REVIEW: Proporta HTC Artemis Leather/Aluminium Case

|Review: Proporta Leather/Aluminium HTC Artemis Case

Proporta have kindly presented 4Winmobile with the opportunity to review their take on the Leather/Aluminium case style for the HTC Artemis range of devices, including O2's XDA Orbit.{br}Unlike other cases, as this doesn't cover the entire device, it didn't need customisations to fit the O2 XDA Orbit, which uses a slightly different chassis design to the rest of the Artemis-based devices.



Thanks go to Kat at Proporta for the supply of the case!

Supplier Proporta Product Proporta Leather/Aluminium HTC Artemis Case Cost US$34.95 Supplier Web Site Proporta.com Supplier Product Web Site Alu-Leather Case   For your delectation all photographs may be clicked to load a larger image.

Introduction As usual Proporta ship the case in a sturdy box so its unlikely anything will get damaged in transit. Plus marks! Opening the box presents the case inside a clear plastic jacket that separates it from the rather large belt clip. Opening this reveals the case and clip in all their glory. The case has a piece of packing inside to serve two purposes as far as I can tell - to retain the shape of the device should the package get crushed and to allow somewhere for Proporta to place the small screw that goes in the back of the case to attach the belt clip. By default there is a small colour-coded flush screw in the back so you can carry and use the case without an unsightly chrome screw sitting proud of the rear. Included is a small pictorial insert that highlights what this chromed screw is for and where it goes to support the belt clip. The design of this case follows the lead set by other similar cases from Proporta on the Aluminium and Leather theme. Read on for all the details on how it feels and, more importantly, how it performs....

Aesthetics Now to the subjective part - the looks, feel and smell of the case! Well, the case is off to a fine start with it all looking good; the stitching appears regular and consistent if not looking particularly sturdy. The Proporta logo is stamped into the leather at the lower right of the front flap. The leather feels fine, a mid-quality material rather than top of the range but it has some grip to it so its unlikely to slip in your fingers (always useful when its holding such a valuable device!). There is even that faint whiff of leather to get the last of the senses going. So all in a positive set of scores on the Aesthetics.

Phone Functionality This is where things start to unravel slightly for Proporta. Firstly the good points... You can access the power, camera, volume and voice recorder buttons and the stylus, which on these devices inserts into the bottom right of the device. Now the not so good... You can't use the camera as the back has no cut-out for the lens - you have to remove the device from the case. You can't access the mini-usb connector with the case closed as the closure tab covers it. The speaker on the top back edge of the device is completely covered with no slots/air holes for sound to escape. You may miss calls/notifications depending on the volume settings in effect on the device. With the case open, you can now access the mini-usb port and the whole front of the device. You still need to remove the device to use the camera though and the speaker still fires into leather not open air.

Physical Security Again a mixed result I am sorry to say. We'll follow the previous section's format by starting with the positives. With the case closed the screen is more than adequately protected due to the aluminium insert in the front flap. The rear of the case is likewise protected by the extra thick leather housing the mechanism that retains the device in the case. Dropping a closed case is unlikely to cause any damage to a device as the front and rear covers extend beyond the boundaries of the device. Now for the negatives.... The only potential areas of suspicion are the bottom left and right corners of your device which are perilously close to the edge of the case with no real protection offered by the closing mechanism. The other area that doesn't instill any confidence is the retaining mechanism! Your device is held in the case by sliding it between two plastic retaining clips on the left and right sides. It looks precarious as there appears to be nothing preventing your device sliding out the bottom of an open case other than friction! I've tried shaking my device to see if I could get it to move and it didn't (thankfully!) but what will prolonged use over a number of months achieve? I wouldn't want to risk it....

Value US$34.95 is a fair and reasonable price for what is on the face of it a well made and sturdy case. Would I pay it for this case? Yes I would if the design was what I required. For me there are too many design foibles to make me want to trust my expensive device to it, you may have other thoughts.

Pro's Con's Solid construction & workmanship Design concerns Good screen protection Retaining mechanism doesn't instill confidence Good price Must remove device to use camera Solid belt clip Speaker is covered when case closed and partially covered when open   Device corners may be vulnerable if dropped

4WM Rating - 75% Conclusion Things start so promisingly with this case that its a shame it scores poorly by the end. The leather is fine, workmanship is above the norm, screen protection is excellent and even the belt clip offers some hope against the usual flimsy offerings served up on most cases. But I can't help but be concerned by some of the flaws. Personally I don't use the camera on my Orbit but if you do you may get a little tired of constantly taking the device in and out of the case. You may find yourself missing calls and notifications due to the speaker being covered over and last but not least that retaining mechanism gives me cause for concern over the long term. Admittedly I couldn't get my device to move when inserted but it just doesn't look safe.