Proporta Alu-Leather HP hx4700 Series Cases Review

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Product Requirements:
Device:
HP hx4700 / hx4705 Pocket PC

How many of you have noticed that there are several accessory companies that
are selling the same style leather PDA cases on their sites. It’s hard to know
which one to pick when they all look alike. The companies I’m referring to are
PDAir,
Brando
and now Proporta. Some of you
might have been thinking that these were really all the same cases but just with
different company logos embossed on them. Nope, they are all totally different
cases.

Check it out, we recently reviewed the

PDAir HP hx4700 series iPAQ case
and the

Brando HP hx4700 series iPAQ case
. The PDAir case is 34.95 while the Brando
case is $32.00. They both look very similar, but when it is all said and done, I
think Brando cases are better designed and have slightly better materials /
quality. Brando’s are also $3 cheaper which doesn’t hurt.

proporta alu leather hx4700 1

proporta alu leather hx4700 2

Now we have the Proporta Alu-Leather HP hx4700 series iPAQ cases. They are
also made of smooth grained black leather with contrasting white stitching. Like
PDAir and Brando, these cases are also available in both flip style and book
style. You also have the choice of making both the book and flip style cases
into belt clip cases by way of a removable belt clip post and plastic clip. They
also use the same type of plastic clip to hold the PDA in the case and have a
removable screen protector insert.

proporta alu leather hx4700 3

So what sets the Proporta products apart from the other cases from PDAir and
Brando? It is really only one main thing… The heavy duty aluminum screen cover
insert. This insert definitely makes these cases more sturdy and it doesn’t hurt
that it adds a little bit of pizzazz when you open the cover and see the brushed
aluminum through the oval cutout.

I think that the Alu-Leather cases are more similar to the Brando cases than
the PDAirs because they seem to have the same style of molded SD card slots
inside the screen cover. 

proporta alu leather hx4700 4

I only have 2 gripes about this case. The biggest gripe is that the flip case
I was sent is impossible to snap shut with the optional screen protector
installed. If you remove it, you can close the cover… barely. The magnets used
on the 2 Proporta cases that I was sent are not as strong as the Brando cases
that I have reviewed. My other gripe is that due to the flashy cutout in the
cover to show off the aluminum insert, you are left with no business card slots on either
of the book or flip style cases. The removable screen protector does have one
see through window pocket though.

proporta alu leather hx4700 6

proporta alu leather hx4700 5

Although the Proporta is a nice looking case, it’s hard to recommend it due
the problems I had with the cover not closing and the magnetic snaps not being
very strong. Brando is still #1 in my opinion.

 

Price: $34.95

Pros:
Heavy duty screen protection insert
Removable belt clip post

Cons:
Flip style is hard to snap closed
Magnetic snap not very strong

 

Product Information

Price:34.95
Manufacturer:Proporta
Pros:
  • Heavy duty screen protection insert
  • Removable belt clip post
Cons:
  • Flip style is hard to snap closed
  • Magnetic snap not very strong

4 thoughts on “Proporta Alu-Leather HP hx4700 Series Cases Review”




  1. Gadgeteer Comment Policy - Please read before commenting
  2. I’ve never understood how these guys can make cases with a side flip cover :sad:?? Even less those who use them :confused:.

    How can you hold the thing comfortably when it’s made to be hold with your whole hand grasping left and right?! In this case the side flip inevitably gets in the way. 😮 So you have to pinch this whole thing between your thumb and fingers and it’s not comfortable at all; and you have no real place to put your thumb either, especially on smaller devices.

    This is why most cases have a top (even bottom, but rarely) flip, so nothing can get in the way. Especially since most PDAs have lateral buttons, even jog dials, so how could one get to them easily and naturally with those side flips :wacko: ????

    Could you post a pic of how you’d hold this weird thing :unsure: ??

  3. The same remark is also valid for those hard alumin(i)um 😎 cases like the InnoPocket HP hx4700 iPAQ Hard Case that’s reviewed here too.

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