Jorge Quinteros

Wooden & Bamboo iPhone 4 Case

There’s no argument that the iPhone is a beautiful and intuitive device and so the impulse to flaunt it was something that long subsided once it became as ubiquitous as small charming coffee shops in Brooklyn. By flaunting, I don’t necessary refer to the act of announcing that I owned one but more on the aspect of not caring to tuck away its aesthetic appeal by enclosing it in a case.

I realize there’s a stockpile of proud owner that love the tactile feel of the device too much to even chew over the thought of using a case but the way I see it is that if I use a case for it, it’s because I’m equally crazy about it, hence the reason to protect it even more.

I’m a little too picky when it comes to cases. They need to be constructed well enough to hold up heavy use and being spontaneously tossed around but more importantly, the case should not interfere with the iPhone’s functionality.

Hardwood cases are beautiful and from I can tell so far from purchasing one, they’re quite the conversation starter in social settings but before buying it, I was very skeptical about everything. I was concerned about the quality, the fit and quite honestly even the price, even though I knew I was paying for the fine workmanship yet without any guarantee of knowing whether I would like it or not.

The wooden case reminded me very much of when the Kindle was first introduced in that it looked nice enough in photographs but it was difficult to make a concrete assessment on whether you would like it because not many people owned it. I still don’t know anyone that owns a wooden iPhone case but I’ve been intrigued long enough with them that I took the plunge in buying one but not at the expense of paying what they normally go for.

The fine folks of PhotoJojo have the exact wood camera iPhone 4 case for $42 and yet I paid $6.99 for mine on eBay. Talk about a bargain.

Quick Glance

The feel of the case in your hands is fairly bulky but that’s a trait to be expected you’re talking about owning a wooden enclosure. The case is padded and lined with a layer of velvet inside so it protects the phone a bit more and it prevents it from sliding around while you’re mobile.

As far as the fit, it slides in perfectly. I have to say that there is a tiny part of the bamboo that doesn’t seem to fit perfectly when you’re joining the 2 wooden parts that make up the case but it eventually clicks. The impressive and intricate laser etching that makes up the camera design is so beautiful that I can’t help admire the details as much as I would a well-crafted app.

Quick Quirks

I use the standard and highly recognizable white earbuds that come with the iPhone but if you’re the type that has an alternative, its fit on this wooden case will rest solely on the shape of the jack your headphones have because there’s a slight elevation on this case that can prevent an oddly shape jack from fitting properly. Even the Power button is a little difficult to press on because it’s tucked in deeply due to the extra layer of wood the case has.

When it came to charging the iPhone, it found myself removing the lower half of the case frequently because apparently I was still using a much older cable who’s connector was too thick to get passed that same elevation that I mentioned the case has but once I swapped it with a much thinner one, it works without fault.

It did take almost 2 weeks for me to receive the wooden case from China but I deem the wait to be well worth it. I have to say that the product is meant to appeal to a very particular audience. For it’s durability, quality and impressive camera design, I can’t help love this case. I’ve received many compliments from it at work because it’s unique and unexpected.

I wanted a wooden iPhone case regardless but what sold me even more on it was the obvious Leica-inspired design and the fact that I found it at a bargain price.