First Look: Maclove Challenger, iShow + Shields for iPhone 4

By Jeremy HorwitzMay 15, 2021 8:34 am UTC

For every one iPhone accessory maker that makes great products, there are ten that do good or fair jobs, and then one that predictably churns out mall kiosk-quality junk. Take a guess which category Maclove’s new series of iPhone 4 cases fall into: iShow Cilla is a TPU soft plastic clone of Apple’s Bumper, iShow Sunrise adds back protection to Cilla, iShow Cronus is a shell with a video stand in the back, iShow Matrix is a slider-style case, and Challenger is a set of two plastic shells — front and back snap-ons — offered in clear Shine or silver-interiored Silver Light versions. Not so obvious from the photos is the consistently cheap feel of these cases, which all manage to feel flimsy and/or rough in ways that better competitors avoid. All of the cases come in different colors, and as was the case with its iPad products, each is bizarrely packaged with a pad of paper, this time in the shape of an iPhone 4. Sold separately, the company’s film “Shields” somehow manage to have iPhone 4 imagery on the front, but there’s iPhone 3GS screen film inside. If we were issuing ratings for this stuff, it would all be in the “D” category, and we’re not planning to cover future Maclove products unless it gets its act together.