Review: Smartphone Experts TopPouch Case
The choice of a case is about as unique as the Windows phone itself. Some prefer horizontal cases, some side cases, some hard cases, and some just prefer skins. For the vertical case crowd, Smartphone Experts offers the TopPouch Case for a wide variety of Windows phones, and we recently took one out for a test drive with the AT&T Tilt2 (a.k.a. Touch Pro 2).
Follow the break to read about our impressions on this case.
Design
Not much to say here. The SPE TopPouch Case is your typical vertical pouch-styled case. The case is made of leather and lined with a soft, felt-like fabric. The sides of the case are partially constructed with a stretchy elastic fabric to help the case accommodate different thicknesses.
A leather flap helps secure the phone in place by a magnetic closure. The lined flap itself extends, again to accommodate different phones. To the back of the case you'll find a leather wrapped belt hook that holds the case nicely in place on your belt. Stitching was solid with no loose or frazzled seams present.
Fit and Feel
The Tilt2 fit snuggly in the SPE TopPouch Case, and you'll need to fully extend the flap. The leather on the flap is a little on the stiff side at first, so it will take some use before it relaxes. If I had to find something to complain about with the fit, it would be that the Tilt2 rode a little high in the case. I would have preferred that the phone sat lower to offer more front protection by the case.
The front of the case has a moderate amount of padding that protects your Windows phone nicely from accidental bumps and bangs. The case rode well on the belt with no wiggle or play in the clip. Getting the Tilt2 in and out of the case effortless. The snug fit helped keep the phone securely in place but not hinder placing or removing the phone.
Overall Impressions
The SPE TopPouch Case is a good choice if you're inclined to prefer vertical carry over a horizontal ride. It offered a moderate protection for the phone, was comfortable on the hip and construction was solid.
Compared to other vertical cases for the AT&T Tilt2/Touch Pro 2, the SPE isn't as boxy as the Covertec or the Sena Vertical Pouch. The Sena does offer a touch more coverage/protection though.
With regards to how the magnetic closure effects the Tilt2, there were occasions when I removed the Tilt2 from the case the magnet woke up the screen. I did not experience the screen waking up when placing the Tilt2 in the case or while the Windows Phone was in the case. For those not familiar with this issue, the Touch Pro 2/Tilt2 has a magnetic switch that turns on the screen when you remove the stylus. Some cases with magnetic closures will activate this switch when they come in contact with the phone's USB port.
The SPE TopPouch Case comes in saddle brown, black, cream and red leather. If vertical cases are your style, the SPE TopPouch Case is worth consideration.
