Pros: Two different silicone case designs coat your iPod nano in frosted clear rubber, protecting everything except its Hold switch against scratch and shock damage. Each comes with a Dock Connector cover, detachable clear clip, and a screen protector. Square Type is an especially great design.
Cons: Value is fair but not super aggressive. No other color choices as of press time. Tiny imperfections in Round Type’s molding.
Having created the first silicone rubber cases released for iPods, Japan’s Power Support has just introduced its latest versions – Silicone Jacket cases for second-generation iPod nanos ($25), available in two “Types,” Round and Square. Round Type is perfectly designed to match the curves of the nano, while Square Type transforms the nano into a box, adding square corners on top of the nano’s round sides.
Square Type’s same-named predecessor for the iPod mini was one of our very favorite cases for that iPod, adding an unusually sophisticated frosted, body look, and the nano version does the same – a nice departure from what we have seen in most other companies’ silicone cases.
Having created the first silicone rubber cases released for iPods, Japan’s Power Support has just introduced its latest versions – Silicone Jacket cases for second-generation iPod nanos ($25), available in two “Types,” Round and Square. Round Type is perfectly designed to match the curves of the nano, while Square Type transforms the nano into a box, adding square corners on top of the nano’s round sides. Square Type’s same-named predecessor for the iPod mini was one of our very favorite cases for that iPod, adding an unusually sophisticated frosted, body look, and the nano version does the same – a nice departure from what we have seen in most other companies’ silicone cases.
As with all of Power Support’s rubber cases, the Jacket is made of surgical-grade silicone, and we were very impressed with the precision molding, which allowed for perfect alignment of holes for the headphone port, Dock Connector and Hold switch. After some testing, we noticed that the bottom of both of the Round and Square cases had some minor stretching, allowing a very small gap between the case and the iPod, which didn’t revert back after a period of time, and unlike the perfectly cut Square Type case, we noticed a couple of very small imperfections in the rubber of the Round Type case. For this, we deducted a total of one point.
Both the Round and Square Jackets scored perfectly on ease of use.
Rather than including a sticker to cover the Click Wheel, the silicone has a precisely contoured depression allowing for the Wheel’s accurate, unimpeded use, which we really liked. Also, the Hold switch was easy to access and toggle.
At press time, the Silicone Jackets are available in only one color – frosted clear – which allows for any member of the new nano’s color line-up to be seen through the silicone. Both cases come with a detachable belt clip that easily slides on and off, which is good if you’re not a fan of these clips, but not great if you want something totally stable; the clip only stays partially locked into one of two (top/bottom) grooves on the case’s back. Additionally, silicone rubber cases are obviously not new or innovative, but Power Support created and still remains at the top for this form of iPod protection, and the Square Type design is especially distinct from other cases that we have reviewed – the reason for the higher-than-typical score in this category.
However fashionable a case might be, we look very seriously at overall protectiveness. With the exception of the Hold switch and the headphone port, the nano is fully covered and protected. We especially liked Power Support’s decision to include a detachable Dock Connector cover and screen protector, both of which can easily be added or removed.
