to give up a little aesthetic goodness. That said, this case certainly isn’t bad looking, and will give your iPhone 4 a bit of unique flavor where quite often a case will dumn it down. You can get more information on the WorkMate Pro at Cygnett and check all retailers shown above for availability and pricing.

Look good to you? Let us know what you think of cases such as these!

We’ve seen accessories in the past that attempt to bring DSLR features to the iPhone 4, such as with the Photojojo 8X Telephoto lens for the iPhone. What makes this iPhone SLR Mount better is that it allows you to attach any of your existing SLR lenses, giving great flexibility in attaching wide angle, telephoto, macro or whatever you have in your lens collection.

The iPhone 4 has only a 5-megapixel camera, but it’s been the most popular camera among Flickr users. Now with the iPhone SLR Mount, your iPhone images will surprise others with the depth of field control and bokeh. The iPhone SLR Mount consists of an aluminum case, an SLR lens adapter, and a UV filter. Two loopholes on the case lets you attach a camera strap. There are separate kits for Canon and Nikon lenses and each cost $190.

[via Photojojo]

The Titanium iPhone 4 case takes on the same form as the company’s Jett Metal Case series that works like a bumper surrounding the entire edge of your iPhone without covering either the front or back sides. However, this new case is precisely micro-machined from a solid chunk of titanium. The company touts that titanium is mainly used in aircraft engines and luxury automobiles. It is often sought for its combination of extremely light weight and high durability.

The case requires a more elaborate process of attaching to your phone that involves two screws, a few buttons, and a small screw driver that all come as part of the kit. The case will fit for all models of the iPhone 4, be it from AT&T, Verizon, or even the international iPhone 4. But it does come with a hefty price tag of $300. That’s certainly enough to get you a new phone should you drop your current one off a second floor balcony. But hey, it’s all for the titanium, because, well, as the company says, it’s titanium.

[via Case-Mate]

The concept is designed by Alan Li, who imagines a type of extension accessory that slides together both forming a protective case and turning the iPhone 4 into a portable gaming device. The sleek design upholds Apple’s aesthetic while adding a joypad, four-button game control, and external speakers.

The accessory if it ever becomes a reality will surely make gaming thumbs happy. But, Apple would certainly have to work out some deal with Sony to get any quality console-like games that would require full-on game controls. I don’t see that happening.

[via Yanko Design]

The overlays are available in 6 colors, Blood Red, Violet, Orange, Hickory, Jet Black and Sea Blue. All are made of American Rosewood, and made by hand in Bridgeport, Connecticut. The little elephant logo is inlaid with brushed stainless steel. The cases sell for $34 each, plus $5 for shipping. If you are not a fan of elephants, you can have the poor little elephant removed for $5 extra.

And you needn’t feel guilt about killing trees, as the wood is listed as “rescued S. American rosewood”. Plus, the company donates $1 from each sale to the Arbor Day Foundation.

A sample description for the Violet: “With all the heady allure of a fine vintage wine, this piece’s violet finish adds a touch of class to your favorite accessory. The organic rose and magenta hues enhance the wood grain while retaining the attractive look of natural wood.”

The company’s tag line is “Makers of fine wood and leather lifestyle accessories”, but the iPhone 4 case is the only item on the website right now.

What do you think? Do you want one?

GLSO reports that the Volt is the only iPhone battery pack it knows about that will work with the AT&T and Verizon version of the iPhone. The Volt case will come to North American in red, black, and white with a one-year warranty. GSLO is still taking reservations for the case if you want to order one up.

“Filing this patent application is an important step in bringing the Volt Solar Charger to market,” Rohde said. “We anticipate that this filing will protect our proprietary technology and dissuade potential competitors from copying our design.”

Mophie has announced a Verizon of the juice pack air that will work for the Verizon iPhone and the case is up for pre-order right now. The large opening will mean that the new case for Verizon will work with the AT&T iPhone 4 too.

The case will ship on February 28 and can be pre-ordered for $79.95. The case has black with a silver band and when installed on a black iPhone 4 it looks very much like the naked device. In late March, the case will be offered in red or glossy white versions too. Other than the redesign to fit the Verizon smartphone, the features are the same with a LED indicator for battery level and the case has special speaker ducts to improve sound quality.

The good news is that it fits perfectly, the buttons now lining up with the tweaked volume controls, and the hole for the ringer mute switch in the correct place. There are the usual cut-outs for the top microphone and the camera and LED flash, too.

