Apple announces Bumpers for iPhone 4, gets into the protection biz

During an Apple keynote, it's almost impossible to catch all of the info flooding out of Moscone. One thing we did catch, and then had to search for, was something about "Bumpers."

A quick look at the pages on the Apple Web site didn't seem to show anything until I scrolled to the bottom of the Tech Specs page. Lo and behold, there was a very short description of Bumpers. Available in six colors (white, black, blue, green, orange, or pink), Bumpers slip over the stainless steel edge of your iPhone 4. They come with metal buttons for volume and power and are made of a combo of rubber and molded plastic.

This may explain why we've received several tips over the last few days from people saying that iPhone cases are being removed from the Apple Stores. Bumpers are Apple's first foray into the iPhone case business (a market that has been run by third parties so far), and it will be fascinating to see not only how they sell, but what the reaction will be from long-time case manufacturers.
In other news, iLuv followed up the invisible Apple announcement of Bumpers with word of their own line of iPhone 4 cases and screen protectors (below). The company is introducing a line of screen protectors ranging in price from US $14.99 for clear or mirror screen protectors, $16.99 for a glare-free protector, $19.99 for a fingerprint-free protector, and $49.99 for a 2-way privacy screen protector.
iLuv is also coming out with a complete range of cases with prices from $19.99 for the SPECTRUM silicone case to $34.99 for the FUSION dual-layer case with stand (at far right, above).

This is sure to be the first announcement of a potential flood of iPhone 4 accessory releases. It looks like iPhone 4 owners will have plenty of choice from Apple and third-parties.
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