Standing behind the sole focus to provide customers with accessories that “look as good as they 
function,” Incipio operates 24/7-around-the-globe to ensure their love of mobile devices and related hardware continues to fuel their passion. The Irvine, CA startup has, in the past twelve years, become one of the leading mobile accessory companies in the world.
This is the final review in a four post series (1 of 4 – underGROUND, 2 of 4 Smart Feather, 3 of 4 Slim KICKSTAND ) to shed some extra light on Incipio’s stellar iPad 3rd generation line-up. To end the series, I take a close look at the impact resistant NGP.
Strenght Meets Flexibility
The NGP is a “Next Generation Polymer,” described by Incipio as “a semi-rigid dense polymer.” This newly created proprietary material is malleable enough for flexibility and soft to-the-touch, but also strong enough to absorb shock if dropped. In fact, when I first pulled the NGP from its box, I was very uncertain how it would feel on the iPad. The soft and smooth texture combined with a semi-rigid form felt odd in my hands. However, once wrapped around the iPad, the case looses its squishy feel. In fact, once installed, the casual observer would not notice its malliable tendency.
Simple in form and function, the NGP is a good choice if you need a case that will take a little extra damage. It is not a replacement for larger, more complex cases designed solely for the rugged outdoorsman, but the NGP is more forgiving when dropped than other hard-shell counterparts. Importantly, the NGP has well crafted port holes for all of necessary connections, but the power button and volume switches are covered for extra protection. Also note, the edge of the NGP comes around iPad covering more of the bezel than a hard shell case. The edges tend to catch dust, but all cases that come over the iPad’s glass edge behave similarly.
Conclusion [rating: 4.5/5]
Admittedly, I am not crazy about soft-form cases, but the NGP eliminates the soft, cushioned feel of other competitors. The hybrid, high-density polymer is a great combination of turgid and flaccid consistency. At $29.99 (order page), the NGP is well priced, especially considering it comes with a screen protector, applicator, and cleaning cloth. Combining the ability to absorb shock with a stiff hard-shell feel, the NGP is a great way to protect your iPad from accidents in a minimalistic way.
Pros
- Hard-shell-like feel that will absorb shock
- Covers power and volume buttons
- Comes with screen protector, applicator, and cleaning cloth
- Offered in black, gray, blue, and pink
- Well-cut port holes
Cons
- Headphone hole is fairly small
