Cingular 3125 (Qtek 8500, i-mate Smartflip, Dopod s300, HTC StarTrek) CaseBy KrusellMGN Rating - Rating Legend
1 star: Find something else; save your money
2 star: Below average; not recommended
3 star: Average; performs as advertised but not inspiring
4 star: Good; worth the money
5 star: Great; best of its kind on the marketReview by GrYph0nReview Date / November 12th, 2006I received my Krusell Cingular 3125 case a few weeks ago, and I decided to put it through the rigors of being in the pocket of a U.S. Marine in my daily duties.
The
packaging was impressive as it could be.
Now, we all know that you can't judge the quality of a product on the package that it comes in, so lets talk about the quality and look at some pictures I have taken.
The Low Down
This is not the first Krusell case that I have owned, but it does impress me the most. Granted this is the first case for the 3125 that I have used, but knowing the quality of the Krusell name and the the lack of other reputable case makers in the game, I decided to go with this one. When I first put my phone in this case, it was a VERY tight fit, and took a little work to get it in there with everything lined up, keep in mind that this case was originally designed for the regular StarTrek line, but as you will see, it works perfectly with the Cingular 3125. With a little work and patients it all worked out great. The elastic band worked great ensuring that there is no excessive material at the hinge when the phone is open. The case has a clear plastic that sticks to the external screen adding protection, and with the screen is lit up, it is completely visible.
Now that you see it, lets discuss the leather. Granted I am no leather expert, but I have had several quality cases. Now as it applies to this particular case, this ranks about #2 in quality. Keep in mind that is #2 out of all the cases I have used for all the various phones I have had over the years, so in all actuality that is saying a lot.
Now before I get into any more pictures, I would like to add that these were taken within the first few days of having the case. The case is much more "broken in" allowing for everything to be lined up perfectly as it should be.
Lets look at the inside of the phone when it is open so we know what to expect there.
As you can see, the number pad is covered by the same plastic "rubberish" material that protects the external screen and buttons. The same is for the top of the phone where the ear piece is. You can clearly see that there are cutouts for the ear piece on the top, as well as the light sensor and the mic on the bottom. That pretty much covers the inside.
Lets progress to the part you really want to see, the side view. Come on, you wouldn't own this phone unless you were concerned with added bulk, and I must admit that this doesn't add as much as I originally expected. Lets take a look.
These profile pics are taken without any type of belt clips on (we will cover that in just a little bit). As you can see, it doesn't add that much bulk to the phone at all, except where the multidapt is, which is over the "bulge" of the extended battery on the 3125's. Otherwise you can see that it maintains the thinness. Now you may be wondering what the red lines are. Those are simply to show what parts of the side aren't covered by any part of the case. The bottom is covered with a cutout for the "micro"usb port.
Now lets take a look at the back of the phone.
The back is pretty well protected. I am sure those of you that have never used a Krusell case are wondering what the Multidapt is. Simply put, it allows you to add different clips to the case, or go with none at all. Here are some pics of the multidapt clips I have, the regular, and the swivel clip.
The one on the left is the one that comes with the case, it is your typical belt clip. The one on the right is a swivel clip that does just that, it swivels. Personally I prefer the one that came with the case when I am using anything at all, but typically the phone is just in my pocket with no clips at all.
Over all, as you can tell, I am pretty impressed with this particular case. Just to give you a better idea, I have mild OCD with the way things are in certain pockets (i.e. keys in the right pocket, money/change/cigarettes and lighter in left). Now to add that, I prefer to have my phone on my right side, but usually can't wear it on my belt (Military Uniform and all). Until I got this case my world was upside down with a new "pocket structure". Now that I have it, I just keep my phone in there with my keys, without giving it a second thought because I know it is protected. Bottom line, Do I think this is a worthy investment if you don't have a case? It is for me