Lewis Page from The Register is reporting that the research carried out at Bristol University in the UK, has found that using some cases will not make any difference to the antenna performance. The team at the university looked at the performance of antennas in a variety of different conditions.

The research found a 100-fold reduction in sensitivity when the device was held, or when a user’s thumb is mimicked by a different material. This dramatically lowered the electrical match between the antenna and the handsets electrical circuitry.

Further tests showed that when using a layer of plastic material such as a bumper case, the electrical match between antenna and electrical circuitry was not restored. The bumper solution though may not be totally wrong; just some cases may not make any difference where others do. The team at the Bristol University is investigating ways to solve the issue with smartphone antennas.

Most handsets signals can be affected in one way or another when held in certain ways, but with the iPhone 4 being such a high profile device, it got much more stick for the problem. It also seems to affect some people, where others don’t have any issues what so ever.

Did a case do the trick with your iPhone 4?

The patent-pending clear skin needs no moisture during its application process, and is easily aligned to the device without the user getting finger prints or dust on the adhesive side. Once applied it will protect your device from dirt and scratches but still keep the original look.

Tim Chaves from iWrap said “We’re very excited about this, because nothing like it has been available before.” The iPhone 4 version covers the entire device, both front and back is protected with the side pieces also helping with the antenna problem.

The iPhone 4 full body kit costs $19.95 and comes with a lifetime guarantee. There is also a range of other iWraps available for other devices beside Apple models. iWraps are available from the company’s website getiwrap.com. Check out the video below and see how easy the iWrap is attached to the iPhone 4.

This case is made from genuine leather and features a 49 key keyboard, the keyboard connects to the iPhone 4 via Bluetooth and features an intelligent power management system, when the battery power does run out you can charge it via a Micro USB to USB cable (which comes in the box).

You can see this case/keyboard above, as you can see it is a bit bulky, however I’m sure that it will prove to be a very popular iPhone 4 accessory for those of you who type more words than the average iPhone 4 user out there.

Usually you can buy this case for $39.90 here, however at the time of this post Brando’s shop was down, hopefully it will be back up soon.

Will you buy this iPhone 4 case?

Source: IntoMobile

Serenity Caldwell of Macworld.com is reporting that some of the sites contributors and staff have been getting their cases over the last week. An order which was placed on the first day of the program July 23 had an estimated delivery date of September 1 but arrived on the 13th of August.

A case which was ordered on July 30 had a delivery date of September 13, but the parcel arrived on August 16 exactly four weeks early. The cases that have so far been delivered are not limited to one range. Apple’s Bumper and the clear Incase Snap Case have so far been amongst the cases delivered.

If you have not ordered your case you have thirty days after purchase to order one, for those who got their iPhone 4 before July 23 you have until this Sunday to apply. For details on how to order click here.

Have you received your case yet?

They will be offering some of the cases that are currently available for the iPhone 3GS in a range of colors and styles. All the new iPhone 4 cases will provide four corner protection with custom cutouts for unrestricted access to all the handsets features. The cases will be easy to carry and lightweight designs.

Included in the range is the smart looking Slider case, Snap Case and Protective cover, additional styles that include the Perforated Snap Case have been promised to be released soon after the first wave of releases.

The 3GS range of designs includes different types of Slider Case’s including the Chrome Slider. Other styles include the Perforated Snap Case and the Topo Flex Snap Case, all offering maximum protection in a range of different colors.

Today we can report to you that if you want the Incase Snapcase you still can only see renderings of the case and not actual photo’s of the case. On the company’s website it still says that cases for the iPhone 4 are coming soon. It makes you think there could be problems with manufacturers keeping up with the demand for their products.

Details of the case are still very sketchy but it should protect the sides and the rear of the iPhone 4, but it would be nice to have more information on the case to help customers choose which one they want. The iPhone has only been out for a month now, so companies who make products like these have not had long to design and make new cases for the device.

Have you decided what case you want for your iPhone 4 yet?

We will look at each case one by one and offer details on them, the best is – they are free. However, you can only have one per customer, so you could even consider purchasing another – well they have to be good if Apple has entered into an agreement with them.

The first case is the Incase Snap Case: Although the company has yet to release many details on this case we can tell you that it will offer protection to the rear and sides of your iPhone 4. We do not know the color range, but looking at the images we expect to see a number of pastels colors. We would like to point out that you will only be able to choose black in the Apple promotion More info here

Next we have the Belkin Shield Micra for iPhone 4: This comes in a choice of three colors, Clear, Black Pearl and Royal Purple. This ultra-thin case is lightweight but offers protection against scratches and dust. Visit Belkin for more details

The Griffin Motif is not exactly the best looking case in the bunch, but we are certain that it will appeal to some. The case is made from a semi-soft TPU and comes with a strange diamond design with a smoked finish. Details thanks to Griffen

There is a second case from Griffin, this time the Griffin Reveal. This is made from one-piece of polycarbonate and comes with an ultra-thin rubber interior – comes in black only. For more details visit the official website

Finally we have two Speck cases, the first is the Speck Fitted. This is made from hard plastic and is a two-piece design with part fabric on the rear. There are 8 fabric choices to choose from, which will be to each owners taste. Image thanks to iLounge

Finally we have the Speck PixelSkin HD, this has a shiny polished back with a cool matte pixel overlay, much like LEGO. This case will certainly help protect your iPhone more. More details from Speck

Update: We understand that a couple of the images were wrong, we have now uploaded the correct images.

You have now seen all six free cases, which one have you chose?

Kevin Purcell from Notebooks.com has done a detailed review of the new Reveal iPhone 4 Case from Griffin. He starts by saying the new case is what the Apple Bumper case should have been. When he first set eyes on the case he thought it was just an Apple Bumper case rip off, but on closer inspection realized the Reveal has a hard clear plastic shell protecting the back of the phone.

The case protects the edges of the device with a smooth rubber material that will absorb the shock of a drop (he accidently tested this feature). Reception issues are also dealt with by the case, and have the added bonus of the rubber edges keeping the phone from sliding around on the table or in the car.

The reviewer went on to comment that he liked the way certain buttons are covered by the case but are still easy to use. It comes in white and black and can be bought direct from Griffin for $24.99 but can be found cheaper online. Use the link to see the full review and more pictures.