Scosche announces pre-sales of eight iPhone 4 cases

by Scott Carmichael on

I’m not entirely sure what kind of overtime is involved in designing not one, but eight cases – but to pull this off a mere 24 hours after Apple announced their newest iPhone is quite impressive.

Scosche were obviously not content with just one case, so they designed a different case for almost any purpose:

  • KickBACK g4 is a glossy case with an integrated kickstand
  • SwitchKASE g4 is a clear silicone skin with removable armband
  • SwitchBACK g4 is a kickstand case with interchangeable covers
  • MetalliKASE g4 is an all metallic case with a mirrored screen protector
  • BeefKASE g4 is made from genuine leather and plastic
  • BandEDGE g4 polycarbonate case offers a rubber bumper edge
  • BandIT g4 is a durable rubber shield
  • GlosSEE g4 is a full rubber case made of a “unique glossy material”

All these new cases are available for pre-order, with an expected shipping date around the end of the month – just in time for the availability of the new iPhone 4. Prices start at $19.99.

iPhone 4 – what it means for travelers

by Scott Carmichael on

Even though today’s iPhone 4 announcement was one of the worst kept secrets in the industry, the newest device from Apple will undoubtedly be the hottest thing in mobile phones this summer. Here are (in my opinion) the top 4 new features that matter to travelers:

  • 5 Megapixel camera with HD video and LED flash
  • On-phone video editing
  • Longer battery life
  • Book reader
  • Video calling

Even at 5 megapixels, the iPhone 4 won’t become a replacement for your regular camera – but I’ve seen plenty of great looking photos made with a phone, and boosting megapixels is never a bad thing. The addition of HD video recording is pretty neat – and may put a big dent in the market of pocket HD cameras.

On-phone video editing means you’ll be able to edit your stuff on the iPhone, and send it online, all without the need for a desktop or laptop. The iMovie for iPhone app is $4.99, and I’m sure we’ll start seeing a lot of creative movie editing done in it.

Longer battery life is something we can all use – the iPhone 4 boosts standby time to 300 hours, talk time to 7 hours and music listening to 40 hours.

The iBook reader has been a huge success on the iPad, but whether people will actually read books on the much smaller iPhone screen remains to be seen. Its higher resolution and pixel density do make it easier on the eyes, but still – you’ll need to get past the 3.5″ screen.

Video calling is done like everything Apple does – smooth and efficiently. They call it “FaceTime”, and it uses a lower resolution camera on the front of the phone. Video calls are by no means new, but as usual, Apple will probably make it a massive success. Making calls to friends and family back home will never be the same again. Of course, it also brings a whole new era of people walking into traffic and into lamp posts when they are making video calls when they should be looking where they are going. Downsides to FaceTime – it only works on Wi-Fi to Wi-Fi, and only between iPhone 4 devices.

The phones still only come in black and white, and will be available in 16GB for $199 and 32GB for $299. Current customers on AT&T are eligible for early upgrades. The iPhone 4 will be available on June 24th.