yashsingh1/xdaforums huggingface dataset:
[8525, TyTN, MDA Vario II, JasJam Accessories] QuachMD:
Comparison of Brando and IDS book-style leather cases

I have both of them, and since they are fairly similar, I'd thought I'd post a review for those of you trying to decide between the two.

Brando

I actually had high hopes for this case, but was fairly disappointed when I got it. It is a pretty high quality case, as I've heard their cases are in general. The leather is thick and sturdy, and it obviously protects well. The white stitching is very classy, and gives it an expensive feel. The storage card slot behind the smaller flap is also a bonus.

The bad news: using this case essentially eliminates usage of all of the buttons on the left side (jog wheel, OK button, and voice command button), and also the comm manager button. You can use it if you completely open up the larger flap, but who wants to completely open up the case everytime to use the buttons?!? This was the biggest issue for me, and this major loss of functionality made me to buy the IDS book case. Furthermore, even when the larger flap is open, the leather is so thick that the buttons are deeply recessed, rendering them useless anyways. There were a couple of other quibbles too. The large and small flap open with the hinge on the left side, and in keyboard-open mode, the flaps hang below the whole phone. To me, it seems much more intuitive to have the flaps on the other side so that it hangs behind the phone. Also, the front flap didn't sit flush on the phone, so that the front camera was partially covered by the case. This was also true for the Explorer and Messenger buttons.

Pros:

High quality case

Sturdy

Nice storage slot

Cons:

Way too many buttons are covered up when larger flap is closed

Having flap on other side would have been intuitively better

Front flap does not sit flush with front camera and buttons
[8525, TyTN, MDA Vario II, JasJam Accessories] QuachMD:
Review continued

IDS

This is the case I bought after the Brando case. The first thing you notice when you compare the two in person is that the IDS case is not as high of quality as the Brando case. The lack of white stitching has a bit to do with this, but the leather is not as thick and has more "give" to it. Also, the clip that was included with the case was the "clip-on" variety, rather than the "spring-hinged", and didn't even match the case (it was grey instead of black :( )

But beyond the build quality, I would have to give the design quality to the IDS case. The flap hinge is on the other side, which (as I mentioned before) feels more more intuitive. It does present a bit of a problem in that it tends to cover up the camera when in "camera mode", but you can just move the flap to the side and it's not a problem. And all of the buttons are accessible, even when fully closed. It's not perfect, however. The cut-out on the left side doesn't quite sit flush with the voice command and OK buttons, but it is still accessible if you work it a llittle. This may actually get better as the leather stretches a bit. But I think IDS would have done much better if they made a simple, larger rectangular cut-out, rather than one that attempted to fit the contours of the buttons.

Other quibbles: whereas the Brando case may have fit a bit too tight, the IDS case may be a bit too loose. In keyboard-mode, I've had the phone slip out a couple of times when I wasn't careful. Also, the front flap is too loose and doesn't sit flush with the front either. I prefer this to the Brando problem, though, because at least with the IDS case there is enough "give" so that you can uncover the front camera and buttons. Lastly, the snap-on clasp of the larger flap and the magnets of the smaller flap both reside of the left side, which means it's very thick and makes the left sided buttons a little more difficult to access.

Pros:

Flap is in the more intuitive position

All buttons are accessible

Cons:

Not as high of quality as Brando's

Button access problem is not completely solved (Button cut-out not large enough, left-sided clasp is too thick)

Summary: Although I liked the look of the Brando case, it feels as though they sacrificed functionality for style. Certain design features, such as positioning of the flap hinge and accessibilty to the buttons, was simply done much better by IDS. Ergonomically, the IDS case was just heads above the Brando case.

The IDS case was not perfect, and being less well known than Brando, the build quality wasn't as good. In the end, though, the loss of functionality with the Brando case was just too much for me, and I can't say I regret going with the IDS case.
[8525, TyTN, MDA Vario II, JasJam Accessories] mikegoldnj:
Does the IDS case also hold the device in the case using a plastic "cover" on the keyboard, between the sliders?
[8525, TyTN, MDA Vario II, JasJam Accessories] RemE:
I got a Pocket Solutions "signature series" cases, It fits perfectly and works very well. I read someone's post about how well it fit BUT the user found that the phone can swivel very easily and his caught his coat, opened and dumped the phone onto the floor. I had already ordered the case so when I got it I agree the phone can slide in and out too easily, so I took this precaution,

Smear a small film of 100% silicone glue on the inside of the case where the phone's back slides. Allow it to fully cure a day. This allow the phone to be slipped into the case but the silicone has enought friction to keep the phone from ejecting if the case is swivled upside down with the flap open. It works great.

