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Aquapac Phone Case

Wed Apr 26, 2006 - 3:34 PM EDT - By James Hromadka

Overview

If you’ve looked at my reviews over the years, you will find that I like to review products that put the Treo in extreme conditions. It's just a lot more fun when you're dunking the Treo in a water trough like I did for the OtterBox 1900 [ Review | Buy ]. Even the Handspring Visor wasn't safe from getting dunked. In those cases, the Treo was well protected, but even when I didn't have the Treo protected, it managed to survive fresh powder in Colorado.

The days are getting warmer here in Houston, so that means trips to the beach and visits to the pool. They say that "where there's smoke, there's fire." For electronic devices such as the Treo, where there's water, there's trouble. Since I wanted something smaller than the huge OtterBox 1900 [ Review | Buy ] to take to those pool parties, I decided to give the Aquapac Waterproof Phone Case a try.


Features


After browsing Aquapac's website, I found that the technical name for this product is the Small Phone Case. I wasn't aware the Treo was a small phone, but the case fits the Treo perfectly.

The case has a completely clear vinyl front, save for the Aquapac logo at the top left. The back of the case is foam-padded to give it a little bit of physical protection: cushioning. A detachable, adjustable lanyard and a carabiner are included in order to let you attach the Treo to something to keep it from walking away, floating away, or going for a swim.

The case is waterproof to 15 feet, so don't go taking it scuba diving, but it's perfect for pools. It also floats should the Treo slide off a boat, so it won't plunge towards the ocean floor.

The bottom of the case has yellow clips that rotate 90 degrees to open/close the case so you can insert/remove the Treo or any candybar-style mobile phone. The Treo slides into the case and is nice and snug, so it won't slide around while inside. When removing the Treo, you’ll want to towel it off first to make sure the case is dry enough so the Treo doesn't get wet.

The clips are practically idiot-proof. When they are pointing towards each other, the case is locked, and when they point down, the case is open.


Usability


My original plan was to go to the pool with the Aquapac, but it's been rainy and cloudy the past few days, so I decided to settle for a large bathroom sink for testing. Murphy's Law continued marching on, and the sink stopper broke. As my Grandma says, "there's always something." A trip to the hardware store later, I was able to do my testing.

The Aquapac Case floats as advertised, and its color background (purple normally but blue in the pictures) and yellow clips makes it easier to spot on open water. That’s smart design. I then said a silent prayer and submerged the case about eight inches. The Treo suffered no ill effects and continued on, nice and dry.

Should the Treo ring while in the Aquapac case, you're not forced to use a Bluetooth headset in order to have a conversation. I could keep the Treo in the case and still talk to people on the phone. I expected my voice to sound muffled to the other person, but conversations come in clear on both sides of the call. There were no echoes like with the OtterBox, so you can truly use the Treo in this case. Of course you have to take the Treo out of the Aquapac Case if you want to charge it or take a picture.

There are two versions of the Aquapac case available from TreoCentral. The form fit case that I reviewed, and a PDA version that includes an external stylus holder. Both are $24.95, but the PDA case model is a little wider. I have never been a big fan of using a stylus through a vinyl shield because you have to press the stylus down harder. Plus you should be enjoying the sun and water, not messing around with your Treo all day.

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Product Info
Details
> Name
> Company
> Weight 1.5 oz / 45g
> Waterproof up to 15 ft / 5 m
> Fact Sheet & User Opinions
Availability
> Available
Pricing
> $24.95

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