Review: Comparison to Verso case
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 01 2, 2013
I will compare the "official" Amazon case to theVerso Trends Darwin Case.OVERALL FIT:The Amazon case fits the Kindle Fire HD like a skin-tight bodysuit. It uses a full rubber mold which is very slim and eliminates any protruding corners or extraneous material. The Verso case uses 4 elastic corner bands which is not nearly as secure as the Amazon case. The Verso extends up to 1/2 inch around all sides of the Kindle and is also much thicker than the Amazon case.Winner: Amazon case because it fits perfectly without unnecessary bulkiness.BUTTON, PORT, and SPEAKER ACCESSIBILITY:The Amazon case has volume and power buttons on the case that overlay that actual buttons on the Kindle. These work well. Perforations for the speakers and ports are perfectly aligned. The Verso case has no perforations for the speakers. With the Verso, the Kindle buttons and ports are accessible simply because the entire 4 sides of the device are exposed.Winner: Amazon case because the speakers are not obstructedSTAND:The Amazon case uses friction on your desk surface to form a V-shaped stand. This works great with very upright angles but at about 45 degrees, there isn't enough grip to keep it upright on a typical desk surface. The Verso uses 2 different sized flip out pieces to create a stand at 2 different angles. Because there is no dependence on friction, the Verso creates a much more stable stand and is able to prop the Kindle at a low angle that is not possible with the Amazon stand.Winner: Verso case because of its stability and low-angle option.PROTECTION:The Verso is bulkier and thicker, so theoretically it might provide a bit more protection from drops compared to the Amazon case. On the other hand, the Verso elastic bands are less secure than the Amazon rubber mold.Winner: Probably about equal. They will both provide some protection from typical drops. Of note, my 3-year-old child has thrown my uncased Kindle around many times and jumped on it without damage so it raises the question of whether you need a case at all.EXTERIOR FINISH:The Amazon case claims it is made of leather but the only way this is leather is if there is a new breed of cows with textured foam for skin. The exterior material is decent, but don't expect real leather. The Verso case I obtained has a red crocodile finish which might be a bit gaudy for some but nicely done nonetheless. It has a smooth plastic feel.Winner: Tie. They are both made of medium-quality plastic and foam so it just depends on your aesthetic tastes.OVERALL CONCLUSION:The best way to summarize things is that the Amazon case is a custom case designed exclusively for the Kindle 8.9 while the Verso case is a generic case that is simply sized to fit the Kindle 8.9. For most people, the Amazon case will be the better choice because it protects your device while adding hardly any bulk and still functions reasonably well as a stand. However, if you have a need for the low-angle stand option or really like the different Verso finish options, you may want to consider the Verso more strongly.PRICE COMMENT:Both cases seem overpriced (currently, the Amazon case is $55 and the Verso is $40). The Amazon is $15 more but is also a better case. If you are buying solely to protect your device, I don't think either is a good value since the Kindle 8.9 costs as little as $250 to replace, is already pretty durable, and will be obsolete in a couple years. If you are extraordinarily rough on your Kindle or really need a stand, then either case might be a worthwhile purchase.