Mobile Fun Blog

Top 10 iPhone 3GS Cases

Friday, July 31st, 2009

The iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS are still the most desirable touch screen handsets available and despite all their competition the iPhone is still seen as the ‘must have’ phone. If you’ve already got one, then you’re going to want to keep it safe from knocks, drops and scrapes. A case is the best way to do this, but with such a wide range of cases, skins, crystal cases and silicone cases available choosing the right one can be quite tough, so I’ve been through all of the cases that we sell and here are our top 10 cases for the iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS.

1. Piel Frama Case for iPhone 3G & 3GS

This case is easily our most popular Leather Case for the iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS.  It is hand made from premium leather and designed specifically for the iPhone.  As well as protecting your phone, the Piel Frama case has storage space for Bank/Credit cards and cut outs that allow you to use your headphones and charger while your iPhone is in the case. A detachable belt clip lets you chose between carrying it in you pocket/bag and your belt. Piel Frama also produce a Windscreen holder that can hold your iPhone securely in the car without having to remove it from the case.

Piel Frama Case for iPhone 3GS

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(16 votes, average: 3.94 out of 5)

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Updated: Cases for the HTC Hero

Thursday, July 30th, 2009

Updated 28/08/09:

The HTC Hero caused us a bit of a headache when it came to putting a guide together on the best cases for it. Its unique ‘chin’ – the angled section of the phone under the screen – makes finding a case that fits it well extremely difficult, especially as all the case manufacturers took their time in releasing cases that are specifically for the Here.

It’s taken a while, but we’ve now got a full range of cases for the HTC Hero, so with more cases available and after hearing feedback on some of the cases I’ve updated this list with cases that are made specifically for the HTC Hero. I’ll still keep my eyes open for any other cases that come along, and I’ll update this post as and when they become available so you might want to subscribe to the RSS feed for this post to make sure that you don’t miss out on any new ones that become available.

HTC Hero

Now before I go on to the cases, there is one thing that I’ve noticed on the Hero that I should mention – particularly if you have a white one. The plastic that the housing is made from seems to discolour quite easily, the dye from clothing or some cases may transfer on to the phone, which will require a bit of effort to clean off. It’s not a massive problem as it does come off, but it does mean that if your phone isn’t protected, it might end up looking worn quite quickly on the corners and on the back cover.

Normally, I’d recommend an InvisibleSHIELD full body protector to stop this kind of discolouring of the case, but we’ve been informed by our suppliers that if an InvisibleShield is removed from the phone, it will peel the paint off too, so for that reason we’ve decided not to range the InvisibleSHIELD products for the HTC Hero.

Noreve Tradition A Leather Case for HTC Hero

Noreve are new to Mobile Fun – The produce premium leather cases that give Piel Frama and PDair a run for their money. This case for the Hero fits the phone so well it’s surprising. When I first saw the ‘chin’ on the Hero I didn’t think that this style of case would work, but Noreve have proved me wrong. The case is the same shape as the phone and moulds around it beautifully. The whole case is hand crafted from top quality leather and leaves your camera, charging ports and volume keys accessible. The case has a detachable ratchet clip on the back that can be removed easily to leave the back of the case perfectly flat.

Noreve Leather Case for HTC Hero

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(48 votes, average: 3.83 out of 5)

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HTC Hero Unboxing Video

Wednesday, July 29th, 2009

The long awaited HTC Hero has finally landed!

I know a lot of people are keen to get their hands on the first Android handset that hasn’t been modified by a network or branded by Google, so to give you a taster on what you can expect I’ve put a quick video together showing you what’s included with the latest must have smart phone.

Check out the video and leave us any comments or questions below!

(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

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Nokia E71 FlexiShield Skin Review

Tuesday, July 28th, 2009

If you’ve got yourself a powerful smart phone such as the Nokia E71, chances are that you’re going to be using it heavily during your working day for appointments, calls and emails.  It’s unlikely though that come 5.30 you’re going to put the phone away until you’re back in work. What’s more likely is that the phone becomes the centre of your social and home life and is something that you simply can’t leave alone for any great periods of time.

With the phone working so hard to keep you in touch with the world and your life in order, you’re going to need a way to keep your phone safe and protected.  Mobile Phone Cases come in all shapes and sizes – from Premium Leather Cases made from the finest quality leather, through to the everyday leather, plastic and silicone cases.  With such a great range available finding a case to match your needs shouldn’t be too much of a problem, but often these cases tend to cover up our phones, taking away the feeling of pleasure we get by showing off our phone to our friends and family!

Case manufacturers know how much we love to show things off, and have come up with a range of Skins, Crystal Cases, Silicone Cases and InvisibleShields, all offering great protection for our mobile phones, without covering up any of the phones design features, branding or reducing its functionality.

Nokia E71 FlexiShield Skin

Nokia E71 FlexiShield

The FlexiShield case for the Nokia E71 is one of the latest cases that protects and shows of f your phone.  It’s made from a tough gel that makes it flexible like a traditional silicone case, but a lot stronger and tougher than a crystal case. The first thing you’ll notice when you fit the Flexishield to your E71 is how neatly it fits your phone. Unlike some silicone cases that can become loose or ‘baggy’ over time, the FlexiShield is a snug fit to your phone.  There are cut outs for the Camera, speaker, headphone socket, data cable, charger & memory card. The only slight negative is that it does cover the volume keys and power switch, so turning your phone off or adjusting the volume will mean having to remove your phone from the case.  Removing the covers from the memory card slot and data cable port is also a little tricky, but not impossible.

