Piel Frama Leather Ostrich X50/X50v Case
Link: www.PielFrama.com
Price: 90? (Approx: 120 USD) Including Shipping

To start off I would like to say that I have always loved Piel Frama's Cases (as I also have the X5 case) and this case is no exception to their great quality and craftsmanship.

I received the case in a standard UPS Express envelope and the case was in their standard box with the box well protected in bubble wrap. The presentation is amazing with a great box and protectors in each of the card slots of the case.

When I first took the case out I noticed the great quality of the leather, it is very soft yet durable leather and you can tell it is very high grade. The edges are all very nicely stitched and the edges of the leather in the areas of the cutouts (like the headphone cutout) is almost like branded so that it is a smooth edge and not rough. With the Ostrich leather you get a unique look that is really neat to show off and hold in your hand. The case fits the X50v perfectly, the cutouts all line up very nicely and include cutouts for:

• Headphone Jack on Top
• Unit Lock Button on Left Side
• Wireless and Record Button on Left Side
• Sync Port on Bottom

All functions are easily accessible through these cutouts and sync cables easily fit into the bottom port (please note that you cannot leave the unit in the case and use it in its cradle). The case fits around the screen very well, the shape of the leather around the screen can look a little crooked on the case, but I noticed this on the X5 Piel Frama I have. I think this is because the leather gets so thin around the case that it would be impossible to make it perfect. But that being said, it does not affect the performance of the case, it does not cover the screen or buttons at all and never is in the way. I also like they new way that the cross bar comes between the screen and the X50v power button, it fits snuggly and makes for a very finished look. One thing that tends to happen is the side edges bow out a bit around the screen, this has been on all the X50 Piel Frama cases and I really think it is just something that cannot be fixed because of how the X50 unit's sides are curved.

(Crocodile Review can be found HERE)

The case has a flip over top that covers the whole face of the unit and then neatly folds behind when you are using your X50v. The flap simply snaps closed with a tab on the bottom of the case. The snap is nice and easy to close and it is not like some snaps that are hard to snap shut or open. It is strong enough to hold the case shut securely, but soft enough to allow easy opening and closing.

The new belt clip system I can say works great. On the X5 case I do notice that if you don't use a belt clip, the mount on the case can be annoying. But with Piel Frama's new system, you can remove the stud and replace it with a small cap (to cover the hole) so there is no stud on the back if you don't want a belt clip. The mounting stud screws on and off and is very easy to remove/replace. They give you three of the small caps that are made out of plastic and matched to the color of your case. The caps don't screw in so I could see that you may have a chance of one falling off and I believe that's why they give you extras. That is about the only thing that could be improved upon, even if the small cap could screw in that would be better. But that is just a small point on this great case. The actually belt clip itself works great and is also color matched to the case. It has a locking mechanism so that you can simply press down on a button on the top of the belt clip and slide the case off. It is very secure and I don't think you would ever need to worry about the case coming off the belt clip.

On the part of the case that flips over the screen, there are slots on the inside that include:

• 2 - SD/MMC Card
• 3 - Credit Card
• 1 - Business Card

They are perfectly sized and also show just a little bit of whatever they are holding (ex. a Credit or SD card) so that the cards do not scratch the screen. I find these slots very handy, but if you don't use them, they don't add any bulk to the case.

Overall I think if you have the money to buy a good case and you want an executive feel with great functionality and looks, the Piel Frama is for you. From using my X5 case I know the leather holds up very well and its is tough. The workmanship is great and nothing beats it.

Thanks to Piel Frama for the Review Product, I used pictures from Piel Frama's website because they were the clearest and easiest to see from all angles. They truly represent exactly what you get. If you would like to see how the case comes, look at the pictures in my X5 Piel Frama review here: CLICK HERE The packaging and boxing is the same as the X5 case's in the review.