The most convenient place for a Treo isn’t necessarily the safest – in a pocket. At least, my pockets all generally host a collection that portends potential evil for the Treo’s touchscreen and other scratchable surfaces. Keys, coins, pens, a few Martian meteorites, and the ghost of a trusty Swiss Army Knife that I lost long ago.
The same is true of backpacks, book bags, brief cases, purses I suppose, and (for me) camera bags. So much flotsam, so little organization. This is one reason I lean toward pouch style cases for my Treos and my Centro while they’re in my pockets, in my laptop computer’s stuffed-to-the-max carrier, or in my camera bags. Plural on the camera satchels. I keep three of them equipped for various needs.
Palm’s Pocket Pouch (Treo) fills that bill beautifully, but with an odd reservation. Though the product’s name doesn’t say so, it appears to have been intended for the Treo 600, because the charging cable cutout at the bottom doesn’t quite fit my Treo 700p or my Treo 680. Both can be made to work, however, with a little pushing and squeezing to attach the charging cable. Besides, the neatly stitched, black padded case has an open top. If you absolutely must recharge (and HotSync and whatever else) while the Treo 680 or similar model is in the pouch, this problem is easily sidestepped by putting the smartphone into the pouch nose first. The antenna on the Treo 650 and 700 series phones makes this trick less useful. Even so, the cutout is hardly relevant, as it’s quicker than a snap to remove the Treo from the pouch for charging. My only quibble is that the pouch isn’t friendly to wired earphone plugs on larger Treos. Bluetooth? Who said “Bluetooth”?
The product’s fit and finish is worthy of any pocket I’ve ever met. While not extravagant its materials are durable and classy, and the manufacturing quality is great. The pouch’s feather weight, only an ounce, is a welcome boon, too.
Stiffeners embedded in the Pocket Pouch’s front and back walls provide just enough springiness to trap your treasure till you pull it free. The non-stretchy sides make this case much too loose for the Centro. It does work well for the Treo 680, and of course for my larger Treos – 650, 700p, and 700w.
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