SwitchEasy has stepped up the game with every new generation of iPhone 4 cases. The spanking new Avant-Garde series is no exception. With four different designs each available in three different colours. All in all SwitchEasy makes it really hard to choose what you want to have for your phone. I have tried three different designs: Blossom, Chateau and Clockwork. All of them have the basic features, and I will review them as a coherent series.
The Avant-Garde series is a hard polycarbonate case made from two pieces. A hard bumper goes around the phone that you insert from the back. The large back piece slides on from bottom up using rails on both sides of the bumper. This is a new design that I haven’t seen from any other manufacturer. It is really sturdy, and has no issues that ordinary slider cases have with the pieces not staying in place. The Avant-Garde is really sturdy, and once in place it stays in place. Getting it off is still an easy process. Just slide the back piece downwards, and then jiggle the bumper off.
What are so cool with the Avant-Garde series are the 3d polycarbonate structures on the back. The Chateau is a fantasy castle that can mesmerize kids, and even be a start to telling a story. The Plank is quite literal showing a five broken planks. Blossom is a zoomed in view of roses with one extra large at the bottom part. Finally the steampunk inspired Clockwork with cogs, pistons and a cool vibe.
I have used both the Clockwork, and the Chateau and both have their merits. The Clockwork is closer to an ordinary case, and there aren’t that much sculptural aspects to it. The Chateau on the other hand is a myriad of towers, windows and doors. It is a really tactile experience, and the grip is improved. This goes for the Blossom my wife has tried. The large flower at the lower half is big enough to let you rest the entire phone on that spot.
The only negative aspects to the Avant-Garde are the fact that the back is not flat, and the fact that the material can feel a bit too plastic. Not having a flat back can be an issue when using the phone on a flat surface. At a meeting it is annoying to have it wobble about when I try to check my calendar for example. The plastic sensation could be more bothersome had it not been for the sculptural aspects giving the plastic some variation.
As with all SwitchEasy cases the Avant-Garde comes with the full protective kit. You get two sets of colour-matched covers for the headphone jack, and charge socket. You also get two anti-static screen covers, and squeegee and microfiber cloth for application. This is perfect, and actually makes the Avant-Garde suitable for kids.
SwitchEasy does it again, and innovates the case designs for the iPhone 4/4S. The Avant-Garde is great protective solution that is fun, light and eye-catching. The Blossom, and Chateau are my favourites in the bunch, as they give the most tactile response. All of them come highly recommended, and now I leave you with the hard choice of which of them you like the most.
Final Rating
Avant-Garde at SwitchEasy.com $34.99
Avant-Garde at SwitchEasy.com EU €34.99
