Yeah Yeah… I know most of you are super stoked for the iPhone 4s that Apple is going to talk about tomorrow. However, the reality is… most of the American population is going to take advantage of the super awesome drop in price the iPhone 4 is very likely going to take.
That being said, we’re stepping away from our typical iPhone 4 (and 4s) case review and bringing you something a bit more elite. Something that makes you usual iPhone case a little scared. Hell, I’m pretty sure your normal iPhone case just pee’d a little after seeing the title of this article! Because it already knows awesome is about to be thrown down… and it knows you’re going to be excited.
The Vapor Pro Chroma iPhone Case ($150). Let me tease you with a little something to get you excited, followed by a pretty picture, before I dive in: this is made with an aluminum frame “satin finished by bead blasting prior to anodizing” and highlighted with an Ultrasuede back plate. (yeah… I just got a little wet too)
(Top View Below)
If you’re looking for the quick review… then here it is: This. Case. Is. A. Badassmuthafucker!
Looking for the longer version. Cool. We’ve tested quite a few cases at the WGUB over this past year (the good ones can be found HERE). Most of them pretty good in their own way… but none really bringing in the “Wow factor” we were hoping for. I mean, it is a freaking phone case… how much “Wow” can we really expect anyway.
Then we got our hands on the Pro Chroma. And I have to admit… I said wow. For starters the incredibly light-weight frame is made out of a very slick-looking anodized aluminum with a monochromatic bead-blasted surface… which is fancy talk for a silky smooth look. You truly barely notice it’s on the phone. Making sure to leave all the right gaps in all the right places, you anchor this bad-boy on and it never needs to be removed. Let’s actually go back with that last statement… “anchor this bad-boy on”. This case is actually ATTACHED to your phone with a very badass screw system (check out the pic →). There is no way this will pop-off when dropped or get stolen during this weekends drunkapalooza… hellz no, this case is designed to protect to its last breath! Oh, and hey… don’t sweat trying to find the little tools needed to put it together, the smarty-pants at Element case not only provide you with it… but they also give you a cool case to put it in for easy locating. (pic below)
Love to listen to your music while on the go? I mean come-on… who doesn’t?!?! They designed this to perfectly fit your standard headphone jack, easily access the volume buttons and quickly switch the ringer from loud as shit to vibrate. Everything you’re used to in normalville. (close-up pics below)
Moving on… this case is light, it’s designed to last an INCREDIBLY long time, and it even has a soft side. Yuppers… said best in their very own words “The back plate is genuine color matched Ultrasuede® – the most plush back plate we offer”. Smartly designed to feel all warm and fuzzy on your hand while providing you with a great slip-free backing (a big problem with metal/plastic cases). Here are a few pics:
They also give you a cool little Ultrasuede piece for the front of the phone to cover the top portion where you’re ear goes. I LOVED this as well, but sadly my rough lifestyle got sand underneath it and it came off. My bad. 🙁
Let’s see… what else? It’s awesome… awesome… totally awesome… and badass.
Negatives? Only one… and unfortunately for me, it’s kind of a biggie. The base of the case is NOT designed so that your phone can be used on an audio dock. Sadly… a huge fail in the iPhone case world. I have both an Audyssey SOM dock and a JBL OnStage 400p dock and with the Element design I can’t set my phone on either one. You can easily attached the standard charging plug… and, of course, attached to your docks through a male-male plug (Paystee’s favorite kind of plug) but setting onto your traditional dock is a no-go. Luckily my Audyssey dock is blue-tooth enabled… but that’s not the point. It just sounds better when docked.
So… if docking your phone is not a big deal, or important what-so-ever… then the Element Vapor Pro Chroma iPhone 4 case is undoubtedly the best damn thing you can put on your most important piece of tech to keep it safe and sound. They have several color options (including a siiiick Tactical line… just don’t drop it, CAMO!) and a couple of variations on the one I have if you want to drop (or add) a few bucks to your case budget.
Here are a few more pics, with close-ups, of different angles to give you a really good idea of what you are hopefully getting into (click on the image to enlarge). If you love your iPhone half as much as I do (dude… this thing does EVERYTHING!!!) then this really is must-have!
