Introduction:

Incipio Leather Flip iPhone 3G(S) Case

    Today I have for you guys another case designed for use with the Apple iPhone 3G/3GS. It's called the Incipio Leather Flip Case and it's quite unique with it's hard back, soft leather covering and tight closure. Let's take a closer look at the features and specifications and see what, if anything, sets this case apart from the millions of cases out there.

Features:

• Hard polycarbonate lower half shell protects against dents and scratches

• Smooth, high quality leather flip top covers the face of your iPhone 3G 3GS

• Form-fitting shell allows for easy access to all touch screen and button functions

• Includes 2 surface protectors and a cleaning cloth

Compatibility:

• iPhone 3G

• iPhone 3GS

Specifications:

• Part #: IPH-375

• Color: Brown

   Quickly looking over the features and specs, nothing really stands out "on paper". Let's take a closer look.

Packaging:

Shipping Box	Tissue Paper	Wrapped Inside
Inside the Case	Front Bottom Corner	Underside Bottom Corner

   The packaging is a bit more interesting than usual with the tissue paper and all. However one thing I noticed after looking at the incipio website is that this case is suppose to come with 2 screen protectors and a cleaning cloth. I did not receive those items, perhaps because it's a sample and not full retail product.

First impressions is that the leather flip case feels great in the hands and you can smell the genuine leather right out of the box (which I love). Hard protective backing with a smooth leather cover feels right for the iPhone, but let's keep checking it out.

    I really like the subtle branding on the front cover. It's classy and elegant. You can see how it's one continuous piece of leather from one end to the other which adds to the quality feel and look. There are many flip cases out there and a large majority of them are cheaply made and the phone snaps into a cradle on the bottom half. This case requires the user to slide their phone into a long groove, then the flap comes over the top for front protection. The leather front cover is firm for maximum protection but the leather used is very supple.

Installed:

    Now with all the monotony out of the way and the case installed, there are some interesting issues that I've noticed. Let me start by saying that I really wanted to love this case and make it my go-to case. I really did. However with just a few minutes with this case, I knew this wasn't going to happen. Here's why...

First thing is that the flap just simply gets in the way in everyday use. Constantly having to fold it over and grab both it and the phone is a bit of an inconvenience. However this isn't the main reason for me not making this my own personal case. Next thing I noticed was the fact that the leather back covers up the camera. This gives the appearance that the case isn't "perfectly" designed for the iPhone. Add to this that the leather running up the opposite side of the back is cut too far in, which leaves too much of the back upper corner of the phone vulnerable, further makes the case that the back is not very well designed for this phone. You can see what I mean in a few of the pictures above. Keep a close eye on the shape of the leather on the back and of the phone and just how much of the upper edges of the phone are exposed. It really makes me scratch my head because the care and attention that has gone into making the perfect "Indiana Jones" type soft leather, and a great bottom section that feels great in the hand leaves nothing to be desired. However covering up the camera, but leaving the more critical corners exposed just makes little sense to me.

Conclusion:

    Again let me say that I went into this review wanting to love this product. Seeing it online and that beautiful leather made me crave the arrival of the UPS man so I could slap it on my new iPhone 3GS, love it, be done with the case hunt and tell you all to go buy one right away! However I can't quite do that.

The first thing you will need to decide for yourself is if you want a flip style case at all. What you gain in protection you give up in convenience (or ease of use). The flap just simply gets in the way when making calls. Trying to answer the phone quickly can lead to a fumbling, bumbling you-tube-able video. However the main problem I have with it is the shape of the leather on the upper back of the case. It leaves way too much phone exposed yet covers the camera for no good reason. The precision of the rest of the case is fantastic so there is no reason they could not have cut a perfect camera hole in the leather, if nothing else, for looks. Requiring users to "peel" down the leather on the back to use the camera just feels wrong, especially in such an otherwise quality case. They also could (should?) have just run that hard shell all the way up the rear of the case.

If you were looking for that perfect brown leather flip case for your iPhone, you might want to hang on and wait until revision 2 of this unit, which I hope Incipio takes these ideas and makes it happen. At a retail price of just $29.99 too, this case could have made a huge splash in the market in my opinion. Considering some of the crappiest molded silicone junk is selling for $15-$25 as it is, this high quality leather flip from Incipio is a fantastic value for what you get. It's too bad they missed the mark, if even by a little, which is all it takes in this incredibly competitive market segment.

I'd like to thank Incipio for sending out this unit for review and if you like what you see, or would like to check out their full line of accessories, you can do so at Incipio.com.

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