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Get a free iPhone 4 case to solve antenna woes

OK, free plus a few bucks for shipping. But you do get your choice of five snazzy colors, and an instant fix for a certain issue with antenna reception.

Rick Broida Senior Editor
Rick Broida is the author of numerous books and thousands of reviews, features and blog posts. He writes CNET's popular Cheapskate blog and co-hosts Protocol 1: A Travelers Podcast (about the TV show Travelers). He lives in Michigan, where he previously owned two escape rooms (chronicled in the ebook "I Was a Middle-Aged Zombie").
Rick Broida
2 min read
Wrap one of these free (not including shipping) cases around your iPhone 4 and presto: antenna problem solved.
Wrap one of these free (not including shipping) cases around your iPhone 4 and presto: antenna problem solved. Cases.com

Not to beat this dead horse any further, but there's one thing I don't get about the whole iPhone 4 antenna hubbub: don't 99 percent of users carry their phones in a case anyway? I can't remember the last time I spotted a "naked" one. (iPhone, that is, not user. Come to think of it, haven't seen many naked users, either. Which is good.)

And if you use a case, problem solved, right? Right. Here's how to solve it on the cheap: Cases.com is offering a free LifeGrip Silicone Case for iPhone 4--in your choice of colors! 

Actually, the case is free, but shipping isn't: First Class Mail will run you $3.73, a little higher than the "around $3" listed on the product page.

Also, three of the five colors (black, blue, and white) are on backorder until July 19; if you want your freebie case sooner, you'll have to choose purple or rose.

I've long used a similar silicone case on my 3GS, and it's been great. Nothing flashy, mind you, but it does offer a reasonable amount of protection and excellent gription (gripitivity? grippy-ness? You come up with a better word).

The LifeGrip is not a bad-looking case, either, especially the faux wood-grain pattern on the back. Definitely a worthwhile buy at less than $4 out the door.

That said, Meritline sells a similar silicone iPhone 4 case in black for $2.27 shipped, or $2.76 for blue or red. They're not quite as nice, but, hey, what do you expect for the price of a cuppa joe? That's an awful lot cheaper than hiring a lawyer to sue Apple. Just saying.