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Manufacturer: Vaja Price: $58.90 Pros:
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Vaja Classic Leather Treo 600 Case
February 06, 2004
Product Requirements:
Device:
Handspring/PalmOne Treo 600 Mobile Phone
I had been happily using a Dell Axim for the last year or so and figured that my mobile gear situation was pretty well covered with that machine. My wife, however, knew that I was very intrigued by the new Treo 600 and went out and got me one for the holidays. (Talk about the perfect wife for a gadget freak, thanks honey!) The included slipcase from Handspring, now PalmOne, does a decent job of protecting the 600 but has no provision for a belt clip and looks, well, cheap. Clearly something else was called for in a case and who better to look at than Vaja. For those of you who are unfamiliar with Vaja, it is an Argentine company that specializes in custom cases for mobile devices.
In a nutshell, this case is close to perfect. The fit is almost flawless, the build quality is superb and the belt clip is very sturdy. As you can see from the pictures, all the cutouts line up properly.
There is little in the way of gaps or loose spots, with the exception of the top of the case above the screen (there are two models of the Treo 600, the GSM version which is flat above the screen and the Sprint PCS model which has a bulge above the screen. The case fits both of them and Vaja left a little room for the Sprint machine. It doesn’t detract from the case in my opinion.)
As always with Vaja, the leather looks, smells and feels like no other leather product I have ever seen. It is just that well done. The steel mesh screens over the speaker and micrphone are nice touches as well.
Vaja cases do not come cheap. They are however, from my standpoint, the very best available for mobile devices (I have owned several of their products and have never been disappointed) and are thus worth the extra money. If you are looking for a case for your Treo 600 and don’t want to compromise on looks or quality, this is it.
Price: $58.90
Pros:
Great looking
Extremely well made
Very sturdy belt clip
Tight solid fit
Cons:
Small gap at top of the case (GSM models only)
Price
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Manufacturer: Vaja Price: $58.90 More reviews like this one: |
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I'm curious about these flip open cases. Doesn't the top part just hang there when you are on the phone? If so, isn't that annoying?
How hard is it to reach to your belt and flip open the case? You basically lose the ability to peek down at your belt and see who's calling. You have to remove the phone from the clip, flip open the front and then see if you wish to answer, yes?
The top of the case does lay open when using the phone. However, it drapes over the back of your hand as you hold the Treo and doesn't really get in the way of usage. As for the belt clip, Vaja's is very sturdy. You have to twist the machine to the horizontal position while pressing the clip release. It sounds complicated but it is really a smooth one handed motion. As for losing the ability to see who is calling, you wouldn't know with a Treo unless you were facing the screen. Looking down at your belt, or using any case design would block your view of the screen. I still recommend using a good flip case anyway. The Treo 600 is an expensive machine and the screen needs to be protected. It is a limitation of the Treo more than the Vaja case.
Originally posted by ebrandwein
The top of the case does lay open when using the phone. However, it drapes over the back of your hand as you hold the Treo and doesn't really get in the way of usage.
I think I'd need to use it myself to see if that would bother me too much.
As for losing the ability to see who is calling, you wouldn't know with a Treo unless you were facing the screen. Looking down at your belt, or using any case design would block your view of the screen.
Not really. The Handspring Form Fit Case that they sell right on the HS website covers the screen (in a nasty clear plastic membrane) so you can just look down and see who is calling. I have a Treo 300 and use a regular plastic belt clip for it. I glance down do see who's calling all the time. I don;t think I could get used to having to remove the phone every time I want to see who's calling.
You are correct, the form fit cases from Handspring and Krusell do allow you to see the screen. Their plastic covers make using the touch screen on the Treo very clumsy though. That is a trade off I wouldn't make. It is a shame to some degree that the hard flip cover from the Treo 180/270/300 couldn't have been somehow integrated into the 600's design. As it stands, I personally find the Vaja case to be the best compromise. I'm not convinced that a multi-function device like the Treo will ever be able to match the performance of a high end dedicated device. Its PDA functions, while quite good, are not a match for a Tungsten T3 and its phone functions, again good, aren't on the level of a high end flip phone. That's just the nature of the beast. It stands to reason that accessories like cases would be subject to similar, underlying, constraints.
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