A Case By Case Basis
We here at Busygamer have love/hate relationships with our phones. They keep us connected, let us browse the web, let us go app crazy, and of course keep our drinking music always in arm’s reach. It’s of little surprise Crutchboy named his and changes her wallpaper daily (It’s like her clothes, he tells me).
But these days, it’s not like you can just get away with a naked phone most of the time, especially when you have to purchase one out of contract. Cases then, become an important part of your phone ownership.
The phone of choice at the BG office is the Iphone. (Except for Grits and his Blackberry but he’s a weird one). My default case is the Otterbox Defender series. With our dangerous bar regimen and convention schedule not to mention travelling shenanigans, it’s always served me well in the protection area, the problem is, that with such protection it often felt like I was carrying a VCR in my pocket. So when the opportunity to test out some new cases came, I jumped at the chance.
What happened: I took 3 Iphone cases, road tested them EVERYWHERE for a week. This is the result.
THE CASES
SENA DOCKABLE IPHONE CASE (around $50-60)
The first thing I noticed about this case was the leather. Soft, smooth to the touch, smells great… an inspection of the case told me this was finely made. Looking at the website and press release, SENA doesn’t play with their craftsmanship. This case was not a cheapy weepy piece of crap you get in the phone store for way to much money, this was made for people who want to make a statement.
Sena Dockable iPhone Case
The finish I got was Red and Black, kind of reminded me of a sports car racing stripe. The case gives plenty of room for all the functions, especially the USB slot, (which is why it’s aptly named the dockable case) The phone fit snugly and probably worked better that day feeling it lost some girth. That’s right, the phone case is slim, makes the phone feel sleeker than my previous case… The only drawback was there was no screen covering. If this is important, you may want to pick up some screen protectors.
The Public Test:
So after suiting up my phone, I wore it around the office, made sure to check the twitter feed often and answer phones on the general floor of the office. The phone got noticed maybe 7 out of 10 times, in a world where gadgets are king, that’s pretty good odds.
Don’t let the price fool you, this is a well made case. If you are in an office environment, this may be the statement you want to make. So much so, that as a Tshirt and jeans kind of guy in the office, I felt underdressed with this case.
SENA WALLETSKIN IPHONE CASE (around $50 to $60)
Once again, SENA gives us an ultra nice accessory. The leather is once again so good to the touch, and well made. This phone case is called a wallet skin because the snaps open up to reveal a transparent ID holder and credit card slots (like a wallet).
SENA WALLETSKIN CASE
This is a totally functional case in the office, and if you are man enough to pull it off, can eliminate the need for a wallet in your back pocket. The only drawback to it’s functionality is once again an exposed screen.
I say this is an accessory because this goes beyond a case and literally part of your wardrobe. If I felt underdressed with the dockable case I felt like a hobo holding this one. It may have something to do with the finish, the website shows different ones, but the one we got in house was a burgundy crocodile pattern. Which is dead sexy if you can pull it off, by that I mean you’d probably need to wear some slacks, matching belt and dress shoes for your case. Doing less, would make you look a little effeminate. I know this, because this phone gave me a run for my money on the public test.
The Public Test:
This case was noticed just about everytime I pulled it out. Some of the girls in the office said it was “pretty??? and one said it looked “like one of those cigarette cases old ladies use??? referring to the burgundy croc finish. Yes indeed, if I was a better dressed man, it would compliment me, but as an everyday schmuck, I apparently ranked with a tacky smoking lady.
KRUSELL ORION CASE (around $30 to $40)
This case was another wallet type design. The holster part of it fit the case perfect, once again there was no screen protection, but it looks like this case is more like a wallet for a purse than a man. (No belt clasp just a foldable case) opening it, there are slots for credit cards and the holster has a neat kickstand feature to make movie watching easier.
KRUSELL ORION CASE
Despite the wallet design, the case is relatively small and slim. It open and closes with a magnetic clasp, and reinforced cardboard type shell will keep the phone protected for most office hazards
The Public Test:
Movie watching is great, I liked pulling this out in a restaurant and watching the girls I spent some time with crowd around it. Of course around this time, they would ask me… is this a man’s case? In truth a confident man never has to ask himself these things, especially if he is all James Bond and can put it inside a suit pocket, once again, I am not James Bond, so I show them the other features of the case and soon the question of my masculinity is gone and replaced with their desire for the case. (The kickstand feature is probably the biggest conversation starter, as they even called the waitress over to show her the trick)
THE GIRL TEST
Let’s be honest lads, all the functionality in the world isn’t much if you don’t know what the ladies think, so I did you the favor and had one of Timothy’s D-Angels come to check these out. A few days into the tests, the bubbly, truthful (important!) and all around cutie pie Adriana (who is also an Iphone enthusiast)came into the office to check them out. Here’s what she said.
Adriana, the woman's perspective
Krusell Orion Case: “Oh I like this one… is this for a man???? picks it up to inspect it. “Yes this is nice… you didn’t carry this around did you? I think this is more for a girl??? I nod, she laughs. (That’s good for the ego) “Oh I like this… but not for you.???
Sena Walletskin: *laughs when she sees it* “Did you wear this too??? I nod. (this is really not helping me) “You can’t pull this off, you need to be super well dressed, what did people say???? I shrug and show her the wallet feature with the credit card slots. “Not just you,??? she says “A lot of guys can’t pull that off.??? We both agreed it was very well made though, and like me she agreed there should be some sort of screen protection.
Sena Dockable: Adriana seemed to think this was the most masculine one. “It sticks out more than a regular case??? she says as she touches the super leather finish. “This is more of the one for you.??? I give her the rundown of the case and the company, she seems impressed. I can see a guy having this way more than the other two.
Adriana’s pick of the week: Krusell Orion for the girls, Sena Dockable for the boys.
You can purchase these cases or browse others at www.SenaCases.com / www.Krusell.se.
-Timothy Danger
Tags: Iphone, Krusell, Sena, technology
