iLoungeiLounge
    Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube LinkedIn RSS
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms Of Use
    Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube LinkedIn RSS
    iLoungeiLounge
    • News
      • Apple
        • AirPlay
        • iCloud
        • iTunes
        • HealthKit
        • HomeKit
        • HomePod
        • iOS 13
        • Apple Pay
        • Apple TV
        • Siri
      • AirPods Pro
      • Apps
        • Apple Music
      • Rumors
      • Humor
      • Technology
        • CES
      • Articles
      • Web Stories
    • iPhone
      • iPhone Accessories
    • iPad
    • iPod
      • iPod Accessories
    • Apple Watch
      • Apple Watch Accessories
    • Mac
      • MacBook Air
      • MacBook Pro
    • Reviews
      • App Reviews
    • How-to
      • Ask iLounge
    • Daily Deals
    iLoungeiLounge

    Review: Contour Design iSee 4G

    By Jeremy HorwitzMay 16, 2021 9:32 am UTC

    Pros: A simple transparent hard case that protects most of your fourth-generation iPod from scratch and drop damage. Compatible with top-mounting iPod accessories. Fair price.

    Review: Contour Design iSee 4G

    Cons: No protection for the iPod’s controls and very limited protection at its top, contrasting with other hard case offerings that are more protective. Clear plastic housing is easy to scratch.

    Though Speck Products began to sell its sophisticated transparent FlipStand in late 2003, it wasn’t until 2004 that the clear shell-as-iPod-protector concept really took off. Unlike the FlipStand, which includes a number of impressive articulating hatches that permit occasional access to the iPod’s ports while generally limiting scratches to the iPod inside, the most recent clear hard plastic cases have been considerably simpler.

    While not the barest of such designs, Contour Design’s iSee ($19.95) is close. As a thinner and simpler version of the company’s award-winning Showcase (iLounge rating: A-), iSee is available now in two sizes – one for the 20GB fourth-generation iPod (the iSee-20), and one for the 40GB fourth-generation iPod (the iSee-40). Unlike the Showcase, the iSee cases are precision-sized to fit their respective iPods. Neither case works with the iPod photo.

    pic

    Each iSee consists of three pieces. The first is a substantial piece of hard transparent plastic that covers the iPod’s back, sides, and front with the exception of one hole for the Click Wheel, and one thin slit in the center of each side. This hard plastic piece leaves a single, fairly large hole at the top of the iPod – substantially larger than that in the Showcase – and a thin lip covers only the iPod’s top edge from corner to corner. Unlike the Showcase, iSee lets you use any top-mounting iPod accessory with ease, at the cost of exposing more of its top surface.

    iPod insertion is easy. The iSee leaves an even larger hole at the bottom of the clear plastic housing, and you pop your iPod inside without any resistance or scratch potential. Thankfully, Contour’s second piece is a small and flexible frosted translucent white plastic cap that plugs this hole at the iSee’s bottom, sealing the iPod inside. Two strong plastic tabs hold the cap firmly on iSee’s body, and a generally well-designed but simple plastic latch at the bottom of the cap shields the iPod’s Dock Connector port unless you pop it open. We would have liked a bigger Dock Connector port opening, but the iSee’s isn’t terrible.

    pic

    When the cap is on the iSee, you have transparent visibility of 95% of the iPod inside, and perhaps 90% protection. Only a small portion of the iPod is covered in frosted plastic, making iSee a really great case to show off your favorite toy. However, unless you purchase a Wheel protector of some sort, your iPod’s controls will be completely exposed – albeit with a beautifully beveled hard plastic edge – and the iPod’s top from left to right similarly remains scratchable. All things considered, we would have preferred the detachable plastic cap with pop-open latch to be at iSee’s top for this purpose – it would have offered better protection.

    Contour bills iSee only as “impact-resistant,” which is accurate, but it bears mention that the iSee itself is fairly easy to scratch, and displayed some tarnish after only light use. Most people won’t mind this much, particularly for iSee’s price and given that it’s mostly designed to protect the iPod, but it’s an issue worth mentioning.

    pic

    pic

    The iSee’s third piece is a detachable but quality white plastic belt clip highly similar to the ones we liked in the Showcase. Using a spring-loaded mechanism (rather than a nub or adhesive) to attach itself to iSee, the clip plugs the two holes in iSee’s sides, belt-mounting your iPod horizontally. It’s a better clip design than has been employed in numerous other iPod hard cases, only leaving those without belt clip needs with thin case holes.

    It’s hard to knock iSee for the $19.95 price – especially given that some stores are selling it for even less than that. Comparable in functionality to Power Support’s Crystal Jacket for the 4G iPod, iSee is amongst the least expensive hard plastic cases you’ll find, and does a fairly good job of protecting the iPod inside. Click Wheel, top protection, and more Dock Connector access would have been nice, but we’d recommend iSee to budget-conscious iPod owners without much reservation.

    Jeremy Horwitz is Editor-in-Chief of iLounge.

    Our Rating

    B+
    Recommended

    Company and Price

    Company: Contour Design

    Website: www.contourdesign.com

    Model: iSee-20/iSee-40

    Price: $19.95

    Compatible: iPod 4G

    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    Jeremy Horwitz
    Jeremy Horwitz
    • Twitter

    Jeremy Horwitz was the Editor-in-Chief at iLounge. He has written over 5,000 articles and reviews for the website and is one of the most respected members of the Apple media. Horwitz has been following Apple since the release of the original iPod in 2001. He was one of the first reviewers to receive a pre-release unit of the device, and his review helped put iLounge on the map as a go-to source for Apple news.

    Latest News
    How to Hide Apps in iPhone: The Complete Guide
    How to Activate Dark Mode on Snapchat
    A Cool and Futuristic Bluetooth Speaker Can Be Yours at 20% Off
    VPNs arriving on tvOS 17
    Apple AirTag instrumental in Turkey relief donation scam
    TipKit framework offers quality of life features on iOS 17
    Enjoy $80 Off on the Latest 10.2-inch iPad
    iOS 17 will introduce Friends and Family iCloud Keychain Password sharing
    Table of Contents
    • Our Rating
    • Company and Price

    iLounge logo

    iLounge is an independent resource for all things iPod, iPhone, iPad, and beyond. iPod, iPhone, iPad, iTunes, Apple TV, and the Apple logo are trademarks of Apple Inc.

    Contact Us: [email protected]

    Tel: +1302-208-9669

    iLounge, 2810 North Church Street, Wilmington, Delaware, 19802, United States.

    • Contact Us
    • Submit News
    • About Us
    • Forums
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms Of Use
    This website is not affiliated with Apple Inc.
    iLounge © 2001 - 2023. All Rights Reserved.

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.