The Incipio NGP's semi-rigid construction and bright colors make it a stand-out case

Incipio’s $20 NGP for iPhone 4/4S is a semi-hard shell case with just a bit of give to make it easier to place on and remove from your iPhone. Made of “Next Generation Polymer,” this case stands out because of its unusual semi-rigid construction, and is compatible with all iPhone 4 and 4S models. It comes in ten matte colors: Black, Gunmetal, Translucent Mercury Grey, Coral, Red, Fuchsia Magenta, Bright Purple, Translucent Purple, Translucent Turquoise, or Translucent Pink. The Incipio logo is slightly visible and raised the back, but doesn’t take away from the case’s aesthetic.

This case is bulkier than the average hard shell, and thus offers a little bit more protection. The NGP’s edges come up over the screen around the perimeter of your iPhone, and the case also comes with an adhesive screen protector (along with an applicator card and cleaning cloth). So, if you were to drop the iPhone face down, you would get some protection there. However, the added bulk may make it difficult to use with some dock-cradle accessories, so you’ll need to remove the NGP, which is slightly easier to remove than a harder shell case.

All buttons and ports are readily accessible; the case did not impede any of the iPhone’s functions, though the Sleep/Wake button and volume buttons are covered with a raised polymer overlay. The camera and flash, bottom speakers, USB port, Ring/Silent switch, and headphone jack all have precise cut-outs for ease of use.

There is nothing that makes Incipio’s NGP stand out above the iPhone case crowd for me—its decent, but I found nothing special about it. Still, the wide variety of bright color schemes make this a solid offering for the younger crowd.

[Karen Freeman is a writer, teacher, and Apple fan. Follow her on Twitter @karensfreeman.]