With the plethora of cases out there, I have decided to take the plunge and try one of them out – The Expert Shield Crystal Case – for O2 XDA mini (sic).

Missing version numbers aside, the package that came was simple – appearing almost empty thanks to the fact that the case is clear plastic. The package contains:

• 1 Clear plastic case
• 2 belt clip screws
• 1 belt clip

The Case
The case, being plastic, comes shipped with clingy plastic film over it, to prevent scratches. Peeling this off, a number of things struck me – the case is VERY clear, there are a lot of areas that you need access to on a mini, and the manufacturers sure do know their minis! The case comes with holes for every mini function except the IR port (which wouldn’t be interfered with by the plastic anyway) – that includes a slot for the LED above the screen, a slot for your SD Card, areas for the left-hand buttons and volume slider, power and stylus, and a roomy area at the bottom for connector cables.

The case also includes a flip-top cover, something that strikes me as a little unnecessary. You obviously have to open the cover to use your touch screen, and this is where the first inconsistency comes in. The clips that click shut are recessed ball-and-socket style press moulds, which are similar to the ones that hold CD cases or calculator flip-top cases together. As such, I have doubts over their durability, especially as you really do have to push and pull HARD to get the case to open or close. In fact, to open, I need to leverage with my thumb on the D-Pad buttons while gripping the bottom of the flip-top lid with my index finger to get it open – something that puts unnecessary wear on my buttons and causes a lot of stress on the sockets. I imagine that the opening/closing will get better over time as the plastic slowly gives, but if that happens, then it is purely a function of time until the clips break.

My next concern came from the hinge at the top of the flip-top lid, with the main connection being on the other side of the mini, with an interim hinge in between. This interim hinge has the slot for the SD Card, which raised flags immediately for me. I have a SanDisk 256Mb+WiFi card, where the aerial sticks out about a centimetre from the SD slot. The aerial is also thicker than an SD Card, meaning that the snug-fitting slot might prevent me from inserting my favourite add-on for my mini.

Thankfully, this is not a problem.

The Expert Shield case is roomy enough to allow insertion in and out of the slot with no contact to the case or aerial. A good thing! With so many SDIO Cards out there, those manufacturers who don’t accommodate us consumers will perish. You will still have to make sure that if you are using long SDIO Cards with the lid closed, you need to be careful opening the lid, or the hinge and slot will quickly turn in to a guillotine for your card!

USB/charging cables, wired headsets and even styli for soft/hard/bootloader resets also will have no problems getting access. The mic cavity for the phone is also left uncovered, and no one I spoke to reported any difficulty hearing me. The stylus holder at the other end is marginally cramped, requiring a decent fingernail to pull it from it’s proximity to the case edge, although I consider this a benefit as I’ve pulled my stylus out by accident with rough handling. All other buttons are perfectly accessible.

At the back, you have two holes for the camera lens and mirror/speakerphone cavity, as well as depressions for the standard raised ridges on the back of the mini to prevent scratching of the camera lens. This is good thinking, ensuring a snug but not stressed fit. There is also a metal-reinforced thread for a belt clip screw to hook in to the belt clip – a welcome change as plastic would fray extremely quickly with repeated insertions and removals of the screws. This disturbs the whole “invisible plastic” look, but for the peace of mind, I think it’s a good trade off.

The Belt Clip Assembly
Included with the Expert Shield case is a belt clip, made of slightly-more-opaque-than-clear plastic than the case. This is where my major disappointments start to come in. Because the clip isn’t totally clear, no matter what you wear, belt or clothing wise, you will see it. The clip itself is BIG, far bigger than any belt I have in my boring male wardrobe, although any trendy woman worth her salt WILL have a belt that chunky. I can’t imagine any woman WEARING such a belt would want to carry her PDA with her at that time though!

The securing clip, I’m sorry to say, is woeful. Not a spring-controlled, lever-operated masterpiece like the standard belt clip, it is a single injection moulded piece of ugly plastic. It is bent apart to fit over your belt, something that’s never good, and has a bizarre tension holding lever, that is really nothing more than a wedge of plastic that presses down on the belt clip screw. Removal is thus hard, as you have to BEND your belt clip lever to get it to release, requiring a surprising amount of leverage and force.

The redeeming feature of the belt clip assembly is the belt clip screw. Similar to a normal case belt clip screw, it comes complete with a rubber washer, removing all lateral movement, and allowing you to screw it in tightly, with the easy ability to release if needed. The screw is of similar dimensions to the “ordinary” screw such that you can (thankfully) use the ordinary belt clip and know that your mini is secure. I basically ditched the Expert Shield belt clip in favour of the ordinary clip almost straight away.

Shortcomings
The Expert Case has enough redeeming features for me to be happy with it. There are inconsistencies and disappointments, to be sure, but not enough to turn me off the case as a whole. However, the plastic is a little too thick for my liking – it adds just enough bulk (~5mm to overall width, height and depth) to my mini to be noticeable. Also, there is no pocket for additional SD Cards, an oversight that is made all the more painful with excellent leather cases from Krusnell topping the market and reviews with clever design.

Summary
I like the case, and have promoted it to my normal (weekday) use. I will swap it out for the ordinary case or remove all cases entirely if I am heading out and want no bulk from my phone/PDA (the reason for getting a mini in the first place!) or take the ordinary case if I need my WiFi card. As such, I am still searching for a light case that allows me to replace my wallet (credit, business and expansion card abilities) but I have found something that I know will keep my mini safe.

At least, until I get my first big scratch on it.

Score
KevinL gives the Expert Shield Crystal Case for O2 XDA II mini a respectable…7 out of 10