Review: PDair leather flip cases for HTC EVO 4G
PDair recently released an array of leather cases for the HTC EVO 4G. Two of them are play-through cases that feature flaps/covers that flip open for use and remain closed with a magnetic buttoned strap, a style we haven't seen very much of yet.
Officially named the Flip Type and Book Type leather cases for the way they open, both are available now for $28 apiece. Worth the price?
Design & Quality
The Flip Type case opens at the top; the Book Type case opens from the side.
Both have three business card slots and embossed leather linings. The fronts and backs have some stiffness to them from what I assume is thick cardboard sandwiched between the leather for extra protection.
The cases feature white cross-stitching and fairly open designs with thin double-stitched borders and partial sides to keep the EVO in place.
Both also have removable belt clips that rotate 360 degrees, but only the Book Type case has a cutout for the camera. I assume its omission on the Flip Type is a mistake since there are speaker holes (so it's not like PDair was going after a completely flat back), but maybe it was a design decision.
I've purchased from PDair several times before (they're my new go-to leather case maker now that NoreveUSA is gone and Vaja's selection isn't very big), so I knew going in that the quality of the leather would be high. It isn't as top tier as Noreve or Vaja, but the price reflects that so I don't have any complaints.
The leather is lightly cushioned and is soft and smooth with a matte finish. A departure from PDair's other cases, these don't have the company's logo branded on the front.
Fit
The EVO fits into both cases well but there are some construction issues that make it seem as though the fit isn't quite right.
Since both the cases' holder/border tops are open, with nothing connecting the leather border to the back, the top doesn't lay flat. This doesn't affect usability but it gives the cases an ill-fitting look, which isn't good. It also doesn't inspire confidence in the fact that the EVO won't just slide out by itself. The fit is actually tight enough to prevent that from happening unless you purposely and forcefully shake it out upside down (and why would you do that?).
The other sides of the case fare better and provide cutouts for all of the EVO's ports (except for the missing camera cutout on the Flip Type case, as mentioned earlier), but things still look . . . well, not quite right.
Flip Type case
Book Type case
If the cases could lie flatter against the EVO, which is actually impossible because of the phone's curved back, and the lines were cleaner and more streamlined, I think they would look much better.
Conclusion
Unless you're looking specifically for this style, whether because you want the business card slots or you like the flaps just hanging there when not secured by the strap, I can't see these flip-style leather cases for the HTC EVO being very popular.
Even though the leather is of good quality, the removable belt clips rotate 360 degrees, and they give the EVO a professional organizer look, the missing camera cutout on the Flip Type and "lifting up" portions of the portion that holds the phone in make both cases undesirable to me. The flaps just get in the way, making the cases impractical and cumbersome. I don't think this flip style works well with the EVO, but that's just me.
You can get the Flip Type and Book Type leather cases from PDair for $28 each.
