I recently had the priveledge of reviewing a new set of Skin Tight rubberized cases by Speck Products. They sent us two cases to review so I chose to review the case for the Treo 650. I'm going to assume that the cases for other models of phones are the same as they are all made of the same materials. They have cases for Blackberrys, iPods, iPAQs and more.
The cases are very well made and they fit perfectly around my Treo. The rubber material feels good in your hand especially when using it on the Treo. The one thing that I'm always afraid of with my Treo is dropping it. I'm not sure the Treo could take even one bounce on the concrete like some of my other phones have experienced. I did not do a drop test, but the rubber case appears to provide a good bit of protection. I immediately noticed how tight-fitting the case because it's not easy to put the case over the Treo. Once the case is on however, it's easy to grip and feels like it really protects the phone.
Before I get to my dislikes, I'll tell you what I like about the case. The rubberized case makes talking on my Treo much easier because it makes the earpiece feel better (although not while the screen protector is on). Many times cell phones and smartphones don't feel good against your ear and it is hard to hear the caller. This case takes care of that problem by providing more of cushion against your face making it more comfortable to talk on the phone. In addition, the rubber is easy to grip and you don't feel like you're going to drop the phone.
I like the way all the buttons on the phone are accessible as well as the speaker, camera, and stylus. Everything you need to access on the phone is totally accessible. I've tried other cases where typing was a problem because the case got in the way. The Skin Tight case does not have that problem.
I also like the way the case is thin enough not to feel bulky, but thick enough to provide some protection. I usually carry my phone in my pocket and this case is thin enough for that.
There are a couple of things about the case that I don't like. First of all, the case comes with a removable screen protector. As you can see in the picture it is a thick piece of plastic that flips up to give you access to the screen. In my opinion this piece just gets in the way. It is too thick to keep on while you're talking on the phone and there is no real way to clip it down, so it ends up being loose. You can remove it but then you have two hinge areas popping up from your case. In my opinion I'd rather just get a stick-on screen protector unless there is a real chance you might crack the screen. Maybe construction workers might find the screen protector useful.
The case comes with a belt clip that is rather large. It works, but it looks like it has to be extra large to acommodate the rubber. In addition it is not very easy to get the phone in and out of the belt clip if you have the rubber case on it.
Overall I like the Rubberized Case by Speck Products. I could recommend it to anyone working as a mechanic, construction worker or similar profession. The protection it provides would be of great value to those who are active or in a questionable environment. The $34.95 price tag seems a little high but not out of the question. If you need this kind of protection for your phone you'll find the Skin Tight cases to be of high quality and probably worth the price. The case comes in several colors and can be purchased from Speck Product's web site.
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