PDA cases abound ranging in price from the low teens to well over a hundred dollars. I guess beyond providing protection for your PDA they can be somewhat of a status symbol. Materials can be as basic as nylon, vinyl, cowhide, and ramp up quickly to more exotic materials such as kangaroo, ostrich and aluminum.

Today I look at a leather case from HandheldPlanet.net (affiliate link) made of ostrich print leather. The print is quite a bit smaller than truly simulated ostrich - we liked the color and the feel of this much better than the normally bulky ostrich leather (or truly simulated ostrich).

I have been using this case now for about a month, In the past I have found that if a case can hold up to the abuse I put it through for more than two or three weeks it is on its way to getting a gold star from me. However durability is only part of the equation in today’s PDA case world; you have to have style and added functionality to stand out.

Let’s look at style first. The outside of the case is ostrich print leather finished in a deep rich cognac color and has a smooth firm feel similar to a fine Italian leather shoe. Why not real Ostrich you may ask; if this case were actual ostrich, the case price would bump up to well over $100. On the inside of PDA cases many manufacturers will save money by using a synthetic material or vinyl backing. Upon opening this case you will notice that the liner is a suede-treated exotic leather called Carpincho. It's very rare worldwide, except for in South America where it's locally prevalent. Carpincho is very pricy when purchased from Europe, but commonly used in production in South America. The outer rim sleeve that holds the XDA in place is of the same ostrich print leather and uses a print cloth backing.

How about added functionality? If you have been using the stock case that came with the Siemens SX56 you are lacking any place to put your business cards or extra SD Cards at least until now. I was happy to find 4 credit card slots in the cover flap of this case and just below those are two SD memory card slots to help you keep track of those extra SD cards. The earphone jack is easily accessible along with the soft reset and sync port. The belt clip nub in the back is well sewn in and seems to be very solid and the flip cover snaps into place with a Kane brand metal snap.