The Hunt For The Right iPod Case
I’ve owned many iPod cases in the past, with each having its good sides and eventually its bad sides. Once it reaches the bad side it feels foreign and my iPod sheds its protector, once more feeling right again. But there is always that creeping dilemma of exposing your iPod to the world around it, and once more the paranoia for a case sets in.
I am very picky about everything. My desktop must be organized a certain way, and so must my dock, my desk, and basically everything else. This also applies to my iPod. It has to be a certain way. If it isn’t then I will stop at nothing to make it right. Obsessive, yes; necessary, maybe not, but it sure would make a great drama series.
I love the sleekness of the iPod, the smooth metal back and plastic front, but it is highly susceptible to scratches, nicks, and dings, so naturally we put our iPods in cases. I knew when I got my 80 GB iPod the same thing would happen, it’s inevitable (something I learned the very, very hard way with my previous 30 GB iPod), which is sad for a product so popular. The day after I bought my 80GB iPod I purchased what I thought was a great case. I purchased the Showcase Video from my local Apple Store, and it seemed like a good case: clear plastic, belt clip, rubber bumpers, and decent customer reviews. I really liked it, for the first 3 hours. I let my little brother watch a movie and already there was a deep scratch on the plastic covering the screen. I thought I had a defective case so naturally I contacted customer support. Saying their support was mediocre is an overstatement. I had to wait weeks for a reply which was confusing and evidently came from someone who did not care.
Like I said, I really liked the Showcase Video, which had everything I needed while keeping the iPod looking good; heck, I was going to write my first article for Apple Matters reviewing it, but it was just not the right fit and the deep scratches reflected rainbow colors. My second and third cases were fine for a bit. My Marware Sportsuit worked out but I wasn’t too crazy about it afterwards so I use it as a backup mostly. My DLO Podfolio was a good mix except for two things. The flip-open case, which I used as a kickstand, became very flimsy to the point where it bends in and cannot be in certain positions without falling down. So now I am on the hunt for a new case and may have found a great combo, but more on that soon.
So what has been the problem? Even though the iPod accessory market is booming, it’s filled with utter crap such as what Contour offered me, and the same goes for DLO (although I do hope their recent acquirement by Phillips helps). What I’ve decided is to forget any type of case for the iPod whether it be plastic or bullet proof. The iPod is a gorgeous device and anything not clear just uglies it up, so putting a clear film on it to protect it from minor things is my only option. For my other needs, like bike riding, something to clip my iPod on the side is necessary, which is why I intend to go with the Sportsuit Sleeve by Marware. Yes, I fully intend to do a combo review of the Marware sleeve and whichever film I get, or I might even try out the other Contour variants.
Oddly enough, while cases are meant to protect, most do the opposite. Often just putting the iPod in the case causes scratches and taking it out leaves your iPod exposed. Knowing this, I embrace scratches. It’s not like I look at the back anyway; my video is on the front but I could use my back as a mirror. But if you are paranoid about it, grab some Brasso and rub it on your iPod until you notice the scratches are gone (do not try this with iPod Mini, Shuffle, or 2nd generation iPod Nanos), but still they’re going to come back.
Previous cases I’ve tried have either messed up the iPod or got horribly messed up themselves, like with my DLO Podfolio and Contour Showcase Video, which were both great cases on paper but weren’t in the real world and have caused me to go caseless. No wonder Apple isn’t in the case market besides some over priced 100 dollar leather sleeves (which were 30 dollars at my local Circuit City) and the basic ones that come with the iPod.
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Comments
I too have been through a number of cases. The Marware sportsuit is one of the better in protection, but it looks like crap after a couple of months use.
I think the best protection on the market right now is the iSkin Claro, due to its unique inner lining, and the iSkin Evo3, due to its unique screen attachment design. Other silicon cases don’t keep dust out of the screen edge and the screen doesn’t get separated from the iPod as well. I wasn’t too keen on the look of the Evo3 at first, but after buying a different silicon skin, I realize why it is designed why it is. As for the Claro, it is also the only scratch resistant one and I use it with UE earphones. Only downside is the belt clip isn’t removable, although it is quite low profile.
I love the Showcase case, even though it doesn’t have a kickstand. But when I bought my most recent one, it had some production “mars” inside the plastic itself (it wasn’t on either side, and was multiple blurry spots).
My experience with customer service was horrendous. Seriously tragic. By the time they finally “understood” what I was telling them the problem was (including sending photos that were very very clear), weeks had gone by and my case was so scratched up that I was pretty confident that they’d simply decline the RMA, wasting postage I had to pay for. I finally gave up and started looking for alternatives.
The iSkin case looks nice, although I hate that they require an extender for right-angle headphones. Seems foolish.
I have had a Contour I-see-Nano case on my first generation Nano since I bought it in November of 2005. It works great! Yes, it is scratched, but the iPod is not. I rarely remove the iPod from the case because everything is accessible with the case on the iPod. I don’t known what you want a case to do. I don’t think that there is a transparent material that is 100% scratch proof. If there is, it would make the iPod to heavy, or it would cost more than the iPod.
Satisfied Contour Showcase Video user here. I’ve never been bothered by the fact that the clear plastic of the case eventually gets scratched - it’s inevitable, and I’m just glad that it’s prevented those scratches from getting to the iPod. Listening to music, the scratches don’t matter and when watching video, I can just open the case (while keeping the iPod inside it) if the scratches are too bothersome (mine are not, yet).
Haven’t tried the belt clip yet, though.
I use right angle earphones (UE) with the iSkin Claro (and also Evo3), and you don’t need an extender. Maybe they tweaked the design since the early days, or maybe the Ultimate Ears ones are just small enough.