Fashion Friday: Finding the perfect phone case

my phone last September

It’s hard to find phone cases I like and I’m picky as hell. I got my iPhone 4S last September (pictured above, taken September 2012, case-less), and for a while I used it without a case. It was, in my opinion, far too pretty to put a case on.

I dropped it a few times. I dropped it flat on tiles, numerous times around my house on carpet and on corkboard floors, and one day I decided to buy a case for it. My previous phone was an Android that wasn’t so crazy glass-like, and was more “plastic”, so I had enough fun throwing that around without it actually getting wrecked. My old iPhone (3GS) was essentially a brick; I had a Speck case for it that was impossible to take off, made it look fat, and I dropped it on floors countless times and witnessed it bounce. The iPhone 4S isn’t like that at all, and could easily get smashed.

You live and learn. I finally decided to invest in a case for my phone. I’ve made this post a Fashion Friday post even though it’s not really fashion, but I’m a sucker for accessories, which I suppose fits under the category of fashion, beauty and style.

Ruby

Ruby

Let’s call the red one Ruby. It was a jelly case. Shiny, and covered the edges of the phone. Simple, which is just what I wanted, and could provide good protection. It cost $7.50 — I bought two cases for $15 (see below). Red is also my favourite colour.

red

What I didn’t like about this case was that it looked cheap. It’s perfect for me to throw my phone around but it doesn’t have any appeal.

Translucent

Translucent

Not a hundred percent clear, but transcluent. I liked this one because it was less cheap-looking and had a rougher sort of feel to it. I bought this along with my red one.

clear

At this point I knew for sure that I did not want a rubbery silicone sort of case unless it was really, really good. I didn’t want a rubber case because I didn’t like the idea of lint getting stuck on it if I happened to put it in my pocket, and I didn’t like the idea of it getting caught on clothing because of its texture.

I also knew that I didn’t really want a case with bling or gems, because I am known to throw my phone around and drop it a lot. I couldn’t afford to spend a lot on a phone case that would just fall apart. Not to mention, those bling cases are only for show, and don’t really provide the phone with adequate protection.

Hello Kitty

Hello Kitty

Kitty gave me a $10 Amazon gift card and I used it to purchase this little gem. This was almost the perfect phone case, and even now, I don’t think I have the perfect phone case. This Hello Kitty number came with some home button stickers, and came in a range of different colours, but this looked the best. I didn’t realise there was a red one (!!) until a few months later when I browsed Amazon again — but the red didn’t look too appealing anyway.

hk
hk2

The sliding style of the case made it a great fit, however, because of the tight fit, the bottom half of the case began to crack from all the stress. Another issue was the bow on the back, which became annoying when I wanted to put my phone face-up on a table and type a text message. As the bow was raised, it meant that with every tap, my phone was just knocking on the table. It’s a small thing, but it irritated me.

hk3

However, the case was lovely and I had no issues with it otherwise.

Bee

Bee

After my Hello Kitty case cracked, I was disappointed and pondered getting another one, but knew I wasn’t completely happy with it, so decided against it. There was no point getting something I knew wasn’t good enough.

There was a sale at the market and I bought this bee case, a bit on a whim. I had actually dropped my phone twice that day, without a case. I got annoyed and decided to buy one. This one was only $5.

It came with a screen protector, but I don’t use one. I really liked the bee because of the cute ears and it was great that the case covered the front edges (which are already ruined from multiple drops). Because of the soft silicone case, though, it got dirty easily and I couldn’t rub the residue off. I use a black bag and a brown bag regularly so the colour transferred to the yellow and I wasn’t able to wash it off no matter what I used. The plastic backing on the case also peeled off, leaving it pretty ugly.

bee

I liked this case because it was cute and because around the volume and power buttons, the case gave it a smooth covering.

Studded

Studded

Getting sick and bored of Ruby (which I began using again), I bought this for $4.95, going against my dislike for bling and cases that don’t cover the edges. I was out with Kim when I bought this and I spent too long looking at the cases that I felt compelled to buy one. This was white, and the bling was subtle, and I needed a change.

studs

The bling also seemed to be stuck on underneath a case layer, basically meaning it was less likely for the gems to fall off.

What disappointed me is that because of the soft-touch silicone, the case caught dirt easily even though I cleaned it every day. I shouldn’t have picked white. Oh well.

Pink

Pink
Pink phone case
Pink phone case

I normally hate pink — though the other day I found out I only hate pink clothes because they’re not so flattering on me. Pink accessories don’t bother me so much.

This case cost $10 and there were many other combinations of colours including red/black, fuchsia/blue, pink/fuchsia. I loved the cool style and the feel of the case, which is similar to the Translucent one I have. The pink lines are just enough to add interest while not looking over-the-top.

The only issue I have had with this case so far is the way it covers the headphone hole. It doesn’t leave any space at all so most headphone jacks have trouble fitting in and I just have to pull the case off. I had a huge whinge to my parents, my brother Brandon, and James, about it… they were all telling me the case was the problem and I should snip or cut it a little bit. I was groaning that I didn’t want to ruin such a nice case and would prefer James cut the rubber around my earphones instead. He did that, but he didn’t want to do it to my Skullcandy headphones because it was not possible to do without ruining the headphones. I guess it’s not a bit deal, but that was a bit annoying.

