August 7, 2010

Some time back, I wrote a review on Proporta’s Shine case for the iPhone 3G/3GS – beautiful girlie case. Now I’m back to look at the new Shine case for the iPhone 4.

Updated slightly, the design now has a band to keep the case closed (or open), and is available in three colours: black, red, and blue for $36.95. Proporta sent me a red Shine case to review, and I must say the patent leather looks even better in red than the old Shine case in black. Even better news, it is not the fingerprint magnet that you might expect. As a fashion statement, this truly Shines.

The new design with the band is really pretty, however, I’m not thrilled with it when it comes to functionality. It catches on the zipper when I put it into the pocket of my purse, and it frequently comes undone when I remove it from my purse. It also slows you down when answering the phone – it’s not an easy one hand operation. What it is good for, though, is holding the cover down in back to form a handle when you’re using the phone.

While I really like the looks of the Shine case, I’m not a huge fan of flip down covers. This has less to do with talking on the phone than using the camera. I take a lot of pictures with my iPhone, and having a flip down covers makes that difficult. Flip up would be so much easier – the flap could then hang at the bottom while you carried on with your photography. With a flip down cover, you have to hold the cover out of the way. The only positive here is that the bright colour of the case doesn’t interfere with the camera. It’s difficult to tell about the flash as that seems to wash everything out anyway.

In addition to stunning good looks, the Shine case provides great protection for your iPhone 4 The cover holds a mirror, but there is enough space that you can easily put your driver’s license and a credit card behind the mirror (or remove the mirror and just have your cards if you’re so inclined). This makes the Shine case perfect for a night out – no need to carry anything else with you, and the cards are quite secure without being difficult to remove.

Video instead of photos today. Let me know which you prefer.

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