EXOvault case wraps your iPhone in cold, hard steel

Do none of the gazillion iPhone cases currently on the market suit your fancy? Are you still looking for a holster that's really built to take abuse? Look no further, as the handcrafted EXOvault is an all-metal sheath that can be ordered in aluminum, brass or titanium. Beyond that, details are surprisingly scant, leaving us to assume "what you see is what you get." Be sure to make clear what kind of iPhone you have when ordering, and be extra sure to have $95 / $95 / $300 (respectively) in liquidated funds available before pulling the trigger.

[Via Boing Boing]

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 14th 2009 2:00PM]

...and makes it super ugly.

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 14th 2009 2:30PM]

This is extra special ugly. It is the kind of ugly where the paper bag needs a chin strap.

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 14th 2009 2:30PM]

does this even warrant a post Engadget????

[Mr Blue Posted Jul 14th 2009 3:11PM]

introducing the iBrick.. available in silver and goooooooooollllllddddddddddddd..

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 14th 2009 6:49PM]

I beg to differ. I think they're gorgeous, a lovely industrial steam-punk look and feel.

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 14th 2009 10:55PM]

I just want to know if this thing works as a heat sink for the iphone as well. At least then it would have a function.

[drewcovi Posted Jul 14th 2009 2:01PM]

cough*cough* reception?

seriously? am i wrong assuming the only reason we dont see metal cases is that it destroys reception?

why do they even sell these?

[PhoenixFox Posted Jul 14th 2009 2:03PM]

this was the entire reason Apple moved away from the metal back, the 3G and GPS radios needed a larger area that signal could get through.

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 14th 2009 2:14PM]

All these metals are paramagnetic which should make the signal loss less apparent, also with the advances in signal technology they have probably overcome what affected them a few years ago. Still would not buy one though, why buy a sleek phone then make it a bulky one?

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 14th 2009 2:17PM]

It's really a clever scheme formulated by Apple to get people to buy these to solve the overheating issues of the 3GS.

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 14th 2009 2:30PM]

because some idiot will buy them.

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 14th 2009 2:40PM]

Would all metals destroy reception? I know steel would, but not so sure about aluminum or titanium. There are tons of high end phones made of titanium, so I'd assume it's ok. Aluminum, no idea. Brass? . . . well, not sure about reception, but damn will it be heavy.

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 14th 2009 3:28PM]

If it's conductive metal it will shield. Some better than others, but looks like a pretty effective Faraday cage they've got there, so I wouldn't expect much RX signal to get through. Paramagnetic?

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 14th 2009 2:04PM]

Way overpriced!

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 14th 2009 2:42PM]

To a degree. The aluminum one, kind of. Same with the brass. But finely machined titanium is butt expensive. It's still probably a little over priced, but I'd say for what you pay, you're getting a very good product.

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 14th 2009 3:26PM]

You'd be better served with a Yo Tank for iPHone.

http://www.ilounge.com/index.php/news/comments/yotank-intros-itank-phonetank-cases-for-ipod-nano-3g-iphone/

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 14th 2009 6:54PM]

Dropping it is still likely to crack a screen.

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 14th 2009 2:06PM]

......anyone else notice the T-Mobile network on the screenshot?

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 14th 2009 2:08PM]

Could be from another country? Doesn't T-Mobile Germany have iPhone rights?

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 14th 2009 2:25PM]

^^^

you win a cookie

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 14th 2009 4:03PM]

first thing i noticed too.

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 14th 2009 2:11PM]

"EXOvault case wraps your iPhone in cold, hard steel"

"...can be ordered in aluminum, brass or titanium."

In other news, 1+2=5

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 14th 2009 2:26PM]

nice

[rcappo Posted Jul 14th 2009 2:17PM]

It's a cheap way to steampunk your iPhone. And while I like my plastic case, I could see this being ok if they sealed it up and made it a ruggedized version of an iPhone/iPod touch.

I would like to see Pelican come out with a version of their plastic in iPod touch/iPhone case form that is waterproof and could be dropped and not damaged (the case or the iPod).

