Product Requirements:
Device:
Handspring/PalmOne Treo 600 Mobile Phone
I had been happily using a
Dell Axim for the last year or so and figured that
my mobile gear situation was pretty well covered with that machine. My wife,
however, knew that I was very intrigued by the new
Treo 600 and went out and got
me one for the holidays. (Talk about the perfect wife for a gadget freak, thanks
honey!) The included slipcase from Handspring, now PalmOne, does a decent job of
protecting the 600 but has no provision for a belt clip and looks, well, cheap.
Clearly something else was called for in a case and who better to look at than
Vaja. For those of you who are unfamiliar with
Vaja, it is an Argentine company that
specializes in custom cases for mobile devices.
In a nutshell, this case is close to perfect. The fit is almost flawless, the
build quality is superb and the belt clip is very sturdy. As you can see from
the pictures, all the cutouts line up properly.
There is little in the way of gaps or loose spots, with the exception of the
top of the case above the screen (there are two models of the Treo 600, the GSM
version which is flat above the screen and the Sprint PCS model which has a
bulge above the screen. The case fits both of them and Vaja left a little room
for the Sprint machine. It doesn’t detract from the case in my opinion.)
As
always with Vaja, the leather looks, smells and feels like no other leather
product I have ever seen. It is just that well done. The steel mesh screens over
the speaker and micrphone are nice touches as well.
Vaja cases do not come cheap. They
are however, from my standpoint, the very best available for mobile devices (I
have owned several of their products and have never been disappointed) and are
thus worth the extra money. If you are looking for a case for your Treo 600 and
don’t want to compromise on looks or quality, this is it.
Price: $58.90
Pros:
Great looking
Extremely well made
Very sturdy belt clip
Tight solid fit
Cons:
Small gap at top of the case (GSM models only)
Price
Product Information
| Price: | 58.9 |
| Manufacturer: | Vaja |
| Pros: |
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| Cons: |
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I’m curious about these flip open cases. Doesn’t the top part just hang there when you are on the phone? If so, isn’t that annoying?
How hard is it to reach to your belt and flip open the case? You basically lose the ability to peek down at your belt and see who’s calling. You have to remove the phone from the clip, flip open the front and then see if you wish to answer, yes?
The top of the case does lay open when using the phone. However, it drapes over the back of your hand as you hold the Treo and doesn’t really get in the way of usage. As for the belt clip, Vaja’s is very sturdy. You have to twist the machine to the horizontal position while pressing the clip release. It sounds complicated but it is really a smooth one handed motion. As for losing the ability to see who is calling, you wouldn’t know with a Treo unless you were facing the screen. Looking down at your belt, or using any case design would block your view of the screen. I still recommend using a good flip case anyway. The Treo 600 is an expensive machine and the screen needs to be protected. It is a limitation of the Treo more than the Vaja case.
I think I’d need to use it myself to see if that would bother me too much.
Not really. The Handspring Form Fit Case that they sell right on the HS website covers the screen (in a nasty clear plastic membrane) so you can just look down and see who is calling. I have a Treo 300 and use a regular plastic belt clip for it. I glance down do see who’s calling all the time. I don;t think I could get used to having to remove the phone every time I want to see who’s calling.
You are correct, the form fit cases from Handspring and Krusell do allow you to see the screen. Their plastic covers make using the touch screen on the Treo very clumsy though. That is a trade off I wouldn’t make. It is a shame to some degree that the hard flip cover from the Treo 180/270/300 couldn’t have been somehow integrated into the 600’s design. As it stands, I personally find the Vaja case to be the best compromise. I’m not convinced that a multi-function device like the Treo will ever be able to match the performance of a high end dedicated device. Its PDA functions, while quite good, are not a match for a Tungsten T3 and its phone functions, again good, aren’t on the level of a high end flip phone. That’s just the nature of the beast. It stands to reason that accessories like cases would be subject to similar, underlying, constraints.
I agree. The Treo fits a very nice niche for me, mainly mobile email and net.
Part of my problem with these types of cases is that I reall don’t like phones to be in cases when I use them. I much prefer to feel the phone bare and slim.
that vaja looks nice though. . .
My Treo Vaja case presses on the buttons so that when the phone rings it automatically picks it up. Can’t get it to stop so I haven’t been using the case.
Let Vaja know about that problem with auto-answering. I haven’t experienced it.
Download “Phoneguard” and your problem will be solved. It was specifically written to solve this problem with flip style cases on the Treo 600.
http://discussion.treocentral.com/tcforum/-t47941/sa338b436cc6b530971f5b88787d767c5.html
Your review of the Treo600 case was very good and encouraged me to try and buy a Vaja case. I went to their site and noted both cases were “sold out”. They do not provide much information and describe the two cases with different terms which makes it difficult to identify them with your review of the two.
John
The one in this review is the “797 Classic.”
