By Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla
Every once in a while an accessory comes along that makes you think, "well, that makes sense, why didn't they just build that in?" One such accessory is the Scosche kickBACK S HyBrid case for iPhone 3G/3GS.
ScoscheThe kickBACK S HyBrid case is a slim line case that acts as armor without adding much bulk to an iPhone 3G or 3GS (same chassis, different guts).
Made of plastic and rubber in all the right places, it offers fairly good protection for your expensive and otherwise naked device.
The kickBACK S also sports a tripod of non-slip protruding nubs on the back, so your phone doesn't skitter about when you plop it down flat.
Front side, the rubber bumper is slightly raised around the periphery so you can also place your iPhone face-down on a flat surface without worry of scratching the screen, which remains unprotected (and touchable).
The snug fitting housing has openings for the iPhone's headphone jack and the charge/synch port. Oddly, the kickBACK S intentionally covers the sleep/wake and volume buttons - as protection, according to Scosche, though likely a structural consideration inherent with its design. No matter, you can push through the rubber to activate the covered nibs at any rate.
If you have and iPhone dock, note that the added girth of the kickBACK S, though modest, is just enough to make a no go zone out of such cradles.
Of course, the kickBACK's real kicker is its kickstand, a hinged plastic support that will prop your iPhone horizontal and slightly angled when needed, snap in flush with the housing when not.
Though the iPhone 3G/3GS is a great media player, especially useful for watching videos on long commutes or flights, it's a hassle when you have to hold the thing the whole time. The kickBACK S HyBrid solves this problem, obviously, as a hands-free prop. However, the kickstand does not lock into place when fully extended, so an overzealous tap on "pause" button (or whatever) can topple the whole kit and caboodle.
Aside from that little shortcoming, the kickBACK S is well-designed; there's no denying its on-the-go usefulness making for a free standing video player, juke box, or even a bedside alarm clock (with certain apps) that you can actually look at without rummaging around the nightstand to find the thing.
As a two-in-one product - i.e. a protective case and iPhone stand - Scosche's kickBACK S is a pretty good deal, priced in and around the going rate for comparable iPhone wraps that sometimes only do half as much.
Currently available in the US in four combo flavors, black/black, pink/white, white/grey and clear/black, the kickBACK S is also expected in Canada "soon."