Piel Frama Leather Case for the Treo 680 & 750

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Piel Frama Leather Case for the Treo 680 & 750

Posted by Sion Phillips on May 4, 2007 03:56 AM

Treo accessories reviews

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Sometimes you get the feeling you're getting a high quality item as soon as you see its packaging. That's exactly how I felt when I saw the sturdy gold embossed box that contained this Piel Frama leather case.

This impression was maintained when I opened up the box and emptied out the contents:

Leather case
Belt clip
Removable knob to connect the case to the clip
Tool to remove the knob
Three buttons to blank the hole when the knob is removed.

The case is made from soft, high quality leather and looks very well made. All the component parts are securely stitched together, and look like they'll last forever. As you would expect, the case has cut outs to allow easy access to the ports on the bottom of the Treo and to allow full use of the camera, rear speaker, and side buttons. Unlike some cases this one has nothing covering the keyboard or screen

As the case is specifically designed for the Treo 680/750 it fits the device snugly. With the belt clip knob removed the case is relatively slim, adding little extra bulk or weight. Putting the belt clip on is very easy: it is just a matter a popping the plastic button out of the case and screwing the belt clip knob into the hole using the supplied tool. With the knob in place you can slide the case in and out of the belt clip using the button on the top of the clip.

I don't routinely use a belt clip so at first I felt slightly insecure with my Treo on my belt, but after a few days I got used to wearing it. In the week or so that I wore the Treo on the belt clip I never had any issues with the belt clip slipping or the case unexpectedly falling off of the belt clip. The clip is a non-locking swivel type, so you can wear it at whatever angle is comfortable to you.

The case has two spaces to hold spare SD cards and a slot to hold a few business cards. The business card slot is quite narrow and can not hold cards wider than about 50mm. There is a relatively strong magnet to hold the case shut. This system works well and seems as secure as comparable cases that use clasps. However, this does mean that you should not store any cards with magnetic strips in the business card slot.

With the case closed I sometimes found that my Treo moved slightly, when this happened the leather band below the screen had a tendency to partially cover the top of the 5 way nav-pad and the red/green buttons. This could be an issue if you quickly opened the case to answer a phone call and found there was a band of leather where you expected the button you wanted to press to answer the call.

Piel Frama offer the case in six colors. In theory, this means you can get a case that will compliment your Treo, whatever colour it is. This also means that if you have a poor sense of color you could create a truly awful clash of colors between the case and Treo.

If you are feeling indulgent you can splash out and buy a version made from Ostrich skin or a cow skin-crocodile version or you can buy a leather care set, containing creams, a brush and cloth to maintain the leather in tip top condition.

This is a very well made, high quality case that will provide years of protection for your Treo. The colorful nature of the cases parallels the colorful nature of the Treo 680 and makes a welcome change from the mass of dull black cases on the market.

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View all Treo 680 cases in the Treo Store

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Comments

May 4, 2007 11:58 AM {#}

alvinhong says:

I have a black Piel case for my Treo 650. It is indeed beautifully made. After one year in my trousers pocket (I don't use a belt clip), it still looks great. And it has protected my screen. The hinge on the top makes it very easy to use, and the magnetic clip works fine.

May 4, 2007 04:46 PM {#}

ForwardLooking says:

I have this case for the 680; it is indeed nice looking and well-made; more "management" than "engineer".

However - the case does not quite fit my 680 properly; the Treo cannot slide in far enough for the keyboard cutout to allow proper access to the "answer" and "hang up" buttons. I wind up pressing them right "through" the little leather strip that's supposed to separate the keyboard area from the screen.

More minor quibbles:

Although the flap is reinforced with some kind of stiffener, it won't prevent you from inadvertently pressing keys, either when the treo is in a bag / your pocket or, especially, when you're trying to open it in a hurry to take a call. Coupled with the 680's misdesigned keyguard app, this can lead to missed calls.

Also, be careful when using your treo when it's in this case - there's not enough friction to keep the device from sliding out if you tip it backwards.

All in all, though, coupled with the plastic screen overlay that came with the 680, this case protects the Treo well, and looks very nice.

May 5, 2007 02:28 AM {#}

cryptolakeman says:

I bought this case for the 600 at least 2 years ago just retired it...very well made case if the most important reason is protection.. takes getting adjusted to using it. agree with other user as to the leather that separates the keyboard from screen.. I finally attached small velcro to keep the case in proper position... very durable...served me well as a 1700 min a month user.. main use protector looks second and good looking as well

May 6, 2007 02:56 AM {#}

trger says:

I bought this case when I got my Treo 680. Most annoying factor is leather strap that separates the keyboard from screen.

Finally I did a few modifications to enhance it :
- cut out the leather strap separationg kb from screen & replaced it with a fine hair band;
- cut out about 2/3 (from the bottom) of the transparent cover of volume buttons, to let me have a better feel of the buttons;
- I removed the SD holder (outer holder) as it was inadvertently pressing on the red button.

I believe for the price I paid for this case, the manufacturer/designer should have this issues resolved prior to putting it on sale.

May 12, 2007 02:03 AM {#}

amjspam says:

I just got this case about 2 weeks ago... a little pricey, but well worth it I think. I agree with some of the comments but really have no major complaints. I love that I could pop the belt clip button off as I'm a pocket kind of guy and I've always hated that button on other cases. I love having my 3 SD cards handy... 1 in the phone and 2 in the flap. I also got the Seidio extended battery with the larger back cover and it fits just fine, though the camera doesn't see through the hole with the new fat cover... with the regular cover though, the camera works fine through the case. You can't put much in the flap compartment... maybe a business card... I just put a piece of paper with my info on it in case I lose it and someone honest finds it. I like the magneteic flap though sometimes coins get stuck to it and fling off when I pull the phone out of my pocket... And getting use to the open flap hanging over your hand when on the phone takes a bit of time. I think the only caution I would forward on is that I have found that buttons do get bumped and people have gotten a few texts from me saying "lgfdjhsdlfhgsldkjls"... I've been through a lot of cases and have been dissapointed so I figured I'd spend a few bucks and so far, I have been very satisfied with this one. Go for it.

May 31, 2007 07:50 AM {#}

dennis jacobson says:

so far so good ! battling a bit though ! what is the best case/protection for my 680 ? must be easy to carry & easy to use basic functions

May 31, 2007 07:52 AM {#}

dennis jacobson says:

so far so good ! battling a bit though ! what is the best case/protection for my 680 ? must be easy to carry & easy to use basic functions

May 31, 2007 12:44 PM {#}

MarisW says:

I recently purchased this case in red for my crimson Treo680, and while it is beautiful, the strap between the keyboard and screen is annoying. It indeed covers the on/off buttons. I have learned to "crook my thumb" so my fingernail can reach the red button, but for the price of the case, and the quality they claim, I am disappointed in the fit.

For my TungstenC, I used a Vaja case that did not have any strap between keyboard and screen. However, comparing the two, I see the Vaja case wrapped around the body of the TC, whereas this case does not, so there would be nothing holding the Treo in the case if the strap were removed.

It's a shame, because otherwise it is a beauty.