All twelve of the cases operate in the same general fashion: they hold your iPod or iPhone inside a tailored leather holster that could conceivably be its own case, except for the absence of one or two sides worth of leather. The cases then shut with a front-covering flap that also covers all or part of one of the device's sides. How that side is covered typically impacts accessory access, while the front's coverage precludes screen and control access: you need to open the case every time you want to use the iPod or iPhone inside.
By comparison with Belkin's Leather Folios, Capdase's new Bifold Style and Vertical-Flip Style Leather Cases are highly similar to just about every flip-style leather case we've previously seen for iPods, with cheapening touches that don't endear us to the designs. The Bifold Style case is like the Leather Folio, opening like a book, while the Vertical Flip instead opens a bottom flap. Both stay shut using clearly visible but not especially strong magnets, four of which are very evident on each case's interior. Leather quality and looks don't appear to be huge concerns to Capdase, either, as the interiors feel plasticy, rather than classy, and are embossed with three lines of explanatory text that really don't help.
Capdase also manages to cover less of the nano than Belkin and other companies do with their leather cases. Bifold leaves the nano's entire top and top right corner exposed, while leaving almost the entire bottom open but for a couple of tiny straps. The disadvantage of this design is weak top protection, but the advantage is great accessory accessibility: the Dock Connector port is fully available. Not so in Vertical-Flip, which leaves only the headphone port exposed on the bottom, and the nano's top corners open as well, but also exposes parts of the nano's sides.
Another oddity in these packages is that both of the cases were clearly designed to work with simple attachments such as carabiner hooks, yet neither actually shipped with them. Capdase routinely packs in all sorts of little parts like these with its cases--sometimes too many--but they weren't a part of the Bifold or Vertical-Flip boxes. All you get in each box is one case, nothing more.
Once again, Capdase's saving grace with these cases is pricing: Bifold and Vertical-Flip sell for around $15 a piece versus $25 for other brands' products, so you can decide for yourself whether it's worth saving a few bucks and accepting less impressive designs in the process. We'd pass, but your pocketbook may lead you to think otherwise.
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