Review: Incipio dermaSHOT case for the Nexus One

I got a new Incipio dermaSHOT case for my Nexus One, not just to review, but I needed one. The wife and I have this cat.  Now I have no idea how to, or even who does the measuring of a cats sanity, but this particular cat would fail.  I used to have a neat little neoprene pouch that came with my Nexus One.  Any of you guys with a cat know right where this is going -- Bowie the cat (one green eye and one blue eye gets you named David Bowie if I'm around) decided to shred my Nexus OEM pouch.  Since my desk and general work area is cluttered and full of things that can and will scratch up a phone, the search was on for a new case for a Nexus One.  I ended up picking the Incipio dermaSHOT silicone case and am pretty pleased.  Jump past the break and have a look at some pics and see why I chose it.

The first and most important criteria for my N1 case was how it feels.  It has to feel as good or better in the hand as a bare N1 does, which is no easy feat.  To me, that means silicone, and not just any silicone.  All of us have felt the silky kind of silicone case with the anti-lint magic coating on it, and that's what I knew I had to have.  The Incipio has it.  And it feels good in the hand, just like I needed it to -- and the anti-static juju in or on it works great at keeping the fuzzballs from my favorite sweatpants as well as that freaky blue lint we get in our jeans from sticking to it.

I'm not too shallow, but I also had to have something that looked cool.  Yeah, I know that maybe other things like access to the ports and controls, or microphone openings are pretty important, but I like my N1 to look cool.  Sue me (just kidding, Larry).  The Incipio looks very cool.  The way it wraps the corners isn't just squared off and plain, it's curvy and cut out around the trackball so it can come around and fit nicely.  I like both the way it looks, as well as the way it fits.  And the access to all the ports, controls and microphones/speaker is right on, with nice beveled edges.  I chose black, because I have to appear manly at the diner or truckstop, but I'm eyeing some of the other colors because the way it wraps the trackball. 

The last thing I learned from the Evo 4G.  A good, thick case will keep your camera lens from getting all messed up much better than covering it with electrical tape.  The Incipio works great -- just thick enough to keep the glass or plastic or whatever space-age material HTC is using for the camera lens up off the table when the phone is on its back.  Not so thick that it's a pain to take on and off, just thick enough. 

Yes, the standard things everyone wants in a case are great on the Incipio dermaSHOT case, too.  It will provide excellent protection from scratches, the corners are very well protected from bumps and minor falls, and fits well in the pocket or purse.  I checked with the wife on the purse part -- she says it's fine.  You can get the Incipio dermaSHOT silicone case for the Nexus One at the Android Central store for $16.95, in black, grey, magenta, purple, or red.

Jerry Hildenbrand
Senior Editor — Google Ecosystem

Jerry is an amateur woodworker and struggling shade tree mechanic. There's nothing he can't take apart, but many things he can't reassemble. You'll find him writing and speaking his loud opinion on Android Central and occasionally on Twitter.