I have had this phone case for about 5-6 months (Or when the IPhone 4s was released to be exact) and I must say I am very satisfied with it. I was immediately drawn to the IPH-506 design. Essentially I wanted something durable but not overall bulky, something that could fit in your pocket and be easily accessible without bulging out. The IPH-506 (from now on referred to the 506) more than delivers in that aspect.


The 506 came out to be around 28 dollars after tax, which at first I thought was a little overpriced. Long story short, I had messed up putting the pesky screen protector on and had to return to buy another one which was like 10 bucks! After that experience, I find the price pretty reasonable. The 506 like I said comes with a screen protector, a fiber optic cloth, a plastic straight edge for getting bubbles out, and the unique case.  


What makes this case so cool is that it is a dual layer case. The inner case is a very thin rubber which covers the entire phone except the speaker, microphone and charger port located at the bottom, the AUX jack on top; vibrate on/off switch on the left side, the camera on the upper left back corner, and obviously the phone screen duh. This part of the case does however cover the volume buttons and the power button on top. I was first kind of deterred by this because in the past I have had cases where you had to death press to activate these buttons on the 3G, but the 506 delivers quite magnificently in that sense, making it a problem you won’t have to deal with. This cover is very simple to fit around your phone and likewise, just as easy to take off if you want to clean around the edges of the phone. Another cool thing I like about this cover is that if you can manage to push the air bubble(s) that accumulate on your phone from applying the screen protector into a corner or the edge, this cover will for the most part hide them.  


Like a Transformer, the hard case fits over the thinner rubber case. I’m not really sure you can really call this a “hard case”. This piece is made of super thin plastic. This might be the deal breaker for some people. It looks and feels like it may be able to protect your phone from a short fall. I’m talking 3 feet, maybe 4 feet on a hard surface. This cover encompasses all four corners and most of the back, basically the important parts. The parts it does not cover is already concealed by the inner layer. These are mainly the 12 o’clock and 6 o’clock positions, volume buttons and a very small piece in the back for design. The latter is a small “INCIPIO” and respective logo which sits perfectly flush with the hard case making it nothing to worry about as far as protection goes. As far as depth of the hard case from the screen,it probably protrudes a millimeter from the screen but if you drop it face down; you better hope that it lands on a flat or soft surface. The depth from the back camera and the case is about the same, but a little more reassuring for how small it incorporates.


Like I said before, I have had this phone case for almost 6 months and quite honestly haven’t had a problem with it. I am also very careful with my new electronics. Every once in a while though, even the most provident people can make mistakes. I can recall maybe 3 times that I have dropped my phone. Twice on the carpet from a height of maybe 3-4 feet and once on hard tile floor while sitting in a chair. My phone survived all 3 incidents without a scratch. The floor incident, it had luckily absorbed most of the impact on one of the corners before landing face up on the floor. If I had dropped my phone the 3-4 feet distance on a harder surface, granted it didn’t land face down on a rock, I'm sure it would have still survived. If you find yourself leaning more towards the more clumsy side, I would probably avoid this. However if dropping your phone isn’t a problem for you, I recommend the 506. The main focus is I don’t like lugging around a 2 pound phone that is as thick as a wallet. Another reason I really dig the 506 as corny as it may be is the logo on the back is not as flamboyant as maybe other brands. Also it blends in very well with the case because it is also black, which makes it difficult to see unless you’re specifically looking for it.  


The Incipio IPH-506 is a very stylish and for the most part well designed phone case for the IPhone 4(s). The only real incident that I find you’re walking on egg shells is if you drop it face down. This may sound very contradictive, “What good is a phone case if it can’t protect your phone if you drop it, why that’s almost as useful as a chocolate teapot.” You may in fact be correct. It really depends on the person. If you really want a slim, very portable /non bulky case that will protect your IPhone from everything but devastating drops, then this is the product for you. Not to be insulting, but if you happen to be a bit more on the clumsier side, then sadly I regret that this case is not for you.

Recommended: Yes