iPod/iPhone Cases

Do not buy them.

Okay why?

Alright thanks for asking. I have been sucked in to buying a "case" or "cover" for every iPod I have ever owned. My most recent case purchase was for my iPhone, and it put me back $35. At the time, I felt that it was worth it, a $35 insurance deal for a $500 device. Well unfortuantely 3 weeks later I learned what a disgusting waste of money that case was.

Now this advice is not for everyone, but I feel it is for the majority. If you take at least a small amount of pride in what you buy (may it be an iPod for example), than you will take a small amount of care for it by default. This is proven when you buy the case, you obviously want to protect it, because you don't want something to happen to it. That is fair logic; the same logic I always used when buying my cases. But here is the flaw, you will take care of it even with that case on. Everyone does it, it's just the way things are. And by the time you are ready to take it out of the case, and see that pretty looking device, you are going to go upgrade to a new one. It's a cycle that most people follow, and its hard to stray off of it, because new technology comes out about every six months. Let's use the iPod as an example here. I would say the average person would buy a new "revised" iPod every three years, whether it be for extra storage or new technology. That means that for every year you own that iPod, you spend $10 to keep it in a case, for it never to see the light of day. You might say $10 is a decent price to keep my iPod spick and spam, but let me explain why it is not.

Cases can cause A LOT of problems. Let me help explain them by giving you my own personal experience. After applying the $30 silicone iPhone case (which was recommended as the best one), I was walking proud, knowing that no matter what happened to me, at least my phone would survive. As I tried to put it into my pocket, I was met with quite the struggle, as the silicone rubber was "sticking" to the cotton material my pants were made of. And when I tried to get it out, it would stick again, making my brand new amazing device really hard to access. It's worth it, I thought, as long as its protected. Three weeks later, I decide to resync it, and realize that with the case on, I can't fit it into the dock (we all know this problem). So I have to take the entire case off: a slight inconvenience. As I take it off I realize several large scratches on the chrome rim around the screen, and turning it on its back, a large scratch right down the center. Now how the hell did this happen? I bought the case so it would prevent things like this from happening, not cause them. I found the nearest trash can and chucked my $30 piece of crap out of my life for good. And I realized that my case covering my iPod had done the exact same thing, so I got rid of that too. Looking back, I calculated I had spent a total of $130, on just four pieces of rubber silicone, and for what? So that when I can take it off and look at my beautiful 3-year-old piece of technology that is now worth $20 (less than the case cost).

The interesting thing is, Apple doesn't make these things too cheaply. Notice how there are no Apple branded cases. If they felt that their product would need a case because they thought it would break, don't you think they'd create a case themselves? Think of the market for them. After using my iPhone and iPod both without a case for over a year, I've noticed just how much better life is without the case. I take care of it anyways, I make sure its okay. Sure I've dropped it a few times, I'm not a freak, but has it broken? No. A flimsy rubber case will not protect it from it being run over by a car, so what's the difference?

When you are up to upgrade to your new Apple device (and any device for that matter), and go over to the case wall to purchase your $30 piece of silicone, I hope you remember this, and spend that money on something that counts, perhaps headphones to replace the true crap that Apple does provide.

My view of the 3g iPhone

A friend of mine has been trying desperately to get the new iPhone 3g, but unfortunately either the stock is out or the lines are three hours long. This was expected, however he said something to me that sparked my interest and decided I had to write about it. He said his brother, who already owns a 1st generation iPhone, is upgrading to the 3g, and selling the old one. Despite having this knowledge, he still plans to go out and buy the 3g, which is his decision, however I have to disagree with it. Ignoring others' reviews, I set out to hold the new phone for myself and draw my own opinion on it to see if his decision is the right one.

Well, opposite of what some reviews say, I do not like the new phone's design nearly as much as the last one. To start, it's an all plastic backing, which is being marketed as a more durable casing then the 1st generation phone. Well, I'm not too sure about that, considering the older phone has an aluminum backing, which has a greater chance of denting, but certainly is not any weaker than plastic. I've dropped my own phone several times, and I've barely seen a scratch. But there were two things on the design that really turned me off. Firstly, the new plastic backing loves to stick to moisture [a.k.a. hand sweat]. I was able to turn the phone completely vertical, and it was still sticking to my hand. Now I may be the minority, but this is not comfortable to me. Secondly, and most imporantly, the phone's backing is now curved, instead of flat. When I put it on my desk, and tried to use it without holding it in my hand, it would rock back and forth, making desk usage very inconvenient. So it forces you to hold it in your hand to use it, and then it sticks there, it's like Apple doesn't want you to let this thing go.

Sure, the 3g iphone is faster, and for some people, that is the real draw. The advertised 3x speed increase over the Edge network would be nice, but it costs an extra $10 a month. I cannot blame people for buying it for this reason, especially if you need (or like to) surf the web everywhere you go. But for basic e-mail and search purposes, edge works out great, and it uses less battery life. One point that I cannot dispute is the new headphone jack. The jack on the 1st generation iPhone was recessed into the case, either forcing you to buy a special pair of phones or modify your old ones. But the 3g's is a normal jack, making listening to music much more convenient. Besides this, the 3g iPhone is nearly identical to its younger brother, except for the new (in my opinion flawed) design.

The advice I gave to my friend was to buy the old one off of his brother, but he chose to ignore me and is quite pleased with his new phone. Hope he enjoys the new bill too.