Looking for an affordable and mega-protective case for your iPhone 4? The Ballistic HC (hard core) case may be the one for you. Priced at $50, this case gives you 4 layers of protection that will protect your iPhone from more than the average drop. Also included is a nice belt clip/holster so that your iPhone 4 can stay securely on your side. Review and photo gallery after the break!
The first layer of the case is a industrial-strength plastic shell. Integrated in this shell is a screen protector (the second layer?), that works very well with the iPhone 4. If you’d like, you can use this hard shell without the third layer (the silicone layer, which is up next). You already get a huge amount of protection as well as an amazing amount of grip. Nearly everything is covered: power button, volume buttons, screen, home button. There are a few cutouts for things that require access, like the headset jack, noise cancellation microphone, silent switch, microphone, 30-pin dock connector, speaker, and camera/flash. Should you want to use just this portion of the case, keep in mind that a few drops will disassemble the case from the phone; the top layer of the case that keep everything put together can come apart.
The third layer is the thick and heavy duty silicone layer. This adds even more protection and even more of a grip. It adds more protection by covering up the 30-pin dock connector with a flap, as well as covering up the silent switch with a flap.
The fourth layer is the included holster with a 360 degree rotating belt clip. You can put your phone screen-first into the holster, and it will stay securely in place.
This case will add a good amount of bulk to your iPhone 4, but you can rest assured that your iPhone 4 will be safe from nearly any drop, scrape, scratch, and anything else you can think of. I personally haven’t done any sort of drop test with this case, as I’m paranoid and won’t drop my iPhone 4 on purpose no matter what it’s in. But, I have done some “accidental” drops from about 5 feet high, and my iPhone 4 was just fine afterwards.
There are a few alternatives to this case, such as the Otterbox Defender, which I’ve never used and can’t comment on.
Overall, I love this. I can put my iPhone 4 into this case and won’t have to worry about it getting scratched up or received a crack on the glass after a number of drops. The price at $50 is very reasonable for a super-protective case, such as this one.
