Utilizing carbon fiber on phone cases is become a larger trend, we’ve already looked at Case Mate’s carbon fiber leather iPhone 3G case. We’ve got a couple new ones to write about, including the latest, the ION carbon fiber and leather case:
ION makes a few different technology accessories, and they’ve done a really nice job with this one. Rather than utilizing only carbon fiber, they used it as more of an accent on the case, and mixed it with other materials such as leather and velvet (a suede-like material). This really sets off the design nicely by having a stripe of real carbon fiber through the middle back of the case.
The carbon fiber is 100% real carbon weave composite, hand-made and fine polished in form to ensure its perfect fit. The carbon fiber uses a hard resin gloss finish. For anybody concerned about the carbon fiber interfering with the signal reception, ION has done lab tests that have proven there was no signal interference.
The inner case is made out of a polycarbonate inner shell with a soft interior lining for protection. The leather is a full-grain sheep leather. Since ION sent us a couple samples, I can sincerely vouch for the quality of the cases, they are extremely nice, and you will not be disappointed. The cases are priced just under $80 at $79.89, and are shipped directly from ION in Hong Kong. We’re now selling this case, and can be purchased at our CFG Direct store. The retail price is on the high-end of an iPhone case, but using real carbon fiber helps reinforce that cost, and as I mentioned the quality is excellent.
One thing to note, which you can see in the pictures, is that a lot of the top of the case is open. You have to keep this in mind from a protective standpoint. The phone was an extremely tight fit into the case, so there were no concerns about it popping out of the top. We would have liked to see a clear screen protector for the front of the phone included in the $80 price.
Overall, I think it’s a great case that will garner attention. If you’re ready to decently protect your phone in style, look no further. While we were sent the while leather and grey velvet, I would probably opt for the black leather. The white leather is absolutely gorgeous, but I can see it being hard to maintain.