$34.95
NOTE: If you have a 3G iPhone, you can see my review of the most recent Slider case for the 3G iPhone here. The review below is for the Slider case for the first-generation iPhone.
In keeping with my gadget case obsession, I've acquired yet *another* case for my iPhone. Despite the not-so-great experience I had with Incase's Protective Cover a short while ago, I purchased their first hard case offering for the iPhone, the Slider case. I think I've mentioned before that I really like to dock my iPhone every night on my nightstand since it's also my alarm clock that rouses me from bed every weekday morning to get me to my oh-so-thrilling day job. So, every case I use probably suffers a little more wear and tear since it's subjected to at least one insertion and removal of my iPhone every day. The ability to only remove a portion of this Slider case from the iPhone in order to dock it was intriguing to me, and I just had to try it out.
The Slider comes in two colors with a high-gloss finish - white or black. I ordered the black case, but would have been happy to try other colors had they been available. The black is truly a high-gloss grand piano finish and is quite the magnet for finger prints, but this isn't as bad as you'd expect. Maybe they'll offer it in a matte black finish sometime soon if this model sells well, though I almost hope they don't offer this since I'd be tempted to buy yet another case. ;)
Materials
The Incase site states this case is made of hardshell plastic and is made to be ultra-slim (only 1mm wall thickness), and that it has interior rubber guardrails to provide shock absorption and to help avoid scratching your iPhone. I think the rubber guardrails claim is a little over-stated - there are only 2 thin strips of rubber inside, and while they do seem to help the iPhone stay snugly in the top portion of the case without scratches, they are not nearly numerous or thick enough for me to think they would really help a lot to absorb any impact if dropped. Had this rubber been a wee bit thicker and the case had been designed to have some rubber in the corners as well, I'd be a lot more confident about Incase's statements.
Regarding the case's exterior, it appears to be pretty resilient so far - I have very few minor scratches on it at all from my daily use of my iPhone or during transport in a pocket or in my purse next to car keys.
Access
I really liked the way Incase's Protective Cover framed the iPhone's screen - it only covers the chrome bezel and does not interfere at all with using the virtual keyboard. The Slider is the same way - I have full access to the screen and the bezel is fully covered. There are cut-outs for all of the buttons and ports. It is a little bit of an adjustment to get to the sleep/wake button since it's set deeper because of the depth of the case (minimal though that may be). I think it's interesting that they left the docking port open - since this case is made explicitly so you can easily remove the bottom portion to dock it, why leave the dock connector open when the bottom portion is on? They could have easily just left cutouts for the speaker and microphone to optimize the protection the case offers and emphasizing the slider aspect for docking. I don't have any accessories that plug into the dock connector aside from the dock, so why not add more protection to my iPhone when I'm out and about away from my dock?
Removing the sliding portion from the case is fairly easy. It fits into the upper portion of the case in a tongue-and-groove manner that works smoothly. The portion that slides under the top part of the case is about 1/2 inch in length - given this, I think it will stay put in your average fall (though I do not dare to test this with my precioussssss).
I use the V-Moda Vibe Duo earbuds with my iPhone, which have a straight connector - these (and the OEM buds that came with the iPhone) have no problem whatsoever fitting into the headphone port. If your headphones have an angled connector, you may want to check to make sure the case won't interfere with their ability to be fully inserted.
The cut-outs for all the buttons and ports are almost perfect - Incase paid attention when designing this case, which is more than I can say for some other case manufacturers.
Using the case
Despite having a glossy, smooth finish, I find this case to be less slippery than the iPhone itself, which is a pleasant surprise. I don't really worry about dropping my iPhone while it's in this case, unless I have really sweaty hands (and I have very warm hands that can be sweaty more often than I'd like, and that is probably way more information than you want to know about me). As previously mentioned, access to the screen and virutal keyboard is not an issue at all. The case adds minimal bulk to the iPhone (about as much as their rubber Protective Cover) and slides easily into pockets. It collects fingerprints very easily, but since the major surface that shows these is the back of the case and I'm usually looking at the front of the iPhone, this bothers me less than anticipated.
Summary
So far, this case has impressed me more than I expected. I am interested in seeing how it holds up over time, particularly the exterior finish and whether or not the snug fit lasts. Of course, this case offers no screen protection whatsoever, but if you’re looking for a case that gives you full access to the iPhone without hindrance and gives it a sleek look, and you don’t mind fingerprints, then I would recommend this case for you.
A quick hint - I hear that this case is now available in Apple stores. Definitely buy one from an Apple store (if there is one convenient to you, of course) because Incase has exorbitant shipping charges ($9.29 for UPS Ground! WTH?!) if you buy it directly from them.
Related reviews:
Incase Slider for 3G iPhone
Incase Protective Cover for first-generation iPhone
Incase Protective Cover for 3G iPhone