Power Support Illusion Case

Power Support’s Illusion Case is a two-piece, hard-plastic case for the 5G iPod (with video). The exterior of the case looks nearly metallic; the front section is translucent whereas the back is opaque. (A completely transparent front piece is also included.) The upper left corner of the case features a small loop for attaching a lanyard, and the openings for your iPod’s hold switch, headphone jack, and dock-connector port are each a good size that strikes a balance between accessibility and protection.

The translucent version of the case’s face is what makes this case unique. When the screen of your iPod is illuminated, you can read it clearly through the case, but when the screen is dark, it all but disappears thanks to the case’s mild opaqueness. It’s still visible, but you need to look at it from the right angle and concentrate to pick it out (no easy feat with a white iPod).

However, that feature aside, the case’s plastic feels flimsy. And on my sample, the reflective-sticker backing on the rear of the case had trapped air bubbles, making it look cheaper.

The Illusion includes protective films to protect the back, front, and Click Wheel of your iPod; I like the Click Wheel film, as is has a raised, tactile feel I haven’t seen elsewhere.

Although the Illusion Case has an interesting face, I wasn’t impressed by the overall build quality. The plastic doesn’t feel rugged enough to take a serious blow, so those looking for a tough, hard-plastic case should look to something like iSkin’s Claro.–Derik DeLong