Opena Case: Open beers and protect your iPhone 4/4S

So, where would you expect an iPhone case that also opens beers to come from? If you guessed Australia, you're absolutely correct. I first heard about the Opena Case (AUD$39.95) when it was a Kickstarter project, and now that they're in production, I really wanted to try one.

What better device to use to open up a frosty bottle of Fat Tire than an Opena? Like Shimmer, which was both a floor wax and a dessert topping, the Opena is a bottle opener and an iPhone case.

The case is easy to snap onto your iPhone 4/4S and holds on tight. In fact, I had a bit of trouble trying to get the hard case off of my iPhone 4S until I figured out that I could push the phone out from the hole in the back of the case. It's made of an extremely hard polycarbonate/ABS material that feels like it could withstand the bite of an Australian Saltwater Crocodile with no problems, with a stainless steel bottle opener that slides out smoothly.

Although it seems a little expensive for a case, the Opena is built like a tank while still remaining relatively thin. I used the review case to open a bottle of beer for yesterday's TUAW TV Live (see video below, starting at 6:45), and then handed the phone and case to a bartender at a local burger joint so she could try it out. Since then, I've done a lot of research opening beer bottles and I give the Opena a definite thumbs-up. It's a little late to order one for Christmas, but hey -- it'll make a heck of a New Year's gift.