Of course, the flip side is that the new XGear case won’t fit the AT&T version of the iPhone 4, but we can’t see manufacturers being too disappointed: after all, they’ll be able to sell a whole new batch of accessories to those who previously thought they could keep their cases while jumping network. We’ll let you know how much the XGear case will be as soon as the company lets us know.

ALSO check out http://www.xgearlive.com/ for more cases and such – hot stuff!

The change in layout is to accomodate the new antenna design, which has seen a new notch appear just above the side controls for ringer and volume up/down. Apple’s official Bumper case – which the company gave out free to iPhone 4 users complaining about the so-called antennagate issue – has a hole cut out for the switch, but that doesn’t line up properly with the new Verizon model.

What that means is that, despite the two new phones being almost identical outwardly, users crossing over from AT&T to Verizon will not only have to pick up a new handset but new bumper cases and skins. That’s going to frustrate a lot of people, certainly, and potentially cause an accessory bottleneck in the early days of the Verizon iPhone 4′s availability from February.

More on the Verizon iPhone 4 in our hands-on.

In fact, you’ll get up to 8hrs extra 3G talktime, or 16hrs on 2G, or alternatively up to 7hrs extra 3G browsing or 11hrs over WiFi. mophie is also claiming up to 44hrs extra audio playback or up to 11hrs video playback. Meanwhile the whole thing measures a single millimeter thicker than the original Juice Pack Air.

As with the company’s first model for the iPhone 4 – which remains on sale alongside this new Plus model – there’s an acoustic enhancer with an angled speaker port on the bottom, together with a pass-through USB port and 4-LED battery gauge. It’s available now, priced at $99.95.

Press Release:

mophie Announces juice pack plus for iPhone 4

New innovation in juice pack line provides enhanced power and protection

Santa Ana, Calif. (Dec. 2, 2010) – mophie™ today announced the availability of the juice pack plus, an enhanced capacity iPhone 4 battery case that will more than double the time iPhone users have to rock, talk and surf. The plus is mophie’s second rechargeable external battery case designed for the iPhone 4, and has a 2,000 mAh battery capacity, the largest of any juice pack case produced to date.
In keeping with mophie’s award-winning juice pack design, the juice pack plus is ultra-thin and light-weight, providing protection and now even more power for the iPhone 4 while adding only 1 mm of thickness when compared to the original juice pack air design. The juice pack plus boasts a 2,000 mAh charging capacity, offering iPhone 4 power users with more than double the battery life on-the-go, and features enhanced design elements including a dual injected rubber grip for extra hold.
“The juice pack plus provides the most battery capacity we’ve put into a juice pack battery case, yet it only adds 1 mm of thickness,” said Susan Schedel, vice president of sales and marketing for mophie. “The plus is an example of how mophie is constantly working to evolve the juice pack line and provide Apple users with choices and added functionality, while maintaining a smart and sleek design that is expected from iPhone users.”
The juice pack plus for iPhone 4 is now available for purchase on www.mophie.com for $99.95, and will soon be available in AT&T stores nationwide. Key features and benefits include:

More than Doubles Battery Life – 2,000 mAh capacity, advanced battery technology delivers an incredible amount of “juice” in a small form factor, more than doubling battery life while only adding 1 mm of thickness. Users will experience:
Up to 8 additional hours talk time on 3G; 16 hours 2G
Up to 7 additional hours internet use on 3G; 11 hours WiFi
Up to 44 hours additional audio playback
Up to 11 hours video playback
Acoustic Sound Enhancement – The juice pack plus design acts as a virtual speaker box, redirecting sound from the bottom of the iPhone 4 to the front, resulting in a richer, fuller sound quality.
Choice of Color – The juice pack plus is available initially in black, but will soon come in three other colors, allowing you to choose the case that matches your style, including cyan, magenta, yellow and black.
Pass-through USB – Included USB cable enables you to simultaneously charge and sync your iPhone 4 to iTunes without having to remove it from the juice pack plus.
Standby/Charging Switch: Features a simple toggle switch that allows for standby and charging mode so you only have to use the juice pack plus battery when you need it.
Efficient Electronics – Embedded electronics results in no signal interference with the iPhone 4.
4 Light LED Battery Status Indicator – An integrated LED status indicator tells you exactly how much “juice” is left and also displays how much time remains during the charging process.

