I've always been one to go for the black iDevices. To me there's a sleek elegance to the obsidian shine of the shiny black iPhones and iPads that neither the white nor any of the other colors in Apple’s iDevice color catalog have managed to compete with. There's a certain powerful presence that the black iDevices have, a commanding and semi-ominous look, reminiscent of the iconic black monolith from Kubrick’s 2001: Space Odyssey, that has been my preference ever since they first started offering the old click-wheel iPod in black eons ago. So when left to my own devices, I typically pick black cases to go over my black iPhone.
So when the folks at Lifeproof sent me a couple of white-colored cases, one for my iPhone, the other for my iPad mini, I couldn't help feeling a slight sense of disappointment
as I sheathed my beautiful black iDevices in these white (well, white with gray accents to be more accurate) cases. But to my surprise, not only did I quickly come to love having my iDevices in the Lifeproof white cases, I also found that I became a more caring, respectful and conscientious iDevice owner.
You see, even though the Lifeproof cases in white are designed with special materials that are built to take some serious abuse without showing much in the way of wear and tear, I always find myself wanting my white Lifeproof cases to look clean. The black Lifeproof cases that I've used in the past with my iPhone 4 and iPad 2 just didn't show mud and dirt quite the same way that the white cases do.
That's not to say that all of a sudden I was treating my iDevices with kid gloves. Far from it. But I've definitely found myself taking a little extra care with my white iDevices, on an almost subconscious level, than I did with my black Lifeproof cases. And I have to say, that's a good thing. In retrospect my somewhat cavalier attitude when my iDevices where in a dirt- and scuff-masking black case resulted in a higher rate of damage to my Lifeproof cases. It is worth noting by the way, that I did say “damage to my cases,” as I have NEVER had any harm come to any actual iDevice encased in a Lifeproof case. No matter how much the case sustained damage from my adventuring, which is the point of a rugged case, right?
With my 3G-enabled iPad mini in its white Lifeproof case I can say in all honesty, I am just kinder and a wee bit gentler to my iPad. It actually strikes me as kind of funny! I mean, who would've thought that I'd pamper a white iDevice case than a black one? It surprised me! Yet here I am, at least once a day, washing my Lifeproofed iPhone in the kitchen sink, as if it were a dirty dish!
Don't get me wrong, I still drop my iPhone when I'm out there biking or hiking in the red rocks of southern Utah, and I still find myself brushing mud and sand off of my Lifeproofed iPad mini after a day at the beach, the point is, I just NOTICE any little bit of dirt or grime on my iDevice when it is in the white case, and as a result I find myself keeping these cases cleaner as well as being a little more proactive in keeping my iDevices from getting too dirty too fast.
All Sorts of Options
The bottom line however, is that whatever color you prefer, Lifeproof offers an outstanding selection of iDevice cases, with something to meet just about everyone's taste.
The nüüd Series
These cases are perfect for the person who wants a full contact experience with their touchscreen. The nüüd cases rely on a specially designed internal seal within the perimeter of the front frame of the case allowing the touchscreen to be completely naked to the world. Considering the fact that iPhones are constructed of such rugged Gorilla Glass on the front screen, having an exposed touchscreen isn't a drawback for most folks in most circumstances. Rather, its the opposite, allowing you to have unobstructed access to your touchscreen and delivering the user experience Steve Jobs originally intended.
The nüüd series of cases also allow for the use of a stick-on touchscreen protector for anyone who wants the next level of screen protection for their iDevice.
The frē Series
For those of us who are just a little bit rougher with our iDevices, you can't beat the frē. I’m a huge fan of the frē series and I simply love the integrated screen protector. As strong as the Gorilla Glass may be, I've found that without a screen protector I manage to do pretty well at scratching the touchscreen. Don't ask me how. But with the frē’s built in screen protection, it’s the Lifeproof’s screen that takes the brunt of the abuse and not the precious touchscreen of my iDevices.
While the nüüd series does offer the option of adding an adhesive touchscreen protector, I always seem to get a few bubbles or pieces of lint stuck under there in the process of application which only geeks me out and trumps the increased touchscreen sensitivity that an adhesive screen protector delivers.
The folks at Lifeproof didn't realize what they were doing when they sent me white cases to review, but I'm grateful to them for more reasons than one. I've discovered a new sense of watchfulness over my iDevices when they are in white cases. This might not sound like a big deal to everyone. But I’ll tell you, I’m an outdoor enthusiast, and when you are as notoriously hard on your iDevices as I am, then every little bit helps. I am now a huge fan of my white Lifeproof cases and the subtle assistance they offer me caring for my iDevices in all sorts of harsh environments and inclement conditions.