Speck CandyShell for iPhone 3G/3GS Case Review

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The majority of iPhone cases available today are either hardshell cases or skin cases. Speck has managed to fuse the two together, in a hybrid case called the CandyShell. Does it offer enough protection without making the phone too bulky? Find out after the jump.The Speck CandyShell is an iPhone case that consists of a glossy outer hard shell that doesn’t stick to your pockets like skin cases. Inside is a rubber material which offers extra shock absorption from drops, making it the best of both worlds, giving it the CandyShell name. The case comes in five color choices: black, blue, purple, white, and pink. We tested the white version with grey accents.

Like most cases on the market today, the CandyShell features cutouts for the headphone jack, speakers, dock connector, volume rocker, and ringer on/off switch. The lock button and volume rocker are covered with rubber accents similar to the edges of the case. A nice touch, but it made us apply more pressure to the buttons for them to be used.

The CandyShell is a one-piece case, so getting the iPhone inside is just as simple as popping it inside, which wasn’t the easiest task and made it hard to remove the phone from the case when needed to dock the phone for syncing.

The single problem we encountered during our testing was that the band of plastic and rubber above the dock connector snapped. Probably because we were using a connector that was too tall for the space allotted, putting stress on the piece. It may have also been caused by taking the phone out of the case every once in a while, which was somewhat difficult, as mentioned above. Other than that issue, the case has been perfect and one of our favorites.

Buy the Speck CandyShell case at Amazon.com in black, white, blue, or purple today for around $25 with free shipping.

Pros

• Hybrid case design.
• Different color selections.

Cons

• Tight fit on iPhone.
• Bottom plastic piece prone to snapping.