The Speck SeeThru Case ($29.95) for the Apple iPhone is a hard plastic case that also comes with a belt holster. When I saw Speck at Macworld, I was impressed with their wide array of cases and also with their clip/stand system. After some time with their SeeThru case, I continue to be impressed.
Read on for the full review!
Design of the Case
The SeeThru comes in two colors - red and smoke. I naturally chose the red. To use it, You put the rear-cover on, then slide the front on the bottom until it goes over the lip of the rear side and then snap it on top. The "snap" at the top is very secure and there's a convenient "divot" to get your fingernail in there if you want to remove the case.
The end result is that the entirety of the iPhone (minus screen, ports, and buttons, of course) is covered and protected. The "ridge" between the two halves of the case is non-obstrusive and designed to not grab every piece of pocket lint that it comes in contact with.
Being hard plastic, the SeeThru does a very good job protecting the iPhone from scratches, but it might not necessarily be ideal for drops, as hard plastic can be brittle. That said, I think the red looks great on the iPhone.
Of course, the iPhone won't fit in the standard dock with this case on it.
Design of the Holster
The holster is actually quite clever. It comes with a relatively low profile, ratcheting belt clip. It rotates 360 degrees and feels very sturdy. The only knock on it that I'd like the spring on to be a bit stronger. It's fine on a belt, but clipping it to my pocket (as I usually do with these holsters) felt a little dicey because of the weak spring. More on the clip in just a moment.
The holster is matte black plastic and is very sturdy - it's just flexible enough to not feel brittle. The iPhone can go in face-in or face-out (an important detail), and is inserted by placing the bottom into the holster and then snapping it in beneath a tab at the top. It took quite a bit of force to yank the iPhone out without lifting the tab, so it shouldn't be falling out of the thing. When you actually do want to remove it, it's easy to do.
Of course, you should note that the holster won't work without the case, as it's designed to fit it. If you just want a holster on its own you can find several here.
Holster as Music Stand
The clever thing about the holster is that at the top of its ratcheting belt clip is a small tab. You can squeeze the clip open all the way and then lock it in place with that tab. When you do that, the belt clip becomes a desktop stand!
It will work both vertically and horizontally, but when you are using it horizontally be sure that you leave the clip in the "vertical" position, otherwise the whole thing will fall over.
Conclusion
The Speck SeeThru ($29.95) is a solid, quality case. I'm a fan of the case itself and I like the holster as a music stand. As a holster, though, it will only really work if you're going to put it on a belt, otherwise the spring on the clip may not be strong enough to attach to, say, a purse strap or a pocket. Still, though, a worthwhile purchase if you're in the market for this style of case and want a desktop stand to go with it.
Pros
- Stylish and protective case
- Holster works face-in and face-out
- Holster makes a good desktop stand for watching video
Cons
- Spring on belt clip is too weak
