Speck IPH3G-CNDY-PUPU CandyShell for iPhone 3GS - 1 Pack - Retail Packaging - Purple

by Speck

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 0.8 x 2.6 x 4.8 inches ; 1.4 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B002GKB0AQ
• Item model number: IPH3G-CNDY-PUPU
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (49 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,572 in Cell Phones & Accessories (See Top 100 in Cell Phones & Accessories)

Product Description

Never before has the flexibility and protection of a soft rubberized case been combined with the durability and scratch protection of a sleek hard shell in a seamless single-piece design... until now. CandyShell's soft, colorful rubberized interior keeps your iPhone 3GS insulated from life's bumps and knocks, while the shiny outer hard shell protects it from scratches and lets you slip it in and out of pockets easily.Colorful, contrasting rubberized interior offers extra shock absorption .

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars High Quality Protective Case with Just Enough Grip, February 16, 2010

By 

Karen A. Banaszak (Hanover Park, IL United States) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Speck IPH3G-CNDY-PUPU CandyShell for iPhone 3GS - 1 Pack - Retail Packaging - Purple (Wireless Phone Accessory)

The Speck iPhone case is worth the money. If you're thinking about buying one, the only reason to take your time is to make sure you pick out a color you like.

VERSUS A SILICONE CASE

I had previously used one of those gummy, silicone cases. I liked it a lot, because it did not add a lot of bulk and did an okay job of protecting the phone. However, it was quite an ordeal to pull it out of a pocket or purse. The silicone back and sides would really grab onto ANYTHING. While that is beneficial in preventing phone suicides (I had previously lost a Sony Ericsson to vibrating itself off of my dresser and subsequently cracking its screen), it is not practical for, say, yanking your phone out of your pocket quickly to prevent the incoming call from rolling to voicemail.

Being paranoid about losing another phone to suicide, I was hesitant about switching to a hard-sided case. However, the makers of this case really know what they're doing. The front lip of the case that protrudes around the edges of the silver bezel is made of a softer, rubbery material. This provides an adequate amount of slip prevention. Additionally, when the phone is on its back, the phone tends to respond to being pushed by spinning on the asterisk in the Speck logo rather than flying across your desk. It's not going to save it from true disasters, of course, but if you need to know the phone won't slide anywhere, you can set it face down. The case protrudes enough that the screen won't touch your desk.

Fortunately, these rubbery edges and logo do not interfere with quickly removing the phone from tight pockets. So, in my opinion, you get the best of both worlds.

THE AUX INPUT

Yes, I can see how others have said that the auxiliary input style may prevent some older connectors from fully plugging in. I have used multiple, newish headphone connectors without issue, but I had a cheap auxiliary male-to-male cable I bought for in the car that was too large. They don't have to look exactly like the default iPhone connector (which is exceedingly slim) to fit, but they do have to be somewhat slender.

THE BUTTONS

Based on the other reviews I've seen, the buttons are a YMMV (your mileage may vary) sort of issue. My volume buttons work fine, but my lock button takes quite a bit of pressure to work. I have tried taking the phone out and readjusting the alignment with mild success. If you are determined to get it just so, you likely won't have a problem with it. And, as another poster mentioned, if it's still an issue, you can always x-acto knife the gummy button covers off.

REMOVING THE CASE

This takes a bit of practice. The instructional video ([...]) is very helpful in learning how. I wouldn't want to have to do it on a regular basis. The good news is, unless you're using a 3-sided cradle for it, you probably won't have to remove it that often. To be on the safe side, though, I stick with cable connections rather than cradle ones.

MOST IMPORTANTLY, PROTECTING THE PHONE

I dropped this from ear height (I'm 5'7") onto a VCT (commercial-grade vinyl tile) airport baggage claim floor, and everything was fine. The phone stayed in the case, and there were no permanent marks left on the case or the phone. The noise it made when it fell surely made my heart skip a beat, though. I imagine it could withstand similar drops without any sign of failure for quite a long time.

