iPhone 4 Cases with a Strap

iPhone 4 cases were very difficult to find when the iPhone 4 was released in June 2010. Cases for the iPhone 4 were still not available yet at that time. The iPhone 4 design was completely new, any information about the iPhone 4 spec was completely confidential until it was shown to the public.

iPhone case manufacturers didn't have necessary information to make cases for the iPhone 4 back then. Therefore, it was very difficult to find iPhone cases other than the bumper case that came from Apple.

One of the side effects of the lack of iPhone 4 cases at its launch was the iPhone 4 antenna issue. Since your hand is in contact with the antenna, the phone signal dropped. This effect was much realized on the iPhone 4 more than any other iPhone model although it did exist on the iPhone 3GS for example.

People didn't realize the antenna issue on older iPhones because they already had iPhone cases that were compatible with all iPhone models. Therefore, the issue didn't show up.

I personally was very happy with my iPhone DLO SlimCase for the iPhone 3G, and I also used it for my iPhone 3GS afterward.

Therefore, with the iPhone 4 new design, changing the iPhone case was one of the most frustrating issues to me, specially when there weren't many iPhone 4 cases pick from.

I was really having a hard time finding a good iPhone 4 case that meets my needs. I am a little picky when it comes to iPhone cases.

The case to me is the most important iPhone accessory I could have. A case protects the iPhone 4 from scratches and damages, and when it has a strap, it prevents it from falling from your hand.

Therefore, the iPhone 4 case I am looking for must have a strap similar to the iPhone 3GS case I had before. The problem is that I couldn't find an iPhone 4 case with a strap even after iPhone cases became widely available.

I tried the same iPhone 3G case manufacturer that made my previous DLO iPhone case with a strap, but still no iPhone 4 case with a strap.

I tried at least three different iPhone 4 cases without a strap but I wasn't satisfied with any of them including the bumper from Apple.

One of the most annoying issue with the Apple bumper was the docking area of the iPhone 4. There was no room to attach many of my iPhone accessories to the iPhone dock because the bumper opening was too small. Almost all my iPhone cables including my iPhone battery chargers and my FM Transmitter didn't fit. It only allowed Apple designed iPhone cables.

Therefore, I decided to look for another solution by myself, and find a case that has enough holes in it to add a strap.

I finally found a case called iFrogz in Best Buy, that looks nice, and has a great potential to add a strap to it. Read the full review by everythingcafe.com.

I then started thinking about how I can add a strap to that case. I needed a fine but strong wire to create a ring that I can attach to any good opining in the case and then attach a strap to the ring.

As you can see in the pictures below, the iFrogz case has several holes all around which allows me to add a strap to almost any corner I want. I could connect my strap to three of the four corners of the iPhone 4 case.

I can't connect a strap to the corner where the iPhone camera exist as there is no opening. I picked the left top corner, because I can hold the iPhone and put it in my pocket comfortably when it is connected to a strap from that corner. The iPhone goes in my pocket first, and then the strap off my hand which is very convenient.

Once I selected the corner I want to add the strap to, I started thinking about a way to add thin rings in that corner. I thought a fishing wire would be the best solution as it is thin and a strong. I don't want the wire to be too thick that the iPhone won't fit in the case.

I created three rings using the fishing wire just to be safe and to make sure that the wires will stand severe drops and will not break. And if one wire breaks, then I have 2 for backup.

After I created the rings, I started to look for a nice strap that is soft and long enough. I looked at my old digital cameras, and camcorders to see if I can steel their strap. Finally, I found exactly the strap I want.

I simply attached the strap to the rings I created from the fishing wire. Then, I put the iPhone 4 in the case and did some testing by letting it fall from my hand while holding the strap.

Everything was cool. Now, when I hold my iPhone 4 in my hand, I feel very comfortable.

Since it is a habit for me to automatically wrap the strap around my hand when I use my iPhone 4, I feel it is more secure in my hand than before.

It is more comfortable when taking a photo or a video using the iPhone camera which is an iPhone 4 feature that like any camcorder or digital camera requires a strap.

With the iPhone 4 LED flash, I also hold the strap around my hand and use the iPhone as a flash light.

I think it is still possible to apply this method to many other iPhone 4 cases you might already have, or planning to buy.

I noticed that many iPhone 4 cases have a narrow opening at the top left corner between the iPhone headphone connection, and the volume buttons. That area almost always has a narrow opening where you could connect a strap by making small rings from thin fishing wire as described.

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