I recently took a look the Smartphone Experts ClearCase [ Review | Buy ], which is a stylish, protective case for your Treo without the rubbery feel that most skin cases have.
The CrystalCase is very similar to the ClearCase but doesn't have all of the same features. Is the CrystalCase still a good fit for you?
Features
The CrystalCase is comprised of two crystal clear (unless you get the smoke color model) plastic halves. Lay the Treo in the bottom half and then lineup the four tabs into place. The tabs don't make much of a sound and are very, very small, so I wasn't sure I did it right the first time. Just remember that the tabs are on the bottom half of the CrystalCase so put the top half underneath those tabs.
After you think you have the CrystalCase together, check for gaps. Because of the Treo's volume controls, The top-left corner of the case may have a bit of a gap. There's not much you can do about it, but the other three tabs seemed to hold together well enough so that I didn't worry about the CrystalCase coming apart. You get the hang of it after a while.
All of the Treo's main functions are accessible. Only the SIM slot on GSM Treos is covered, and that's not something you're going to need to get to very often anyway. I do wish the back half of the case had a hole or a cutout for the Treo's reset button for those of us that have the Seidio Battery Cover. If you're handy with your Black and Decker, put your Treo in the Crystal Case, mark the position of the Seidio battery door's hole with a Sharpie, take out the Treo, and drill a hole in the case yourself.
Usability
I was really impressed by how light and unobtrusive the CrystalCase is. Once the Treo's inside, you completely forget about the case. The plastic is very smooth; you can easily slide the CrystalCase in and out of a jacket or pants pocket. The CrystalCase barely weighs half an ounce, which is great for users that haven't joined the headset revolution and are going to hold the Treo against their face.
It's worth noting that the CrystalCase has no beltclip or lanyard loop; it is designed for those who want to carry the Treo in a pocket or purse. You can, however, use it with the Seidio Skinned Shield Holster [ Review | Buy ]. If you have any reason to suspect that you will want to wear the Treo at your side, get the ClearCase instead since it comes with a beltclip attachment.
The CrystalCase also lacks an SD card holder like the ClearCase has, but you won't really miss it since the holder on the ClearCase is so poorly-designed. There's also no flip lid screen protector.
Like its sibling, the CrystalCase fits and docks perfectly into the Seidio INNODock Cradle [ Review | Buy ] without having to remove the Treo from the case.
Conclusion >>
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