If you wear your Treo clipped to your belt or clothing, fashion dictates (if you care) that it ought to coordinate with your outfit, or at least match your shoes. Of course, there�s always basic black, but why not make a fashion statement of your own? Covertec�s oddly shaped Horizontal Pouch case for the Treos lets you indulge your wildest color dream, not to say fetish, while protecting your phone from harm.

Take the baby blue one, for example. I did. That�s the one under review here.

Covertec supplies the case in a fashion designer�s dream palette: A masculine tan, and a radiant red, plus snow white, baby pink, orange, raspberry, baby green and blue lagoon, not to mention plain ol� black. It�s enough to make you want to prance right out to the runway and dodge the 747�s. Okay, wrong runway.

All the colors have the same color stitching, beige. Their flaps� undersides are the same ivory leather, and all of them are lined with the same non-scratchy, manmade (i.e., not leather) material. Black.

Overall, the case�s quality of construction is impeccable. It�s beautifully made of quality materials. The fine Nappa leathers on the outside are renowned for their soft, luxurious feel. The leather�s corners are serrated on the inside to make the turn - not as attractive as the rest of the case, although the company might claim it�s a design feature. Some delicate tucking and folding would be needed to hide it, but I�d rather not see it. Its ragged appearance is out of context with the rest of the case�s great looks, fit, and finish.

Usability

The horizontal case comes with an integral spring clip that�s upholstered in matching color leather. The clip is a teensy bit frustrating to use in a hurry, because its bottom edge is open to the air. Without looking at it, or feeling around carefully, the dual slots to slide your belt into confuse the issue of where the spring�s jaws really are.

The clip is quite sturdy, but it�s not a �snap� to use. Pretty as it is, being leather covered all around, the clip would be more easily usable if its back edge were flat against the case�s wall, leaving only the spring clip to accept belts, clothing, or whathaveyou.

The phone nests securely in the case. A two-tone leather covered strap holds it in place with a magnetic catch.

Protection

Covertec doesn�t keep the Treo entirely covered. The case includes a gracefully arched opening at the bottom, so your fingers can nudge the phone upwards to retrieve it for phone calls. Moreover, the top edge stays open, except where the holding strap crosses. Forget any protection from rain. Move the Treo to a pocket, or put up your umbrella.

The padded sides of the case will fend off flying objects in style, and the sturdy leather will resist most of what you�d expect the gremlins to dish out, including scratches (I tried) and gravy. You�re on your own for the gravy - I�m still dieting. In a drop, the pouch�s curiously shaped ends would act as excellent shock absorbing bumpers, but don�t look at me to test Treo drops anymore. I�ve sworn off.

The way the ends are made, stitched together without any gusset, makes the Covertec large, certainly bigger than other pouch cases. The resulting shape looks as though the case were intended for a miniature bicycle instead of a smartphone. The problem isn�t the shape, which is designer-ly nice, but the size. The Covertec pouch-bound Treo takes up a lot of space stuffed in a pocket. Of course, the intent is to clip it to belt or clothing, anyway, not stuff it in a pocket.

My baby blue model didn�t waste any time picking up some dirt. I wasted a lot of time procrastinating cleaning it, but that wasn�t difficult. Took much longer to procrastinate than to do. A few drops of dishwashing liquid (Original Scent Dawn, if you must know) on a paper towel and whisk! Clean as the day I got it. The stitching isn�t all that cleanable, so once you spill green paint on it, it�s green for the duration.

The Covertec pouch comes in a tasteful box, not a plastic bubble. Nice touch. A color printed band promotes the case for Treo 650 and 700. I tried it with my 650 and both of my 700�s (p and w). It fit all of them snugly. You don�t want a phone rattling around in a case that�s too big, as it might abrade, or even gather enough momentum to go flying. Covertec has that angle well covered.

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