When I was in the food business, one of my jobs was with a major food manufacturer.  Each year the culinary group I was assigned to would publish a report called “Foodcast” which detailed what we saw as the major trends in the food industry, both now and in the future.

I been thinking about this a lot lately and how the concept could be applied to most anything — and probably already is for that matter.

Being the case fanatic that most of you all know me to be, I thought it might be fun to take a crack at applying it to iPhone accessories.  Over the last year I’ve seen a lot of iPhone cases and used a lot, too.

So what’s trending high in the iPhone case market?

Read on to find out my thoughts….

Customization:

Customization is all the rage right now.  Taking a stock offering and allowing the consumer to design it themselves, adding their own colors, patterns and other elements to the item.

There’s nothing worse than slapping on your brand new iPhone case, and then moments later spotting another iPhone user using the same one!  Customization allows you to insure your case is your case.  It also allows you to design a wide range of cases that you can match up with your wardrobe.

Case-Mate‘s “I Make My Case” program, which launched at CES 2010 and I previewed in the video below, is great example of the unbelievable level of customization companies are allowing the consumer.

Uncommon is another case company which allows you to upload your own picture, which they then custom apply to their slider style iPhone case (iPod Touch and Blackberry cases coming soon.)  Here’s a video I did about Uncommon from my YouTube channel.

Hybrids:

Can’t decide on the type of case for your iPhone?  Hard or soft?  Try a hybrid and you’ll get both.

The Speck Candy Shell is one of the most popular iPhone cases on the market.  It’s blend of hard plastic and softer inner rubberized finish make it a great to protect your device.

Hybrid style cases serve two purposes.  The hard outer skin protects your device drops, bumps, foreign material etc.  While the soft inner layer not only provides shock and impact protection but it protects your device from the case itself.  Hard plastic cases can often times scratch your device if it’s not properly protected or the case is poorly designed.

Otterbox, perhaps the king of device protection, launched a few new cases this year both of which were hybrid style.  The Commuter and the Commuter TL offer a decent amount of shock and impact protection, while keeping the slim form factor of the iPhone in tact.

Skins:

There are a ton of skin manufacturer’s out there from which to choose from and each one brings their own unique twist to the skins market.

According to Music Skins, the Skin Industry (no not that type of skin) totals in the millions of dollars.  Music Skins feature music inspired skins which protect your device from scrapes and scratches.

Many of the skin companies now also allow the consumer to upload their own art work and create their own custom skin as well.  Now we’re seeing trends crossing over combining the trend of skins along with that of customization.  Unique Skins allows you to upload your own image, and they’ll turn it into a skin for your device.

Minimalistic:

There is a group of iPhone users that although they like to keep their iPhones as close to the “out of the box” look as they can get, they still want some level of protection for their most prized possession.  Minimalistic cases offer some protection, as well as style without adding bulk.

The Switch Easy Nude, which I just reviewed this week, is probably the closest “non-case” I’ve had the chance to use.  It provides protection for the back of your iPhone but it’ so slim you hardly know it’s there.  And the material feels just like that of the iPhone itself.

Incipio might have started the trend with their “Feather” series of cases, which promise to keep your iPhone light as, well you know, a feather.

Bright Colors:

Almost every case company has it.  Big, bold, brash colors which make a statement.

Head to almost any case company’s web store and you’re sure to find them. Fluorescent Yellow, Orange, Green, Purple, Neon this and Neon that.  Bright colors are popular.  They make your iPhone stand out from a crowd of boring black leather folios.

Once again the Speck Candy Shell.

The video below shows some of the new, vibrant colors.

And the Incase Frame Case.  The Frame case is another good example of cross over trending.  It’s hybrid style case that comes in bright color options.

Audio Themed:

Hey, it’s an iPhone/iPod right?  It just makes sense that we’d see cases that feature music and audio style themes.

Agent 18 was first up with their Limited Edition Cassette Case.

While shopping with my family at my local Target the other day I spotted this Griffin Technology Elan Form Etch design called “Rewind.”

I came across this Walkman style pouch case for the iPhone as well.

And one of Speck‘s newest Fitted Cases called “Black and Gray Headphones” finishes off the audio category.

More Power:

It’s no secret, the iPhone’s battery is weak.  Case companies have stepped up to the plate and brought the consumer cases with integrated power which allows the user to recharge on the go.

The Mophie Juice Pack Air is a favorite amongst the Gear Diary staff.  It allows you to recharge your iPhone on the go about 1-1/2 times, and it doubles as a hard shell case.

The Fast Mac iV packs a whopping 3100 mAh of power along with a light that can be used for your camera.

The Super Charger from usbFever packs the most power of all the battery cases I’ve seen.  It’s a beast that provides a staggering 4000 mAh of recharging power to your iPhone.

Wireless Charging:

Being able to charge your device hands free is alluring to a lot of people.  Convenience plays a big part of it once again so does the weakness of the iPhone’s battery.  Being able to simply drop your phone down onto a mat and have it charge while you’re doing something else insures you’ll always have a freshly topped off battery when you need it

It all started with Power Mat.

Now Case-Mate has raised the bar with it’s Hug.

And there’s the Brookstone Power Plate.

Slider Style:

The Incase Slider was the first case I ever owned for my original iPhone.  It might just have been the first case ever released for iPhone and it’s still going strong today.  This style of case feature hard shell protection with a removable bottom that allows you to dock your phone for charging and syncing.

It was one of the first cases I ever reviewed on YouTube.

They say the imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.  Others have copied the Incase Slider.  The Case Crown Gilder for example does a great job of replicating the Slider at a much lower price.

Wood:

Wood cases have just recently started emerging.  These cases, which are made from natural ingredients offers as much art as they do function.  They are smooth and sleek and also appeal to those looking to stay “green.”

Case-Mate‘s Mahogany Style case is made from 100% recycled mahogany.

Case Crown has their own wood case as well.

There are a plethora of case companies out there each trying to create their own unique style.  Case styles come and go but these are the ones that have emerged over the last year as the strongest players in a crowded market.

What does the future bring?  New designs?  Only time will tell.

What other trends do you see with iPhone cases?

Leave me a comment below.