Smartphone Experts’ UltraSlim Pocket Pouch case is just that: ultra slim. Built for pockets, it weighs like feathers and blazes trails in svelte. The case has found a welcome home in my shirt pocket, which is accustomed to being grotesquely distended by much bulkier Treo cases.

The UltraSlim case is a joy, and not just because of its slim profile. But, what’s a nice case like this doing in a cluttered pocket like mine?

Design

The ultra slim case is designed to be, well, slim. The manufacturer says it’s built around a thin polycarbonate shell. I didn’t disassemble it to look at it, and I don’t care, anyway. The fact is its sides are flexible enough to provide some “give” and a great feel, yet sturdy enough to fend off harm to the Treo in its clutches.

Inside, the case is lined with suede, a durable material that should withstand plenty of Treo-in-Treo-out cycles without showing wear, and without abrading the Treo’s finish.

Around the edge, a, narrow band of leather provides a “bumper” against any traumas to your Treo. Attached with parallel rows of stitching, the band also makes a cool looking accent. Nice.

The best part is the outside. The case comes in black, brown, or red leather, neatly stitched around the edges. Overall, the UltraSlim is skillfully made of quality materials. I took the pictures before I put the case to use, but it has held its own against all the mistreatment I normally dish out. After cohabiting in my pocket with mechanical pencils, ballpoint pens (no, I don’t even own a pocket protector), parking meter change, glasses, and the other junk that I carry around, it’s still in pristine condition. In short, the brown finish model has passed my durability test.

The case comes in two versions, one for Treo 700p, 700w, and 700wx, and the other for Treo 650 and 600, each in three colors. The version I have is for the 700 series, for my 700p, but it cozily and beautifully accommodates my 650. The phones are slightly different in the curvature of their bottom edge, but the case worked fine for me with either one.

The UltraSlim Pouch is indeed a pouch. You just slip your Treo in through the top, and snatch it out if it rings. Easy. There’s no window to collect dirt, no holes in the case for external ports, nothing to mar the design’s simple, elegant lines. The phone stays accessible by the fact that it’s massively easy to retrieve it from the case.

This pouch has no latch or strap to secure the Treo in it. However, the clever design of the case’s “mouth” discourages the Treo from flying out of the case in the event you lean over. Don’t you hate it when the stuff in your shirt pocket leaps out when you bend over to pick something up? If the case gets launched, the Treo will probably stay in it, protecting it from harm. I tested this while standing over a sofa. Nice, soft sofa. The gremlins in charge of gravity could invoke their mischief if you test it over concrete. Tempt them at your own risk.

Although the turned-in edges of the top opening don’t grip the phone, they discourage it from readily leaving the scene. The Treo isn’t “trapped” in the case. Too bad it’s not just a smidge less roomy inside – its treasure would be less likely to fly out. The simple solution, which has other benefits, is to stuff several business cards (feel free to substitute a wad of cash) into the case behind the Treo. When you retrieve the phone the stuff will scatter everywhere, but such is the cost of security.

Protection

A pouch is a pouch, and while the UltraSlim offers excellent protection from nicks and knocks, its top stays open. “Things” could get in there. Gritty things, wet splashy things, unwelcome things that could damage your Treo. Put it in your pocket upside down to make it through a minor rain, but there won’t be much hope for a soaking downpour. Both you and your Treo will be miserable, and you’ll heal.

Thoughtfully, the company supplies a pouch for the pouch. The product comes with a neat, strong drawstring vinyl raincoat that’ll keep it and your Treo dry in spite of any precipitation short of Noah’s Ark level.

Complaints

Only a couple of minor things to whine about. The case considerably muffles the sound of the Treo’s ring. I turned the ringer volume up to compensate. In a noisy environment, I’d recommend switching to “vibrate” if the ringer’s too soft for your taste.

Secondly, I couldn’t use my wired headphones with the Treo in the case. Who said Bluetooth? Okay, I concede.