Expert’s Rating
Our Verdict
The iPhone 4 Bumper is an edges - only shell that provides minimum protection , but it alleviates the “ bridge antenna ” issue while letting you see as much of the iPhone 4 as possible .
When Apple announced theiPhone 4 Bumper , the chemical reaction was similar to when the company unveiled its iPod Socks : Seriously ? After all , it reckon like a $ 29 rubber strip that could beapproximated by a $ 1 LiveStrong bracelet .
But that does n’t give the iPhone 4 Bumper enough quotation . For what it is — a bare - bone case that offers minimal protective covering — the Bumper is actually cleverly contrive . It consists of a stiff , moldable band that covers the entire metal edge of the iPhone 4 , merge with relatively rugged rubber eraser around the front and rear edges to restrain the Bumper in place . ( On the non - black Bumpers , this duple - material invention commit the Bumper a two - tone looking at . )
The iPhone 4 Bumper adequately cover the blot in the lower - leave corner of the phone where two of its external feeler meet . If you ’ve have reception problems due to your hand bridge those antenna , the Bumper should alleviate that specific reception government issue .
The Bumper sports on the nose cut holes for the iPhone 4 ’s dock - connector port , microphones , speaker , headphone jack , and Ring / Silent transposition . Covering the volume buttons and Sleep / Wake permutation are clever fleet - through buttons that look and feel almost exactly the same as the actual push button underneath .
Unfortunately , if you employ accessary other than the ones included with the iPhone 4 , many of these preciseness - disregard possibility are cuttooprecisely . Many of the third - party headphones and headset I had on hand would n’t put to work with a Bumper - equipped iPhone 4 because their miniplug casings were bombastic than the one on the iPhone 4 ’s prescribed earbuds . The Ring / Silent switch is recess enough that it ’s difficult to run if you keep your fingernails cut . And many USB sorrel - connective cables — include honest-to-god Apple models — don’t fit through the Bumper ’s opening for the dock - connexion port .
Of course , as with many cases , you also ca n’t invest a Bumper - equipped iPhone 4 in dock - cradle accessories , include Apple ’s own sorrel . But because the docking facility - connector opening in the case is so small , you ca n’t even work around this limitation using an accessary such as SendStation’sDock Extenderor CableJive’sDock Extender Cable . In other parole , to apply many accessories — even Apple - brand 1 — you’ll need to remove your iPhone 4 from the Bumper ( which is , at least , a bare task ) .
These limit might be a worthy trade-off if the Bumper provide more protection , but it leaves the total back and front of the iPhone 4 exposed — in other words , it coversonlythe phone ’s metal parts . grant , because the Bumper ’s safety edge extend slenderly beyond the front and back surface of the iPhone 4 , the Bumper does protect those surfaces from getting cancel if you slide the phone across a board , or even if you drop the speech sound onto a monotonous surface . But if you ’re looking for a casing that provides good protection , this is n’t it . The Bumper is a sheath that offers the unfinished minimum in protection and alleviates the “ bridge feeler ” issue while rent you see as much of the iPhone ’s own open as possible .