The case is a bit pricey perhaps at $49 but it's well made and allows access to everything. I'm happy.

http://www.thepocketsolution.com/Me...een=PROD&Store_Code=PS&Product_Code=PSI-15715
[8525, TyTN, MDA Vario II, JasJam Accessories] QuachMD:
There is no plastic cover. The phone should fit tightly in the leather casing, but it doesn't quite do so.
[8525, TyTN, MDA Vario II, JasJam Accessories] aadadams:
I received the case and I am thinking of returning it. I do not like the snap closures they seem to be weak. I prefer the simple hidden magnets of other cases the search continues.
[8525, TyTN, MDA Vario II, JasJam Accessories] arcivanov:
Only about 1 million times, but go right ahead...:cool:
[8525, TyTN, MDA Vario II, JasJam Accessories] ronr9286t:
TyTn Case - Krusell Orbit

I've tried several cases for my TyTn. I finally found one that I think is ideal.

I tried the PdAir leather and one other leather case, and neither one was satisfatory. The PdAir aluminum case I had for my Wizard was terrible - If you have it on your belt and brush up against anything, it will pop open and the device will fall out.

I tried the Krusell Dynamic, but found that to be lacking as the snaps designed to release the camera cover were constantly opening on their own, and would allow the phone to fall out.

The Krusell Orbit has been ideal. Good access to all buttons and controls, the plastic cover over the keyboard is only half the width of others and seems to offer less potential damage (loosening the ceyboard from the screen), and the quality is typical Krusell - Top-Notch.

Here is the link to the Krusell Web-Site Orbit page:

http://www.krusell.se/product.php?productID=2316&category=51
[8525, TyTN, MDA Vario II, JasJam Accessories] .VIBE:
Okay, I now have read through the whole post, and thank goodness for that. Otherwise I would have had a useless eBay case.

The two cases that grabbed my attention were the silicone ones:

The IDS one

IDS Gel skin

and the PDADEN one

PDADEN silicone skin

Which one do you guys suggest?
[8525, TyTN, MDA Vario II, JasJam Accessories] Quilliam:
I mentioned this earlier, but it probably is burried so deep you missed it.

I had a ton of problems with the above silicone case.

Problem is it presses down on all your buttons. For some reaosn this causes all sorts of problemes... like

Talk and End buttons no longer funciton.

Hittitng any button causes the cammera to turn on.

I blamed one of the hacks I had for a few hours before I realized it was the silicone case causing this problem.

I bought the metal case next and love it. Not one problem and works much better than I ever could have thought.
[8525, TyTN, MDA Vario II, JasJam Accessories] .VIBE:
I'm assuming you are talking about the PDADEN skin.

Does the metal case not add a lot of bulk? (edit: I see bulk is not a problem)

There has also been some complaints that the metal interferes with reception and bluetooth?

anyone bought the other silicone case?
[8525, TyTN, MDA Vario II, JasJam Accessories] .VIBE:
OK, seido online will charge me $60 to ship to me in SA.

PDADEN seems to have the exact same metal case, but a bit cheaper.

But I still prefer the silicone idea. (less bulk in my pocket). What do you guys think?
[8525, TyTN, MDA Vario II, JasJam Accessories] .VIBE:
Hmm, found an eBay store that ships this Alu Case & Martin Fields overlay at very reasonable prices. What do you think?

http://stores.ebay.com/GPS-Navigation-Store

The problem is, the following review on Amazon.com for these cases:

"This case stinks, it does not lock properly, and after a week, I lost my brand new $300 dollar 8525. Now I have to buy another phone thanks to this piece of garbage case. Do not buy this case unless you want to lose your phone too."

any comments?
[8525, TyTN, MDA Vario II, JasJam Accessories] Quilliam:
The metal case was only slightly (read not noticeable to me unless pulling out the ruller) more bulky.

And yes the Padden one was the one that caused me a ton of problems.

As for interferance, I do not nottice any loss in sound quality. Maybe I loose a foot but I can talk across my apartment in the same room, so I have no real way of measuring.