Pink phone case — headphone hole

Is this the perfect phone case? Haha no. I’m willing to bet I’ll have another one next month. I know people get very fussy over phone cases, and other people just like to have a selection so they can change it whenever they wish, but I can’t make up my mind and I’m just awfully picky. Does anyone out there have a preference for phone cases, or have interesting stories to share, or suggestions? Would love to hear them. :)

Comments on this post

Wow, you’ve had a lot of phone cases for a phone you got in September! :O I’ve had my iPhone 4 since May 2011 and I’ve only had three cases, haha. I originally thought it was too pretty for a case as well, but my dad bought me a case anyway. (The phone I had prior was a Samsung with a slide-up keyboard and was basically indestructible.) It was just plain purple and pretty bulky. I bought my second case a year later; it was red and was really soft. My friend said it felt like an eyeshadow still in the palette. :P I’m currently using a white and pink Kate Spade case.

I think I like the studded case and the bee case the most! I’d probably get annoyed with the bee ears sticking out, though. I don’t know why someone would make a case that covers the headphone hole that much. D: It kind of defeats the purpose of having a case if you have to take it off every time you want to use your headphones.

These are all really cute oooh. I especially like the Hello Kitty one and the last one but uh I only wish I had a smartphone, haha, so no opinions or stories really, sorry /o Hopefully one day you’ll find a cute, not annoying, and convenient phone case!! :D

The cases all look really different. It is a shame that a number of them had problems, I guess it’s something you don’t know until you try them. I am still in the ‘no case, phone to pretty phase’. I would love to get a Hello Kitty one or something as equally kawaii, I just haven’t bothered yet. /wah

I liked the one with the bling, but that is a shame that it did catch the dirt. :(

Add one more reason to why I should get an iPhone 4. It’s free, it’s got a wide app market, and THE CASES. My favorites on this are the bumblebee and your current one. The bumblebee is one of those cases you just want for its cuteness, and your current one is very stylish. It’s only slight pink so if you dislike the color, it can still work!

I have the HTC Vivid and the only cases for it are ugly plain colors. I have a black one so it goes with everything. By now I forgot what my phone looks like. The other day I saw it online and I just wish I did not have a case for it!

Your cases are all so expensive. The most expensive case I bought was for my iPhone 3G that I used as an iPod until last week when it died. That was only $5 and it cracked the first time I dropped my iPhone. I threw it away in Hong Kong when I dropped it and cracked it again.

I have this case: http://www.thebrainybuyer.com/wp-content//2013/04/pink-polka-dot-iphone-case.png

I’ve been using it since I first bought my iPhone 5 in January and it works great! The side is silicone-y so it’s gotten a little dirty but the back is still clean and shiny as ever. It’s super durable and people think it’s cute apparently… I don’t know, I only got it because it was cheap, durable, and not hideous. xD It covers the volume buttons and has sufficient room for headphones/charger. It comes in all sorts of colours since you don’t like pink. :3

Anyway, hope your next case lasts you a little bit longer! Otherwise you can really start a collection soon. :P

Phone cases are definitely an accessory! They were a huge deal in Taiwan and every little gift shop had an enormous stock of cute cases. Right now I have a plain case on my Galaxy SIII, but I’m not satisfied with it because it’s not cute enough. :P Luckily, next to the iPhone 4 my phone is very easy to find cases for.

My favorite out of the ones you’ve had is the Hello Kitty case. It’s too bad it started cracking!

Nawww I wish I had a smart phone! The hello kitty one is too cute! I’d want a pink one though I love pink. I’m sure you look beautiful in pink you look beautiful in anything.

You’ve been through a lot of cases! I still have my first one, which is a purple Speck one. I actually like it though. I’ve dropped my phone on tile and pavement, and it’s still a-ok. Cases with a front bumper are a must for me, since my phone has landed face down a few times now, heh.

I love the look of the Hello Kitty one! I guess I’d be bothered too if the back wasn’t totally flat, since I lay my phone on the table often. It’s a cute design though, and I like the teal color :)

The bee one is also really cute. It’s too bad that it started peeling though. I’ve been tempted to buy a case with ears, but I have a feeling it’ll get caught on stuff in my purse.

I don’t have any suggestions unfortunately! I guess I don’t pay attention to my phone case that much. I haven’t bothered looking for another one since I got it, haha.

Heya :)

Wow, so that’s a lot of phone cases! I always feel safer with a phone case on my iPhone, just because I know I’m clumsy and am super likely to drop it. I’ve had my phone for nearly two years, and think I’ve only used 2 phone cases on it so far! haha. I think my first case broke, which pushed me to buy the second one. The second one has since been covered with stickers by my 5 year old cousin, and while I think stickers make it look tacky, she did it with so much love I haven’t had the heart to throw it away.

I might be getting a new phone in the next few weeks, which means I’m going to need to buy a case for it.. But this leads to a “bigger” problem since we don’t really have markets or shops that sell accessories like that in Kenya :( I guess I’ll have to be super careful then!

Not sure whether or not you’d actually be interested, but I just found a site (case-mate.com) that lets you make your custom phone case, and doesn’t just print a cheap sticker to stick on a piece of plastic! The case is a bit expensive, but I’m definitely thinking of getting one for my phone!