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Top 5 Free Apps

Release Date: August 05, 2009
Genre: Games
Release Date: May 22, 2009
Genre: Games
Release Date: August 29, 2009
Genre: Games
Release Date: March 27, 2009
Release Date: August 07, 2009

iTunes New Music Releases

Release Date: September 29, 2009
Genre: Rock
Release Date: September 20, 2009
Release Date: September 15, 2009
Release Date: August 25, 2009
Genre: Rock
Release Date: August 25, 2009

Top 5 Paid Apps

Release Date: April 22, 2009
StickWars $0.99
Release Date: March 31, 2009
Genre: Games
Bloons $0.99
Release Date: April 05, 2009
Genre: Games

Discover New Music

  • Chicago Transit Authority

    • 10 out of 10
    • Chicago
    • For those of you who don't know, Chicago didn't always suck, and everyone in the band didn't always play a keyboard. When the band started off they were pioneers of rock and jazz fusion, and guita

  • The Stooges

    • 8 out of 10
    • The Stooges
    • Another pillar of my musical foundations, The Stooges' first album is one those records whose influence far outweighed its popularity. Like The Velvet Underground & Nico, hordes of people wh

  • Supermodified

    • 10 out of 10
    • Amon Tobin
    • The genius is in the beats. Amon Tobin creates fantastic, groovy beats behind beats. "Supermodified" rolls through your expectations of breakbeat music, and turns them up a bit. It's a mellow album, p
  • Is This It

    • 10 out of 10
    • The Strokes
    • The Strokes set the music world on fire with this 2001 album, with headlines declaring that the New York band was here to save Rock and Roll. While the band hasn't made as much of a splash since t

  • An Evening with George Shearing & Mel Torm�

    • 10 out of 10
    • Mel Torm� & George Shearing
    • Of the three men who taught me how to sing, the last was Mel Torme. Apparently, Mel Torme is a joke to anyone more than a decade older than me, a living parody of a Vegas crooner. But I stumbled on th

Reader Specials

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In-Depth Review

Belkin Slim-Fit Case for iPhone

Belkin's Slim-Fit Case for iPhone is a holster-style case that's quite similar to the Elan Holster case from Griffin Technology that I reviewed here in July. They're both crafted of black leather, priced at $29.99, and come with a low-profile belt clip so you can easily slip the whole affair into a pocket if you wish (or if you're not wearing a belt).

I like both holsters a lot but the Belkin has a couple of features I like better than their Elan counterparts as well as one I don't much care for.

First, it's a little easier to slide the iPhone in and out of the Slim-Fit case than the Elan. With the Slim-Fit case I never missed a call because I couldn't slide the phone out of the case fast enough. The Elan is a tighter fit and I did miss a call or two because I couldn't get the phone out of the case in time. I'm not convniced this (the looser fit) is a good thing but so far it hasn't caused me any trouble and I prefer it slightly over the Elan's tighter fit.

Second, the closed end of the Slim-Fit case is made of some sort of open mesh material (which, unfortunately, can't be seen in the picture below). Since the iPhone's speaker is on the bottom edge, the mesh makes it much easier to hear when the phone rings. The Elan, on the other hand, has a solid leather bottom that muffles the ring tone sound a bit.

To be fair, the Elan Holster has a nice feature not found in the Slim-Fit -- the belt clip is removable and can be configured so you can either carry the phone sideways or upright. The Slim-Fit belt clip is permanently attached in the upright position.

The one feature I don't care for -- the silver strip embedded into the leather on the top of the case -- can be seen in the photo above. I don't like the dorky design or Belkin's name, both of which can be seen better in the close-up below.

Maybe it's me, but I resent having to pay for the privilege of advertising a brand name. While the Elan Holster does have Griffin's name embossed in the leather, that's much more subtle than the Slim-Fit's tacky silver adornment.

The Bottom Line

I like everything about the Belkin Slim-Fit case except for the garish silver strip on its front. Given a choice of this case or the Griffin Elan Holster, I'd have to flip a coin.

Just The Facts

Slim-Fit Case for iPhone from Belkin

MSRP US$29.99

Pros:Easy to slide iPhone in and out, low-profile belt clip, mesh over iPhone speaker.

Cons:Tacky silver strip on front spoils otherwise elegant looks.

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