iLounge

Ugh. There's no other word that completely expresses our impressions of Ego & Company's Slide Case for iPhone 4 ($35), a new accessory that trumps the worst wasteful packaging practices we've previously seen by literally doubling them. Two separate hard plastic boxes and cardboard wrappers are unnecessarily used to hold the top and bottom halves of the Slide Case, cumulatively giving you more stuff to throw away (or hopefully recycle) than keep. Seemingly designed without much knowledge of iPhone 4 hardware and protection challenges, the matte-finished Slide Case manages to block the top microphone hole, close off the headphone port to everything but Apple's slim plugs, and offer no protection for any of the iPhone's buttons; there's no flash-assisting black shield around the camera hole, either. Due to the tightness of a front bezel shield, any screen film you may self-supply will be pulled off by the case during insertion. On the other hand, you can choose different colors for the top and bottom of the case, which are lined with an unusually thin and nicely cut "next-generation cushion padding." There are over 100 combinations to be made from the 11 colored pieces. If Ego & Company was as thoughtful in the design of the case and packaging as it was in selecting colors and tailoring the inner lining, the concept might rate more than a "pass."