Not long ago, (actually it was just over a month ago) my wife and I decided to upgrade our cell phones. And by that, of course, I mean that I decided it was finally time to upgrade to a Windows Mobile 6 device which would converge the functions of my RAZR and Dell Axim together.  She was just along for the ride…kicking and screaming, but along for the ride, nonetheless.  As has been well documented by now, I purchased the new Sprint Mogul by HTC.  There was some question, however, as to what type of phone or device we should get for my wife.  Ultimately, and with special thanks to my good friend Judie Lipsett Hughes, my wife ended up with a beautiful, only slightly used, Treo 700wx.

Once my wife saw her new Treo, she had one major concern (aside from how to use the thing).  She is notorious, you see, for having buttons on her phone pushed inadvertently when her phone gets jostled in her purse.  On more than one occasion, we have found dark pictures of the contents of her purse which were taken when the camera button was pressed by the lipstick.   So, when her Treo arrived, the first thing she asked me was whether there would be a case to protect the buttons from being pushed accidentally in her purse.

We sat down together one afternoon and perused many of her options for a new case.  We looked at Sena, Vaja, Beyza, and more.  We looked at case after case, she kept returning to the Prima Low Profile Leather Jacket.  This was the case she wanted, and this is the case we got.  Let’s take a closer look to find out why she fell instantly in love with this case.

Her first criteria was that it had to be a pouch style case.  She didn’t want anything that would interfere with her ability to use the Treo as a phone.  Her fear was that a flap, either vertical or lateral, would be in her way and block her ability to hold the phone to her ear to make and receive calls (before you ask, she is not a Bluetooth headset user).  So, it had to be a pouch style case, which would fit tight enough to secure her Treo, but would still be easy enough to access the Treo quickly to answer a call. 

There are two styles of pouch style cases: the aptly named horizontal cases, and the equally aptly named vertical cases.  My wife studied both, and decided (for reasons which are known only to her) that she liked the vertical cases more than the horizontal ones.

So, far, the Prima case is keeping pace perfectly.  It is a pouch style case.  It does not have a flap or even a top.  The top of the Treo is open, allowing quick and easy access.  This also makes it slightly easier to hear when it rings.

The front of the case is made from soft leather which covers the front of the Treo to up to the top of the screen, leaving only the uppermost portion exposed.  The back is made from the same soft leather, however, it rises higher than the front of the case, slightly over the top of the Treo.  The back also contains a stiffer material which ensures that the Treo is well protected from dings, dents, and scratches.

The second requirement that we had was that the Treo had to be well protected from drops and other things banging into it.  This meant a thick padding on the inside of the case.  This is a tricky subject for cases.  The more padding you have, the better protected your device will be, however, too much padding will make the case too thick to be usable.  This is a delicate balance to strike, and one which Prima has mastered.  The padding in the Treo case offers a nice cushion to protect the device, while also ensuring that buttons cannot be accidentally pressed while it sits at the bottom of my wife’s purse.   I suppose the art gallery will have to do without any more additions to their, "Pictures of the Contents of a Purse On a Dark Background" Collection.

Our final requirement was that the case had to be able to accept both the standard battery and an extended battery.  We weren’t sure how my wife would use the Treo, and I did not want to buy her a case which would limit her options down the road.  The Prima case has a small, hidden stretch of elastic in both side of the case.  This allows it to expand or contract to fit any size battery she chooses to use. Perfect!

Of course, the unspoken requirement was that the case had to look "stylish" and be well made.  No utilitarian black, holster-style case would do.  The Prima case fits this bill perfectly.  The stitching is excellent and appears to be very sturdy. The outside of the case is constructed from two pieces of red leather (it also comes in black).   When it arrived, my wife absolutely loved the color.   According to her, red is the perfect color, because you can’t be in a bad mood if you are wearing (or in this case, carrying) something red. 

The red version also includes a belt clip, which my wife will probably never use.  Like I said, the Treo resides comfortably in her purse.  Heck, she rarely even wears a belt on which to clip it.  One of the things we really liked about this case, therefore, was that the belt clip knob barely sticks out from the back of the case.  This maintains the smooth profile and ensures that it will not get in her way when she is holding the case.  Should she choose to use the belt clip, it is notched, allowing you to swivel and stop in four positions.  In the black version, unlike the red, the belt clip is not detachable.  I tested the belt clip and found that it worked well.  It was a little tight, making it tough to snap the case into the clip, however, this is the kind of thing which could easily work itself out with continued use.

So, what does my wife think of her new case?  I’ll let the below picture speak for itself.

Vital Stats:

Name: Prima Treo Low Profile Leather Jacket

Where to Buy: Prima Cases

Price: $27.95

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