A while back I reviewed the I-volution T-buron Pocket PC Phone Edition Case from Vaja. The case was good enough to be awarded a 7.5 out of 10. More important is the fact that I was using the T-Buron on a daily basis (I usually prefer to carry my devices naked). Vaja has release a follow up to the T-buron II. Will this be a case where the sequel pales in comparison to the original or while the T-Buron II fix the few minor annoyances I found with the original.
First Impressions
When my T-buron II arrived (I am always amazed at the detail that Vaja has gone into with their packaging) I quickly opened the packaging to reveal the beautiful red case. The T-buron II looks very similar to the T-buron with the major change being the lack of a flip.
The I-Volution series of cases are stiff, unlike the typical soft leather case. The rigidity of the walls, which is created by layers of abs, helps to protect the device from impact. This is a nice feature because the PPCPE is my mobile phone so it has to go places where I might traditionally leave a Pocket PC behind. Another nice feature of the hard shell design is that it allows for 2 SD card storage pockets to be embedded in the lid.
On initial glance the case is very good looking, and close inspection shows just why Vaja is regarded as one of the top mobile device manufacturers in the world. The seams are well hidden, and there are no lose, frayed, or other unsightly joints anywhere to be found.
Usage
The stiff walls of the case and the nice form fitting design make insertion and removal fairly easy. The case fits very nicely to the PPCPE. It is snug enough to hold onto the device, but it is not so tight that it is difficult to remove the PPCPE from the case. I have been using the case for a while, and the case does not show any signs of stretching even though I frequently remove the PPCPE from the case.
The I-Volution T-Buron cases were both designed very smartly. They allow access to most of the important areas of the PPCPE. The earphone jack, the SD slot, the mic, the IR port, power button, and the antenna/stylus silo are all easily accessible to the user because Vaja has made nice cut-outs in these areas. The cut out for the SD slot and the headset jack are almost perfect. Their openings match the device almost exactly. The one thing that is blocked by the case is the reset hole. The case blocks the reset hole requiring the PPCPE to be removed from the case prior to performing a soft reset.
Both of the T-buron cases I reviewed featured belt clips allowing me to clip the case to my belt. I have had some bad experiences with belt clips in the past, but I like the way that Vaja has used the clip with this case. The part of the clip that is on the case is a nice metal knob. This knob slides into the clip that attaches to your belt. The clip and the knob both feel very sturdy, and I don't think that the knob will rip out of the case even with the added weight of the PPCPE.