A new phone means that it’s time for a new case. This time around I have moved away from the Roxfit cases that are abundant for Xperia phones and I’m instead trying a different maker – Encase.
I have already tested one of their keyboard covers for small tablets and, if I am honest I was left wanting by the experience. I am hoping that this time around the case will live up to its name.
Design
Like many cases I’ve tested before this one is a book style case. The phone is held in place by a cradle which is made from a fairly strong plastic. It has just enough “give” in it to make it usable but once the phone is in the cradle it is a very snug fit.
Actually getting the phone in and out of the case is a bit tricky as it’s a tight fit, but this reassured me that phone wasn’t going to fall out. At the top and bottom the case has cut-outs to leave it clear and accessible.
Whilst this is important for the top I cant see the reason for the bottom being open, other than perhaps a weight saving.
The right hand side is where the majority of the controls sit and again this is open. You can easily get access to the power keys and the volume keys and then a little further down, the camera shutter key.
On the opposite side is the cut-out for the charger, magnetic dock slot and the lanyard hole. The arrangement of the cut-outs does mean that the SIM and microSD card door are covered. This is no real hardship at the end of the day. The hinge of the fold goes all the way down the left side and there is no provision for plugging the charger in with the case closed. This is a shame but not the end of the world.
On the inside of the flap there is space for two credit cards if you wanted to carry them there, I don’t, but some people like this feature. Weirdly the case only has one speaker cut-out at the top, forgetting perhaps that the phone has dual speakers on the front. This is again a shame and suggests that the case was designed well in advance of the release of the Z3.
The whole thing has been wrapped in faux leather so it does have a nice feel. Lastly on the back is the space for the camera to peek through.
Day to day usage
How does it feel to actually use the case?
Well it is pretty good, although I will say from the get go that the case does add a bit of bulk. In total it’s about half the thickness of the device and this is noticeable if you’re wearing tight jeans etc. I have enjoyed using the case for the last week and it will stay there for a while until it either becomes tatty or Tech 21 release their version.
The case is a nice addition to the phone and gives it a classy look and feel. I have even had a few compliments. You can prop the phone up using this case, however it doesn’t stay there long as it is unstable in this mode. I did find that if I was playing games intensively then it caused the phone to get quite warm quite quickly, which is a downer. Also when using the flash there was a lot of flash bounce back.
Where can I buy one?
Encase Wallet covers can be bought from MoibileFun along with a whole host of other accessories that they have available for their customers. Head to the Sony Xperia Z3 page for more information. The Encase Wallet will cost £12.99 and it is available in many colours.
I would like to thank MobileFun for letting me test this case and next up for you Sony fans is the Z3 Tablet Compact review.
Cheers