iLounge

Company: Targus

Website: www.Targus.com

Model: Flip Case for iPod

Price: $29.99

Compatible: iPod 3G/4G/color/photo

Targus Flip Case for iPod

By Jeremy Horwitz

Editor-in-Chief, iLounge
Published: Friday, August 19, 2005
Category: Cases - iPod 4G/HP/U2 & photo (with Click Wheel)

Pros: Unique metal-reinforced leather case for the iPod with belt-friendly flip-open design, strong integrated belt clip, nice looking and feeling leather. Easy to open and put your iPod in; good concept on protectiveness. Includes an iPod screen protector.

Cons: Bottom corners and top of iPod are exposed. Belt clip can’t be detached.

A couple of weeks ago, we looked at two black leather iPod mini cases from Targus; today, we look at the full-sized iPod versions of both cases, concluding with the Flip Case ($29.99). We update the text of our earlier iPod mini review only to note the differences between different product sizes and fits, which for this case are a bit more significant than for the Slide Case (iLounge rating: B+).

The Flip Case ($29.99) is a single piece of black leather that has been reinforced with metal and internally padded with soft, velvety fabric to prevent scratches to your iPod. Two sizes are available for full-sized iPods: “small” and “medium,” each tailored to different iPod models. Small cases fit all past and current iPods and iPod photos 30GB or lower in capacity except for the third-generation 30GB iPod, while medium cases fit all past and current iPods and iPod photos 40GB or higher in capacity, plus the third-generation 30GB iPod. An clear plastic adhesive screen protector is also included as an extra bonus.

You insert your iPod into the side of the Flip Case with four total U-shaped tongs that grab and hold the iPod in place. Interestingly, this is the case’s “front” side - the “back” has two more tongs that fit in-between the front’s four, closing the front and back together while protecting most of the iPod’s sides. The back side includes a sturdy, leather covered metal belt clip that cannot be removed. Both sides are joined by a soft leather bottom part that has a reasonably-sized hole for the Dock Connector, and is more protective of the iPod’s bottom than the open area on Targus’s Slide Case

Targus designed the case so that the belt clip half would remain on your belt, while the other half would open up upside down, exposing the iPod’s screen and Click Wheel for easy access. The tongs system works well to accomplish that goal, not scratching or scuffing the iPod’s body in any way, but also gripping it quite well when closed.

The full-sized version of the Flip Case is actually a bit more protective than its iPod mini equivalent. While both cases leave thin slits exposed on their sides, the iPod mini is more exposed than the full-sized iPod, and few people will mind the hairline exposure on the larger cases. Unfortunately, both cases leave holes in their bottom corners that could have been prevented by using slightly larger bottom tongs, and the the top of the iPod is almost entirely exposed, as well.

Because the case’s large, nicely made belt clip is non-detachable, and because the partially open bottom and top design is so tailored to belt use, this isn’t a case that you’ll want to toss in a bag. A few little tweaks to the design could have earned the Flip Case a significantly higher rating, but as it is, it’s quite good, only slightly shy of great. If you’re looking for a belt-worthy accessory that looks nice, Targus’s Flip Case for iPod is worth checking out.