I’ve been delighted with my shiny Black Centro. Then again, I’m the type that falls for “cute.” Back in the day, I bought an Apple IIc because I thought it was cute (isn’t that what the “c” stood for?). And when size mattered the summer Sony released the Godzilla movie, I bought myself a cute little Vaio. When it comes to cellphones, I’ve been carrying around two: My cute Samsung A890 and my Treo 700p (before that a Treo 650 and before that a Treo 600). I had been treating the Treo like a mini-me computer or PDA because it felt so huge and bulky. And check this out… I actually carried it around in an old Handspring case made of rubberized wet suit material. Now imagine my joy when I opened the Centro box from Sprint to see such a cute smartphone. I had no problem just throwing it into one pocket with my A890 in the other pocket and going on my merry way. Then one morning, after accidentally knocking my cute Centro off my desk, it dawned on me that I should consider a case just in case… Fortunately for me, vendors seem to be embracing the Centro so the choices were numerous. But I had a bigger problem – saying “no” to anything that would add bulk. Now that limited my choices for sure. Then I heard about Seidio’s “Super Slim” series for the Centro and thought I’d give them a try.

First Impression:

First off, I’ll admit that I was a little taken aback when I opened the UPS shipment and removed the two Seidio cases: Seidio Super Slim Hybrid Case and the Seidio Super Slim Crystal Case. They came wrapped in a clear plastic package that was folded over on the top – kind of the way I’d expect to see a toy that’s been put in a Happy Meal or a box of cereal. For cases that cost $29.95 and $24.95, that’s really not what I expected. Once I shook off the initial shock, I was pleasantly pleased using the cases.

Usability:

If you are comfortable with LEGOs – you know—snapping things together, then fitting the two-piece Super Slim case around your Centro is a quick and painless task. Seidio’s marketing materials claim the case is only 1MM in thickness, and without actually measuring, I’d say that’s about right. It adds hardly any bulk to the Centro and is really (REALLY!) light. I tried out the Hybrid Case first because I sensed I’d need the help the rubberized back offered. I immediately loved how it felt in my hand. So I threw the newly encased Centro into my pocket and took off for an adventure – to see if there was anything about the case that would annoy me or have me cry out – trade-off. There wasn’t. In fact, I hardly noticed it was on.

When I got home, I figured it was time to do a drop test. Would something that lightweight and easily snapped on survive a knock off my desk to the carpeted floor? Yes. Okay, how about a boot down the hallway? Yes. Now down 10 carpeted stairs, sort of in a heads over heals fashion? Yes. Then I ran into the kitchen and looked at the floor. Do I dare? I compromised and went to where I had a thin throw rug and let my Centro drop… The case split apart, with the two pieces landing about six inches away from the Centro. I picked everything up and closely examined my Centro. It looked and worked great. I then snapped the case back on and we were back in business.

By the way, the Crystal Case worked exactly the same. In fact, the only difference between the two is that the Crystal had two clear pieces to snap together and the Hybrid had a clear front and a rubberized back. They both had cutouts on the front for the screen and keyboard, on the back for the speaker, camera and stylus, on the top for the ringer off button, and on the bottom for the power and Hot Sync plugs.

Conclusion:

My friends used to ask me why I wear tights when I trail run – even in the summer when it’s warm out. I told them that tights gave me a protective layer in case I crash (which is par for the course on trails where a root or rock can send you flying). Also, I preferred to wear tights because they aren’t bulky like sweats, so my movement isn’t restricted. That’s a big plus.

Circling back around to the Seidio Super Slim Hybrid Case and the Seidio Super Slim Crystal Case, they both serve a similar function to my running tights… offering an additional layer of protection. Plus they both feel good to the touch… so good that I hardly noticed that my Centro even had a layer of protection. As far as I’m concerned, both of these get two big thumbs up.

Now you may be wondering about how these are relative to using a skin case. First of all, let me just say that I’ve never been a big fan of the skin cases because the rubbery feeling kind of grossed me out. Plus, skins are dirt magnets. If you’ve ever had a crumb or sand find its way onto your bed sheets, you know how uncomfortable that feels. So why do that to such a fine device like a Centro? So yeah, these two so-called hard cases are a dunk over a skin case.

Now… when it comes to choosing between the two, I think that’s really subjective. I loved the Super Slim Hybrid Case because the rubberized backing felt good plus it prevented slippage. And since I have a Black Centro, it didn’t really make a difference to me that the backside of the Hybrid was made of Black rubberized material.

However, if you are like my colleague, Jay, with a nice Red Centro, I can see where the Slim Crystal Case would be the one of choice. Either way, the Seidio Super Slim Cases are a super choice for protecting your Centro.

---