Review: Monaco Rubber Trim Case for Cingular 3125
While the Cingular/AT&T 3125 (HTC StarTrek) may not be the newest or most feature-packed Smartphone on the market, it does have something of a cult following. Many of the people that I’ve met that have one actually wanted to buy a second one to have when their first bit the dust.
If you are one of those people who have an emotional attachment to your 3125, or you just use one…read on for a review of the Monaco Rubber Trim Case ($7.95)
First Thoughts
The first thing I thought of when I saw the Monaco Rubber Trim Case for the 3125 was how much it looks like one of the Body Glove Scuba cases (which is a good thing). The clear window over both screens and the keypad in addition to the black rubberized look and feel in general is pretty typical of what you would find on a Body glove case.
Use and Feel
The case wraps around the hinge and covers the entire phone. The inside and outside screens are both covered in a clear window, protecting them from scratches. The camera is not covered, which is a good thing. The Earphone/Sync/Power connector is easily accessible while the case is on. It does add quite a bit of bulk to the phone, but it isn’t a big deal if you’re carrying the phone on your belt. My one complaint is that the belt clip can be a little hard to get off, due to the protrusion at the bottom of the clip. This prevents the phone from coming off accidentally (if you are running, or hanging upside down…?), but also makes it hard to separate yourself from your phone.
Quality
This case has a very nice feel to it. The belt clip system is one of the better implemented clips that I’ve seen. On some cases that I’ve had in the past, the weak link was the stud that goes in to the actual clip. In this case there is no danger of the stud being separated from the case itself. Once attached to the clip, the phone is on an incremented swivel, meaning it can swivel a full 360 degrees in 45 degree increments (so whether you want the phone to sit vertically or horizontally on your hip, either is possible).
Look
The case comes in black, which looks very professional; and pink which is…pink.
Conclusion
The Monaco Rubber Trim Case is one of the better cases in terms of quality that I have ever used, particularly for a flip phone. It does add quite a bit of bulk to one of the smallest Windows Mobile phones on the market. It looks stylish and professional, and protects both screens while not hindering its use.
