CandyShell Flip iPhone case lets you use dock-cradle accessories

Speck’s $35 CandyShell Flip (iPhone 4/4S) is a hardshell case designed to let you use your phone with dock-cradle accessories: The bottom quarter of the case flips back and out of the way, providing unfettered access to your phone's bottom edge.

This durable case has two layers: hard plastic on the outside and soft rubber on the inside. These mixed materials come in pleasantly contrasting shades: white/raspberry, black/peacock, or black/grey. I tested the white-and-raspberry model—most of the outside is hard, white plastic, trimmed attractively with a deep, pink-raspberry shade of rubber. The contrast color runs around the edges, hugs the case’s corners, lines the large hole for the iPhone's rear camera and flash, covers the phone's buttons, and runs a line across the back about three-quarters of the way down. This rubbery line indicates the portion of the case that flips back—it actually functions as a hinge.

The CandyShell Flip offers a decent amount of protection, but with that protection comes a bit of bulk. The rubbery edges come up over the front of the phone, so if you drop the phone face-down, you have some measure of protection. No protective screen film is included in the package, however.

The case's dock-connector port cut-out is perfectly sized to fit Apple's USB-to-dock-connector cable, but there’s little wiggle-room—third-party cables with larger dock-connector plugs won't fit. There are separate cut-outs for the phone's bottom speakers, leaving sound projection uninterrupted. You’ll also find a cutout for easy access to the Ring/Silent switch, as well as one for the headphone jack. Fully functional TPU button overlays (in the contrast color) cover the Sleep/Wake and volume buttons.

The case's rubbery corners give the CandyShell Flip a bit of stretch, so it’s easy to remove when needed, though in most situations where you just need access to the iPhone's dock-connector port, simply flipping back the bottom of the case will be sufficient.

Overall, this is a nice offering from Speck. It adds some bulk, but that bulk is there to protect your iPhone from minor drops as well as scratches. If you have a tight dock-cradle accessory you use often, you’ll appreciate the Flip’s flexibility for easy docking.

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