Where the Flexishield stands out from its rival ‘Plain Jane’ styled Crystal Cases and Skins is with a unique diamond pattern design found on the rear of the case. It adds personality as well as helping to hide any scratches that might form on the back of the case over time.

E71 FlexiShield Skin

The screen isn’t covered, so if you are worried about damaging your screen you’ll need to use an E71 screen protector.  You can buy these separately, or you can buy a Nokia E71 FlexiShield Plus which includes a screen protector and saves you a few pounds too.

Conclusion

While the FlexiShield isn’t as smart looking as some of the designer PDair or Krusell Leather Cases, it does what it’s supposed to do  - remain inconspicuous and protect the phone. If you don’t fancy this as your main case, or want something a little more fashion concious for when you’re at work, then I’d suggest getting the FlexiShield for times where a more durable case is needed  such as sports activities or social events.

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The Best iPhone Car Holders

Monday, July 27th, 2009

Keeping your phone safe and accessible in the car often means getting a car holder for it.  Windscreen mounts for mobile  phones are probably the most popular way of securing your phone in the car.  They are affordable, easy to install and can be removed quickly so as not to draw any attention to your car. With Sat Nav for the iPhone now available too, mounting your iPhone on your windscreen lets you keep your eyes on the road while following the on screen directions.

Windscreen holders aren’t the only option though.  You can also get a range of fixed mobile phone holders that can be securely attached to your car, without causing any damage to your dashboard.  To give you an idea on what car holders work the best with the iPhone and iPhone 3G, I’ve been through our most popular car holders to see how they measure up.

iPhone Car Holder by Brodit

If you need something a little more heavy duty, or a semi permanent solution, then a Brodit Holder will be your best option. Brodit produce a range of holders, each made from a tough ABS plastic and then coated with a soft touch fabric to prevent your iPhone from getting scratched. There are 3 different types of Brodit Holder available:

• Brodit Passive iPhone 3G Holder
• Brodit Active iPhone 3G Holder
• Brodit Passive iPhone 3G Holder with Dock Connector

All 3 do a great job of holding your iPhone securely in the car, the only difference between them is how they can charge your phone. Brodit Passive Holders only hold your phone, if you wanted to charge your phone, you’d need to buy a separate car charger. Brodit Active Holders have a car charger wired into them, so as soon as you slide your phone in, it starts charging. The Brodit Holder with Pass through is slightly different, it doesn’t have a car charger attached, but it does have a Dock Connection on the bottom. This allows you to connect a car charger, FM Transmitter, Parrot MKi Car Kit or any other accessory that uses the Dock Connector to the phone while it’s in the holder and means you won’t have to fiddle around plugging them in each time you get in the car.

Brodit iPhone Holders - Passive, Active & Pass Through

All three are on a ‘Tilt Swivel’ base that allows you to rotate the phone through 360 degrees, as well as angle it away from sunlight or reflections and should ideally be screwed to a flat surface in your car. If you don’t want to screw into your dashboard (and I know I certainly wouldn’t) then a ProClip from Brodit is your answer. Brodit ProClips are strong plastic mounts that clip onto your dashboard without causing any damage and provide a great base for attaching car holders onto. Proclips are vehicle specific and are normally available for different parts of your dashboard.

Brodit Passive Holder for iPhone 3GS Mounted on ProClip

Griffin WindowSeat

Griffin are well known for making iPod and iPhone accessories. The Griffin WindowSeat for iPhone 3G has a high-grip silicone suction pad that easily and quickly attaches to your windscreen or other smooth surface and stays put. It leaves your charging port and headphone socket accessible, and comes with an audio cable so you can connect your phone to your car stereo (As long as your stereo has a 3.5mm aux-in port). If you use Sat Nav on your iPhone, you can rotate the holder through 360 degrees without having to remove your phone.

Griffin WindowSeat for iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS

Drive Safe

The DriveSafe Pack for iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS include a car charger as well as a holder for your iPhone.  The holder has an adjustable arm that can be bent into shape and rotated to suit your needs.  The car charger will ensure that you don’t run out of power on your journey.  If you already have a car charger, the iPhone 3G Car Holder can be purchased separately.

DriveSafe Car Pack for iPhone 3G

iPhone 3G Cradle with Changeable Mounts

This is the most customisable type of iPhone Car Holder.  First you pick a cradle, then you choose a mount.  As all of the mounting ports use the same clip system, you can choose a mount that will best suit your vehicle. The iPhone cradles all do the same thing, the main difference between them is that the PDA Cradle for iPhone 3G has a longer support on one side to keep your phone more stable when being used in landscape mode.  Some of the available mounts available are listed below, or you can take a look at all of the different Mounting Ports.

• Air Vent
• Windscreen Mount (Fixed)
• Suction Mount (Rotating)
• Cigarette Socket
• Bicycle Mount

From experience though, I’ve always found Air Vent holders a little loose, especially on heavier handsets like the iPhone, so I’d opt for a Rotating Windscreen Holder as it’s a lot more secure. The Rotating Holder has a solid arm that can be rotated in three directions to help you get the best viewing angle and allows you to turn your phone into landscape mode without having to remove it from the holder.

Mounting Port Cradles

Deluxe Holster

The Deluxe Holster for the iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS is really a two in one holder.  It’s made up of  two parts, the first is a polycarbonate case that protects the back of your phone and can be attached to a belt, the other is a suction mount that attaches to your windscreen and can hold your phone without you having to remove it from the case.  The Deluxe Holster also comes with a car charger.

Deluxe iPhone 3G Holder

If you’ve seen a different holder that works well with your iPhone then let us know using the comments form below.

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