$25
As you may remember, Incase’s Slider case ended up being my favorite case for my first generation iPhone. I had initially thought about ordering another one for my 3G iPhone, but I got the crazy idea to try something different. I saw that Griffin was well-prepared with 3G iPhone cases ready at its launch, and though I was unable to buy one at the Apple store where I bought my 3G iPhone, I was able to order one through Apple’s online store.
Materials
Griffin describes this case as a two-piece shatter-proof polycarbonate shell. It comes in two colors - black or white. I ordered the black version, but this color description is not entirely accurate since the case is primarily gray and only the bottom portion that slides off to allow for easy docking is black. I do think Griffin should fix this and refer to this case as gray since this is the predominant color of the case. For the record, I knew the case would be like this before I ordered it based on the pictures on Griffin’s site. But if someone isn’t paying attention, they could be very unhappy with a mostly-gray case if they were counting on getting an all-black case.
The top section has some black boxes printed on the back as its only decoration. While not completely glossy like the Incase Slider case, it has some shine to it. I think this level of gloss makes the plastic look cheap - if it had an outright grand piano gloss to it or if it were completely matte, I don’t think I’d feel this way about it. The one good thing about the material of this case is that it doesn’t show fingerprints or smudges at all.
I poo-poo’ed the rubber strips on the inside of the Incase Slider case, thinking that they really didn’t serve any real purpose. Well, I will now eat my words, since Griffin’s Nu Form case does not have any and I think my lovely 3G iPhone has been scratched as a result. When you slide the case on, there is nothing to protect it from rubbing against the inside of the Nu Form case, and I can distinctly see two vertical rub marks on the back of my 3G iPhone where it appears to make contact with the case during insertion and removal. And they won’t come off. I am not happy about that in the least.
The bottom portion of the case that slides off for easy docking has a matte black texture to it, and I wish the top portion of the case was like this as well. There are no rubber strips or anything else on the inside of this section to protect your 3G iPhone either.
This case also comes with a screen protector - it’s a rigid clear piece that has no adhesive, and it simply sits on top of the screen and is held in place by the edges of the case. I did not test this screen protector since I already have a Brando anti-glare protector installed. The Nu Form case does not interfere with my Brando protector at all, so if you already have a static-cling or adhesive screen protector installed, know that you won’t have any problems.
Access
As you can probably tell in looking back at the iPhone case reviews on my site, I tend to favor those that allow me easy access to the screen with just one hand. While I loved the quality and functionality of the Vaja i-Volution case for my first generation iPhone, I ended up not using it anymore once I’d gotten the Incase Slider. The Nu Form case mimics the access of the Incase Slider - it covers only the rear and sides of the iPhone up to and including the bezel. It leaves the entire screen open, and has holes for every single button, switch, and port. It’s easy enough to press any of the buttons while the 3G iPhone is in this case. With the entire screen open, I have no problems typing on the keyboard or accessing the home button.
I know I keep comparing this case to the Incase Slider, but there is one thing that disappoints me about the Nu Form compared to that case. The Incase Slider has cut-outs specifically for every button and port to optimize the amount of protection it offers. For example, the only openings on the top of the case are for the headphone jack and sleep/wake button. Incase assumes, rightfully so in most cases, I think, that people are not going to need to get to their SIM card very often so it doesn’t need to be left open. Griffin took the easy way out and the Nu Form’s top cut-out leaves everything on the top of the iPhone accessible. If your 3G iPhone takes a bad fall head first in the Nu Form case, I think the top of it could sustain more damage than it otherwise would had Griffin been more targeted with this cut-out. The same thing goes for the side of the case - there is a long cut-out to leave the volume rocker buttons and the ring/silent toggle accessible, not separate cut-outs for each.
The whole point of the removable bottom section of the case is so that you can easily dock the iPhone in the 3G iPhone-specific dock (which you must now purchase separately since it’s not included with the 3G iPhone), Apple’s universal iPod dock, or any other dock accessory, such as an alarm clock or speaker system. I do dock my 3G iPhone at home and at work to charge it, and this level of access suits me just fine.
Using the case
During my commute to and from work, my iPhone is either in my bag, pocket, or in my hot little hands as I use it to while away the time. The case is slick enough so that it’s easy to get in and out of my pants pocket, and it’s thin enough so that it doesn’t really add too much bulk to the 3G iPhone. I sometimes have only one hand to check a text message or the time and the Nu Form case lets me do this easily. With the slightly glossy texture of the top portion of the case, it doesn’t really offer a greatly improved grip over a naked 3G iPhone, but it is a little better. Had the whole case had the same matte texture as the bottom portion that slides off, this would be a different story entirely.
Since the case only covers the bezel on the front of the 3G iPhone and no more, it does not hinder my access to the keyboard or other parts of the screen at all. And with every button and port left revealed, I have no problem adjusting the volume, plugging in my headphones, or anything else.
Sliding off the bottom portion of the case in order to dock it requires more effort than I like. This section fits more snugly than I expected it to, and without any rubber strips on the inside to protect my 3G iPhone, I always have the sensation that I’m harming it in some way when I do this. When I try to pull the bottom section off, I often find that the top section is sliding off my 3G iPhone and the bottom isn’t budging at all. This is really the opposite of how this case should function.
Summary
Given how I’ve compared this case to the Incase Slider so much, I’m sure you can guess that I’m not happy relatively with the Nu Form. At the time of this review, Incase has just released their Slider for the 3G iPhone, and I’m now looking to buy one of those and get rid of this Nu Form. I just don’t like how my 3G iPhone has gotten scratched by the Nu Form, how difficult it is to slide off the bottom section, and the cheap look and feel of the majority of the case. It’s about $10 less than the Incase Slider, so the price isn’t bad, but if the 3G version of the Slider is as good as the one for the first generation iPhone, I’d definitely recommend that you spend the extra money and get a Slider instead of a Nu Form.
(Quick warning: if you do get an Incase Slider instead, it looks like Incase is still charging their exorbitant shipping and handling fee of about $10 in the U.S., so I’d suggest you get one in an Apple store or another vendor that offers a more reasonable shipping cost.)
You know what’s next, right? You got it - a review of Incase’s Slider for the 3G iPhone as soon as I can get one! It seems that they will be offering them in other colors in addition to black and white this time around, so I may wait a little while to see what they look like before selecting one. Hopefully, that will be sooner rather than later!
Related reviews:
Incase Slider for 3G iPhone
Incase Slider for first-generation iPhone