Yes, that is the number they are using and the price is the same. They offer a custom order and I would like to order but wonder if the opening for the headphone is large enough for an adapter. I added a player and need an adapter to convert the headphone miniplug to a microplug. Typically the opening for the plug in cases for a unit which does not have a player to begin with is just large enough for a microplug, not a miniplug. Anyone know? Thanks.
I am using the adaptor that Handspring/Palm sells with my Treo 600 and Vaja case. It fits just fine. Vaja made the cut-out large enough to allow for the adaptor to fit, even with the case snapped closed.
Great thanks. I moved to Verizon though so I’m selling my Treo 600. Sprint wasn’t giving me the kind of reception I need.
Hi,
i also just went to the vajacases website and found that they are all SOLD OUT including the flip one 797.
i am concerned about the flip activating the keys as well. can you explain more how that phone guard works? is there a FREE download anywhere? it is annoying to have to buy all these added things …
on my treo 270 is use one of the buttons all the time to “ignore” a call so it will stop ringing when i don’t want to answer it. what do you do when you use this phoneguard program to keep the leather flip from activating keys? can you still use the keys when you want to to answer/ignore/hang-up, etc??
wondering. like to know more how you are using it and getting along.
ALSO, what color did you get? not too many options. redish orange, greenish olive, black & tan. i wish they had that light blue available like they do for another model phone on the vaja site.
is there a ph# for the place to call them or they in Europe?
Thanks. look forward to hearing more about these stylish vaja cases.
i wish you could simply get a flip that could clip on like the treo 270. interestingly, i NEVER have had a problem with my flip phone. never broke, etc. i LOVE my flip!
:love:
Phone guard works great.
You can choose which keys to enable/disable the ability to answer calls.
Read all there is to read about it right here:
http://69.64.37.197/forum/showthread.php?t=47941
P.S. Yes, there is a free trial version available.
I have the black flip case. I still use it daily. I got phoneguard and it is an excellent little utility. Overall, I think that Vaja cases are about the best available for PDA’s although Piel Frama cases are also very well done.
I am looking to buy a case for my husband. Can you HotSync with the unit in the case? (regular cradle, not travel cable)
Thanks!
No. I’m afraid not.
Thank you so much for such a quick reply. What a disappointment!
What great belt clip cases can you sych in?
I would like:
1. Ability to sych
2. Cover to protect screen
3. Great looking!
thanks…..
To be honest I’ve yet to see a Treo 600 form fitting case which allows for syncing in the cradle. I do own the phone and I’ve personally tried over fifteen cases. None of the form fitting ones could sync in the cradle. This inlcudes:
Handspring Form Fitting
Krusell Form Fitting
Covertec Form Fitting
E&B
I’m guessing the ability to sync with the cradle wasn’t a concern for the case manufacturers since the T600 comes with a syncing cable.
I suggest heading over to the accessory forum at http://www.treocentral.com where you’ll find several threads on the various cases available for the T600.
Thank for the advise!! I have began the search on the Treo site.
Since he will have to remove it, I am now going to look for a great slipper case with a belt clip. Hopefully, that will easy!
My favorite slip case is the Nutshell:
http://www.tuff-as-nuts.com/Treo-600_203.html
This is like having a personal shopper! I also read that you are the master of case reviews over on Treocentral.
May I please ask one question…do you use the belt clip? Can it stand up so some abuse?
Thank you, my heart was set on the Vaja – thought that would make a great gift. But the nutshell will be more functional.
I have had a problem finding the right case for my Treo 600. The one I have covers up the camera so you have to unsnap it and hold the flap up with a finger in order to photo. I ordered a Krusell that supposedly had a flip cover but didn’t so I had to send it back. So far distributor has not replied to emails. Currently I have a Beliagio on order from TreoCentral. One problem is that none of the openings for the headphone plug is large enough to accept the adapter to use regular headphones when you have an MP3 player installed. They are made for the small plug on an earbud or headphone made for phone calls. I seem to recall a case that had this area completely cut away instead of a hole in the case. Anyone recall the manufacturer for this type of case?
The Nutshell case comes with one of two belt clips.
Either a metal clip which slides over your belt or a leather loop which your belt slides through. Both are very durable. It’s a matter of personal preference I think. With the metal clip you can remove the case from the belt easily. With the leather loop you have to un-do your belt to remove it. I have both designs. I prefer the leather loop. The metal clip is very stiff (which is a good thing because it insures the case won’t come off) and I find it a little tough to place the case on to my belt.
I ordered the nutshell. Went with the clip since he wears scrubs.
Hopefully he will like it….at least he will havea birthday present.
Thank you for all of our help.
Looks like the Vaja case is very good, but does not appear to have cutout for camera. How do you use camera with this case. What Hi-proection cases have a camera cutout??
Thanks
The flap folds down low enough to expose the cameral lens. The camera can be used in the case without any problems.
I find that rather difficult. You have to hold the case and hold the flap up with one hand while using the other to click the photo. You don’t really have a firm grip on the cam.
I find that the flap just sort of hangs down out of the way when taking a picture. I don’t really notice it.