The Capdase Classic Leather Book Case promises to protect the phone from wear and tear from a busy lifestyle and it does this by fitting the Symbian-powered handset perfectly. So it says. Mobile Fun have been kind enough to provide one for us to test.
Packaging
The packaging is made of very simple plastic materials, yet it offers some style to it. Formed like a cylinder it features a top and bottom which can only be opened by pushing in the dedicated sides. Simple and elegant at the same time.
In Use
Inside the box is the case which consist of a total of one uniformed piece, so you won’t find any moving parts or it being a case you have to put together. The case is made of impregnated skin and feels very comfortable to hold and is quite soft. Being soft in this case is a good thing as the case is around 2 mm thick, being able to absorb some of the shock that might come to it. There is a cut out for the camera and the phone is fitted into the case by the three clips that are on the left, where there are two soft “pads” for protecting the back of the handset while using the case. In the middle there is a space presumably for a stylus, unfortunately in my case the stylus that comes with the N97 is too big to be inserted there. On the right side is an extra flip which adds to the protection of the touchscreen and here you can squeeze in a credit card or two. Finally is the flip for the magnetic closure.
The back of the case is very clean and sleek, having nothing but a little logo and the name of the company, Capdase.
The clips clicks nicely to the sides of the N97 grabbing the lower part of the handset and sliding out the keyboard and use the handset is very simple. The essential buttons such as volume, camera and keylock button are easily accessible. This is also the case for the headphone jack and the micro usb port.
Under the extra flip on the right side is a storage room with two slots for additional microSD memory cards as well as a slot for a SIM card.
Closing the case is easily done by the magnetic closure. When closed, the case bulges a bit due to the extra flip. This is however not a something crucial as the skin most likely can be stretched after some usage.
Weaknesses
On this case the most crucial points are the clips that fits the handset in place. These are made of plastic and as mentioned clip on the lower part of the handset. It utilizes the small amount of space that is between the upper and lower part. On the right clip I noticed that my N97 would touch it slightly when closing the screen and something to take note of if you tend to slide out the keyboard very often.
Overall
The case is simple and elegant, holds an extra stylus and offers a storage room for extra memory cards and one SIM card. The case adds a bit to the bulk of the already not so mini N97 and getting used to texting fast can be a bit hard at first. Magnetic closure on the case is strong enough so you can hold the case by the closure without opening the case. Just don’t expect to shake it, while doing so. Should you however feel tempted the phone is held in place by the clips and won’t fall out. Also trying to shake the phone loose from the case when closed takes more than a couple of attempts and you’ll probably send your handset flying through midair long before than. No, my N97 was luckily not harmed in these events.
You can get the Capdase Classic Leather Book Case for Nokia N97 from Mobile Fun for £15.47. For those missing the option of a belt clip there is the Capdase Classic Leather Flip Case for Nokia N97 also from Mobile Fun for the same price.
