Speck CandyShell iPad Case Review
Following on from the PixelShield, the Speck CandyShell is a more traditional iPad shell case with a twist.
The hard plastic Speck CandyShell perhaps has the most attractive interior you’ll never see. The drilled-metal-look grey plastic that lines the inside of this hard shell case for the iPad is reminiscent of the OSX dashboard widget bar, and a bit of a nod toward the iPads lineage. Unfortunately, with your iPad inserted into the Speck CandyShell you’re almost never going to get the chance to see this interior, with just the glossy “Batwing Black” or “Nightshade Purple” plastic replacing the smooth aluminium on the back of the iPad.
From the pictures, Nightshade purple looks quite a lot nicer than the Batwing Black I was sent for review, however there’s only a very narrow band of the colour purple I would actually like to deck an iPad out in, and it’s hard to tell if it makes it. The two colour choices are somewhat limited, and some orange/red/blue/green wouldn’t have gone amiss, but for now it’ll probably be the Batwing Black that most will go with.
The trouble with the glossy plastic that makes up the exterior of the CandyShell is that it’s far more effective at picking up fingerprints and grime than the iPad itself, somewhat of a downer if you want your plastic shell to be aesthetically superior to the iPad. Many rubber shells have a matte finish which is far more effective at staving off finger grease, and unless you’re a die-hard fan of gloss you will probably want to give the CandyShell a miss.
When is a WiFi-only iPad not a WiFi-only iPad?:
The sexy pattern on the inside is only revealed through the dock connector flap, an excellent addition that makes up for the CandyShell’s glossiness. You can basically lift up a sizeable flap on the back of the case, enough for the iPad to sit comfortably in its dock without having to completely remove the case. That’s a one-up over pretty much every other case out there bar slip cases and, although I don’t personally have or intend to pick up a dock for my iPad, I believe the CandyShell represents a good choice for those who do, and who like shell-style cases.
Quality wise, it’s probably the best shell iPad case I’ve seen thus far and has a sum total of zero mould lines on the outer plastic shell. The inner grey portion, however, is a little rough in places, but not overly so. The inner shell is exposed through the outer shell where there are buttons, making them easily pressable and not impeding any of the iPads functionality. The rotation lock hole is generously wide, although the headphone port cut-out is a shade too small for some of the chunky connectors on the cans I like to use.
