The Seidio FlexArmor for Treo Pro ($19.95), available here at the TreoCentral store, is a flexible, form-fitting, protective case for your Palm Treo Pro. It is designed to protect your Treo Pro from bumps, scrapes and other trauma that could befall your smartphone while still giving you full access to the lustrous touchscreen and everything else. How does it perform as a skin case for your Treo Pro? Read on for the full review!
First Impressions
Seidio's FlexArmor case is made of soft black silicone that is easy to apply to your Treo Pro. The Treo Pro is a beautiful smartphone, but its black shiny surface material is slippery like a high-tech bar of soap. I admit that this may be an exaggeration, but having a skin case like the FlexArmor adds some nice "grippiness" to the Pro that instills confidence that your expensive smartphone will more easily stay in your hand.
The case protects the edges of the Treo Pro all the way around, yet allows full access to the touchscreen, keyboard, and 5-way navigator. Cutouts on the case give access to the camera on the back, the speaker, microphone, stylus, WiFi button, ringer switch, stylus, headphone jack, and mini-USB port. The power button, volume buttons and side button are enclosed, but have a slightly raised rubber surface to guide your fingertips to them.
Performance
Note: Had some lighting problems so the FlexArmor case appears to be silver in the following photos. ;-)
Slipping my Treo Pro into the Seidio FlexArmor case is about the easiest time I've had putting my smartphone in a case. The rubber is soft and pliable, yet provides tough protection where it counts - around the edges, along the back of the phone, and provides a couple millimeters worth of "bumper" protection on the front. I am able to access all the features and functions of my Treo Pro, including the keyboard. I did notice some slight difficulty when typing on the keyboard buttons close to the edges of the case. The case edges are just high enough that you have to be more conscious of your typing. Also, the stylus and ringer switch are hard to reach with big fingers because they are recessed just enough to be a little difficult to reach for those with gorilla hands.
The convenience of installing the case is also a weakness - the case material is soft enough that there is a bit of "play" between the case and the Treo Pro. I like a soft case to fit snugly and allow no wiggle-room, but the Seidio FlexArmor case fits loosely on the sides. The top and bottom of the case fits snugly, but the sides are very malleable and detract somewhat from the overall protection this case provides. However, this also means the case is easier to remove than many others, allowing easier access to the battery door if you need to remove the battery, SIM card or memory card.
Conclusion
Seidio's FlexArmor case offers fairly good protection and "grippiness" to the Treo Pro while offering access to the touchscreen, keyboard, stylus, and all other buttons and controls. The case is easy to install and remove, making it easier to access the battery door but also creating a looser fit on your smartphone, which may compromise protection and the overall feeling of having a good, tight fit. Protection around the edges and back is excellent, but the front of your Treo Pro is only afforded a couple millimeters of "bumper" for protection. People with larger hands and fingers may have a challenge when trying to access the stylus, ringer switch, and the keyboard buttons around the edges. The case is stylish and is a worthy protector of your shiny Treo Pro.
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| Pros |
Soft material for easy installation and removal
Access to touchscreen and all buttons and controls
Good protection around the edges and back
Gives the slick Treo Pro some grip
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| Cons |
Soft material gives the case a loose fit on the sides
Very little protection for the front
Ringer switch, stylus access, and edges of keyboard are difficult for big fingers |
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