[Tilt, TyTN II, MDA Vario III Accessories] BennTech:
This is a review of the Seidio Rubberized Spring Clip Holster (HLCG8925AS) for the HTC Kaiser/TyTN II and AT&T Tilt/8925. All pics are posted after the review, but some have links embedded in the review.

First of all, let me clarify what others have been incorrectly posting. "Rubberized coating" is a misnomer. It is not a coating. It is a surface finish to the plastic, which gives the plastic a non-slip, rubbery texture and feels similar to the back of the Kaiser.

Second, let me answer the most frequently asked question about this holster. YES, THE SEIDIO HOLSTER CAN BE USED FACE-OUT. However, button and port access is limited for face-out, as described below and shown in the pics.

First Impression

"Wow." That was my first thought when I first put my hands on the Seidio holster. The rubberized texture feels nice and gives the holster a soft touch. In addition, the plastic gives just enough that it shouldn't scratch your phone even with repeated use. Even so, they added a rubber strip (pic) where the hinge contacts the phone. Nice extra. The springs on the hinge and belt clip are confidently stout.

The felt back is a thin material and well adhered to the holster. I know it's there to protect the screen (even though the screen doesn't actually touch the holster), but I like knowing it's also protecting the back of my phone when I use the holster in my preferred face-out position.

Nothing negative to say for the first impression--Seidio went all out on the craftsmanship. But let's see how it fairs after the honeymoon.

Ease of Use

Unlike most holsters that lock the phone in place with a plastic tab, Seidio uses a spring-loaded hinge. The spring requires a good amount of force to open.

The phone snaps in place with ease. To release it, I hold the phone on the sides and use my index finger to push the hinge's tab. This doesn't feel completely natural to me but nonetheless is a simple, fluid motion and is certainly faster and easier than any pouch-style or quick-release clip. Also, I've never had any concerns of dropping the phone while inserting or removing the the phone like other people have reported.

The downside to this speed and ease is that under the right circumstances the holster can accidentally open and send your phone tumbling to the floor. I've only been using the holster a few days, and already my phone has almost fallen out. I was reaching into my car when the tab pressed against the tailgate and I felt the phone pop out. Fortunately, even though the hinge cleared the outer edge of my phone, the spring kept the hinge pressed against the top of my phone. Thus, the phone did not fully eject from the holster and instead hung precariously while my hand darted to snap it back in the holster.

Face-In vs. Face-out

The big question for a lot of potential buyers is the face-out capability. Yes, the hinge holds just fine in both positions. But don't take my word for it, compare the hinge contact yourself in my pictures (face-in vs. face-out).

Both positions hold the phone equally well. The big difference is the phone's front-to-back slope. Potentially, face-in would be less likely to accidentally eject since the hinge would have to travel up a longer sloper as opposed to the face-out where it would be traveling down the slope (and almost pushing the phone out).

Button/Port Accessibility

The next big question is the port and button accessibility for face-in and face-out. Can't do a table in a post, so see my handy access chart pic.

For face-in, you have access to all buttons and ports except the screen, DPad area, stylus, and MicroSD port (pic). Also, the camera button is hard to press because it's at the edge of a superfluous curve (left pic).

For face-out, you have access to all buttons and ports except the vital ExtUSB, mic, and stylus (pic). Also, the camera button is usable via fingernail only (right pic).

The atrocity here is that the holster could have had full access to all buttons and ports for both face-in and face-out by simply changing certain edges. For example, the aforementioned curve unnecessarily interferes with the camera button in both face-in and face-out. The bottom lip that blocks the MicroSD, ExtUSB, and mic is likewise unnecessary. The corners that wrap around the Start and OK buttons don't need to extend as far as they do (front pic vs. front mod pic). And although the holster does not press these buttons when the phone is seated, it does press them when inserting or removing the phone face-out.

Mods to the Rescue!

Fortunately, I was able to mod my holster to fix some of the most obvious access issues. First, I rounded the Start/OK corner edges inward with my Dremel (front mod pic). Now they don't press, even when inserting, and they hold the phone just as securely. Next, I trimmed the lower lip to allow ExtUSB access (bottom mod pic). Haven't bothered with the camera button yet.

None of these mods affect the holster's structural stability or grip on the phone. Unfortunately, adding stylus access will affect the corner strength because Seidio designed the corners with a stylish curve that dips too close to the stylus (right pic). Would have been nice if they had extended the material higher up the sides, which also would have strengthened the holster and held the phone better. <sigh>

Belt Clip

The belt clip is one of the best I've encountered. Instead of the normal divot/pin position lock like my 8925 leather case had (and broke after only 2 weeks), the clip has a sturdy slotted wheel (back pic; note the spring strength by how white my thumb is from the pressure). The clip only rotates 180 degrees instead of 360 (so your phone can't hang upside-down) and fits belts 1.5" (3.8cm) wide.

A big warning: THE BELT CLIP WILL MAR LEATHER BELTS! The strong spring presses the lock wheel hard against the your belt and scratches your belt surface. I tried putting an adhesive felt disc over the wheel, but it wore off because the wheel's ribs don't provide a suitable adhesive surface.

Price/Value

Typical holsters run $10-15 USD. This Seidio holster runs $30 USD. The craftsmanship is definitely better than cheaper holsters, but it's not thrice as good, especially for a face-in only holster. For the price, I'd expect both face-in and face-out support with full button/port access in both positions.

Conclusion

If you want the finest Kaiser holster on the market, the Seidio is it. However, it comes with a premium price and is not without its flaws, particularly Seidio's design shortcomings for the obvious face-out orientation. Thus, Seidio falls short on an otherwise exemplary product. I rate it a 4 out of 5 stars.

Pros

Excellent quality

Non-slip rubberized feel

Protective felt backing

Stout hinge with rubber phone protector

Usable as both face-in and face-out

Cons

Expensive

Reduced button/port access for face-out

Belt clip damages belts