Okay Geek Farm
Incipio Microtexture Case Review (for iPod Touch 4G)
Jason Tsay
Incipio has never failed to impress us with its radical case designs and high quality products. So today we’ll be taking a look at the Microtexture case, which as you can tell by the name, has lots of tiny little bumps on the back spread out just enough to be noticeable. How does this concept work in everyday use and is the case good overall? — Read our review after the break!
Features
- raised mini silicone bumps
- included screen protector, cleaning cloth, and applicator card
- available in white, black, red
Our Impressions
Prior to owning this case, I had use something called the Speck Grass case for my 5th generation iPod video. It had much longer raised silicone areas as it was supposed to represent grass but I digress. My point was that I had used a type of case that enhanced grip in a similar way. As indicated on the packaging, it actually does provide superior grip in your hand. Unfortunately, this is also the case when it comes to your pocket. The silicone skin does attract quite a bit of dust and lint in your pocket particularly between the rear spikes. We also wouldn’t describe it as easy to pull the iPod out of our pockets when using this case but that is a problem no one has figured out yet with full silicone cases.
Incipio clearly took the time to fine tune the length, shape, and direction of the bumps on the back. They are just large enough to feel but not as large as, say, the grass case I previously owned. Whereas I could individually grasp each raised piece of silicone on that case, The bumps on this one are much more subtle and packed closely together. A rectangular indent in the lower right corner on the back of the case for the Incipio logo. You can’t really feel it in your hand and it doesn’t affect coverage much. Our unit came in a pearlescent white, which actually looks quite decent but gets dirty very easily.
The border of the screen is raised just enough to lay facedown on the table without scratching the screen but not too much to impede upon screen gestures. A large pill shaped cutout aligns perfectly with the camera and microphone. The edge of the cutout exactly matches the side of the camera hole, just to give you an idea of the size. The entire bottom portion, where the dock connector is located, is left exposed as you would expect. We didn’t have too many problems when plugging in our headphones or dock connectors but your mileage may vary depending on what you use. The volume up/down buttons are easy enough to press with the molded silicone.
Unfortunately, I also have complaints about the case, mostly to do with durability. Of course, the iPod’s thinness is also to blame for some of these issues. First up, the gap between the camera cutout and the sleep/wake button is indented downwards so you always end up touching the camera when feeling around for the power button. Otherwise, the power button is actually pretty easy to press on this case. The other main region of weakness is the area under the home button. Since that tiny area has to be made thinner, it cannot be as sturdy as larger areas of the case. Thus, it doesn’t stay where it’s supposed to and keeps flapping upwards over the home button. One last issue caused by thinness is the side/sides of the case. The edge is supposed to fit over the side of the device and it does usually. But since it can’t be made as sturdy, it keeps flapping off the device. These are all mainly problems associated with silicone skins but are amplified when matched with a device as thin as the iPod Touch.
The Microtexture case doesn’t come with all accessories that came with the previous Incipio case we reviewed but does include one very high quality screen protector. It is certainly very easy to apply and provides great protection. Of course, a wiping cloth and squeegee are included to help apply it. One thing we noticed, however, is that many other Incipio cases for the iPod Touch come with 2 screen protectors, giving you the option to choose between a matte and clear one. We’re not sure why Incipio only packed one in with the Microtexture but it shouldn’t bug most users too much.
Overall
At a price of $25, the Microtexture isn’t exactly the most value packed case we’ve seen, even compared to other Incipio cases for the iPod Touch 4G. While the case does provide superior grip along with a cool design, it suffers from some fatal flaws we wouldn’t have expected from Incipio.
Pro’s
- cool design
- nice fit
- provides excellent grip
Con’s
- flimsy in some areas
- only 1 screen protector
- gets dirty easily
Price: $24.99
Where to buy them: Incipio / Amazon
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