Marware's C. E. O. Premium Case is another handsome holster-style carrying case, available in black or white leather (as shown below).

This case is similar in many ways to the DLO HipCase I reviewed here recently. Both sit horizontally on your hip, which I feel is more comfortable than holsters that hang your iPhone vertically. Both are elegant, premium leather products. And both have integrated leather-covered belt clips (as shown here):

There are some subtle differences, too. For one thing, the Marware case offers more protection for the corners of your iPhone than the DLO HipCase. Both cases have open areas at each corner and the lower middle but the cutouts are significantly smaller on the Marware case.

Another difference is that you can order the black C.E.O. Premiere case direct from Marware and get it with a secure magnetic enclosure rather than Velcro. If you buy it anywhere else (i.e. the Apple Store, an AT&T store, etc.) it'll come with a Velcro fastener instead of a magnet. For what it's worth, the white case, (actually, "Vanilla") has a Velcro fastener no matter where you buy it.

Finally, the C.E.O. Premiere includes a clear protective film covering for your screen and a microfiber cleaning cloth; the DLO HipCase includes neither.

The Bottom Line

The Marware C. E. O. Premiere case is as nice a leather holster as any I've tested. It offers somewhat more protection for your iPhone than the DLO HipCase, and includes a screen protector and microfiber cloth. But, as I said in my HipCase review, "If you prefer a case that offers serious protection or one that doesn't require you to insert and remove your phone repeatedly to use it, neither of these holster-style cases is right for you." On the other hand, if you prefer a holster-style case, you'll be happy with either one.