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JavoEdge Treo600
Leather Case Model 2
Review
by Neil Brown
Available
from JavoEdge
Once again, I leave my trusty T3, and step into the
world of smartphones, to look at another offering
from JavoEdge. This time, I have the pleasure of reviewing their beautiful
Leather Case 2 for Treo600, a hand-stitched case with a simple and stylish
design.
Unlike some of the other cases in their range, this
particular case has no method for attaching it to a belt clip, or the like-
it is a case for slipping into a briefcase or a bag. Now, I have
experimented with several cases for the Treo, and
have not yet completely decided whether I want a belt clip or not- the
absence of one is not a problem for me, as I found that the phone slipped
neatly into an inside jacket pocket, thus freeing up belt space. (And yes,
I am one of the few English people who does not mind looking a wally and keeping stuff stored on their belt :) ) All I would say is, do bear
in mind how you intend to use the case before parting with your cash- if
you are like Shaun, and abhor wearing belt-mounted kit, the lack of clip
will obviously be a good thing. But you will never be as cool as I ;)
The case is a matt black
leather, with highlights picked out in white stitching- it really does look
the part. The leather is nice and thick, giving a luxurious feel, although
this obviously has the side-effect of increasing the size of the package.
When the Treo is in the case, I found it too big
to put into a shirt
pocket with
comfort, and it was slightly too large to fit into a jeans pocket. Well,
unless you are looking for a suitable bulge in your trousers, that is- may
be desirable for some. I think that if I had to sum up the size in one
word, it would be "reassuring"- if you are going to invest in an
expensive PDA-Phone hybrid, you want to know that it is protected, but also
to show it off the to best of its ability- so, for me,
"reassuring" is the right word for this particular case.
Certainly, the protection offered, and the quality of both the materials
and the manufacturing offset any concerns about size.
Unlike some cases which are closed with a snap fastener,
I have always preferred a decent magnetic clip- they are easier to attach
(in my opinion), and don't fall back into the twentieth century quite so
quickly. I appreciate that some people are concerned about the strength of
a magnet, compared to a snap fastener, but they should be happy with this
one- there is
a nice "pull" to it, and, in a day's normal (normal for me = high
usage for most people, I think!) use, it never came un-magneted
(a good word, if not a wholly correct one).
The design is a very practical one, with the clip
coming over the top of the case, and the cover hanging under the device
whilst it is open, although you can obviously hold
it behind should you so wish. When I was first looking a Treo cases (and I have seen several now), I didn't know
whether leaving the flat underneath was a good thing or not. Having look at
several methods, I am currently of the minded that it is- the alternative
include a book-style, which has a tendency to slip over the phone whilst
you are using it as such, although is fine and dandy whilst in
"PDA-mode," or a cover which folds over the top, covering your
hand, and likely to fall over your hand, and thus the phone, whilst in use.
I think the convergent functions do not make it easy to design one case for
both uses, but I think the design adopted by JavoEdge here works, and works
well.
The case has a slot for the camera, which appears to be
a large metal "eye"- this is very sensible, as it will not become
frayed around the edges, unlike other stitched holes. However, it adds (if
only minimally) to the weight of everything. The case incorporates two SD
card holders, and, like many new cases, it took some time to get the
leather stretched enough to accept the cards easily- this is a good thing,
as it means that the leather is not so loose that the cards will slide out
without assistance. There is access to all the necessary slots with the
case open, although more limited when shut. I think that this is a
trade-off- the more leather removed for slots, the less there is to protect
the case in the event of mishap. As it is possible to get at everything by
simply unfastening the catch, I think that JavoEdge have adopted a sensible
solution here.
The plastic clasp for retaining the Treo
in the case is not one I have seen before- it is a bowed plastic girdle, I
guess, if I were to attempt a description of it. Nomenclature aside, it
holds the Treo snugly, with no movement
whatsoever- bearing in mind that you will probably use a smartphone more than a separate PDA, I think this is
very important. Also, you hold a phone higher than you would a PDA, so, you
want to make sure that it will certainly not fall out by accident- falling
from waist height is one thing (not for Shaun’s UX50, though), whilst
head height is another.
Overall, I think that this case is excellent- it has a
beautiful style to it, with thought clearly going into the way it looks. It
is very functional, protecting all elements of the PDA, whilst allowing
maximum possible access for usage; it really does achieve that trade off
well. Apart from the noticeable bulk, I can think of nothing negative to
say about it- I think it would make most Treo
owners very proud.
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