Noreve Leather Case for the Cowon S9. My Review.

While my Cowon S9 is so good looking that it is something you want to show off naked, I need something with a belt clip to take it safely along with me. Noreve was fairly quick after the S9's release to come out with a beautiful leather case for it. I was a bit surprised when mine arrived that it didn't close with a snap. This case has magnets embedded in the cover and a metal plate in the body. It closes securely and doesn't come open on it's own or even when shaken vigorously. Fit is snug, yet the S9 slides in and out easily. It's a good thing, since to charge or sync the S9 it will have to come out of the case.

The S9 is well protected, yet the power, volume +/-, and headphone jack are all accessible with the cover closed. There is an opening on the back for the microphone and reset hole. Track and play buttons on the top are covered, but can be pressed through the leather. Noreve included a small screwdriver that made it easy to install the belt clip mount. If you don't need the belt clip there is a smooth decorative screw to cover the threaded mounting point.

I'm not sure if cows are demanding more pay, or getting more rare, but this case is one of Noreve's priciest at over $50. You can get a case from Jetmall for a little more than half what the Noreve case costs, but it won't be as nice. You'll need an appreciation for the Red color too. I think Noreve's case for the S9 is worth it's cost. You won't find a better case anywhere.

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Noreve Case for the iRiver SPINN

Noreve comes through again with a well crafted leather case that fits and protects perfectly my iRiver SPINN. All controls and the USB port are accessible with the case closed. There is even a small hole for access to reset. The leather is high quality and the stitching is excellent. It comes with Noreve's standard but well engineered belt clip and a screwdriver to install it with.

Noreve's cases are pricey, but you won't find a better quality case out there. You can get yours in a wide range of colors, although you might have to wait a few weeks if they don't have the color you want in stock. I recommend them and have several within my collection of devices. You won't go wrong with Noreve's Tradition leather Case for the iRiver SPINN.

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Noreve Case for the Samsung T10. My Review.

NoreveUSA.com does an excellent job of providing high quality cases for all sorts of devices. A great example is this case for the little Samsung T10 media player. With a snap closure and optional belt clip, the Noreve case for the Samsung T10 matches the classy look of the T10 and provides a padded and secure hold. When open you have an unobstructed view of the screen and easy access to the touch sensitive buttons on the T10. There is a cutout on the right side for the power/hold switch. You'll also find easy access to the headphone jack on the bottom. The data port is covered when the case is snapped shut, but readily accessed with the case open. Excellent stitching joins the leather exterior to the fabric interior of this case. The cover has some padding in between, and there is a stiff panel in the back plane to which the belt clip post and closure snap are mounted. Fit is perfect. The T10 is tightly held, and there is no slop in the cover or closure tab. There's not much more to it. Noreve cases are expensive, but well worth it in my opinion. This case for the Samsung T10 is a great example.

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Noreve Case for the Samsung Instinct. My Review

The most frustrating thing about being an early adopter is the lack of accessories for new devices. This was true when I picked up my Samsung Instinct on the day it was first released. It came with a cheap slipcase, but I prefer carrying my phone on my belt. It took awhile but eventually Noreve.com came up with a case and I couldn't resist. You can get Noreve's Instinct case in several colors, although you may have to wait a few weeks for the less common ones. For $10 more you can get it in a Dark, Passion, or Sandy Vintage leather. I didn't buy the case without knowing what I was getting. I've already got a Noreve case for my Samsung P2 and I picked up one for my wife's iPod Touch as well. I knew I could expect great quality.

I wasn't disappointed. The case arrived via Postal Mail today, well packaged and with no damage. It holds the Instinct snugly, and has openings for the microphone and speaker as well as all the external buttons.

The case came with an optional belt clip. A small screwdriver was included to facilitate installing the notched metal post you see above. The clip slides on securely and is still easy to release when you need to.

The case closes with a metal snap. The cover nicely articulates to make it easy to hold when open and talking on the phone.

The Instinct uses MicroSD cards, and the cover has pockets for two of them. The only thing not accounted for is the stylus that comes with the Instinct. The original slip case has a pocket for the stylus. As I grew used to the Instinct I found I used it less and less. I doubt I'll miss having it with me when I use the Noreve case. Still it is something you should consider if you depend on the stylus.

I can't find any defects or loose threads on the case. My phone feels well protected inside it. At this point I have to recommend the case highly. While they are expensive, Noreve often has 10% or 15% discount codes you can use on your purchase. If you need a case for your Instinct, then this is probably the best you'll find.

