iLounge

Company: JAVOedge

Website: www.JAVOedge.com

Model: Leather Side Pouch

Price: $25

Compatible: iPhone 3G

JAVOedge Leather Side Pouch for iPhone 3G

By Jeremy Horwitz

Editor-in-Chief, iLounge
Published: Monday, August 25, 2008
Category: Cases - iPhone 3G / 3GS

Over the last week, we've been checking out seven different leather iPhone 3G cases, almost all of them highly familiar based on earlier versions we've seen for the original iPhone. We're giving each only a brief review, with a short description and opinions below. This review covers JAVOedge's Leather Side Pouch for iPhone 3G ($25).

We’ve never quite grasped the appeal of the sunglass case-style holsters that were released for the original iPhone, and the Leather Side Pouch is just another one of those cases—like the DLO HipCase, Incipio Ranger, Marware C.E.O. Premiere, and others, the idea is that you have a place on your belt to drop and retrieve your iPhone 3G at will, with a magnet-clasped top holding the device inside. Open the top and you can pull out the iPhone 3G; just hope that it doesn’t accidentally slip out of your hands and fall to the floor.

JAVOedge’s design uses black leather with an olive nylon center stripe, a metal JAVOedge logo on the front, and a 180-degree ratcheting, non-detachable rear belt clip, all of the components about par for the $25 asking price, and not quite as nice as the more expensive DLO offering. Here, the bottom speakerphone mic and speaker, as well as the headphone port, are left open on the sides of the case for easy access. And notably, Leather Side Pouch uses magnets to hold its front flap closed, which we’ve heard is not recommended by Apple for iPhone 3G cases.

Our only other comments on this case are that the aesthetics and build quality aren’t especially impressive, a problem we’ve noted with many JAVOedge products; there were stray strings hanging down from one of this case’s openings, the magnet inside the case’s flap bulges out, and the overall look of the integrated olive and black parts is only okay. On the flip side, the ratcheting belt clip is actually a good part, and assuming you’re not concerned about whatever mystery effect the magnet may have on your iPhone 3G, the case does a fine job with the device inside. We consider this an OK case for fans of the design who are on a budget, but we’d look elsewhere for something really nice.