Piel Frama is an intriguing little company. Based in Spain, the company puts out very fashionable, handmade phone cases, for an appropriately premium price. So when I was offered the opportunity to review their iMAGNUM case for the BlackBerry Z10, I was very much looking forward to it. But at a price just under the equivalent of 110 US dollars, is the iMAGNUM really worth it? Let’s have a look and see.
Initial impressions are great – the iMAGNUM arrives in a nicely-designed box, and the case itself looks very stylish. It’s a fashion statement in its own right, with an elegant design and high-quality leather finish. The leather feels very nice to the touch as well – this case is in a league of its own when it comes to how it feels in your hand. The unit they sent me was red, so it attracted plenty of attention from friends and strangers alike, but Piel Frama will sell you some more subtle colours as well, such as black or tan. Green and blue are also available.
This case isn’t just about style and feel however. While using the iMAGNUM, I accidently dropped my Z10 for the first time ever, and was happy to discover that absolutely nothing happened to the phone – the case puts a pretty thick layer between the Z10 and anything it may hit.
Piel Frama also provides a belt clip that you can install if you’d like. From the factory, the case comes with a metal placeholder of sorts at the back of the case. If you want to install the belt clip, this placeholder is unscrewed using a special tool provided. Then, using the other end of the tool, the belt clip attachment is screwed in, and the clip itself snaps right on. Although maybe not the most convenient solution in the world, it does keep the case looking clean if you opt not to use the belt clip, and even the tool they provide is stylized – it’s designed to look like the Piel Frama logo.
In daily usage, I did discover a few quirks with the iMAGNUM. It’s equipped with an excellent magnetic closure system, keeping the case firmly shut when you aren’t using your phone, but Piel Frama failed to take advantage of the magnet sensor in the Z10 – the screen will not shut off automatically when the case is closed. There’s no access to the lock button with the case closed either, although the leather is slim enough there that you can press it anyways. The flip cover is an acquired taste as well – I would much prefer it opened to the side rather than the top, as it can be a little clunky to keep the camera unobstructed when taking photos. On the plus side, this design keeps all the buttons and port unobstructed even with the case closed.
All things considered, the iMAGNUM is actually a great case. It looks and feels fantastic, while providing plenty of protection for your Z10. Yes, it’s not perfect – for the money, it wouldn’t have hurt them to add a sleeper magnet so I didn’t have to reach for the lock button all the time. I’m not a big fan of the vertical flip cover either. But after spending a few days with it, I can honestly say that the price tag is justified – it has a premium feel that just can’t be matched by other cases.
If you’re interested in getting one of your own, head over to the Piel Frama site here.