12:00
Tom
The GiqueGEAR Smart Station�is designed to act as a protective holster, a wallet replacement, and a workstation or stand for your smartphone. It claims to be ?the ultimate home for your Android smartphone.? �As a local company, GiqueGear (pronounced ?geek gear?, I think) already has a special place in my heart, but the claim of ?ultimate home? for my Samsung Epic? That will take a pretty special case.
The SmartStation?s main claim to fame is that it is a fully protective case that also works as a portrait or landscape stand for your phone.
SmartStation- front (also available with the Android logo)
SmartStation- back, showing the belt strap
As a case, it offers a lot of value. The materials and workmanship are very good. It is nicely padded and lined with a soft fabric. The full double zipper is backed up by a Velcro tab which also serves as a belt strap. Being a universal case, it is a bit over-sized and clunky, but not terribly so. It features two big pockets so it can serve as a wallet as well. The case offers excellent protection from drops, smacks, impacts, etc.
The main thing that bugged me as a case is the ?belt and suspenders? overkill of the zipper and�the Velcro tab. It made it a bit more awkward to get to the phone when it is on your belt. The phone sits rather loosely in the case, so a moment of fumbling at the belt and it could end up on the ground without any protection.
I must also admit that as much as I like the flaming head logo, I would like to see a ?professional edition? with either no logo or a much reduced logo available. I cannot picture myself rocking this sort of image at work, and in all honesty, the alternative Android logo is not much better.
SmartStation- inside
Cases like this are thick on the ground in the cell phone world. What makes this�case special is the work station element. Flip the belt strap and Velcro tab around and the case becomes an easel.
SmartStation as a work station
You place your phone in the front of the stand (held by a little mesh sling at the bottom) for a portrait stand, or on the back side against the ?leg for landscape mode. Note the ?speed bump? on the bottom edge.
SmartStation- phone in portrait mode
SmartStation- phone in landscape mode
I found that in either position, it was usually a good angle, and did not interfere with my phone?s charger/sync cable (which comes out of the top). The phone stays in place well, even when you tap on the screen.
The few downsides I found, other than the case issues mentioned above, are that the Velcro tab that holds the case closed bugged me in this configuration as well- you can see it up there just sticking out. I also felt as though with a little modification, the phone could be positioned in either landscape or portrait mode on the leg.
Overall, the GiqueGear SmartStation case is a great value at $24.95. Well-made, good-looking, protective, and functional.
Product Information
| Price: | $24.95 |
| Manufacturer: | GiqueGear |
| Pros: |
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| Cons: |
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