By Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla
Owners of the rare Google Nexus 4 will quickly realize that this super smartphone really needs a case. With the Nexus 4 Bumper being just as unavailable as the phone itself, the I-Blason Slim case hits the sweet spot in terms of affordable, available protection.
Seeing how the striking Gorilla Glass encased Nexus 4 is as much a design statement as it is a flagship Android smartphone, most users might decide that it is better off without a case as I did during the first few weeks of owning the phone. Then I realized just how slippery the Nexus 4 is and it became evident that a case, any case was needed to protect the phone from unexpected drops.
LG's Nexus 4 Bumper looks good, offers slight protection and grip and was designed to work the same way the LG Optimus G bumper case did.
The problem with the $19.99 Nexus 4 Bumper is that is also unavailable.
I found the i-Blason Slim Fit S Line case on Amazon.com for $9.95. While I'm not a big fan of the S-design on the back, I realized that this was actually beneficial to the case's grip.
I had the case shipped to a relative in the US and picked it up over the holidays. I am glad I did.
Out of the box, the construction of the i-Blason Slim Fit S case to be very good, surprising even, for a $9.95 rubber case.
It wraps nicely around the Nexus 4 without adding much weight yet manages to protect the entire back, the sides and adds a small lip to protect the touchscreen should you set face down. Fit is snug, precise and forms nicely around the Nexus 4's rounded edges.
The placement of the cutouts for the microUSB charger, the headphone jack, speakers, camera and LED Flash are spot on and just the right size plus the combination of glossy plus matte textures on the case add substantial grip.
I particularly like the detail on the cutout near the earpiece above the display which is precise and seamless. I quickly got over the fact that I had to use 'just any case' on the Nexus 4 and have to say I am a fan of this i-Blason Slim fit S case.
The i-Blason case also has very tactile ridges on the side that give additional grip, these are a bit rough to the touch but do the job well.
The only issue is that the power button can be hard to press at times, a good thing if you're afraid of turning it on by mistake in your pocket, but it does require an extra amount of force to turn on, no biggie as this is common for this type of rubber case.
And just like many such cases, it can be a lint and dust trap at times so a general review, removal and cleaning would be advisable every couple of days. I know cases aren't for everyone and with the Nexus 4, it is particularly hard to have cover that lovely glass finish, but some will find it necessary.
The I-Blason Slim Fit S Line Case for Google's Nexus 4 is a great option and a great improvement over the standard type rubber cases. You can't beat the price and more importantly, the availability since the i-Blason case is available now.
Rating: 4 out of 5