The mophie juice pack plus is now available in black at mophie.com for $99.95—cyan, magenta, and yellow versions will be coming in the near future. For additional information regarding the mophie juice pack line of products, please visit http://www.mophie.com

About mophie

mophie is a California-based, award-winning designer and manufacturer of mobile intelligent devices and accessories. It is widely recognized and highly acclaimed for its creative designs and innovative solutions. mophie is the proud developer of the juice pack, the first “Works With iPhone” portable battery solution certified by Apple Inc. All of mophie’s products are developed to address real consumer and business needs and are seamless integrations of industrial, electronic, software and artistic designs. Its products are available in Apple stores, AT&T stores, Best Buy stores and on www.mophie.com and www.amazon.com. Follow mophie on Twitter at twitter.com/mophielovesyou or on Facebook at facebook.com/mophielovesyou

While it looks a little like a soft pouch – and has similarly compact dimensions – there’s actually a screen protector built in. The iMojito also has an opening for your iPhone’s charger, so you can rejuice the smartphone without needing to take it out. As for money, it’ll hold up to four credit cards and some cash.

All four generations of iPhone will fit, and you could always slot your iPod touch in there instead; it’s lined with microfiber so will give the screen a wipe on the way out, too. A decent holiday gift for the iPhone lover in your life, perhaps, and not bad at $35.

Mophie, whose Juice Pack Air has become synonymous with slide-on iPhone cases, is tipped to have ordered in excess of 100,000 cases in time for the holidays, on the assumption that they would go on sale on Apple’s shelves. As it is, though, the Juice Pack Air for iPhone 4 is only available through Mophie’s own site and AT&T stores.

The issue – if indeed one exists – appears to concern Apple’s choice of glass for the back panel of the iPhone 4, which unlike the fascia is seemingly not toughened. “They’re evaluating every case one at a time,” the source claims, “they’re being very vigorous. We’re still waiting for a final verdict.” Slider cases for the iPhone 3GS and earlier models are available, since the physical design is different. Apple has not responded to requests for comments.

It’s what’s known as “retro-chic” and it’s made out of 100% natural cleavage silicon, washable and with a single button which extends to click your iPhone’s home button. It’s simple, it’s brilliant, and best of all, it doesn’t cost a billion bucks. It’s right out there now at around $32.60, in a variety of colors: black, gray (called brown), green, and white. Check em out over at Strapya World.

[Via Strapya World]

That name is a mouthful, but it’s basically a case specifically made for the iPhone 4 with a battery to extend your talk time. Energizer promises that the integrated battery provides nearly twice the power of the iPhone and protects the phone from drops too. Power levels in the battery are shown via hidden LEDs on the back of the case.

Charging of the battery inside is done with a USB charging cable that is included and the iPhone can be charged at the same time via pass through charging. The battery inside is rechargeable up to 500x. The case is available right now for $69.99 at retailers around the country.

In fact, Glif needed $10,000 to get production started, and anyone donating $20 or above would also receive one of the mounts.  Now they’re up to almost $34,000 – and still with 28 days left to run – thanks to over 1,300 backers.

You can see the appeal: Glif works not only to hold the iPhone 4 in portrait or landscape orientation, but the notch in the side can prop it up at various angles.  That’s great for watching video, but also for using the Apple smartphone with a Bluetooth keyboard.  Finally it covers the antenna gap on the lower left-hand side, which means fewer dropped calls.  You can still pledge $20 and get one yourself when production starts.

[via Twitter]

The company also has the NuGuard Soft Silicone Protective Case for $14.99 that comes in black, blue, red, and frost colors. A NuGuard Hard Shell Polycarbonate Case is offered for $14.99 that has more impact resistance and comes in clear or transparent black for $14.99.

The other two products in the new iPhone 4 line are the NuGuard Gel Protective case and the NuVue Anti-Glare Screen and Back Protector. The Gel case sells for $14.99 and is made to feel and look like silicone with the protection of a hard shell case. It comes in black, blue, pink, and clear for $14.99. NuVue film is a film that protects from scratches and reduces glare on the screen of the device selling for $12.99.

In the box are the IDR655m earphones themselves, a choice of single- and double-flanged silicone earbuds in three sizes, a clip to pin the cable to your shirt or coat, and a travel pouch for when they’re not plugged into your iPhone. There’s a standard 3.5mm plug, so the audio and microphone will potentially work on non-iPhone handsets, but you probably won’t get the extra control functions Scosche bake in.

