After waiting months for my precious Apple iPhone to arrive, I now want to protect it with my life and show off its beautiful screen and features. So I've been on a mission to find the perfect carrying case.

Incase has come out with some stylish cases that meet my expectations. I really like the leather Fitted Sleeve ($34.95), pictured here, best...

It provides the easiest access to the iPhone: You don't have to open any flaps to use your screen or volume controls. The Leather Folio ($39.95) has a very nice look with its multi-texture design, but its cover flap hinders you from using the screen without removing the iPhone from the case.

When using the the sleeve model, your face no longer sits up against the screen--but you still get smudge marks when you use the keypad unless you use a protective film (which doesn't come with the case). While it's in the case, you can't place your iPhone in the dock for charging. But you can plug your charging cable into the iPhone's outlet. The feel of the leather is amazingly smooth and gives you better grip control. And the rounded corners give the case softer edges, so it fits in your hand nicely. The belt clip is a little too tight for me, though. It's a struggle getting it on and off. On the other hand, that may be a good thing, since it's less likely to fall off. The outer stitching adds a nice dimension to the look.

I'd also use the neoprene Protective Cover ($29.95) from time to time; slipping the iPhone in and out of this one is easy. You can see additional colors for each of the cases at the Incase Web site.

Post by Cynthia Rhett