I do nottice that my screen "twitches" while on a phone call, which must be caused by the metal, but it is not very notticable.
[8525, TyTN, MDA Vario II, JasJam Accessories] .VIBE:
And how reliable is the catch that keeps the case closed?
[8525, TyTN, MDA Vario II, JasJam Accessories] Quilliam:
I dropped mine about 4 times since I bought it with no latch problems.

I also use the shieldzone underneath it, so in the event the latch did ever open provides a slightly tighter fit.

Now if you dropped it just at the correct angle I imagine the latch would come open... But I've never had the latch come open unless I wanted it open.
[8525, TyTN, MDA Vario II, JasJam Accessories] .VIBE:
OK, thanx dude. Am ordering mine now.
[8525, TyTN, MDA Vario II, JasJam Accessories] Ninja1:
Just a few thoughts about a couple of cases:

These aluminum cases all use the same OEM, so the catch system, etc is the same for all of them...that for the people who keep posting links to new metal cases and asking "is it good?"...

As to the catch: basically a metal tongue that rides over 2 plastic buttons to form a simple friction lock. The tongue has a formed and lifted end to allow for easy opening. Unfortunately, when the ppc is clipped to my belt, the edge of my jacket has caught and opened this latch a few times, causing my 8525 to take flight. I have tried tightening the friction lock without any benefit. Aluminum is just too malleable and that edge just too easy to catch. I would have to say that if you want to clip the ppc to your belt or pack then this case is unacceptable. However, if you keep the ppc in a pocket/pack/etc then this case is just fine.

As mentioned earlier, button access is problematic for the Comm Manager, but excellent for all other buttons. In fact, button access and usability for this case is better than with my Piel Frama leather case. Another problem with the PF case is the continuous pressure on the screen. This has caused lockups when alarms "wake-up" the device while the case is closed. As I have not been able to find a reliable screen lock that prevents this problem (I have tried about 5 or 6), and the button access prevents one handed navigation, this case is going to have to go up on eBay or back to cases.com.

For those thinking about the PDADen silicone case: an interesting concept marred by a flawed design. The skin relies on a friction fit to keep the hermes enclosed. I found it very easy to pop the skin off just by opening the keyboard, let alone putting the ppc in my fanny pack. The skin also makes it difficult to remove the ppc from a pocket.

As mentioned earlier in this thread the Krussell case looks interesting and they have a good reputation. I have one on order and it should arrive this week. I'll try to post impressions after living with it a few days.

Ninja1
[8525, TyTN, MDA Vario II, JasJam Accessories] machmandp:
I have had a few cases now for my M3100

Brando Leather - Never got it to fit flush and hard to push certain Buttons, Looks awful

Silicone Case (the one in 2 parts) - never actually managed to fit it properly poorly made

PDair Alu case - Nice case but opens too easy (the Phone shot out once) and i found the signal to degrade too much especially BT.

Pdair Leather Case - So far the only one that i have actually thought was ok although i had to cut the Clear plastic cover out as it hindered the usage too much but i'm still not too happy with the prestud on the top (looks ugly to me)

So far i've not seen a case that suits me

I used to have an Orange M600 (prophet) and the Silicone case for that was perfect , Of course the cases for the Hermes all want to try and do too much by allowing the use of the keyboard with easy opening but that just seems to make them too flimsy.

The krusell cases are good quality but i always found that not being able to see the screen was a pain as i want to know who is calling before answering.

So i suppose i really want a silicone or Leather case that would not add any bulk and a removable or no front screen protector while allowing for a swivel belt clip just like the Capdase silicone one i had for the Prophet.
[8525, TyTN, MDA Vario II, JasJam Accessories] Ninja1:
OK, the Krussell Orbit arrived today, and I just slapped it on the Hermes. Here are my first impressions:

1) The leather actually wrapped around 3/4+ of the sides of the keyboard section, and have a plastic overlay. It is very secure and will not easily come out.

2) The outer flap is secured by a self centering magnetic closure at the bottom. The inner flap is just a bit of leather with a hole for the screen and secures with a button type closure--no magnets to screw with the display.

3) My Micro-SD to SD adapter fits in the card pocket (Yeah), but business cards will not fit in the card pocket (D*mn).

4) All buttons and controls are easily accessible to my fingers, one-handed nav is much easier then with the Piel Frama case (Yeah).

5) The outer flap does not appear to touch the screen at all, exen with the card adapter in. Hopefully no more lockups due to alarms and screen pressure.

6) The leather feels OK. Certainly not as supple as the PF case, but not junk either.

