Cases for the iPhone 4 are likely to be big business, far more so than any iPhone before it, so we must prepare for a huge choice when it comes to deciding which case will adorn our iPhone 4.  We’ve been sent a selection of iPhone 4 cases from Gumdrop, a new company started by Tim Hickman, he of Speck cases fame.

The four we’re going to take a look at come from the Air Shell range, with two from the Palm Tree collection and two from the Skater Nation collection.

The Air Shell range are distinguished by their pearl colors and very light polycarbonate body.  Our green and blue/grey samples look good, however the brightness of the green one may take some getting used too, leaving us to select the blue/grey one everytime!  The cases are smooth to the touch and the color appears to be below a top coat of lacquer, such is the pearl effect.  The cutouts for the controls and the rear camera lens are all exact, plus the Gumdrop brand name is stamped into the bottom right.

There is no doubt they add very little to the weight of the iPhone, just 8 grams according to our scales, although we wouldn’t trust them to provide much protection in a fall.

On to the Skater Nation pair, shown here in black and blue.  The design, build quality and weight are the same as the Palm Tree collection, however instead of the polished appearance found on the Palm Trees, the Skater Nation cases have more matt-like muted tones and a soft-touch feel instead.  The Gumdrop branding is clearer in this form too, and the case certainly feels better in your palm than the more slippery Palm Tree cases.

It may be a boring choice, but the blue Skater Nation case is in our opinion, the best looking of the four, with the black version a very close second.  While the Palm Tree cases may suit some, they were much too bright for our liking, plus the soft-touch material used on the Skater Nation cases provides more grip too.

Due to the genuinely thin frame and overall lightweight of the Gumdrop Air Shell’s we won’t be recommending these to anyone who wants to add shock protection to their iPhone 4s.  Instead, these cool cases should be looked at as fashion accessories which offer a degree of scratch protection for the rear panel.  If you’re OK with that, then you’ll probably love the Skater Nation range; our personal favorites.

The Air Shell Skater Nation and Palm Tree collections cost $34.95/£29.95 and can be ordered directly from Gumdrop’s website.