Customer Reviews

Smoke Circle - MiniSuit Verizon iPhone 4th Gen Skin Case compatible for AT&T iPhone 4 / iPhone 4G / 4th Generation 16GB / 32GB + MiniSuit LCD Cleaner keychain

5 star:		(88)
4 star:		(46)
3 star:		(15)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(10)

 

 

The TPU material feels slightly tacky, but it's thinner and not as sticky as rubber or silicone cases and will still help the phone survive a fumble (TPU has better hardness, abrasion resistance, and tensile strength than silicone). Most importantly the case passed the pocket removal test (though I can't vouch for those of you in skinny jeans). Oily fingerprints show up pretty quickly but they're easily buffed out on the front of your t-shirt. The power and volume buttons are wisely covered to keep dirt out and they retain good tactile action through the "outdent" above each. The sound on/off slider is uncovered and harder to get at but it can be toggled while inside your pocket with a little extra finger dexterity. The camera elements, flash, audio jack, top mic, speakers, and dock connector are all properly uncovered with perfectly placed openings in the case.

As far as aesthetics, the phone's sexy stainless steel band is hidden away but the smoke-gray case is subtle and thin, and even with my spartan taste I think the concentric rings around the Apple logo are actually better than the muted-gray look it would have had without them. (Thumbs down to the new version in the product picture showing the grid of circles. Not sure which one they're shipping now.) There is a visible seam running around the sides of the case, but it's mostly flush and not very conspicuous.

I bought this case in order to have an interim solution while I wait for better known case manufacturers to get their act together and put their iPhone 4 products on the market As the earlier reviewer noted, this is a more than sufficient case although I obviously won't know for a while how durable it is. The bottom line is it surpassed my expectations of a $12 case and will definitely be in use for a while. I'll eventually try a different case; but it will be because I'm geeked out about my new phone, not because the MiniSuit case wasn't worthy. I just need to install my Skinomi screen protector, and I'll finally be able to actually use my phone without sweating over dropping it.

UPDATE: Still using this case and it's held up fine. I tried a Speck case, but the material was too slippery so I immediately went back to the MiniSuit case.

Save your money for a better fitting case that does not affect the camera/flash. Here is a pros/cons list for you on the case.

PROs
- Fits frame well (excluding the camera issue below)
- Great Looking

CONs
- Does NOT fit the camera lens and flash properly, when you use the flash you get milky looking pictures because the flash/camera hole on the case is too small and reflects the flash back into the lens, vs the nice crisp pictures you get with the case off (see images I uploaded of a test shot of my TV at night using the case on and off)
- Very hard, doubt it gives much protection if you drop your phone...
- Somewhat brittle, mine is already cracking in one corner from taking the case on and off 3 or 4 times because it affects the camera...see above
- Causes protective film covers to peel off when you put on the case if you're not very careful.
- Hard casing on the front sticks out a bit and can be very uncomfortable when holding the phone up to your face for conversations over 5 minutes

OVERALL:
2 of 5 avoid this case and wait till they release a second version with a properly sized flash hole to fix the camera issue described above and use a less hard/brittle plastic.

Fits exceptionally well for a product that must have been manufactured before the designers had access to the hardware. Ports and buttons are well aligned. Quick shipping and reasonable price. I had planned to use this case just for a month or two, until fancier options were available, but now I may stick with it for the long haul. Well done, Minisuit.

I too was looking for a temporary case and settled for the MiniSuit. The fitment is good and the volume buttons are not hard to press like the Grip Vue from Belkin for example. There is a very slight bulge around the top part of the case (the part covering the sleep/power button) which prevents the case from being 100% tight around the top edge of the phone. I thought perhaps this was due to the sleep button at the top but the sides are fine with the volume buttons so I'm not sure. The cutout around the flash and camera lens on the back of the case is sufficiently spaced and I do not see any problem with low-light pictures utilizing the flash.

As for the aesthetics of the case, I don't particularly care for the transparency and prefer solid colors. The transparency I feel cheapens the look of the phone. Perhaps a clear case on a white iPhone would look better. This is just my personal preference though. I don't care for the plastic seam around the entire case either but this is a product of the manufacturing process I think. I have seen other plastic/silicone cases with the seam as well because they appear to be constructed of two halves.

Kudos to MiniSuit for releasing an inexpensive iPhone case that is actually in-stock and ships quick!

BTW the LCD cleaner keychain was not included in my order due to being out-of-stock but MiniSuit did include directions on how to claim one when they are in-stock again.

What can I say, I do not like soft cases. I believe that hard cases protect better and feel better and I don't like my buttons being covered by a case at all...

