Review: Incipio dermaSHOT for iPhone 4

Silicone cases have existed for iDevices for years, and the iPhone 4 is no exception. One of the earliest cases available, the $20 Incipio dermaSHOT, takes a very familiar idea and takes it a step further in a few areas, although not nearly as unique as SwitchEasy’s Colors line of cases.

One of the big draws to silicone cases is that they are flexible and absorb everyday shocks. Drop your iPhone in one of those cases and it probably will fare a little better than a hardshell case or naked. The dermaSHOT doesn’t try to be anything other than a good basic case. Available in a four colors (black, yellow, fuscha magenta, purple), the case covers everything except the mute switch, camera opening, and features a generous opening for the Dock Connector, microphone, and speaker. The case is advertised as working with both GSM (AT&T/world) and CDMA (Verizon) iPhone 4s.

The case fits rather nicely, and even is shaped to come a little closer to the earpiece and the home button, adding a little more coverage and security. The silicone is actually a little thicker than some other cases out there, making the whole thing feel a little more substantial and “chunky”. Some may see this as a drawback, while others a positive—we’ll let you be the judge.

Also included with the dermaSHOT is a SwitchEasy-style (and also a trend with Incipio) goodie bag of little add-ons. The dermaSHOT includes a scrren protector (unlike the Feather’s two), microfiber cloth, and applicator card. Although they are not exactly make-or-break, they do sweeten the deal a bit, especially with so many manufacturers offering just a case at higher prices.

One area where we don’t like the DermaShot is that even almost a year after the iPhone 4’s launch, it still has issues with the flash reflecting off the case. The cutout is big enough that this should not happen, but it does on all models except black. A Sharpie marker would fix this (think eyeblack), but is an annoyance for hardcore iPhone photographers. The other area the case struggles is in the same scope as other silicone cases—lint loves it, it hangs up in pockets, and it tends to peel away from the iPhone along the long edges.

Despite the drawbacks, we found the dermaSHOT to be a good, durable case that offers quite a bit of protection, especially if you have butter fingers. With a variety of colors available, and a fairly low price, you can do a lot worse for the money.