Accessory review: Noreve Tradition leather case for HTC EVO 3D
Last week we reviewed the Noreve Tradition leather case for the HTC EVO 4G. In a nutshell, we thought the case was stylish and provided enough protection for normal, everyday wear and tear. But there were also some quirks, and those same quirks are present in this case for the EVO 3D.
Before I go any further, let me just say that I wanted to like this case. I really did. It’s well-made from real quality leather, it feels really nice in the hand, and it just looks expensive.
But I also just can’t get over the front flap. (I’ll explain that in a bit.)
So is this premium case really worth the premium price you’ll probably have to pay for it? Read on to find out.
The actual packaging is top notch. Inside the clear plastic is a very sturdy, nice-looking box with the Noreve logo, in which the actual phone case lives.
The case itself comes in almost any color you could imagine: black, white, grey, beige, pink, baby blue, red, ocean blue, brown, olive green, light purple, and orange. However, it’s worth noting that anything other than black will take up to an extra fifteen working days to ship, as it must be “carefully handcrafted by our artisans…”
And like I said before, when it’s protecting the EVO 3D, it looks really stylish.
The cut-outs are in all the right places, allowing unfettered access to your charging port, 3D camera switch and shutter button, the volume buttons, and the headphone jack.
Now, the annoying part. That darn front flap keeps getting in my way!
While it’s definitely high quality and finely made, don’t even think about texting or doing much of anything on your phone when this case is on. When holding the phone normally in portrait mode, it’s impossible to keep that protective flap out of the way. The same holds true when trying to talk on the phone.
It’s equally awkward when trying to use the back camera. Sure, there’s a cut-out for the camera, but you have to fold back the front flap and part of the back layer. You almost need an extra hand holding it down to ensure that part of the flap doesn’t accidentally make it into your photographs.
Like Paul mentioned last week, if this annoying flap was definitely a design requirement, they could have made it a bit more useful. Perhaps it could have been a credit card/ID holder, but in reality it just gets in the way.
It’s worth noting that, like the case for the EVO 4G, this one also comes with a belt clip and tools to install it. I didn’t really think people wore belt clips anymore, but to each his or her own.
When it comes down to it, this case values fashion and style over practicality. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, the craftsmanship is superb. But I just don’t see myself using this as my daily case.
Now, the Noreve Tradition case for the EVO View tablet is an entirely different animal. You’ll have to pry that one out of my cold, dead hands … but you’ll get to read about it soon enough.
The Noreve Tradition case for the EVO 3D is available now for 44.99 EUR (about $62.28 USD).