That said, I have to admit that this case is great. It feels good in the hand, it is not "sticky" or a lint magnet like other soft cases that I've seen. The knockouts for the dock connector / bottom speakers / microphone, mute switch, headphone jack, and rear camera / LED flash are spot on. Even the mirrored apple logo is targeted perfectly by the concentric circle design on the back of the case. The volume buttons and lock switch are covered (ugh) but they are easily pressed through the case.
Also, the case fits the iPhone 4 like a glove. There is no slipping around, it's tight and a tad bit difficult to get on the first time but that just means that it won't come off the phone unless I really try to take it off and will probably protect the phone well in the case of an accidental drop.

I'm hoping that this will prevent the iPhone 4 "grip of death" but haven't had anyone to call yet so I can't really report on that.

Bottom Line: Great early release case. Good fit, looks good, solid design.

I bought this case and the $25 Belkin Grip Vue. I like this one better. It is attractive, slim and functional. The holes for the dock connector and earphone jack are a little bigger than on the Belkin case, so they work better with some accessories. This type of case is not the same as the matte silicone cases for iPhone 3G. The material is stiffer and doesn't gap like the silicone does. It also seems more shock absorbing than the hard cases like InCase makes. The case material fills the cutout/gap between the iPhone's screen and metal band, so even though the case is slim, there should be enough there to cushion an average fall. The case also cuts down on the interference caused by gripping the phone in your left hand.
The texture of the case is smooth so it comes out of your pocket easily, but it still grips in your hand well. The only imperfection to my eye is a small moulding seem in the center of the edge. The little jacket shaped screen wiper is not something I would cary around with me, but it does work if you don't mind adding the bulk to your keychain.

I just got my MiniSuit Skin Case in the mail yesterday, so here's a run down. I was first drawn to the case because the case I got as part of Apple's free case program (Speck Fitted Case) sucked. The tartan design of the Speck case looked cool, but once the iPhone was in it, it was nearly impossible to remove it. On top of that, the rubber sides tended to get stuck in my pocket, so removing the phone was sometimes an annoying process. While I love the redesign of the iPhone with iPhone 4, when I'm using it without a case I feel like I'm going to drop and break it. May be due to the fact that it's thinner than previous models and I've got rather large hands. So I needed a case for my own peace of mind, but obviously I wanted one that was easily removable and didn't get stuck in my pocket. The MiniSuit meets those requirements. It's a simple process to pop the iPhone in and out of it, but once the iPhone is in the case it feels secure enough to where the case isn't so loose that the phone will dislodge itself. And the TPU material is amazing - instead of a rubber type material, it feels closer to silicone. It's durable and flexible like rubber, but doesn't get stuck in my pocket like rubber cases do. Last, but not least, the MiniSuit is only $12.90 (case + shipping)!! The only cons I've noticed are you can see the seam where the case was molded, and because the case is a smokey color it hides the stainless steel band that runs around the iPhone, but those are insignificant considering how well this case is constructed and how inexpensive it is. Really, the only case I would even consider now is the Vapor case from Element Cases, and that thing is nearly 7X the cost of the MiniSuit.

A good case, just not great yet. To the maker, please try to control the quality a bit better when handling the seams on the side. The seams on my case are VERY apparent and rather sharp in feeling. also the case could be just a hair tighter on the phone, its not loose by any means, but there is room for it to be more snug and have less give, especially at the top. If the seam issue were to get fixed and a bit more Q/A went into the case, I'd easily give it a 5/5.

For now I can live with the flaws due to the price/value compared to other cases.

This MiniSuit case is the 3rd case I purchased from Amazon over the past 3 weeks after getting my iPhone 4. I can honestly say that it is by far the best one. I also owned a Sonix Snap Slim case (a good choice but a bit slippery) and a MiVizu case (a poor choice because it's rubbery and loose fitting).

The MiniSuit case fits snugly (but not too tightly), it feels nice to hold (not sticky or slippery), and although it's 'smoky' in color, it's partially see-through so you can see the Apple logo on the back and the metal on the sides. I'm personally not crazy about the concentric ring design on the back, but to me it's not offensive.

Even though the "+" and "-" buttons (as well as the power button) are covered, they are still easy to press through the plastic. The headphone opening on top and the camera/flash openings on the back are well placed and don't interfere at all with function.

I'm not really sure what TPU plastic is, but whatever it is, it makes a very comfortable, stylish, and functional phone cover. Good job all you guys at MiniSuit! You have a new customer for life!

I ordered two of the Mini Suit cases for my husband and I and we love them. They protect our iPhones from our teething 7 month old and from every day wear and tear. They are lightweight, stylish, affordable, and not cumbersome.

Additionally, they are NOT that gummy/sticky plastic covers that get stuck in your hair, etc... which is a huge bonus.

I highly reccomend this product!