7) The included post and spring clip connection is very tight, and requires a fair bit of pressure to engage. I'll have to be careful to make sure that it is engaged.

8) Thickness with the Hermes inside is 3mm more that with the PF case, and 7mm more that the aluminum case (yes, I measured it).

All in all, I think that I have found the case to stick with. Anybody interested is slightly used aluminum and PF cases?

Ninja1
[8525, TyTN, MDA Vario II, JasJam Accessories] WineCape:
Ninja,

Will the above reviewed Krusell Orbit case fit my TyTN if I have the 3000 mAh battery from Muegen Power slapped on?

The battery extend/jut out to about twice the thickness of the stylus.
[8525, TyTN, MDA Vario II, JasJam Accessories] Ninja1:
Maybe. You would most likely have to remove the plastic keyboard cover and the inner screen flap. I doubt that it would fit without doing that. If the additional battery size were 2mm it would fit, 4mm is pushing it.

You also might be able to get away with wetting the leather parts that need to stretch and letting the case dry while holding your Hermes with the extended battery. That's an old trick for form fitting leather. (BTW, works great for hiking boots).

Ninja1
[8525, TyTN, MDA Vario II, JasJam Accessories] fone_fanatic:
Anybody order one of Fortte's new 8525 cases? I think i'm gonna purchase one of these because of the Credit Card slot, but it looks very flimsy/cheap leather.

http://www.fortte.com/scr/showproduct.php/264?type=0

Anybody have previous experiences with fortte products?
[8525, TyTN, MDA Vario II, JasJam Accessories] fone_fanatic:
I guess no one has had a fortte product before?

I'm gonna go ahead and order the thing tonight by midnight, they sent me a 25% off code. I'll post my thoughts on it when i get it. Also what other cases are out there with Credit card/ID holders in them?
[8525, TyTN, MDA Vario II, JasJam Accessories] Dexter23182:
do you think this (http://www.proporta.com/F02/PPF02P05.php?t_id=1851&t_mode=des) could "emulate" pof's iPod sock? it's surely cheaper and seems to fit tytn quite well. does anybody own it?

what do you mean with "invisible shield"?
[8525, TyTN, MDA Vario II, JasJam Accessories] Quilliam:
This is the invisible shield.

http://www.shieldzone.com/item_description/HTCTYTNF.html

Basiacly it adds scratch protection to most of your phone.

Some people hate the screen protector that comes with it, but I perosnaly love it (it slows down your pen stroke).

With my case it adds just a tiny bit of extra width, enough that I can open my case and do a moderate shake and have several shakes before it comes out.

Oh, and installing it is a pain, there are no instructions and trust me you will put on pices on the wrong spot several times. It also takes a long time to apply. Luckily for me my wife is into arts and crafts so in about an hour she was able to find all the right spots to stick them on and apply them correctly.
[8525, TyTN, MDA Vario II, JasJam Accessories] webphilux:
Palm Hard Case

See Below Message
[8525, TyTN, MDA Vario II, JasJam Accessories] webphilux:
Palm Hard Case for Hermes!!!

I just bought this Palm Hard case for my 8525. :D

http://store.everythingtreo.com/content/accessories/4-120--732.htm

You can also find them cheaper on ebay.

{ Do an ebay search for "Palm Treo oem hard case" }

Had to trim 4 little tabs inside the case which are molded for the Palm's rounded back side. But after that, It fits perfect. It has a metal belt clip and the case itself seems very strong and durable. The foam like lining inside protects your beloved device. Now I do not have to worry about dropping my device or crushing it when I have it on my side. I don't have any problem getting my device from my case it is just as accessible as my leather case that I retired. The latch has yet to fail and open on its own. The only downside to the case is the hole that is cut out where the Palm antenna is supposed to go. Other than that that, I love it.
[8525, TyTN, MDA Vario II, JasJam Accessories] MonkeyK:
Treo users don't rate the hard case so favorably:

Amazon Reviews
[8525, TyTN, MDA Vario II, JasJam Accessories] MonkeyK:
This case is one of the more compelling cases in this thread to me. I really like the utility and one handed access seems a given.

