[REVIEW] Cygnett Incline Case For Samsung Galaxy S4, A Case For The Slick Professional

You might be becoming quite accustomed to seeing Cygnett phone cases as I’ve covered quite a few recently, and today we’ll be looking at yet another case from Cygnett for the Samsung Galaxy S4 called the Incline. As you can probably guess from the name, the Incline incorporates a kickstand which will allow you to use your Galaxy S4 in the inclined position, making it easier to watch movies or just generally use in the horizontal position, but more on that later.

The Cygnett Incline is part of the line of cases for the “slick professional”, much like the UrbanShield and Cache cases I looked at in another review. In the box, you’ll find all your Cygnett staples: screen protector, cleaning cloth, screen protector applying card, all the fine print you need and of course, the case.

The case is made from the same polycarbonate (PC) hard plastic that you’ll find on the UrbanShield, that is very rigid and strong, but also thin enough to retain some wiggle room to get your Galaxy S4 into it. The Incline we have was the black version with black PC, grey brushed aluminium and black zinc kickstand; the Incline also comes in a white version. Personally, I think it’s quite a looker, and who isn’t a sucker for even a little brushed aluminium.Â The Incline doesn’t use any button covers, instead opting for the good old slots to house your Galaxy S4’s hold and volume buttons and appear to have enough clearance to press them without much difficulty.

There also isn’t much clearance on the front edge of the cases meaning particularly violent falls might still cause some cosmetic damage to your phone, but being a slick professional doesn’t mean your hands are slick too, right? On the back of the case is the main event: the kickstand. Contrary to what I initially thought was the kickstand, the stand is actually the metal section in the centre of the phone; not the brushed metal part. The kickstand is made from “precision-machined” zinc alloy which means it probably won’t rust any time soon and won’t mark that easily either.

The stand swivels out at its maximum to just over 90 degrees and has a firm enough swivel to be able to hold any angle between that and the stowed position. This is great as it means you can basically use the case to view your Galaxy S4 horizontally at pretty much any angle you’d need it in without having to worry about it slipping. I didn’t try to force the kickstand in the other direction, but it looks strong enough for most cases where you might accidentally press down on the phone when the kickstand is out.

There is one issue I spotted with the kickstand though: while the kickstand swivels very nicely and is quite snug within the case, the Incline I had began to shred the polycarbonate case inside the hinge housing, which you can see in the picture below. This was only after a brief test, and while I think this would likely stop happening when all the “excess” housing is removed, I think this might make the swivelling of the kickstand a little looser in the long run.

As a whole, the Incline case is great: It’s sleek, solid, will protect you from all the little bumps and tumbles you might have during the rigours of professional life and at MSRP $29.99 USD/RRP $34.59 AUD, is a high quality, premium case that won’t break the bank. The kickstand is a nice touch, allowing you to watch and use your phone in the horizontal position without having to worry about the construction of your case and hinge. While I’m not entirely sure how it’ll last in the long run, for the slick professional that needs a case with a stand, it’s hard to look past the Cygnett Incline.