Okay... everyone at Impulse Gamer loves their iPhone. It comes almost everywhere with us. However, some places are unfortunately out of bounds for iPhones and one such as place is the beach and more particular water. However one company from San Diego America called Lifeproof has made the ultimate iPhone 4/4S that nearly makes your smart phone "life proof".

That's right, by installing this case onto your iPhone 4/4S, it not only makes it water proof but also dirt, snow and even shock proof. The question is, does it work? The answer is yes, although a short and careful process must be followed in order to succeed.

Before installing your iPhone 4/4S into the case, you first need to test the case that it is indeed waterproof. An instruction manual and videos can be found at www.lifeproof.com/mip4 which assist in the process that we followed.

The first part of the installation is to clip the case together and then close the hatch at the bottom of the case. The hatch is also used to charge your iPhone which can easily be opened and closed. Opening the case is a little tricky but a coin and some patient helps.

With that said, it should be noted that due to the watertight nature of the case, it has not been designed to be opened regularly. This is to ensure that water proof nature of the case. If no water gets inside the case during your testing then you're right to install your iPhone 4.

Before installing your iPhone 4, you need to use the microfiber cleaning cloth to remove any grime, dirt or smudges from your iPhone. Once your iPhone is clean you slot your device into the front of the case and then add the back. The iPhone 4 is quite tight inside and you cannot use any third party screen protectors either. This is due to the design of the case and the touch screen itself.

Update: We've been informed by Lifeproof that the more you use the touchscreen through the case, the more responsive it becomes. After another week of use, I must admit that it is becoming much more responsive.

Once it has snapped together, you are ready to test your iPhone in the water. We've put together a small 30 second video with my iPhone 4S inside the case with running water and it submerged in our basin.

The case is also ultra-thin which measures at 10.8mm wide with the iPhone only 9.3mm. It's also quite a good looking case which mirrors the original design of the smart phone well. Although it looks like a case, it doesn't look some of those hideous third party protective cases.

The case has some other features as well. This includes ClearVoice clarity technology and a SoundEnhancement System which means when you listen to music or talk to other people, it's crystal clear. It worked quite well. Speaking of crystal clear, the camera ports on the case features a CrystalClear double AR coated real glass lens to ensure that your photos are not hampered by the case. The developers have definitely done their homework.

Our iPhone 4S survived the water test

Add in a scratch resistant water proof screen protector, tough polycarbonate frame, non stick rear shocking absorbing cover and a shock absorbing elastromer and you have everything you need to "life proof" your iPhone 4 or 4S. In terms of the water proof and dirt seals on the case, you can take this case up to 2metres underwater. Unfortunately we could not test this yet.

The other question is, do all the features of the iPhone still work? The answer is yes. You have full use of your iPhone 4/4S from volume controls, muting your device, turning it off and it even comes with a gold plated headphone adapter.

One slight downfall of the case is the scratch resistant water proof screen protector. Unlike traditional screen protectors or just the iPhone itself, it is unfortunately lacking some of its sensitivity. It seems like there is a small gap at the bottom of the screen which requires you to push a little harder. This mean that when your using the touch screen, you may need to touch again for it to register.

Final Thoughts?

In the end, the Lifeproof Case for the iPhone 4/4S is a brilliant product that we could happily recommend to those users who like to get physical with the environment. Whether you're going on holiday, running in the rain, swimming, skiing or performing a variety of other activities, you can rest assured that your iPhone 4 is as safe as possible.

With a variety of colours (6) and a recommended retail price of $79.99, the Lifeproof case is available worldwide and comes with a variety of related products to get the most out of your iPhone and the Lifeproof case. Recommended!

For more information, please visit www.lifeproof.com