Pardon the crudeness of my question, but do users of the holster worry about it hitting the ground to hard when "dropping trou" for a quick toilet run?
[8525, TyTN, MDA Vario II, JasJam Accessories] w3elf:
I hope they make a case like this but for the cingular 8525:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Smoke-Hard-Case...9QQihZ003QQcategoryZ15039QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

I had this on my MDA and it was perfect, especially because it did not add alot of bulk.
[8525, TyTN, MDA Vario II, JasJam Accessories] outsidah:
Have any of you guys tried out this Sena case?

http://www.senacases.com/catalog/Cingular-8125-8525-Lateral-Pouch-p-1-c-408.html
[8525, TyTN, MDA Vario II, JasJam Accessories] MonkeyK:
Re: the Sena case

Since the 8125 and 8525 are different sizes, anytime something claims to be for both I am a little uneasy.
[8525, TyTN, MDA Vario II, JasJam Accessories] raymondu999:
Very true. It'll probably be very loosely fitting for our dear Hermes units, unless its straps are made of elastic material, which it isn't
[8525, TyTN, MDA Vario II, JasJam Accessories] str355:
i've got one of the pdair metal cases, it fits nicely, but does bulk the phone up a bit.
[8525, TyTN, MDA Vario II, JasJam Accessories] fone_fanatic:
I ordered the Fortte case on the 9th, since i choose a different leather and color its considered a custom case which they say takes 2 to 3 weeks to ship, once i get it i'll write up a little review. My main reason for getting this case is because it has a slot for a credit card/ID card.

they sent me this email a while back giving me 25% off, heres the email and code, see if it works for you.

But something stuck out when i recieved the confirmation email after i purchased it. Don't know exactly what they're trying to say.
[8525, TyTN, MDA Vario II, JasJam Accessories] INCEY:
I'm using a Motorola case, got it from the o2 store!!!

I'm using a Motorola case, got it from the o2 store, dont know the model of the phone its intended for, but its a very sleek black leather case front & back with black elastic on each side it has a metal motorola "M" button near the base of the case. Its a perfect fit for the Orbit without any bulk, I'll have a look for the packaging I have somewhere & let you know the model no. check this case out, it a nice one. cost about £15!
[8525, TyTN, MDA Vario II, JasJam Accessories] bkbroil:
I have the boxwave metal case...Has anyone been having problems with sound quality while using a metal case? (Both bluetooth headset and regular hand usage seems to be degraded while in the case)

I'm hoping that it was a one time thing but if anyone else is having problems then I may have to look for another case.

(I purchased the Krussel flip case and was not happy that I couldn't fit my credit cards in the case and I had to keep opening the case to answer calls and see messages... so I switched to this metal case so that I could see messages etc...without opening up anything.)
[8525, TyTN, MDA Vario II, JasJam Accessories] kalrykh:
alluminum and radio waves don't get along :P
[8525, TyTN, MDA Vario II, JasJam Accessories] bkbroil:
I'm finding that out....I see that my reception goes down once I put the phone in the case. I can deal with that, but I'm hoping that it isn't damaging the phone in any way...I may wind up shelving the metal case (and I really like it).:(
[8525, TyTN, MDA Vario II, JasJam Accessories] kalrykh:
i want to order the boxwave case as well, but they don't accept paypal, and I _really_ don't like giving my credit card information to online stores.
[8525, TyTN, MDA Vario II, JasJam Accessories] bkbroil:
Update -- I spent the day in NY today and I REALLY noticed that my reception would go down (from 4 bars to 3) when the phone was in the aluminum case.... BUT (and this is a BIG BUT) I dropped my phone about 4 feet to the floor and the phone bounced around (it was more of a fling than a drop:o )... if it wasn't for my aluminum case I know the phone would have broken into pieces.... so... bad reception and all.... I'm keeping the case.
[8525, TyTN, MDA Vario II, JasJam Accessories] kalrykh:
I believe this has been mentioned before but I thought i'd confirm it. I grabbed one of the black alluminum cases online. while the case is great for protection, it comes open to easily and there is nothing to hold the phone in if it does. i've had the case for 2 days and it has already come open 3 times and the phone went flying. the most recent time, the phone casing cracked in the little thin part where the stylus goes and now my stylus keeps fallingout. *mutter*
[8525, TyTN, MDA Vario II, JasJam Accessories] QuachMD:
I got a the book-style case from IDS, and it was also loose.

The solution? Get yourself a tube of silicone (I used aquarium silicone from the local pet store). Put a thin layer along the inside of the case and let it dry over night. It provides enough friction that the phone stays put.
[8525, TyTN, MDA Vario II, JasJam Accessories] bkbroil:
In have the "Invisible shield" on my phone and it makes it SUPER SNUG... There is no way my phone can fall out if the case opens..