Pre Accessory Review: Rocketfish Snap-On Case + Holster for Palm Pre
Rocketfish, one of the very few companies offering Palm Pre cases for us early adapters. We're looking at a 2 piece snap-on shell case made from "impact-resistant polycarbonate material" for durability and your traditional holster that the case fits in. The case has these hands that snap on the side of the Pre, so it stays put. This review covers Rocketfish's Snap-On Case for the Pre in Gun Metal ($20) and Snap-On case + holster bundle for the Pre in Black ($25).
Note: It does not come with a Screen Protector.
We received the (Gun Metal colored case) and (Black Case + Holster) for review. They also offer them in black, clear or red. As you can see, this case does NOT cover the gesture area, unlike the cheap cases sold on eBay. There're no sharp edges on the case like the Pre. Everything's smoothed out.
The case covers most of the back, leaving room for the camera, speaker, buttons, ports and the entire touchscreen+gestures area. And a nice touch: scratch prove finish on the inner layer of the case.
The case makes your pre slightly bulkier, but definitely gives it that all around protection. It took me little effort to install it on, however, had a hard time taking it off. Also worth nothing, when removing the case make sure you're yanking on the case and not the Pre. You'll know what I mean when comes time to uninstall it.
Having used the Pre with the case on for a good few minutes, I find it frustrating to type on the top row of keys. Had no problem sliding open the keyboard. And removing the battery from the Pre requires you to take off the back part of the case first, which could really be a hassle if you do that often.
And for the Holster, your traditional holster with a belt clip. Nothing special.
Bottom Line: At $20 for the Snap-On case and $25 for the case+holster bundle, it's going to be an easy pick for users looking for a solid protection for their Palm Pre's. But In my opinion, this is not the case for me. If I had to rate the case between 1 and 10, I would give it a 6.5. I'm sure Rocketfish will offer better cases in the future, being this is their first case designed for the Pre.
Available now across all Best Buy Mobile locations and Best Buy Online store.
Palm Pre case, Ppalm pre accessory, full body, holster, rocketfish | in Accessories , Review, accessories review | Permalink
Reader Comments (21)
You think it'll work with the touchstone? Rocketfish was very very VERY smart by NOT covering the gesture area
Phillip, how hard is it to type on the top row of keys? It is so bad that it isn't worth buying it?
I bought one of these at Best Buy yesterday and immediately returned it. The slider action was a little tighter with it on, and the hand things that keep it from coming off seemed like the were prying my Pre apart. The plastic is also kind of cheap (I'm used to the Agent18 clear hard case on my iPod). It's not horrible, but its not good either. My Pre seems a little looser now that I've taken it off, and its a good thing I'm getting a replacement because of dead pixels, otherwise I'd be very sad.
My local Sprint Store ran out of TouchStones and won't have it restock'd til tomorrow. I'll let you know tomorrow.
The top rows of keys are usable, but only with the very tip of your thumbs. You'd be better off with those Invisible Shields or Ghost-Armor shields.
how well do those invisible shields do against drops? Thats one of my main concerns. Although, the extra $7/month for the total protection plan from Sprint doesn't sound too bad
have you heard anything about the invisiblesheild and if it works with the touchstone?
Review copy of the shields are being delivered to me, so I'll let you know soon. I agree about the protection plan.
In the first picture, is that an up-side-down Apple logo?
@APK
Yeah, reflection of my iMac.
Got one of the Rocketfish cases at Best Buy as well, and returned mine. Didn't like how it made the pre feel. Also, the keys are a little tough to get to on the top row. Also, with the pre open, if you grabbed the outside of the case, it kept hitting the volume button and adjusting the volume. I'm waiting for one of the shield type deals. Can't wait to hear feedback on how those work.
@BigA
Ghost-Armor.com are contributing 5 of their shields to our readers! Stay tune and you might just get lucky and grab one for free!
Wow, that ghost armor looks cool. Thanks for the heads up.
BigAloha
LMAO am I the only one that see the Apple logo on the first pic! lol
I just picked one of these up from Best Buy. I like these kinds of cases, but I agree with some of the comments above. The Pre definitely feels different - not the smooth sensual black stone it was, but more of a regular phone with a plastic case no less. The case is very "plasticy," ie kind of cheap, doesn't feel incredibly solid, but maybe that's partly because it's so light. It does seem to make charging a bit more difficult as well. The other thing is that for me, it does make sliding out the keyboard much more difficult. Without it I can flip it open with one hand. I can't do that with this case. It take two hands and a fair degree of effort. It makes the power button less accessible as well.
I also picked up a wall charger and a car charger from the same company. The car charger didn't work initially, I had to play with it. Same for the wall charger but now after unplugging and replugging a few times, it's given up working at all. My Palm wall charger still works perfectly.
I think I'm at least returning the chargers to best buy. But will wait another day or two for the case to see if I can get used to its downsides...
I have to agree, as well, about opening the keyboard with the USB cable attached but, overall, I really like the Rocketfish case w/ holster. I have ordered the ghostarmor screen only protector and believe that this will work well for me until there is a more complete selection of cases out there.
All that aside, after owning PDA phones since my first Kyocera 6035 and being a big Palm since those days, I have to say that this is, by far, the best phone I have ever owned. Let's hope that the dev community really takes off and this peice of tech is allowed to get some traction.
What screen cover do you have on your pre in these pics? Will the rocketfish fit over a pre that has a full body cover like the Bodyguardz or Ghostarmor?
@Thomas
I was using the plastic firm that came installed on the screen.
Nope.
Has anyone been able to install one of these with a shield (invisishield, bestskinever, etc) on the front part of the Pre? I had a bestskinever installed, and the front piece would not snap back on (kept pulling the shield off the sides)
Same thing with me.
The apple reflection pics gotta go!!!!
Just got the Rocketfish case with holster today. I already had the InvisibleShield (front and back) on my Pre, and had no problems snapping on the case. However, I think I kind of nicked a part of the cover and it left a little bit of a mark - not a big deal but just be careful not to have the plastic tab scratch any part of whatever screen protector you already applied.
The phone does feel a little stiffer when trying to slide it open, but not so bad for me to return the case. It's only been a day, but I think the case should be just fine.
I went on an impulse and purchased the Rocketfish only to find that it pulled a part of my PRE case away (yes I made sure I was only pulling on the protector). Unfortunate, because I liked the look and feel but I won't keep a product that ruins a great phone!
I have the Zagg screen protector and my Pre, I also bought the case at best buy and had the employee attempt to install it. he could not get it to stay put so i returned the case immediately. Had better luck with the analogous Radio Shack case. it appears to stay put. a slight resistance when sliding open the keyboard; i can live with it though. Also top row of the keyboard can be a little difficult. What can i say? I'm adaptable. Not perfect, but it'll do for now.