Like I said at the beginning, the only reason to wait on buying this case is to make sure you pick a color you like. It covers a substantial part of the phone, and you'll surely have this case for a long time. Now that I've had it for 3 months, I can't imagine using my phone without it.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very good case!, September 11, 2009

By 

Leslie R. Gorman (Orlando, FL) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Speck IPH3G-CNDY-PUPU CandyShell for iPhone 3GS - 1 Pack - Retail Packaging - Purple (Wireless Phone Accessory)

I really like this case a lot, I feel it is very sturdy. It adds a little bit of bulk, but I think it's worth it to feel that my really expensive phone is protected. The case is hard with rubber corners and a rubber edge around the screen. ::Knock on wood:: I've actually yet to drop my iPhone from a high distance, but I feel pretty confident it would be ok if I did. The only downside is it's REALLY hard to get the case off, I hurt my thumb trying to do so. And since I had to bend it kind of hard to get it off, it kind of looked like the rubber corners were splitting and almost even breaking, although once the case was back on they looked fine again. But since my audio jack for my car fits the cutout in the case, and the charger fits the cutout in the case, there isn't really a whole lot of reason to ever take it off. I got the purple, I love purple and I'm really happy with the color. It's not too bright but it's still most definitely purple.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Case, with One "But....", December 24, 2009

By 

R. Schwed "NYC" - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Speck IPH3G-CNDY-PUPU CandyShell for iPhone 3GS - 1 Pack - Retail Packaging - Purple (Wireless Phone Accessory)

Just got this case about a week ago for my iPhone 3GS -- and it is exactly as described -- very solid and protective while also being relatively thin and light.

Pros:

1. Provides good drop protection. I NEVER drop my phones, but I did with the iPhone one day after putting on this case -- right onto the pavement from about waist height. Nary a scratch (it did land on its back, though).

2. Notwithstanding my above-described drop, the case does improve your grip on the iPhone, while still not being so sticky that it can't easily slide in and out of your pocket. I would say that the construction material choices are just about perfect.

3. Comes with a screen protector. It's matte, however, with a slightly textured surface. I didn't like it much and am not using it. One of the things I like about the iPhone is the feel of its glass touch screen. I'll take my chances (gulp).

4. Good tight fit. Yes, it's somewhat hard to remove, but plenty doable. One nice design feature is that the case rim around the iPhone is slight raised, so if you turn your phone over on its face, it rests on the rim of the case, not the touchscreen. And the raised rim is not obtrusive in any way.

5. Good size dock connection opening -- leaves the dock and the speakers wide open. However, the case has some thickness, so depending on your docking device (if any), it may or may not fit with the case on. But it certainly works with the normal sync/charge cord.

Con:

1. Only one, in my view. The case comes with rubber protective covers over both the volume keys and the sleep button. The sleep button worked fine, but I didn't like the loss of feel -- the click is so well machined by Apple that I didn't want to give up its goodness! As for the volume buttons, I found that they just didn't work -- I had to press and press -- and occasionally would get a response. But absolutely no chance of clicking up or down in single click increments.

So why 4 stars? Well, I took my X-Acto knife and simply cut out the volume and sleep button covers. It takes a bit of doing, but I ended up with a product that I am now completely satisfied with. Without the rubber covers, you sort of have to use your finger tip to press the buttons (because they are recessed as a result of the case's protection), but I'm used to that (having come from a Nokia e71, which has a very stiff on/off button).

My recommendation? -- only get a case that does NOT have rubber covers over the volume and sleep buttons -- or, if you're willing to do a little bit of X-Acto knife surgery -- this one.

Edit 12/25/09 -- turns out that for older 3.5mm jacks, they may not fit through the hole in the Speck case -- at home I have one that does and one that does not -- so that may also be a consideration. For Christmas, I was given an Air Jacket case -- certainly even lighter and less obstructive -- with full cutouts for sleep, volume, jack and connector -- but definitely less protective. A tough call, I think.