Piel Frama Leather Case for Treo 650

You're either a case person or you're not a case person - there isn't too much of a grey area. Some people like their electronics just as the manufacturer intended, without the (sometimes unsightly) extra bulk that a case adds to the device. Then there are those that choose to protect their shiny technology devices with some form of a sheath to protect it from the harsh cruel world.

I definitely fall squarely in the camp of case-oholics. Some people think that it's paranoia, but my excuse is that I am too rough with my gadgets. While I don't intentionally abuse them, I have a way of pushing industrial design to the limits with the occasional drop, bang and scrape. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a Klutz or anything - I baby my electronics all the time. I just find ways to occasionally drop and fumble them. Let's call it an occupational hazard.

In my quest to wrap everything I own in ballistic nylon or fine leather I've found an amazing case for my PalmOne Treo 650 smartphone from a company in Spain. Piel Frama has been making fin leather goods since 1945 and mobile phone cases since 1984, so they've got quite a pedigree - and it shows.

The Piel Frama Treo 650 case (pictured above) is a flip case - where a protective panel covers the screen and keyboard. When you need to use them you simply flip up the flap. All of their cases are made from high-quality "1A" leather from their town of Cadiz Spain which is thought to be the oldest city in Europe.

Although all Piel cases are made of leather you can choose to have your case embossed in either a crocodile (pictured) or ostrich pattern. A number of colors are also available. Piel assembles their cases with 100 percent polyester thread from Gutermann (a leading textile company from Germany) because it's much more durable than cotton.

The Treo 650 case comes with a removable belt-clip that is solid and secure. There's a hole on the back of the case for the speaker, but surprisingly they didn't include a hole for the camera lens. They probably figured that it's better to take pictures with the phone out of the case so that the flap doesn't block the lens.

The side buttons are easily accessible through notches on the side and the flap secures to the back via a small magnet. The flap can be a little tough to secure at first, but mine is already closing fine after I gave the leather a couple of days to break in. Inside the flap are three small pockets for a business card and two SD cards.

The Treo 650 case from Piel Frama retails for EUR$90 and is highly recommend. The company also manufactures leather cases for just about every phone, smartphone, PDA and iPod made so if you're in the market, check them out.