iLounge

Company: SwitchEasy

Website: www.switcheasy.com

Model: Silicon Biscuits

Price: $10

Compatible: iPod nano (with video)

SwitchEasy Silicon Biscuits for Nano 3G

By Jeremy Horwitz

Editor-in-Chief, iLounge
Published: Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Category: Cases - iPod nano

A funny, cheaper take on its earlier Biscuits for iPod nano, SwitchEasy's Silicon Biscuits ($10) are silicone rubber cases for the iPod nano with biscuit-like bodies, clear hard plastic screen protectors, and color-matched Dock Connector covers. You can pick from a brown biscuit color, black, red, blue, orange, and clear frosted versions, each with a semi-soft Dock Connector cover save for the hard clear frosted one; the black Silicon Biscuit includes a smoked translucent protector that matches the case and dims your screen.

For $10, SwitchEasy’s Silicon Biscuits are, like the hard plastic Biscuit cases that preceded them, a stab directly at the heart of the overpricing giant that has been shadowing the iPod accessory industry for the past two years. SwitchEasy has designed these rubber cases with cracker/biscuit-like bodies, clear hard plastic screen protectors, and color-matched Dock Connector covers, together providing more coverage than many cases that sell for higher prices.

One of the biggest assets SwitchEasy brings to the table here is color choice. You can pick from a brown biscuit color, black, red, blue, orange, or clear frosted versions, each with a semi-soft Dock Connector cover save for the clear frosted one, which is entirely made from hard plastic. The black Silicon Biscuit includes a smoked translucent protector that matches the case and dims your screen; if this bothers you, you’ll either want to turn up the brightness on the nano, leave the protector off, or choose another color instead.

It’s worth only a brief note that SwitchEasy, like other companies, hasn’t completely matched all of Apple’s current iPod nano colors—with the orange and graham cracker-like brown versions, it doesn’t even appear to have tried. The clear frosted version is your best bet if you want to let your nano’s original looks shine through; the other colors are largely opaque, and almost entirely mask out your nano’s looks, except for whatever’s on its screen, and peeking out from its bottom.

The only potential stumbling point we think some people will have with these cases is their shape. In a flippant design decision, SwitchEasy gave each case’s top and sides a cracker-like soft sawtooth edge, and the back cracker-like dimples, which aren’t especially noticeable but play upon the concept of the nano transforming into a little biscuit. These features give the case at least as much grip as its best competitors, but with a style that will appeal to more to those with a sense of humor than those looking to toughen up their iPods. If you’re in the former crowd, don’t think twice about these cases: for $10, the only other great alternative is Marware’s SportGrip, and this one’s more protective without any other compromises. It’s highly recommended.