The case is only available in black, and given Body Glove’s product history aside from women’s swimwear, likely to stay that way. The silver trim on the black skin compliments the black Centro perfectly, making the case almost invisible when clad, looking almost more “transparent” than clear acrylic alternatives. Body Glove could score a lot of brownie points with red Centro owners by providing a red-skinned version, but the black exterior of the existing case might actually accentuate the intensity of the red model where the color peeps through, in a burlesque fashion.
The swivel knob that settles into the belt clip is removable from the case. The plate securing the knob is located under a flap inside the back of the case, and snaps off with no aggressive effort.
The belt clip looks rather ordinary, without much to distinguish it on first handling except its sturdy, precision molding. The quick-release button is located on the bottom front instead of the usual top rear, so be warned not to keep trying to yank the phone out of the clip without realizing this.
Very easy to overlook on the clip, is for my money, the Scuba’s coolest feature. The back plate contains a two-position kickstand for mounting the Centro upright. A couple of acrylic cases sport this appendage, but it’s unique among clips and soft cases. The kickstand facilitates using the Centro for watching videos, reading copy, timing work or study sessions, and a host of other applications.
Those of us who migrated from the Treo 755p realize that the Centro is essentially the same phone, but with one decisive difference: it’s easier to pocket. Between Treos I had a brief affair with a Palm OS clamshell, the Samsung i500, and despite the vastly more current technology of the 650 (Bluetooth, a high-resolution screen, memory card expansion), I was willing for months to forgo the latter for the i500’s smaller profile. For the same reason I’ve resisted encasing the Centro with anything that prevented me from putting the phone in my front pocket, but the Body Glove with the clip knob removed has a thin enough skin to make no noticeable difference in the Centro’s pocket fit, while adding protection against coins, keys or earbuds.
The neoprene skin feels great in the hand, and its traction is a terrific consolation for 755p expatriates missing the Treo’s soft-touch paint. The Centro’s slick shell always felt like a drop waiting to happen.
The cutout placements are well considered, and in nearly all instances align perfectly with the components they accommodate. The only minor exception is the bottom cutout for the Athena connector and the microphone jack. The Athena has sufficient clearance, but the jack side usually takes some stretching and adjusting to ensure that the jack is fully inserted.
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Nice fit
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