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Leather cases are popular with smartphone owners. They're stylish, protective, and available everywhere. But they're also often bulky, uncomfortable to use, and somewhat useless beyond their basic protective function. For these reasons, I've always preferred skin cases.
But every now and again, a leather case arrives that's a standout from the herd, and this is the case (forgive the pun) with the Sena WalletSlim for the iPhone 4.
The Sena WalletSlim is different for a couple of reasons, both good, and manages to be different without sacrificing the stylishness that has made leather cases a hit with so many users. All of this adds up to a very nice choice for fans of leather and sleekness, with a bit of utility thrown in.
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Overview
The Sena WalletSlim is a beautifully crafted, form-fitted leather case for the iPhone 4 smartphone. The Italian Napa leather is available in a range of colors including black (seen above), red, and green, and in a couple of textures, crocodile and smooth.
What makes the WalletSlim so impressive is its size. It adds very little bulk to the iPhone at all, and practically no weight. There's a rigid backpiece that holds the case's shape, a more flexible harness that goes around the iPhone's edges and parts of its face, and a snap closure to keep the phone in place. Fans of minimalist cases will be pleased.
There are cut outs for the two volume buttons, the mic, speaker and Dock Connector, and 3.5mm audio jack. The earpiece, front-facing camera and light sensor are also exposed. The top of the WalletSlim is open for the Hold button, fear camera and LED flash.
In the rear there are also two credit card sized pockets (seen right) which you can use to store credit cards, IDs and other small, flat items. The snap closure also covers these pockets, so you won't have to worry about them falling out. |
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Using the Sena WalletSlim
Because it's so slim, the WalletSlim great for phone pocketers. There is no belt clip mechanism, which may be a turnoff to some, but I prefer to carry a phone in my pocket, and the lack of a clip or clip attachment makes the case's backpiece smooth and easy to insert and remove. And the case is comfortable to hold, more so than many leather cases, with no flaps to maneuver out of the way or metal attachments or clips poking your palm.
If you're like me, all you need with you most of the time is a debit card and your drivers licence. The WalletSlim can handle both, and even if you only require these two items some of the time, on those occasions you can leave a large wallet or billfold behind.
All of the major iPhone controls are easy to reach and use, with the exception of the volume buttons; they take a bit more pressure to activate because of their limited protrusion from the iPhone's chassis and the leather's thickness. The 3.5mm audio jack cutout is large enough to handle even large plugs found on some headphones, headsets and earbuds.
One significant downside to the WalletSlim, however, is that its rigid backpiece makes using the iPhone 4 in a dock - sync, speaker, or otherwise - impossible without removing the case. I tried four different docks, and the case prevented the iPhone from marrying to the Dock Connector with each.
Conclusion
If you love the look and feel of leather, but hate the bulk, clips and flaps that so often come as part of the deal, the WalletSlim is an excellent choice. Those who need to clip their phone to a belt or who often use docks or speakers with their iPhone will want to look elsewhere, but the Sena WalletSlim is probably the best leather iPhone case I've ever tested.
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