id America’s Gasket turns the iPhone case into a work of art

• Esthetics
• Protection

With so many protective cases for the iPhone 4 (and consequently iPhone 4S) out there, it is tough to make that decision to choose one case over another. It could take a person literally hours to choose the perfect case. After all, “nothings too good for baby” (cough) I mean your iPhone. That being said, the Gasket case from id America is definitely worth considering.

To start off, the packaging itself is great. It is very sturdy and nicely done; very “apple-esque” in its presentation (the mac book pro users out there will get flash backs from when they were first opening their machines.) Once opened, you will find that the case is a brushed aluminum case that clips on to the back of your iPhone 4. The case comes in six colors: aluminum silver, vintage gold, modern bronze, titanium gray, jet black and rally blue. Id America also provides a nice set of screen shields for the back and front of your iPhone.  I was a little cautious from the start as I assumed the one piece, entirely aluminum case would scratch up my iPhone, but was pleasantly surprised when I found that the inside of the case (that which makes contact with your phone) is covered in a thin but efficient neoprene like coating. This is particularly impressive seeing as the case has so many holes cut out of it to give it that “right form the machine shop” look (more on that later.) But I did find a few minor scratches on the side of my iPhone after I took it out of the casing.

To put the case on you simply slide your iPhone in on one side and snap the other side into the case. Nothing new there. What is nice about the case once it’s on, in terms of use, is that it is quite thin. I have never held my iPhone for too long without some sort of case on it, and the Gasket case didn’t make it feel that different; in fact, it was such a seamless addition that I felt as if the case belonged to the iPhone.

When attached to the phone the case does not touch screen at all, instead it clips to the very edges of the phone… and holds on very tight. At no time did the Gasket case lose a hold of its precious cargo, a harrowing experience I’ve had with some two-piece cases in the past. All the buttons for the iPhone are still accessible (sleep, volume, vibrate) and the bottom also leaves ample room to plug in the iPhone charger. The speakers at the bottom are also unobstructed and the case will still allow you to show off that funny video on YouTube to your friends.  The cutouts at the back are mainly esthetic except for the hole in front of the camera, an ever more important feature since the upgrade on the 4S. I am pleased to say that this particular case does not cause any issues where the flash is concerned; my pictures came out crystal clear. Also, call quality was for the most part, unhindered. What you’ll find with other aluminum cases is a severe loss of signal whereas the gasket case only made my iPhone lose one bar of signal at most and only in certain instances.

As far as protection, this is one area where the Gasket case can lose points. Since the case only hangs on to the back of the phone it doesn’t actually protect the front, all important touchscreen. Id America has thrown in a front (and back) protector screen to ward against minor scratches but if you were to drop your iPhone at just the right angle, then the case wouldn’t actually do anything- your iPhone would simply hit the pavement. If you know you are prone to dropping your iPhone, then this might not be the case for you.

That said I absolutely LOVE the way this case looks. I have never seen a case look so interesting. The inspiration for the design came from the head gasket on a performance engine and the Gasket case really does looks like its part of a larger machine. The asymmetry of the back cut outs really give it a unique character and coupled with the elegance of the iPhone 4, it’s certainly a tough combination to beat. The design was so enthralling that I kept finding myself turning over my iPhone so that I would see the back instead of the touch screen.  Id America really nailed the design on this one and actually turned an iPhone case into a work of art.

Final Verdict:

PROS: Esthetics- this iPhone case is the best I’ve seen so far. Thin design doesn’t feel bulky and there’s surprisingly little signal loss considering it’s an aluminum case.

CONS: It doesn’t protect the touchscreen or the front of the iPhone in anyway. So if you drop your device often, I’d suggest a sturdier case. Locking the iPhone into the case caused a few minor scratches on the side of the phone that “clicked” in.

MSRP: $29.99

To find out more on the Gasket case, check out id America’s website.