Case-Mate "Gelli" iPhone 4 case review

I received my Case-Mate Gelli Case and so far I like it. It looks better in person than it looked on their website. I really like how it adds a pattern to the back, but doesn't obscure it - the entire back is visible. Also you can still see the side metal bands. From a looks standpoint it complements the iPhone really well. The TPC material also feels really nice in hand - better then without it. The buttons are covered, but work perfectly and easily through it. The holes for the back camera and flash, headphone jack and mute switch line up very well. The dock connector and speaker opening is plenty big and lines up very well. However, that is the area of the one shortcoming of this case. Due, I think, to the generous opening at the dock connector, the bottom front edge of the case feels pretty loose. Even very loose. I think it's only a minor nuisance, though, and that it will work with all dock cables is a big plus. The headphone jack opening is relatively generous and the material there isn't too thick.

My Westone UM2 headphones, which have an angled plug, work fine with the Case-Mate Gelli case. The case does stretch slightly with the headphones plugged in, but it isn't a problem.

Regarding it's affect on the attenuation problem, I did a highly unscientific test. When I sit on one corner of our couch, when I had the 3GS I would often get no signal at all. With the uncased iPhone 4, when NOT held I see 4 bars. When I bridge the gap left handed, the signal drops to zero (searching) in roughly 10 seconds. With the Case-Mate case on it dropped to 1 bar in perhaps 20 seconds, and then stayed there for a several minutes and didn't go to zero. I took the case back off and set the phone down and it went back up to 4 bars. I picked it up (uncased), left handed and within 10 seconds it was searching. I quickly put the case back on and held it left handed and after about two minutes the signal returned at 1 bar and stayed there.

So the case has an effect, and though it isn't a dramatic one, it can make a difference. Also note that with the 3GS I often never had a signal in this spot at all. FYI, held right handed the signal stays at about 3 bars.

Though this is only after a short time of use, so far I'm really pleased with this case especially given the price. It's a bargain and of much higher quality then the price would imply. The phone looks really good in it, it adds very little bulk at all, it protects the back of the phone while still keeping it entirely visible (and adds a cool pattern), it feels much nicer in hand then the bare phone, and it reduces the attenuation problem, plus it's only $20 and comes with a cleaning cloth and screen protector.

I actually accidentally mangled the screen protector when opening the plastic pouch it was in, because I couldn't see it and didn't think it included one, but it looks as if it would be fine when not mangled. I didn't really mind that I mangled it, as I don't like the way screen protectors look anyway and I'm not that worried about scratching the screen as I don't keep it in a pocket with keys or anything else.

Now some photos of my iPhone 4 with the Gray Case-Mate Gelli case. The pictures are very grainy - the case doesn't look grainy at all! I took these with my 3GS, indoors with room lighting. Hopefully it gives you the idea, though. It definitely shows how the iPhone is visible in entirety when in this case, and the pattern on the back of the case is actually pretty nice. I think this case looks really good and I love that it still shows off the design of the iPhone 4 itself.

Here is the case on their site: http://www.case-mate.com/iPhone-4-Cases/Case-Mate-iPhone-4-Gelli-Cases.asp











That's one of my kids' hands in those last two.

 

It is slightly squishy, yes, but firm. It gives a better grip too. The TPU plastic material this case is made from is much firmer then the silicone used in earlier soft cases, and unlike silicone it doesn't attract dust/lint. Also it's much clearer then silicone, thus why it shows off the iPhone so well. They have a lighter "clear" color too, although the pattern on the back is much more pronounced on that one, which I didn't like. They also have a different, circle, pattern on some other colors, including red and pink.

 

Here is a flash picture with the case on, of a dark corner in the room right next to me. Looking behind the TV. I don't notice any flash issues here, but I haven't extensively tested the flash with this case.



P.S. don't tell my wife that I posted this picture of an ugly portion of the room.

 

I wasn't sure I'd like the buttons covered either, but it's really not bad at all. The buttons function perfectly and you can still feel the buttons just fine.

Having said that, a followup to my revie.... I'm finding that with time the case isn't as comfortable to hold as I'd like. It's not terrible by any means, and it's probably not worse then most other cases, but none-the-less I'm not entirely happy with it. It's the corners of the phone that are the problem. I feel like the bottom left corner is pressing into the palm of my hand when I'm holding it left handed (which is how I usually hold it). It doesn't seem uncomfortable when I hold it right handed, so maybe I just have to get use to it. Or maybe a softer material would do the trick, or perhaps a leather case would be more comfortable. This case is certainly good at least for now, and maybe with time I'll adjust. Hopefully so, as I really like the look of it and it feels like it would protect the phone well when dropped (short of landing face down on rocky terrain).

 

I just got this Minisuit TPU skin case, which is very similar in design to the Case-Mate Gelli:

http://www.amazon.com/MiniSuit-Generation-compatible-Cleaner-keychain/dp/B003T9EGCM/

It's cheaper even with shipping althoug nit doesn't include a screen protector or cleaning cloth. It was advertised as coming with a keychain screen cleaner, but mine only came with an apologetic note saying that it was out if stock and saying that I could give them my email address and be put in a waiting list for a replacement.

I'll cut to the chase on this one and give the essential info. The build quality is not as good as the Case-Mate Gelli, including that the back camera hole is not as well lined up, although it doesn't block the camera or flash at all. The seam along the sides is a bit rough and I think the TPU plastic is a little thinner, though that could also be a plus. However, the case looks fantastic on the phone, and I like the concentric circles pattern on the back more. I would use this case even over the Case-Mate due to how it looks, except for one deal-killing issue. The hole for the headphone jack is smaller and my Westone UM2 headphones don't work with it. I can get them in, but they pop back out. If I can figure out how to make the hole larger without ruining it I'd do that, but I don't know if that's possible.