Home | Stories | Reviews | TreoCast | Treo Store | Accessories | Software | Discussion | Mobile | About | Search
 
treocentral.com >> Products & Reviews >> Accessories
Piel Frama Flip Case

Thu Jan 13, 2005 - 12:10 AM EST - By James Hromadka

Overview

Maybe it's because I'm from Texas, but I have always preferred leather cases. I still have a Vaja case from my Visor days and love the attention to detail that the company used in designing the case. Piel Frama is another company that pays attention to its leather selection and focuses on designing a high-quality case for a discriminating business user.

This review is for the Treo 600 case. One for the Treo 650 is also available.


The Leather


The Spanish leather used in the case is very high quality. I found an interesting link that goes into details on the manufacturing process that Piel Frama uses. The inside of the case is engraved with a message saying "The product you have just acquired has been hand-made by Piel Frama leather craftsmen, so each piece is unique." The leather is soft, and all three versions of the case look great.

The lid of the case can hold a business card or two and also has slots for two SD expansion cards and is quite sturdy. It has a small flap that closes over the bottom of the Treo using a magnet. I have always preferred a magnet closure to a snap one because it takes much less effort to open & close the lid.

There are several colors available, including Black,Tan, and Crocodile. Since I couldn't see its nose, what was the difference between crocodile and alligator leather? Yes, it is regular cowskin that is just styled like a crocodile, but most product descriptions say "Alligator" so I wanted to see if Piel Frama got it right. One must investigate such matters when paying a premium ($30 more) for the styling.

A Google later, I found that Piel Frama's case indeed does look like crocodile leather. So how does it compare with the less expensive stylings? I personally liked the Crocodile case more. It looks much snazzier, and I got several compliments on it when I had it out during meetings. The other cases look almost plain after using it for a few days. The Tan case is unique in being the only one I have seen with a matching colored beltclip. If you can afford it, go for the Crocodile version, and save Black and Tan for the pub.


Usability


The Flip lid case snugly secures the Treo when it's inserted. Here is a list of Treo parts that are exposed:
  • Front - screen, keyboard, LED, ear speaker, navigational buttons
  • Top - All
  • Side - Volume
  • Back - Speaker, Reset hole
  • Bottom - Headphone, HotSync, Mic

    The most obvious omission is that the camera lens is covered. At first I thought this was a comment on the Treo 600's photography abilities, but then I realized that the lid would get in the way anyway. Speaking of the lid, there is a hole cutout near the bottom of it whose purpose I still have not figured out. It does allow one access to the Treo's spacebar when closed (lot of good it will do you!). I would have rather the hole be at the top (maybe it was upside down!) so I could speak on the phone with the lid closed. A mesh screen covers the speaker, which I thought was a nice detail.

    The beltclip nub is removeable by using any flathead screwdriver or the included key, which has Piel Frama's logo. Also included are some cheap plastic inserts that you can put in the screw hole, but honestly the nub does not stick out enough to really bother.

    While the nub is metal, the beltclip itself is plastic and seems pretty generic. Since it is plastic against metal, the beltclip could wear over time.

    Next Page: Conclusion >>

  •  
    User Opinions
    No reader opinions available.
    Would you recommend Piel Frama Flip Case?
    Yes   No  

    Product Info
    Details
    » Name Piel Frama Flip Case
    » Company Piel Frama
    » Colors Black, Tan, Crocodile
    » Closure Magnet
    » Weight 1.8 oz. / 53 g.
    » Fact Sheet & User Opinions
    Availability
    » Available
    Pricing
    » $69.95

    Sponsored Links


    Piel Frama Flip Case from
    TreoCentral (Crocodile)



    Piel Frama Flip Case from
    TreoCentral (Black/Tan)


    References
    Actions
    » Print this page
    » Digg!





    Cases

    Chargers

    Bluetooth

    Headsets

    Keyboards

    Memory
    Protectors Cradles
    Styli


    More Treo Accessories

    1200mAh Battery
    Palm 1200mAh Battery for Treo 750, Treo 680
    Extend your talk time!
    Just $14.95 BUY

    More Batteries
    Pen Stylus  (3-Pack)
    Palm Pen Stylus (3-Pack) for Treo 755p, 750, 680
    Extra Styli!
    Just $14.95 BUY

    More Styli
    2600mAh Extended Battery (With Battery Door)
    Seidio 2600mAh Extended Battery (With Battery Door) for Treo 800w
    More power for your Treo!
    Just $54.95 BUY

    More Batteries
    MicroUSB High Performance Car Charger
    Motorola MicroUSB High Performance Car Charger for Treo Pro, Treo 800w
    Unique lens illuminates when plugged in!
    Just $14.95 BUY

    More Car Chargers
    Pen Stylus (3 Pack)
    Seidio Pen Stylus (3 Pack) for Treo 800w
    Keep spares on hand
    Just $19.95 BUY

    More Styli
    micro-USB Travel Cable
    Palm micro-USB Travel Cable for Treo Pro, Treo 800w
    Connect and charge
    Just $14.95 BUY

    More Sync & Charge Solutions
    Innocase Crystal
    Seidio Innocase Crystal for Treo 800w
    Protection that is crystal clear.
    Just $24.95 BUY

    More Hard Cases
    Treo Pro
    Treo Pro
    Work, Life, Perfectly Balanced
    Just $549.95 BUY

    More Smartphones
    1500 mAh Lithium-ion Battery
    Palm 1500 mAh Lithium-ion Battery for Treo Pro
    Be prepared with an extra battery.
    Just $49.95 BUY

    More Batteries
    Stereo Headset
    Palm Stereo Headset for Treo Pro
    Get lost in the music
    Just $24.95 BUY

    More Hybrid Headsets
    Intl Travel Charger
    Palm Intl Travel Charger for Treo Pro, Treo 800w
    Working or playing abroad? Take this along!
    Just $39.95 BUY

    More Wall Chargers
    Tropic Pouch
    Golla Tropic Pouch
    New fun designs!
    Just $19.95 BUY

    More Top Cases
    Vertical Premium Case
    Covertec Vertical Premium Case for Treo Pro, Treo 800w, Treo 750, Treo 680
    Luxury Nappa Leather
    Just $24.95 BUY

    More Top Cases
     
     

    Copyright 1999-2008 TreoCentral. All rights reserved : Terms of Use : Privacy Policy

    TREO and TreoCentral are trademarks or registered trademarks of palm, Inc. in the United States and other countries;
    the TreoCentral mark and domain name are used under license from palm, Inc.
    The views expressed on this website are solely those of the proprietor, or
    contributors to the site, and do not necessarily reflect the views of palm, Inc.

    Explore more: The iPhone Blog | WM Experts | Crackberry | CentroSpot | Android Central
    Smartphone Accessories: Windows Mobile Accessories | iPhone Accessories | Blackberry Accessories
    Fuze Accessories | G1 Accessories | Xperia Accessories | Touch Accessories | Instinct Accessories
    Bold Accessories | Blackjack Accessories | HTC Accessories | Centro Accessories | Motorola Q Accessories
    Mogul Accessories | Tilt Accessories | Nokia n95 Accessories | Duo Accessories | Verizon XV Accessories
    Dash Accessories | Shadow Accessories | Voyager Accessories | Venus Accessories | Touch Accessories
    Curve Accessories | Dare Accessories | Venus Accessories | Curve Accessories | Bold Accessories
    iPod Nano Accessories | iPod Touch Accessories