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Reviews

First Look: Element Case Vapor for iPhone 4

Last updated: May 15, 2021 8:34 am UTC
By Jeremy Horwitz
First Look: Element Case Vapor for iPhone 4

Conceptually, Element Case’s Vapor for iPhone 4 ($80-$100) might strike some people as a good idea, and this machined aluminum version of Apple’s Bumper case is indeed attractive: it adds an additional metal frame to the outer edge of the iPhone 4, initially in either an all-black color scheme or in black and pink — red, yellow, and silver variations are planned for future release. (The samples shown here are all gunmetal and black/orange versions that are apparently not actually being offered for sale.) But despite some cool touches, such as a right side grip groove, the option of custom laser engraving, and a built-in metal Sleep/Wake button, the design is seriously impractical.

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Small, recessed headphone port and Dock Connector holes make non-Apple accessory incompatibility a given, four teensy-tiny screws and a mini wrench need to be used to open and shut the case, and the carbon fiber back panel — a $20 add-on above the $80 base price — is supposed to be attached to your iPhone 4 with adhesive rather than fitting inside Vapor’s frame. Antenna signal strength is a bit of a question mark, too: the frame has several small foam pads inside, but we noticed our iPhone 4 initially exhibiting death grip-like bar loss when it was inside Vapor, then seemingly bouncing back.

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First Look: Element Case Vapor for iPhone 4

You can decide whether the fashion benefits outweigh the accessory and other design issues, but for us, the answer’s a strong no.


First Look: Element Case Vapor for iPhone 4

Updated: Almost immediately following our original First Look, Element Case sent over a revised version of Vapor that it claimed “will serve to improve overall signal levels rather than impact them.” It’s the version in black and red shown here, oddly with a cut-out for the iPhone 4’s SIM card tray now in one side. Unfortunately, just like the original version, signal strength dropped when we put Vapor on, falling from the standard 2-3 bars we normally see down to 1-2.

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