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Eco-nique Case for the Samsung P2. My Review

I just received my Eco-nique case from I-nique.com via Amazon.com. It arrived via Royal Mail (Air Mail) all the way from HERE. It was ordered October 19, 2008 and arrived 6 days later on October 25, 2008. Decent service.

This case for the Samsung P2 weighs 2.0 ounces (57 grams) with belt clip and 1.3 ounces (36 grams) without it. It's the heaviest case I've evaluated so far, but not by much. For comparison the Noreve case weighs 1.7 ounces (47 grams) with belt clip and 1.3 ounces (38 grams) without. The Kroo case weighs 1.4 ounces (40 grams) with it's non-removable belt clip.

The eco-nique case has a green stripe around all the exposed edges of the leather. It appears to be painted on, and on my case rather poorly. It does serve a purpose though. Being something other than typical black it draws attention to itself, and possesses the ability to spark a conversation or discussion of it's "green" pedigree:

For more detail visit: www.climatecare.org/projects/countries/.

My P2 fits snugly in the eco-nique case. My inexpensive Kroo case allows the P2 to slide up when you try to insert headphone or data cables. The eco-nique's grip is much appreciated. There are cutouts for buttons on both sides, and the headphone and data ports are exposed on the bottom. I had no trouble getting the data cable to engage, but the leather protrudes beyond the bottom edge of the P2 making it impossible to insert any headphone cable that isn't very small. My Samsung ear buds would fit (barely), but any of the larger cable ends of my higher end earphones would not insert all the way.

The lid stays closed with four magnets. I have a griffin case for my iPod Touch that also uses magnets for closure, and it tends to pop open. The smaller eco-nique case for the Samsung P2 hopefully will stay closed more reliably. I like the simplicity, but have not learned to trust magnet closures yet. With it's rear snap closure, the Noreve case has to be taken off my belt to unsnap and reveal the touchscreen. The Kroo case unsnaps from the front, and is only a little more cumbersome than the eco-nique case to use while still on my belt.

The belt clip that came with this eco-nique case is a huge lump of plastic. At 13/16" thick it also stands my P2 a full 7/8" out from my belt. On one hand it is easy to access and doesn't get covered by shirt or jacket. On the other hand it's out there more exposed than makes me comfortable. It seems likely to snag on something I'll pass in tight spaces. This aspect of the eco-nique case could use some re-engineering and refinement.

One nice aspect of this case is that the flexibility of the closure flap allows it to serve as a useful stand prop in both horizontal and vertical positions.

Conclusion? I'm not sure this case is worth the roughly $40 I paid for it unless you consider that part of that cost is going toward eco-friendly causes. The huge belt clip, roughly painted green edging, and tight headphone jack tolerance are three negative issues. On the positive side, this eco-nique case is a good fit, with good seams and appears to be made with high quality leather. I'll give it a "B" grade, but mainly because my wife is a fan of the green color and eco-pedigree.

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Samsung P2 Cases

One of the first things I recommend to new owners of portable devices is that they get a case for it. When the Samsung P2 first came out there was only one case for it that I knew of, the DLO Action Jacket. I started with this case, but quickly became annoyed with it because the plastic screen cover became cloudy and scratched up. I like the option of using it's rotating belt clip or arm band. Very expensive. I'll let you judge for yourself. It's available at Best Buy.

There are three main types of cases, and I picked up one of each. First is the Noreve leather case.

Noreve cases are extremely well made. The stitching is well done. The case fits very well, and has necessary cutouts for the P2's controls. It comes with a well engineered and removable belt clip. The case closes with a snap. The same snap comes in handy with the case open. You can reverse the snap strap with the case open to make a nice handle to slip your hand through.

Eforcity.com sells very inexpensive plastic (crystal) and silicone cases for the P2. The clear crystal case the sell is a perfect fit for the P2. It snaps over the P2 securely. Necessary cutouts for the screen and controls are provided. It came with a white plastic belt clip which I'm not that impressed with, but it did succeed in keeping my P2 securely hooked to my belt for a day.



The last case I'll show is another from eforcity. The black silicone case for the P2 endows the rather slippery P2 with enough texture to hold onto securely. The seam on my case needs a little trimming, for from the factory it has a rough ridge between front and back halves. It came with the same white plastic belt clip as the crystal case, and also has two slots in the back you can slip a belt through. I find the case most handy when I want to slip the P2 in a pocket. The added friction of silicone keeps the P2 in place.

Thanks to being able to choose the right case for any excursion I might take with my P2, it remains scratch free and brand new looking.

My advice? Get a case. Get a case. Get a case!