Beat Swap Meet is all about pushing the culture of collecting vinyl, which is why we were excited to see the release of the “Vintage Vinyl” iPhone case from Sonix.  Vintage Vinyl iPhone cases fit both the iPhone 4 and 4S, are sleek, sturdy (made of high grade polycarbonate), and fresh.  The backside of the case represents a vinyl record, complete with grooves, and an area for a customizable label, which comes in the package.  I threw it on my iPhone 4S and it fit perfectly.  No obstruction with the flash when taking pictures.  The design of the vinyl allows for view of what would be a record, as well as the record label.

The case also comes with customizable label stickers that you can write on, but nobody wants to run around with handwriting on their iPhone case.  What WOULD be cool is if they supplied you with a one page adhesive sheet with maybe 4 or 5 stickers in the shape of the label. Then you could print your own design, using something similar to Avery label templates, and look a little more professional than displaying a phone with chicken scratch on it.

I was initially very concerned about what would happen if I dropped my iPhone using a case like this.  Granted, as a record collector, I am already pretty neurotic about my vinyl getting scratched up when I don’t protect them in sleeves and what not.  The first few days I was using this I felt very nervous about taking my phone in and out of my pockets, for fear of eventually having a scuffed and scratch vinyl iPhone case.  It seems to be a little stronger than I thought, though, which makes me think this isn’t made out of real vinyl (and that’s okay).  I even accidentally dropped my phone on the pavement and it did not crack (nor did my phone).  There were a few nicks on the edges from impact, but nothing too serious.  I did notice that the area where the label sticker would be has gotten scratched a little, but if you actually use the stickers, you’ve got nothing to worry about.  If this had been made of actual vinyl (which can be pretty flimsy), the case, and my phone, would have been done.  Another cool feature are the “stilts” on the front of the case, which allow you to place your phone face down on a table, without the screen actually touching the surface.  This helps in preventing your screen from getting scratched, while also showing off the vinyl side, making for a great conversation piece.

You can find Vintage Vinyl iPhone cases at Sonix’s website and soon in the BSM online store.