Review: SwitchEasy Trim

A lot of people like Apple’s Bumper for the iPhone 4 kfor the simple reason that it doesn’t detract from the minimalist design of the iPhone and still protects the corners and edges against drops and bumps. For those who want to add a bit more protection (notably the back of the iPhone), SwitchEasy offers the Trim, a $20 minimalist case that’s worth checking out.

For the money, the Trim falls at the lower end of iPhone case prices, and you get the standard array of SwitchEasy pack-ins: two screen protectors, a stand for videos, two Universal Dock adapters, two plugs for the headphone jack, two plugs for the Dock Connector, and a microfiber cloth. While these goodies make it an attractive value, the design of the case itself is obviously the bigger deal. The case is available in an array of colors (black, blue, red, greenish-yellow, orange, pink, and white) and features a hybrid design with ridged, flexible sides (the material seems very similar to other TPU cases on the market), and a hard, translucent, frosted polycarbonate plastic back. You can barely see the Apple logo through the case, so it’s good for those who want to show off their iPhone in a bit more restrained manner.

Compatible with both the AT&T/GSM version of the iPhone 4, with a Verizon-compatible version on the way, the buttons and other cutouts are well-aligned, and the case is rather comfortable to use. The ridges are designed for grip and do take some getting used to. Some complaints with the case is often the sharpness of the individual ridges, but gripped as a whole, we had no issues. Thanks to the materials used, it does not get caught in pockets, a problem common with silicone cases. The cutout for the camera is the larger, oval shape and feature a black trim as not to interfere with the flash.

If we were to find fault with the Trim, two things seem to stick out—the ridges, although giving the case some character and improving grip, collect dust easily. Aldo, the case does require a little effort to remove from the iPhone, mostly because of the stiff back panel (most cases give a little when you “peel” them off.)

The only area that could be potentially troublesome is using the Trim with Apple’s iPod Universal Dock. Although the inserts fit, the iPhone doesn’t always make a solid connection and also runs into this problem without using the inserts. Other accessories seem to be fine.

Although this case does have a few minor annoyances, it is a durable case and an excellent value for most users. For the price, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a better alternative.