Angry Birds is one of the most well-known franchises in the world of mobile games. One rather simple physics puzzle has spawned a horde of clones, and is spilling over into all sorts of other aspects of popular culture. The idea of a series of cases for the iPhone 4 and iPod Touch is easy to understand. The demand to have these slightly annoyed winged creatures in our lives is huge.
There are currently three different Angry Birds cases available, and of those only two depict birds. The front for the entire Angry Birds franchise Red Bird is slowly becoming an icon, and is probably the case most people will opt for. The speedy Yellow Bird is also one of those early birds packing a lot of punch. The third case design is the enemy himself, the green Pig King. Of the three the Pig King is the only one with a friendly smile, but then he isn’t aware of the incoming volleys of birds.
The Angry Birds cases are snap on back covers also covering the sides of the phone. Back covers come in two variants: those that only cover the metal sides, and those covering all the way around above the metal sides. This is one of those that go above the metal on the sides of the phone, and is hard to insert into and near impossible to extract from. The plastic encases the volume buttons, and the mute switch. An edge goes above the metal, and is level with the front screen. This of course means that the case will remain on if dropped. To me the hassle of removing the case is unbearable. The case creaks and groans as I pry it off, and I am afraid I will bend it beyond breaking point.
I am surprised at how well the case is made, as tie-inns often are cash cows made with limited attention to detail. The color is really popping out with a bright red, yellow and green palette. The prints don’t seem to come off even after wear in a pocket for weeks. The sides lack the bright colors, and are slightly subdued matte colors of the bird or pig in question.
If you are a fan of Angry Birds you can’t go wrong with these cases. Of course the protection on offer is limited due to being back snap on cases only covering the back and sides. The top, bottom and screen are left open. For most users it still offers a basic level of protection needed at school or work. The prints are striking, and it is easy to distinguish the Red, and Yellow Birds from far away. The main complaint I have is the fact that it is hard to remove the case, and if you are a frequent case changer it might be a problem. For a fan it still comes highly recommended.
Final Rating
Angry Birds at Gear4.com £24.99
