Okay Geek Farm
Speck Fabshell case for iPhone 4S / 4 review
Ricardo Trejo
Speck cases haven’t always fit the mold of what you expect an iPhone or iPad case to be; Originality in design and presentation has always been the company’s bread and butter and it truly shows with their latest entry, the Fabshell case for iPhone 4 / 4S.
Features
- One size fits all design (iPhone 4 / 4S)
- Reinforced one piece construction
- Hard shell back with original, stretched Fabric design
- Raised rubbery screen bezel and press-thru button covers
Our Impressions
At first glance, the Fabshell case looks beautiful and well constructed when compared to cheap, throw-away cases that are a dime a dozen. It’s made out of a co-molded hard plastic and rubber, with the hard shell being crafted out of polycarbonate plastic, while the soft portions, buttons, bezel, and corners made from TPE. The added protection in how sturdy the case feels will make any slip of your hand and subsequent spill from your iPhone feel that much more insured.
The case weighs less than a pound and is wisely designed to be a one-piece case, a different approach from Speck’s older “Fitted” models.
The case is also packaged with a ShieldView, Speck branded, screen protector that should guard your iPhone from any nicks or scratches that might graze its precious glass. I’ve never personally been a fan of the ShieldView protectors as I believe they are a little thick and add a little delay in responsiveness.
The Fabshell is a one size fits all ordeal with it having no issue fitting onto a Verizon or AT&T iPhone 4 /4S. The edges of the phone are rubberized that give you a good kung-fu grip on your mobile, while the sides and backing are lined with an original fabric design. The backing is comfortable and even after longtime use hasn’t began to be raised off its surface or even on the sides of where the fabric meets the soft edges.
We did, however, have an issue with taking it off, as we commonly do with most Speck cases. You could say they’re such a comfortable, safe, and snug fit that it SHOULD be difficult to remove, and so for that we aren’t docking that many points from it. And, yes, we’re aware that Speck has instructions and even videos explaining how to properly remove such cases, but we’re telling you it still isn’t as smooth a process.
All ports, buttons, and speakers are completely accessible — even the camera gets a generously sized cut-out to make sure there is no interference with taking photos — with the exception of the power and volume up / down buttons, which are given a rubberized cover that you have to press quite deeply to have any effect. It makes sense however since the case itself is a little bulky and to have to reach into a hollowed out spot would be particularly more uncomfortable. However, that said, the volume buttons feel responsive but it’s the power button that needs to be pressed with quite some force to get it to work.
For instance, usually when managing an iPhone with one hand, a person would get their index finger to come over the top of the phone and lock it, right? Well, our hands got a little tired after giving that a try, even to the point that my pinky’s nerve was hurting — something that only happens when I would play too much Gameboy a decade ago. So in our experience, unless you have huge, rugged hands, it’s best to simply use a second hand to lock the phone.
Also to note, the Phone CANNOT be docked while it is wearing the Fabshell case by Speck, and the headphone jack is a little bit recessed which can cause issues with some designs of headphone jack plugs.
Overall
The Speck Fabshell is quite the case in that it looks wonderful and will make anyone’s iPhone stand out in a crowd, however, it can be a bit of a pain to use it at times. For instance, a phone wearing the Fabshell cannot be docked unless it’s removed, which as we noted can have some difficulties; The power button is a little too hard to press, though it does have all other necessary ports and buttons ready to be accessed; and finally, the headphone jack is a little recessed into the case itself, which for owners of Beats headphones might have an issue with.
Outside of that, if you can overlook such small inconveniences, then there’s nothing that should stop one from sporting one on their iPhone.
Pro’s
- One piece design
- Stylish, original, and colorful fabric backing
- Sturdy enough to withstands falls
Con’s
- Speck cases have issues being removed
- Pressing the power button can be painful
- Cannot be docked while wearing the Fabshell
Where to buy
Speck — MSRP: $34.95
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