Hands on with the Griffin Reveal case for iPhone 4 and 4S

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Make sure to check out our picks for the best iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S cases

In our search for new cases to fit the not-so-redesigned iPhone 4S, we came upon the lovely and sleek Griffin Reveal ($25) for the iPhone 4 and the iPhone 4S. The slim case has a rubberized silicone ‘bumper that protects the sides of the phone, including the buttons, but the back is made of a clear polycarbonate plastic that shows off that shiny Apple logo on the back of your phone. We particularly liked this case for its minimal look that maintains the general aesthetic of the iPhone itself. It’s a beautifully-designed phone, after all. We got our hands on one of the Griffin Reveal cases and thought we would pass along our thoughts to our loyal readers.

The most unique thing about this case is its combination of materials. We’ve seen clear cases before, designed to show off every millimeter of your iPhone’s design, but those are usually incredibly slippery, which kind of defeats the purpose. We like silicone cases for the grippy texture, which prevents us from dropping our precious phone, but those can be bulky and don’t exactly show off your iPhone at its best. The Griffin Reveal takes the best elements from both and in the end you have a sleek-looking case that keeps your iPhone looking au naturel while still giving you a good grip and solid protection. The case adds only just over a millimeter in thickness to the phone, so unless you pick the phone up, you barely notice that it has a case on it.

The pros of this case are that it is beautiful, lightweight, shows off your iPhone, and uses a great combination of materials. It will protect the front of your phone because of the case’s raised edge, and provides excellent protection against drops and bumps on the sides and back. Our biggest con with this case had to do with the rubbery silicone material that surrounds the edge of the phone. We loved the material’s grippy texture, but we tested out the white version, and after about a week of use, it looked as though we had had the case for a year. We slipped the phone in the pocket of our jeans once, and the white material on the case came out forever discolored and quite honestly, terrible-looking.

So, if you have a white iPhone, we’d recommend going with the black case if you like the looks of the Griffin Reveal. We thought it was a great case other than that one glaring problem. Get the black case and it will be a great case with no cons on the list.

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