Incase's Pro Slider Case is protective, but ordinary

Incase’s $40 Pro Slider Case for the iPhone 4/4S is a hard shell case with a rubberized bumper for overall protection. It comes in either black or white, but with different colored bumpers—black with a grey bumper, or white with a black, teal, or raspberry bumper. The bottom part of the case slides off easily for docking in any kind of dock-cradle accessory, giving this case its “pro slider” name.

The Pro Slider is made of a high-quality plastic, which is attractive and glossy, but has one unfortunate side effect—it shows fingerprints, or at least the black model I tested did. The bumper is matte and rubberized, which improves grip, and the case has a solid, protective feel without adding too much bulk. The inside of the case has soft cushions to prevent the case from scratching your iPhone while you’re fitting it in the case, and the cushions also add some shock protection. The edges of the Pro Slider Case come up over the screen just a bit, which helps protect your iPhone in case of a face-down fall. However, there is no protective screen film included, so you’ll need to purchase that separately if you want more screen protection.

Additionally, the case ships with a small plastic stand which can prop up your iPhone in several different angles for viewing videos or video chatting.

A small opening at the top leaves full access to the headphone jack, while a rubberized button cover protects the Sleep/Wake button and keeps it fully operational. Along the side, there’s a cut-out for the Ring/Silent switch, while the volume buttons get rubber push-though overlays. A precision cut-out along the bottom provides access to the dock-connector port and speaker. The camera cut-out is large enough to allow full use of the camera and flash. Everything on the iPhone works fine within the case.

If you’re looking for a simple but sharp-looking case that offers decent protection without too much bulk, then Incase’s Pro Slider Case is one to consider, particularly if you have a dock-cradle accessory that necessitates easy case removal.

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