Reviews - Geardiary.com

Recently, Beyza Cases contacted us here at Gear Diary to ask if we would be interested in reviewing any of their cases. Beyza is a Turkish company, with which you are probably not familiar. I bet, however, that even if you do not recognize the name, you recognize their products. Beyza, for some time now, has been the HTC of mobile device cases. They would make cases for other companies to brand and sell as their own. Well, apparently, Beyza got tired of everyone else profiting off of their work, so they recently started selling cases branded with their own name (go figure). So, when Beyza offered us some cases to review, I jumped at the chance and grabbed myself the Dell Axim x50/51 series case.

The first thing I noticed when the case arrived was the packaging. This case comes packaged within its own case. Within the box was a velvet (or at least velvet-like) pouch containing the case. This is really a nice touch as it protects the case as it jostles its way around the globe from Turkey to your front step.

One final preliminary note, Beyza was kind enough to send two cases: a tan case and a black one. I tested both (they are identical), however, you will notice that the pictures in this review all depict the tan case (aside from the one above). There is no specific reason for this other than the fact that I happened to have the tan case available when I was snapping pictures for this review.

Let’s start at the beginning. As they say, that is a very good place to start. This is a flip style case made out of what can only be described as a luxurious soft leather. A magnetic snap enclosure securely fastens the cover from the bottom when your device is not in use. Pop open the snap and the cover is ready to flip to the back, allowing you to access your device.

The first thing I noticed was the cutout on the bottom for the cradle connection. The case makes it somewhat of a tight squeeze, but it is still skinny enough to allow you to sync/charge your Axim from the cradle without removing it from the case (note that the flap with the magnetic snap folds over the bottom of the case, meaning it has a tendency to get in the way of the cradle connection. You will need to hold it back when you slide the case into the cradle). This is a critical option for me. If I have to remove my Axim from the case every time I want to put it in the cradle, that case will not last long.

My Axim slid into the case fairly easily with the 1100 mAh battery. I was disappointed, however, to find that the 2200mAh extended battery would not fit in this case. The reason for this problem was the sides of the case which envelope your device from top to bottom. These side panels were made of the same leather material as the rest of the case. This leather, while extremely elegant, simply does not have any elasticity which would allow the case to expand for the larger battery. It would be nice if the sides had been made of a more elastic material which would allow the case to expand to fit any battery your Axim can hold.

While we are talking about the sides, I should mention there is a cut-out on the left hand side allowing you to access the hold switch, wireless button and record button. There is also a cutout for the lanyard loop, but does anyone really use that?

With the case opened, you can access the headphone jack, CF card, SD card, and stylus on the top. When it is snapped closed, however, only the headphone jack is accessible. I have mixed feelings about this. On one hand, it protected your cards from dirt, dust, and other hazards. On the other hand, it does make it difficult to access your cards on the fly. Likewise, it initially bothered me that I could not access the stylus with the case closed. Then, one day, I realized that I never have a need for the stylus when the case is closed. I only use the stylus to tap the screen, which can only be done with the case opened. So, upon further review, this turned out to be less of a problem than I initially feared.

The main compartment on the case protects the front of your device with cutouts for the screen and buttons. Although I loved the design of the case, I found the cutout for the screen was not sized quite perfectly. This created a lip around the edge of the screen which made it difficult to tap the outer edges and almost impossible to reach the corners.

On the inside of the cover, the case features several pockets. There are two which are sized to hold your SD cards, as well as two larger pockets for business cards or credit cards. I am a huge fan of these pockets as they ensure that you will never leave any of your important data behind. One addition I would like to see, however, would be a CF pocket. Since the Axim still uses CF cards, it would be nice to be able to carry an extra card or two when I travel with my device.

This brings us to the back of the case, which features a stiff material designed to hold your Axim in place and protect it from the bumps, dings and scrapes which accompany everyday use. There is also a hole for the soft reset button. This is nice, as it allows you to soft reset without taking your device out of the case. On the other hand, there is a lot of case to dig through if you want to soft reset (and as most of is know, a soft reset is at least a daily occurrence).

Finally, the case includes an ultra belt clip, which appears to be extremely rugged. The belt clip worked great, although I am simply not much of a belt clip person. I have a tendency to shatter them and send my device flying through the sky like a rudderless airplane. As such, I much prefer to keep my Axim tucked safely in a pocket. Unfortunately, the belt clip post on the back of the case was not removable, meaning it always stuck out of the back of the case.

Overall, this is a fantastic case. I loved the soft leather which makes it feel extremely nice in your hands. Also, unlike some cases, it does not add a significant amount of bulk to your device. There is nothing worse than a slim device in a bulky case. Sort of defeats the purpose. The Beyza case fit my device very well, with the exception of the lip which was created over the edges of the screen. The Axim is well known for being a high performance device, and it deserves a high performance case. In this respect, Beyza has delivered…and then some.

Where to Buy: Beyza Cases

Price: $49.50

What I Liked: luxurious soft leather, easy access to controls, fits in cradle, it just looks amazing.

What Needs Improvement: creates a lip over screen edges, belt clip post not removable, won’t expand to fit larger battery.