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 14th 2009 2:18PM]

I don't believe that anyone who wraps their iPhone in a metal case will receive 27 emails, ever! Unless they are subscribing to Engadget comments ;)

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 14th 2009 2:34PM]

Does this really make it rugged? Yes, the outside is hard, but if you drop it, wouldn't it still break? I guess what I'm saying is, is there any cushioning?

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 14th 2009 3:15PM]

Still won't help protect the screen. Sure, it may look tough, but I am sure a good drop, or unfortunate strike to the screen and you're out of business. So, you get to keep your iPhone body scratch free, but since you can't see the body it doesn't really matter if it has scratches or not. Wow, where can me and all my d-bag friends sign up?

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 14th 2009 2:46PM]

The aluminum case reminds me of the cassette lid on my old Pioneer receiver/turntable.

Going off that, I kinda like this.

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 14th 2009 2:49PM]

this would be a better idea if it replaced the Chasis with a metal one. (But then you'd need apple to the remove the guts of the phone for you).
Perhaps Palm pre would be a better candidate for a full case replacement.

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 14th 2009 3:07PM]

Man what is the deal with Engadget and suck as$ cases? If those fasteners aren't of the security variety to make it even remotely more difficult for a thief to remove then this case is a new level of suck that has never before been documented. The design suck$, the finishes suck. Are you sure Hover didn't make this, cuz it suck$

[dan325013 Posted Jul 14th 2009 3:09PM]

This almost looks steam punk to me haha.

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 14th 2009 3:16PM]

I would def. get a titanium case if it looked like anything other than this. Or followed the lines alot better. I saw one person with a humongous case on his iphone, make it over twice the size i'm sure and was like WTF, but then i noticed he had really big hands. so............

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 14th 2009 3:31PM]

the screen will still break

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 14th 2009 3:33PM]

I am iRonPhone Man!

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 14th 2009 3:37PM]

I would take one in burgundy or chrome :)

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 14th 2009 3:38PM]

Wow, I bet this does wonders for your reception.

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 14th 2009 3:42PM]

LOL d'oh note to Darren:
Case is not actually available in "Cold, Hard, Steel"

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 14th 2009 3:59PM]

That is seriously ugly.

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 14th 2009 4:24PM]

Umm, hi??? This is new how exactly?

pdair.com

I have one for my touch pro and I absolutely love it. And no I don't work for pdair.

[JClay Posted Jul 14th 2009 4:47PM]

This can become handy if you have an outside job or a job that can abuse your iPhone. I used to work in construction and my first generation iPhone took a pounding. I agree with everyone else that the price is outrageous and the geographic of people that would be interested in this. However, probably will not buy it because of the price.

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 14th 2009 5:30PM]

LG phone wannabe

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 14th 2009 5:36PM]

Way nerdy reference, yes but it is definitely valid.

This case looks exactly like the Carbonite Coffin Hans-Solo was frozen into!

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 14th 2009 10:48PM]

Good one!

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 14th 2009 5:49PM]

Love it. Ordered one. Will report back on reception. I love metal, and miss the metal of my 1st gen. AL UM IN UM.

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 14th 2009 6:16PM]

If you look at their website you can see there are openings in the metal at the antenna locations. As for cost go ask you local machinist to make you one! This is obviously not a high volume big mac.

[groovedafied Posted Jul 14th 2009 6:33PM]

Cold hard ugliness.

[tealfixie Posted Jul 14th 2009 7:20PM]

hello cold hard steel, goodbye reception

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 14th 2009 8:46PM]

I'm not paying more for a phone's case than i did for the actual phone itself

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 15th 2009 4:47AM]

And yet another that doesn't offer a screen flap of some sort.

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 15th 2009 5:47AM]

... uuuhhh.... the cold steel really doesn't fit to the organic design of the iPhone... the best material to suit the iPhone is in my view carbon fiber. not only because of the color... have a look...

http://www.geeky-gadgets.com/gorilla-carbon-fibre-iphone-case/

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 15th 2009 11:28AM]

Ugly.

[(Unverified) Posted Aug 1st 2009 9:51PM]

Got mine today, the aluminum one.

It's a beautiful case.

One small problem.

After I put it on, I went from 5 bars/3G to 1 bar/EDGE.

There's a hundred bucks well spent. Or, not so much.