Steampunk iPhone4 Cases: reviewing the best Cases!

If you have a new iPhone4 there are some easy ways to personalize and protect your iPhone! Zazzle is a company I've used for years to purchase gifts and create new designs. But which iPhone case is best? I hope this review will help you decide. Hopefully this article will help you find a unique design and pick the right case for you.

It can be tough figuring out what is the best iPhone case for your new phone. In my humble opinion, based on the research I've done, the best iPhone4 cases are the Speck and the Case-Mate. These are great choices are available on Zazzle and they can easily be customized with some fantastic Steampunk photos. You can easily build a custom iPhone4 case (some are available for the earlier iPhone3) or tweak some of these Steampunk cases with just a few clicks!

Since I'm a Steampunk designer I wanted to combine my love of technology with my love of many-things-Steampunk! Some of my cases use images of brass gears, pocket watches and machine parts, while others are iconic Victorian images I've recreated. Perhaps you like the idea of you iPhone dressed up for 2012 like it was 1899! I want to show you some Steampunk iPhone case options so you can decide which case would work best for you - yet have a beautiful design too.

Right now I'm working on some Samsung cases, and a few others.. so I'll let you know when the review is up for those cases and show off some shiny steampunk designs for them as well. Stay in touch!

Zazzle has partnered up with SPECK Products to provide you with wonderful options for your iPhone! But which iPhone 4 case is the best? There are a dazzling array of steampunk designs but first let's have a look at the cases themselves! First up .. the Speck® brand iPhone4 case! Although I'm concentrating this article on the IPhone - these Speck cases are compatible with AT&T, Sprint, and Verizon iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S

Personally, the "Fitted" Case seems to have a lot of additional benefits which come at a slightly higher starting price point on Zazzle.com. I'm a careful person, but accidents can happen, and I feel the extra few dollars for a strong, well-made case is worth it. The hard outer shell (see photo) surrounds the edge of the iPhone4, giving it extra protection. It is a matte black plastic, with a soft touch - making it a bit easier to grip. Of course, the Fitted has cut-outs for all the iPhone 4S/4's buttons, lenses, speakers and ports, allowing you easy access.

This case has 2 parts - the black plastic - and the fabric! I think the reason fabric was chosen was to provide more. With the fabric the phone is a bit less likely to go flying from your hand - which is great if you are wearing gloves too. The printing process allows for sharp vivid colors which makes it easy to choose not just graphics but actual photos like the case I'm highlighting here. Like almost all cases I've seen on the market it helps protect against falls - the critical word being ..."help". :)

There are 2 elements I think that put the Fitted case a step above other case. First: SPECK surrounds the camera lens with the black matte plastic. As a photographer I know how important it is that your camera flash doesn't reflect on a shiny surface. This feature helps minimize blow-outs from you flash. The second feature: the raised front lip adds extra screen protection so if you lay your phone down on a hard surface there's less chance to scratch your screen. Good work designers!

This particular Steampunk design uses a photograph of a beautifully engraved brass pocket watch. The pocket watch is Swiss - and has some of the original jewels which look like little red rubies inset into the brass. This is a photo of an actual pocket watch movement with the winding stem and a hand cut engraved pattern. You'll notice a small steel clock "gear" which sits directly below the camera lens. The level of detail and design in this macro photo will amaze anyone, not just Steampunks. If you are looking for a bold, unisex design - this kind of case makes a great gift for him (or her). I've had a few emails from people saying they liked the boldness of the Fitted Casemate Case - with the strong black edge. If your significant other already has an iPhone4s they might really appreciate this as a gift.

Zazzle has partnered up with Case-Mate so now you've got more options for your iPhone! Let's have a look at the TOUGH Case-Mate iPhone 4 case! The Case-Mate cases are compatible with AT&T's iPhone4, so check the details on the Tough to make sure it will fit your iPhone model!

Like the "Fitted Speck" the Case-Mate Tough comes at a slightly higher starting price point on Zazzle.com. Yes, there are other Case-Mate choices, but the Tough compares well to the Fitted. If you see a Tough Case on Zazzle you can also customize it. It also is a few more dollars, that money (hopefully!) will make a difference between replacing a phone or not!

So, what is the biggest difference between the two cases? The Case-Mate Tough has a form fitting silicone wrap provides that goes between the hard case and your phone giving it more shock resistance. The polycarbonate hard shell protects against impacts and the shell is where the bright and vivid designs go! The Fitted shell is smooth - so the designs are crisper.

The Tough has cut-outs for all the iPhone 4S/4's buttons, lenses, speakers and ports, as well but the big black border is missing. As you can see in this design it allows the pocket watch photo to wrap around the side. You get a bit more design showing. Again, I used the same photo here so you can see the difference in the edges between these products.

The photo displayed on the Case-Mate the area is larger. You can use Zazzle's Magnifying glass to look at all the fine detail. Compare the two case designs and you'll see the difference. You might decide that the Speck with its added border protection might be better - or you might love the wrap around the edges the Case-Mate offers. A friend who claims she has, "slippery hands" likes the Speck more.

Worldwide options

Finding a great iPhone case in the US is easy. Many companies ship across the US and your phone case arrives in days. Recently someone asked me if there was a place to get a cool iPhone 4 case in Canada - and I thought I should mention Zazzle's custom designer iPhone cases are also available worldwide! The custom iPhone cases here can be bought via Zazzle International. All the iPhone cases highlighted here can be shipped to the UK, Canada, Australia - almost anywhere.

Yes, if you're in the UK and looking for a custom iPhone4 case... there is a www.zazzle.co.uk At first the prices might appear higher for your designer iPhone case - but prices on the Zazzle.co.uk site are inclusive of VAT! This way, you can search for designer iPhone cases using phrases like, "Steampunk iPhone4" on the international sites.

Currently the cases I believe are still made in the US. Many people ask why they shouldn't just use the main zazzle.com site. Zazzle has often made arrangements to take care of taxes, and the shipping might actually be cheaper if you use your local site!

So, if you are in Canada - surf to www.zazzle.ca and find your custom designed case. The shop name is the same but with the country extension gets changed. ie: http://www.zazzle.COM/clockworkzero is the same store as http://www.zazzle.CA/clockworkzero - at the bottom of the Zazzle pages are some of the international stores. Another option many Canadians choses for their iPhone cases is Gelaskins - but for now that is the topic for another day.

Well, there are a ton of annoying reviews on Youtube - I dug through them and chose this short one without a lot of ads!

just a quick poll of readers...

I've dug through many YouTube Videos so you don't have to! Here's a great review with some of the pros and cons!

There are some other Iphone cases available on Zazzle.. would you like to learn more?