One of the most visually striking accessories for the HTC One M8 and M9 was the HTC Dot View case. The flip cases had a cool retro vibe with pixellated clocks, weather icons, and other notifications formed by the screen shining through a matrix of tiny holes cut into the case's protective screen cover. Well, the days of the Dot View case are over, and in its place HTC has announced a new flip cover case, the Ice View which is available on HTC's website for .99.

The Ice View has a very similar construction to the Dot View case it replaces. A screen protector is attached by a flexible hinge on the left side of the device to a protective case that snaps onto the back of the phone. The flap folds over the front of the phone like a book cover to protect the glass.

The difference between the two cases is that, unlike the Dot View which had a pegboard-like grid of holes, the flip cover of the Ice View is made of a rigid, translucent plastic that the screen can shine right through. The effect is rather like looking at the screen through a frosted pane of glass. Text and images are a touch blurry, yet still legible and visible.

With the screen cover in place you are still able to interact with the phone's touch screen. There are a number of things you can do with the flap in place, like snap a quick picture, read text messages and social media updates, adjust the volume, switch between songs, and turn on the flashlight. You can also adjust what information is shown and turn on or off certain capabilities in a dedicated settings tab on the HTC 10.

Being able to interact with your phone while it is still behind a cover is not exactly a new trick, but HTC's implementation with the Ice View case gives more flexibility and function to the user than the Dot View case did, even if it does come at the cost of being a little less stylish. What do you guys think? Do you like the new Ice View case, or do you prefer the old school vibe of the Dot View case? Let us know in the comments below.

Source: HTC