That’s a shame, as tapLINE II is half of what makes the IDR655m earphones special. The in-line control block has buttons for volume and play/pause or answering calls, but double-clicking the middle button skips the track forward and triple-clicking flicks back to the previous track. Holding the button down triggers VoiceOver voice control. The microphone is separate from the controller section, which means it can be closer to your mouth while leaving the buttons within easier reach.

Comfort-wise, the IDR655m’s are far easier on the ears than Apple’s regular buds. The silicone tips are on the right side of tenacious, without gripping painfully, and they’re light enough to wear while jogging and still be free from the fear that they’ll be tugged out. Scosche has used a flatter, nylon-wrapped cable that is more resilient to tangling, so it’s possible to whip them out of the pouch and be listening in seconds rather than having to spend five minutes unknotting them.

Unfortunately, that braided cable has a frustrating side-effect that rears its head whenever you’re moving. As it rubs against itself – and your clothes or bag – it sends vibrations all the way up and into your ears, and can prove seriously distracting if you’re listening to quieter music. It’s a shame, since the audio quality in general is decent: we wouldn’t argue with some extra bass, certainly, but the mid-range is pleasingly spaced and the trebles have the sort of sparkle you’d normally spend in the mid-$100s to achieve. Tweaking the iPhone’s EQ to over-emphasise the bass left things muddy: thumping, yes, but lacking definition.

In-call performance is also strong, with callers reporting clear audio from the IDR655m’s microphone. The earbuds do a decent job of cutting out environmental noise, too, though there’s no active noise cancellation.

At their full MRSP we’d be reserved in our enthusiasm about the Scosche IDR655 earphones; the market at the $100-mark is hotly contested, after all. Under $50, however, and they’re a far more tempting prospect. There are certainly earphones with better audio quality – particularly at the bass end – but you’re looking at nigh-on double the price for them, and in terms of the difference in performance above and beyond the standard Apple headset it’s night and day. The noise from the woven cord is worth bearing in mind if you generally listen to quieter, acoustic or classical music, mind. Still, for most iPhone owners it’s a decent upgrade and makes a world of difference from the out-of-the-box experience.

The latest product from Quirky is the Tilt case for the iPhone 4 smartphone. The Tilt is a bumper case that should help alleviate the infamous reception woes caused by the placement of the iPhone antenna. The case isn’t a straight design and has come angles to it that some will like and others may find a bit strange.

It’s made from plastic with a soft rubber front. The faceted sides are designed for wrapping your headphones around the case. The bottom half of the bumper is hinged to prop the iPhone up for viewing and use. The thing is offered in black or a white and purple combo. The case will sell for $28 and 990 will be made. Pre-orders are going now and 32 of the cases have been sold.

The new iPhone 4 also needs a case to help prevent the antenna from being blocked. A company called Exogear has announced a new Exolife case for the iPhone 4. The case has an internal battery for longer runtime.

The battery is 1500mAh and promises an extra seven hours of talk time per charge. The case is made from polycarbonate and leaves the antenna exposed and prevents your hand from covering it accidentally. The case exposes all the ports and controls for the iPhone except the charge and sync port. The black version of the Exolife case ships on July 30 with the white version coming on September 30. You can preorder now for $89.95.

I’m typically not the type to put my iPhone in a case, but once AT&T finally gets the iPhone 4 in stock locally I will need one. The new Ballistic HC Series Case from Go Ballistic Case looks like its got lots of protection. The thing has four layers of protection to be precise.

The case has a rubber inner layer to protect the finish of the phone and to protect it from shock. The inner frame is a ridged structure covered by another layer of rubber, and the outer silicone layer is removable and has plugs and seals for the ports. The case will sell for $49.99 when it launches.

The cases will include the iCC727 Fusion dual layer silicone case with a built-in stand on the back selling for $34.99. The iCC728 fusion is a dual layer silicone case with a harder plastic material for more protection selling for $29.99. The iCC731 Emoticon is a soft coated, ultrathin hard shell case with emoticon designs all over it in different colors.

The iCC736 Nature is a thin hard shell case with a leave motif, theiCC725 Dream is a soft-coated TPU case in a variety of colors with strange prints. iLuv will also offer the iCC733 Silk soft-coated translucent ultrathin hard case in a variety of colors. A metallic case called the iCC729 Sentinel will come in bronze, gold, chrome, and titanium colors and iLuv will have a thin silicone trim case with dual films to protect from scratches in eight colors for $24.99. A series of screen films in clear, glare-free, and mirror finishes will also be offered.