Windows Phone Thoughts: Sena Dell Axim Cases: A Worthy Choice

Although the name “Sena” might not pop to the top of the list when you think of Pocket PC cases, it should. Sena cases might not have all the extravagant touches of Vaja cases, but they’re very well made and quite affordable. Sena sent me a few of their Dell Axim X5 cases for review, and I chose the black/red combo case to take a closer look at. The case itself is very smartly designed – I really like the cut of the leather and the colouring (the red is bold). The stitches are perfect, and the case has no visual flaws. The leather is fairly plain, but sturdy – I haven’t carried the case around too much day to day, but it doesn’t seem to scuff or scratch easily. Your mileage may vary.

The Sena case fit my Dell Axim snugly, but it was easy enough to remove the Axim from it. The case is cut away in all the right places – at the top for the headphone jack, the left side (SD card slot, rocker bar, record, soft reset), and the bottom (power and sync port). There are two slots for credit or business cards at the top of the inside cover, and two slots for SD cards at the bottom. The cover is slightly stiff, but has no plastic layer to protect the screen from damage. The result is that the case doesn’t add much to the width of the Axim, but don’t expect this cover to protect your Axim screen from a serious blow. The case has a snap closure that attaches easily (unlike some other cases I’ve tried where it’s a struggle to close it).

The only complaint I have with the Sena case is that they all seem to have a mirror in them. At the risk of sounding sexist, I think that far more women than men would find this addition useful – and based on the breakdown of male to female Pocket PC owners I see here at Pocket PC Thoughts, I have my doubts as to how useful most buyers will find the mirror. It’s removable, but then you’re left with a space that can’t be used for much of anything. A credit card would fit, but then there's a big hole so you know it's not supposed to go there, which makes the interior of the case look a little funny. I would prefer to see Sena offer this as an option for those that want it, and give back some usable space for those that don't.

All in all, Sena's Axim cases are very well made, and resonably priced. They don't have exquisiteness of a Vaja case, but they're not supposed to - they're priced in a different category, and for the money, Sena cases represent a solid value. You can purchase the case directly from Sena starting at $39.99 USD. They also have a useful FAQ that should address any lingering questions.