Well, it took some doing but I finally found a nice case for my Iphone that looks good, protects the screen and is easy to carry. The Beyza case you see pictured above is made in Turkey and was purchased directly from their
website . (As an aside, their shipping is unbelievable. I ordered this case on a Monday. UPS said I would get it by Friday. It arrived on Wednesday, 2 days early and in time for me to take on vacation. Good stuff!)
On to the case itself. This model uses a flap-over design to protect the Iphone's screen when not in use. The flap is held in place by a pair of magnets that seem reasonably strong. The inside of the flap includes a card pocket for business cards and the like. If you don't want the screen of your Iphone covered for some reason, the flap can be removed easily. It is held on to the back of the case by a pair of snap fittings. The Iphone is secured in the case by a leather strap that snaps to the back of the case. There are cut-outs in the leather to allow easy access to the phone controls with the exception of the home screen button. That one (at the bottom of the screen) is covered with leather but has a small pad behind it to allow for easy use of the control.
Like any leather case, the Beyza adds to the thickness of the Iphone a bit. I personally think that's an acceptable trade-off given the likelihood that sooner or later the phone is going to get knocked or dropped. Additionally, the leather makes the somewhat slippery Iphone a lot easier to grip thus reducing the possibility of dropping it in the first place.
As for carrying the phone/case, this model comes with a belt clip that secures to a metal stud. When connected to the clip, the phone feels pretty secure on my belt. Incidentally, the stud need not be screwed on to the back of the case if you don't plan to use the belt clip. Beyza includes a tool to attach and remove the stud as well as a second screw should it be needed. My only suggrestion to Beyza would be to include a second belt clip with the case. In my experience with both Vaja and Piel Frama cases (which use a similar design) these clips usually need replacing within 6-8 months of regular use.
If you are familiar with the leather quality of Vaja and Piel Frama then you will not be disappointed with the Beyza. Both the build quality and the leather appear first rate. I opted for the Vintage Brown model but there are a number of other color/finish choices. At $59 + $10/shipping, this case is a good deal in my opinion and looks like it should last quite well. Beyza warrants its cases for 1 year which certainly doesn't hurt to know.
