Design: 4.5
Durability: 4.5
Re-use value: 5
Overall Rating: 4.7 out of 5

With over 180 million iPods sold to date, you could imagine how much the Apple community has grown. Thousands of companies have sprung up just for making cases which means that there is definitely no shortage of cases on the market waiting to cuddle Apple’s latest devices.  That’s where the Candyshell comes in.
I have owned four iPods to date, and I’ve purchased dozens of cases for the iPod for a few years now and I can say with complete honesty, and certainty, that any case you choose from Speck is something you are going to be more than pleased with because every product they make is really out of the box and extremely unique. In fact, when I told my friends that Speck’s epic CandyShell came out for the iPod Touch, they quickly ran to the Apple store, and spent their hard-earned money in a flash. They recognized what I recognized; a great quality product at a really good price goes a long way. I have never owned such a great case for any device what so ever.

The CandyShell is constructed from scratch proof plastic that truly lives up to it’s expectations. My iPhone has been cradled in the CandyShell for several months and I am happy to report that the iPhone and case are completely scratch free. To be able to take the case I loved on my iPhone and put it on my iPod Touch just made the experience so much better.

Athough the Candyshell is made from hard scratch-proof plastic, it looks and feels insanely smooth and has the flexibility as a rubberized case. It’s smooth to the touch, sleek even, yet when you are holding it there is a certain feel that you know its not going to slip out of your hands. It feels just perfect in your hand, you just know that it’s not going anywhere, but at the same time, when you slip the phone into your pocket it slips in flawlessly. I’ve never felt anything that great from any other case company.

One thing Speck totally understands that other case companies don’t is that the inside of the case is as important as the outside. Cheap plastic cases just ruin your device. I seen this happen especially with the new iPhone 3G/3GS, because of its plastic backing. You just end up with a bunch of scratches. That being said, its important to note that the CandyShell from Speck has a completely rubberized interior that prevents scratches from occurring.

The CandyShell is a one-piece case, you simply slip your device (whether it be an iPhone or iPod Touch), into the case and that’s it. It also comes with 2 protective screen covers and a cleaning cloth, so you can protect the front of your device as well as the back.

A lot of the cases you see for the iPhone or the iPod Touch take away much of the sleekness and even beauty of the devices because most of the companies that make these cases are competing with the devices, not attempting to complement them. Even the transparent cases you see on the market are too bulky and turn what is supposed to be an elegant piece of technology into a heavy, square-edged clunky device. The CandyShell, on the other hand, takes nothing away from the beauty of the phone or the iPod, and actually makes the iPhone even more attractive with the color accents.

The Speck CandyShell for the iPhone comes in four great color combinations: Lemondrop Liquorice, Key Lime Jawbreaker, Cranberry White Truffle, and Watermelon Gumbal, while the Candyshell for the iPod Touch only comes in Lemondrop Liquorice and Cranberry White Truffle. Speck nicely sent me the Watermelon Gumbal shell for the iPhone and Lemondrop Liquorice for the iPod Touch.

When you cough up $200-$400 on a product like an iPhone or an iPod Touch you want to make sure that it is safe and can few years. At the same time you don’t want to walk around with an iPod that is covered in ugly and bulky case, right? Honestly, what’s the point? So, for me, the best thing about this particular case is that while it offers great protection for your iPod touch/iPhone, and it is sleek enough in its design to still retain it’s Apple flavor. The seamless one-piece design acts as a real “shell”, taking nothing away from the design yet providing the protection you need.

The Candyshell will cost you $34.95. While it is expensive when compared to low end cases, $35 is fairly priced for a case as great as the Candyshell.

I am more than happy with my CandyShell case from Speck and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a case for their iPhone 3G, 3GS, or iPod Touch 2nd Gen. It case gives the best of both worlds by offering a hard case in a soft shell.

You can buy a Speck Candyshell Case for the iPod Touch here , and the iPhone 3G here.  Or you can point your browser at speckproducts.com and take a look at all the cases they offer. I have tried the majority of their other cases, and I can insure you that they are also made with the same level of quality and craftsmanship as the Candyshell.

Looks: 10/10
Durability: 9/10
Overall: 7.5/10

Those have been following me on Twitter, know that I never bought a case for my iPhone.  When I got my iPhone 3G, I quickly bought a Speck Pixel-Skin, which is a really nice silicon case.  Although I liked the soft case, I needed one with the strength of a hard case, with the grip and flexibility of a soft case. The Speck CandyShell fit that category perfectly.  It comes in 4 colors (Lemondrop Liquorice, Key Lime Jawbreaker, Cranberry White Truffle, and Watermelon Gumball), and costs  $34.95.The real magic of the CandyShell is it’s design.  The inside and corners of the case are rubberized and offers shock absorption while retaining the durability and sleekness of a hard shell.  The case can actually bend and twist!  It comes with a removable screen protector film and cleaning cloth!  But the best part of the case is that the Sleep/Wake and Volume buttons are protected by the soft material of the case.

I tested the CandyShell for 3 ½ weeks, and for a few days, I had some concerns.  First of all, it was really hard to insert and remove the iPhone out of the case.  On top, the sleep wake button took a lot of effort to press.  In fact, you can see some nail marks on the rubber portion of the case directly above the sleep/wake button.  These problems bugged me for the first 3-4 days, but on the fifth day, I was able to quickly remove the phone and I could easily press the sleep/wake button.

Other than that, the CandyShell was a delicious treat that looked attractive and protective, and iPhones everywhere should be honored to be protected and covered with one of these.

Pros: Lightweight, durable, and has the best parts of a soft case and a hard case blended in one.

Cons: Sleep/Wake rubber coating on case is a little hard to press, and it is a little hard taking off the case from the phone.  But you get used to it fairly quick.