It's not easy to produce a leather case of high quality for a small handheld device, at least that's always been my assumption from the various crudely made, ill-fitting and badly designed cases that I've seen for small cellphones. Usually these cases are bulky and awkward to use, negating the very qualities which make a small handheld desirable.
Mad Catz defies that tradition with their new case for the iPod Nano, a device smaller than most cellphones, which I would not normally have even considered putting in a leather case. Their Nano case is a clever design which combines a straightforward sleeve with a simple protective cover to produce a case which is both compact and sturdy, and clearly the product of some real thought and testing.
The basic component of the case is the sleeve you slide the Nano into, which has a plastic screen cover and an open area for the control pad. It also has openings at top and bottom for headphone and charger connections. It's lighter and thinner than you might expect, because it combines a stiff backing piece with softer, lightweight leather to cover the front of the Nano. The back piece protects the Nano from bending and the front holds it in place without making it bulky.
The real innovation in the design is the second piece of the case, which is the removable protective cover. This snaps on to the back of the case at the bottom of the Nano, wraps over the front and then a flap goes over the top and is held in place with a magnetic clasp. The cover has the obligatory belt clip on the outside.
This design is clever in a couple of ways. In too many designs the belt clip would be on the stiffer backing piece of the main case so that when you removed the cover you'd have to bend over to see the ipod clipped to your belt. With the clip on the cover instead you can flip the iPod down while it's still attached to your belt and access it really easily.
Article comments
1 - Matt Paprocki
Wow. I couldn't even come close to finding that much to discuss about a leather case. That's fantastic work Dave.
2 - Dave Nalle
I am nothing if not loquacious, Matt. Wait until you see my review of the silicon sleeve for my Treo. If I get really bored that's in the queue.
Dave
3 - Ken Edwards
Indeed, I thought this was a great review. Makes me wish I had an iPod nano... wait, I have a 60 GB iPod, what do I need a nano for? For this case of course!
Those voices again...
Sorry you had to give it to your daughter, along with her nano. But you get a Super Cool Dad award for that one.
My cell phone case flips closed magnetically too. I sit there and flip it for no apparent reason too. Great line!
4 - Dave Nalle
I have a case for my Treo which flips and snaps. Lots of fidgit value.
I do think that I'd rather have a Nano than my mini. The mini really is completely obsolete since the Nano holds as much, has a more responsive control wheel and is more reliable.
Dave
5 - Scott Butki
Between this and your comments on the appearance of people at the State of the Union I'm thinking we should start sending you to cover fashion shows and beauty pageants, Dave.
6 - Dave Nalle
My wife makes me watch 'What Not to Wear' and 'Runway' endlessly. The latter is actually quite a nice show.
But the fact is that I'm a sybarite. And this isn't the beginning. It goes back to the early days of my BC participation. Check out my article on shorts and pajamas.
Dave