Reviews for Apple iPhone 4 Bumper - Black

I got this case Aug 2010 as part of the free case program. Nothing fancy, but a regular, ordinary looking bumper. Also, I wasn't very concerned about the lack of back coverage, since I got the Power Support film set.

PROS:
Despite making the iPhone look 'uglier', this bumper really does its job. I dropped my phone about 7x already and it's just fine. Mind you, the drops were only 2-3 ft drops, so I can't attest to whether the bumper can withstand higher drops, but seven times! There are numerous scratches on my bumper, especially at the corners because of the drops, but the phone itself is fine. Other reviews said the rubber part already started cracking and peeling after light use, but I've had this for a year and it's only started recently. I don't exactly take very good care of my phone or other electronics, so it's very surprising that my bumper has lasted this long while others (who do take care of their phones) complain the bumper isn't long-lasting.

CONS:
This bumper isn't perfect, however, as dust does tend to accumulate near the edges, but since I have Power Support film set on, this isn't a big deal. Just make sure to take the bumper off to clean the phone from time to time. Now...the MAJOR defect of this bumper, like many reviews have stated, is that this bumper SCRATCHES THE PHONE! It didn't for the first few months of use, but now I see black smudges and marks that won't come off on the silver band of the phone. They're noticeable, especially around the ring/vibrate button, the power button, the volume buttons, and the charger jack and speakers on the bottom. It's very disappointing that the bumper would do this and I hope Apple will do something about it (not very likely though).

RECOMMENDATION:
Based on my experience, yes I would recommend this bumper to iPhone users because it offers fairly heavy-duty protection for such a minimal case. If you're someone who drops their phone a lot, but don't want any scratches on their phone, then I suggest the Otterbox; but if you're someone (like me) who drops their phone and don't want a big fat ugly Otterbox case covering your phone, this is good enough. This bumper has lasted me a year and I'm ready to buy a new one--green this time!

36 of 38 people found this useful

I bought the black bumper and it turns off my iPhone because it keeps pressing the sleep/awake button. If I'm typing a or doing anything it locks or goes to the turnoff screen.

That is why I'm giving this product 2 stars. I had a previous one months ago and it worked perfectly but this one simply doesn't.

37 of 42 people found this useful

I bought the black bumper and I love the look and feel of it. It has a minimalist design and fits snugly onto the phone. It is really grippy so it doesn't slide all over tabletops. It is a little pricey, but it is worth it. I bought a white one too.

34 of 38 people found this useful

The iPhone 4 Bumper is the perfect companion for the iPhone 4 or 4S.
What the pictures do not show you is the nice glossy finish on the bumper, as well as the chrome buttons. The inside of the bumper is a soft rubber, which is comforting to know that your iPhone will not get scratched going into our out of this case.

Combine this bumper with a screen protector + protector for the back glass, and you're good to good.

One thing to note: With this bumper on, the iPhone will not fit into Apple's official iPhone 4/4S Dock.

37 of 44 people found this useful

snug fit, very streamline, and is definitely the best looking case there is. and for the people on the fence because the back is uncovered.... the most important part (the front) is uncovered at all times. and unless you drop it on the edge of a stone, the rubber guarders will absorb the shock.

As far as durability goes, i haven't had a problem. however, my cars auxiliary cable and my headphones fit well through the hole, which is literally a millimeter larger than the headphone jack itself. That being said, i never have to take the case off. so theres really no wear.

Other cutouts are nice, metal finished buttons are high quality and feel nice. but there is no cushioning on the inside of the case, so it scuffs the metal band, giving it a somewhat polished look in spots (if you leave the case alone, it won't do much)..have dropped the phone when my hands were full many times, and the case has saved it, so i'm going to say, because my accessories fit, because of the impact resistance, and because of the appearance, buy the case.

30 of 32 people found this useful

Was nice while it lasted, but in just over three months, the plastic cracked. For a while, the flexible rubber held it together, but subsequently tore.

Normal use included removing it from the iPHone 4 less than once per week. Didn't treat it roughly, but it did not last.

Weak spot was at bottom around charging hole.

29 of 30 people found this useful

I've tried this bumper for some months ago. This bumper is very nice-looking and it protected my iPhone from breaking a lots of times, but sadly it scratched the steel sides on my iPhone. It also made my buttons stuck, luckily apple gave my a new iPhone. I wouldn't recommend this to other iPhone users!

I'm still looking for a good one, can anyone recommend?

31 of 35 people found this useful

I have been using this bumper for about 8 months. It was my son's who wanted a new case for his and when I upgraded to the 4, I took this one (until I found something else). It fits well. The rubber edge feels good in my hands and I don't feel that the phone is going to slip out. After reading some of the other reviews I took off my bumper and there weren't any scratches. Since it is just a bumper you need to get separate screen protector but that is obvious. What I wanted was protection, good grip with minimum case effect so this is perfect for my needs and I never felt the need to get another one. Although I have a white phone with a white bumper and the comment about black bumper on white phone sounds good, so for aesthetics I may get the black one.

27 of 28 people found this useful

After reading some of the reviews, I was hesitant to get this bumper case, but decided to get it when I was at my local Apple store. I'm glad that I didn't listen to all the negative reviews. It is a perfect fit for the iPhone 4S and the cushioned edges protect the front and back glass when you put it down. Remember, this is a bumper and not a full case. It was not designed to provide full front and back glass protection.

The bumper is light weight and looks great on the phone. I especially like the metal buttons built into the bumper and not having the back covered to show off the nice look of the Apple logo on the glass back.

To those that say it scratches the metal antenna bands, all I can say is that it isn't happening to me. The bumper fits so well that it doesn't move around on the phone why handling it so the only way that I could see it slightly scratching the bands is if you keep taking it off and putting it back on again - but why?

I've had no problems with signal strength on either the Wi-Fi or the voice/data coverage.
Anyway, it's a great bumper that enhances the look of your iPhone.

28 of 30 people found this useful

I used this case for a year on my iPhone 4, carried in my pocket.

I'm giving it only 2 stars because the case permanently scratched the metal band surrounding the phone, as well as the volume and sleep buttons. I always carried the phone in a very clean pocket devoid of anything else, and removed the case and cleaned it with a brush and soapy water every month or two. Yet somehow, the phone was scratched.

Other than this, the case is great. It is not intended to provide heavy-duty protection, and never claimed to -- but still, I've dropped the phone three times to no ill effect, and the glass remains free of scratches. It's just the right amount of sticky, and is very low-profile without hiding the visual appeal of the phone.

Apple needs to put a thin later of silicon or something around the entire inside of the case. Then I'd buy it in a heartbeat for my iPhone 4S.

29 of 32 people found this useful