I received a request about testing the Neo Hybrid Series from SGP as a comment on my previous test of SGP products. Now I am extremely grateful for that request posted by Austin. Once the two piece case had been installed on my iPhone 4 I was blown away, and still am. A case combining the grip, antislip and easy to hold features of silicone, with a hard rugged border holding the silicone in place is pure brilliance.
The Neo Hybrid is a fresh take on cases in my opinion combining classic silicone with the new bumper style case Apple introduced for the iPhone 4. The bumper is made from a thin and flexible polycarbonate frame. Once it is installed, and gets stretched it gets hard. This is not trough some fancy molecular material, but by means of force applied. There is no risk of the frame snapping tough, and it doesn’t look or feel fatigued. Closest to the phone there is a thin, about 1.5 millimetre thick, case made from silicone. The back is surprisingly rigid on its own, and actually it can be used as a case without the frame.
The synergy of the two pieces is way beyond their individual properties. It takes some fiddly work to get the two pieces on together. I found that the best way to get it on smoothly is to put the silicone on three of the four corners. Then I put the frame on starting with the top left, and finishing with the open bottom right corner. At the bottom right corner I place the frame in the silicone, and ease them both on together. Once in place the case is as rigid, as if it had been a part of the original phone.
For protection the case offers good impact protection around the sides, and limited impact protection for the back, and front. A small lip of silicone around the screen lets the phone rest screen down if needed. Scratch protection is overall good, with only the screen open. The Neo Hybrid is not my first choice when it comes to protection, and if you need tough protection you are better off with the Otterbox Defender or Commuter. What the Neo Hybrid offers though is a feeling, and look that is as close to the naked phone I have ever experienced with a case. It is extremely thin, and yet it offers the protection needed for everyday usage at work or school.
The style of the Neo Hybrid is rather toned down, and the lines accentuates the original design of the phone. The bumper comes in a variety of colours, and adds a lot of style to the phone. There are also variations of the case that offers stronger colour combinations, and some that come with coloured silicone as well.
I am really impressed with the Neo Hybrid, and to me it only has one flaw. The cut-out for the headphones is a bit too small for a lot of headphones. If you have headphones with cords thicker at the base than the stock Apple headphones they will be hard to use. It is probably possible to make the cut-out larger using a knife or drill. The narrow cut-out is the only miss in the design, as all other cut-outs are great. The silent button is even more responsive using the case than with the naked phone. It is easy to access the mute switch as well using one hand.
If you don’t want to use any case for you iPhone 4, but are still concerned about scratches or minor bumps get this case. It lets you have all the great benefits of a silicone case, while not sacrificing anything but a millimetre or two of thickness. Better grip, and no loose silicone around the edges equals a silicone case hard to dismiss. And by the way a screen protection film is included in the package. This case gets my full recommendation, and yet again thanks Austin for giving me a heads up on this one.
Final Rating
SGP Neo Hybrid Matte Series $26.99 at SGPstore.com
SGP Neo Hybrid Color Series $26.99 at SGPstore.com
