I love this case. I've tried several cases for my iPhone 3G prior to deciding on this one, including: Griffin Nu Form, Griffin Elan Form, Griffin Wave, Incase Protective Cover, Agent 18 Eco Shield, Agent 18 Clearshield and the Incase Slider. Out of everything I've tried, this one is my favorite, with the Slider coming in second. I prefer black, minimalist cases, and not clear (ugly) or multi-colored (teeny bopper) ones. I'm 38, for crying out loud!

The "feel" of this case is great in my hand, and the two pieces snap together very firmly in 3-4 locking areas. The case adds minimal bulk, especially compared to the ones above, and leaves most of the screen exposed, which I prefer. I don't use a screen shield, but you might prefer to use one. The "nubs" that come to cover the volume and power buttons are thoughtful touches, but I'm only using the one for the power button and it works well. The cutout around the top for the ear is wide in order to properly expose the light and proximity sensors for the phone. Overall, after lots of looking, the Hardskin is a keeper!

This is the best case out there I've seen for the iPhone 3G.

The case is made out of a hard plastic that snaps together in two pieces. The fit is very snug. I've had absolutely no problems with the case feeling like it will come apart on me. Actually, the only way to get the case apart is to use your fingernail or coin in the "coin slot" to get it to come apart. The sleep button is covered with a rubber-type insert that fits into the case when snapped together. The volume buttons are covered by a same type insert.

The only thing not covered by the case are the bottom speakers and dock connector, the phone jack and the ringer toggle switch.

The case is covered with a "rubberized" coating that feels very good in the hand. It flows along with the curves of the 3G, so there isn't much bulk added to the phone. Scratches don't show up much on the case with the rubberized coating.

Now...the drawbacks. The screen is not covered at all, so you will probably want to invest in some sort of screen protector for the screen. The phone ear speaker is uncovered as well. It is a bit hard to understand why Contour left so much uncovered around the ear speaker, rather than just have a small slot that would allow sound to pass through.

The ringer toggle switch is easily turned to the off position, but can be a bit tricky to turn back on. The switch rests right against the case when in the off position, so you'll have to use a fingernail to be able to switch it back on.

Overall, the case is a good investment at $29.99. The case no longer has a belt clip that came with the iPhone (first gen) Hardcase from Contour, but this case is also $5 cheaper than its predecessor. It fully protects the phone with few places for dirt to get into the back & sides of the case. I feel that my phone is greatly protected. The fact that you will want to purchase a screen protector will add to its cost.