The reason I started testing cases back in the day for the iPhone 3G was to find both good protection, and good grip for gaming. Protection has been fairly easy to find, but excellent grip has been somewhat harder. Most cases try to be as thin as possible without any extra edges to hold onto. The Griffin Reveal Etch has gone the opposite direction, and offers a rubberized edge around the entire phone.
For protection the case is quite good with a thick plastic covering the back. The sides are better protected due to the thick and rigid edge. There is no cover for the openings found over the ringer switch, headphone socket and charge socket. Other than that the silent switch and volume controls are covered, and works great. The screen is also protected as the edge gives it some impact protection even when falling screen down.
The great thing about the edge around the case is both that it is rubberized giving excellent grip, and that it gives something extra to hold onto. It might seem like a trivial addition to make an ordinary case into a gaming case, but that is how little that is needed: grip, and surface to grip. In both portrait and landscape mode the phone feels secure, and can be handled with one hand in most conditions.
There are some small issues holding it back from the coveted fifth star. The rubber around the charge socket is thin, and feels somewhat flimsy. The high friction, and larger edges make the case somewhat harder to extract from a pocket. Finally there is nothing extra included in the package. A minor complaint, but nevertheless it helps shipping with screen covers, wipes or stands to get a product noticed in the store.
The design, and production is spot on. The cutouts are well aligned, and there are no mold marks anywhere on the case. The back is a hologram changing depending on how you hold, and tilt it. I really hope to see more cases experimenting with shape like the Reveal Etch does. I highly recommend this case to anyone looking for something stylish, modern with excellent grip.
Final Rating
Griffin Reveal Etch at GriffinTechnology.com $29.99
