Proporta Alu-Leather Flip Style Case Review
The final and 8th (eight?) review of our 7 case Wizard multi shootout review is from the same manufacturer as the 7th review, Proporta. As with the two aluminium cases, the Proporta cases are sufficiently similar that I've done two reviews, but they mainly cover the same topics. There are very few differences between the Book style flip and regular style flip cases, and I've highlighted them in the two reviews. The first review went down a storm, with the joint highest score so far. Can Proporta deliver twice?
Read on to find out!
Special thanks go out to Lisa Fletcher from Proporta for supplying us with a review sample.
Remember, the direct case comparison review will be posted on Thursday 2nd March after the last of the individual reviews.
For your delectation all photographs are thumbnails which may be clicked on to load an image.
Supplier: Proporta
Product: Alu-Leather Flip Style Case for HTC Wizard
Cost: $34.95 (Approx £20)
Supplier Web Site: http://www.proporta.co.uk/
Supplier Product Web Site: http://www.proporta.com/F02/PPF02P05.php?t_id=1402&t_mode=des
Introduction
No matter Who I talk to about phone accessories, Proporta are always one of the first names on peoples lips. With almost a decade of experience supplying us with quality PDA necessities under their belt, it's no real surprise. When I got the opportunity to review their Book style case and they offered the Flip style too, I thought it was Christmas all over again. The "Alu-Leather Flip Style case from Proporta" is certainly a bit of a mouthful. Can this case live up to such a big name?
Read on.....
Aesthetics
At first glance, aesthetically, there's no real surprises here when compared to the Book style review. If you look a little bit harder though you'll notice that the flip on the case fastens at the top, and hinges at the bottom. This is pretty unusual as most flip cases operate the other way around. I thought the Book style looked a little better when closed, but there's really very little to choose between them. The stitching colour looks silver in the light, and contrasts well with the black, especially as the Wizard uses the same trick. You can't actually see the plastic while the case is closed, which is probably for the best. Finally the Proporta symbol on the corner of the case is a nice touch. It's not a beautiful case per se, but it's nice, easy on the eye.
Bizarrely enough, it's the leather feel that's the most striking of its aesthetic qualities. Before anyone goes into the whole leather fetish comments, it's not like that. I think it's the padding underneath the leather that makes it feel so soft. It's unusual, but in a good way.
Phone Functionality
When I first sat down to draw up the shortlist for this multi review I'd already formed many preconceptions about most of the cases. The fact that I've been wrong over most of them as well is by the by! This offering from Proporta though was always the dark horse. From a functionality point of view, this is the case I've been waiting for. It was always going to be a brilliant implementation, or another for the list of nearly theres. I'm happy to report it's the former. Functionally it's the plastic cover that holds the keyboard in place that's the most interesting feature. The cover holds the device in place by the keyboard allowing you to open the flip and use the keyboard instantly while it's in place. I've never been a fan of plastic in cases, in my experience the plastic always perishes long before the leather. That said, after nearly two weeks of use there's no tell tale splits, or dents. No signs of damage at all. This was always my major concern.
The positioning of the flip fastener on the Book style allows all round access to the controls of your device. Unfortunately the Flip is a little more restrictive, hiding the MiniSD card slot, and more importantly the charge and sync socket. This effectively means you'll need to unclip and fold back the cover to charge. You've got the strength running down the front and back with access to all the rest of the controls around the edges. There's also a cutout for camera use on the back. Obviously being a flip, the screen is covered, as is the d-pad, soft buttons and the mail and PIE buttons at the top. The flip does contain two SD card slots, sat side by side for storage. The advantage of having the hinge of the flip at the bottom of the case is that you can pop the fastener, and have a quick look at the screen while the case is still attached to your belt. That's not so easy to do when the flip operates the other way around.
It's important to note that Proporta state:- "all our cases come with a lifetime guarantee so if anything does break then we will replace it without argument." Excellent!
Physical Security
The front and back covers are padded nicely and have Aluminium inserts. It's kind of like a bullet proof vest for your phone. There's no way anything is going to come through these. As the case sits, all the corners of the phone are covered. There doesn't seem to be the same concern about the movement in the front cover as with the Book style case. The problem of flip swing is a lot less apparent and the flip "hinge" hides the bottom corners of the Wizard to protect against dropping. The main issue I have is still the way the plastic that holds the keyboard in place is attached. A piece of the plastic slides between a gap in the Wizards slide mechanism and then velcro's into place on the right hand side of the case. I'm a little paranoid about the slide mechanism and how it will last the test of time at the best of times. I don't really like forcing the plastic through this gap. It may well be that the slide will be solid forever, and that the case does no harm at all, but like I said, I'm a worrier. On the whole though the case is sturdy and should easily be good enough for everyday use, and take a fair few knocks too.
As with most of the cases we've seen this week, the clip is a plastic one that has a slight hinge to attach around a belt or to grip to a trouser/skirt etc waist. You connect the clip to the case using the obligatory special knob. The knob is then screwed into the case, and the clip then attached. To be honest, and not for the first time, I'm bewildered about the decision to use a plastic knob with a case that has aluminium inserts. As the old adage goes, a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. I think the weak link here has to be the knob.
Value
Cost: $34.95. Approx £20
The Proporta case retails for approximately £20, and so makes it a bit more costly than most. It's not what I'd call a bargain, but is still good value, and you get what you pay for.
Pro's
Full keyboard usage while in case.
Completely covered device edges.
Storage for two SD cards.
Great looking case.
Quality leather feel.
Good access to ports and controls.
Con's
Plastic keyboard cover.
Plastic Clip Connector.
Storage flap a touch bulky.
4WM Rating
80%
Conclusion
As I've stated from the start there's very little difference between the Proporta Alu Book and Flip cases. They kind of balance each other out from a functional and protection point of view, but I definately prefer the Book style. Personally the access to the MiniSD card slot and the more importantly the charge and sync socket are a definite advantage. From my fortnight of using the case any doubts I've had so far have been only doubts. I'd still advise against swapping your device in and out of this holder too often, as I worry about the slide mechanism, but the plastic is as firm and shapely as the day I pulled it from its packaging. The case has good looks, has a nice feel and is functionally only slightly worse off than the best we've seen so far. Unfortunately, on the minus side there's that plastic clip connector again. The bottom line is that if you like to leave your phone it's case, and lust after the functionality (like me!) you've got a good all round case.
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