PAP is a small company from Sweden specialising in combining timeless leather and felt designs with modern gadgets. It is no surprise that the iPhone is one of the targeted everyday products worth designing for. I will try out three products from PAP: iPhone Cover, iPhone Wallet and iPad Cover.
First up in my trio of tests is the iPhone Wallet. It is a combination product that works well as a wallet, while also providing basic protection for the iPhone 4/4S. Made from great quality leather that is soft right from the start the exterior is a pleasure to touch. Of all the wallet type cases I have tried for iPhone this is the one design that feels most like a real wallet. If you don’t notice the camera cutout on the back there isn’t much telling that there is a dandy phone inside it. This is perhaps the most notable positive aspect of the design. It is not lavish in any way, but rather it looks like something is that has been worn for ages.
Inserting the iPhone 4/4S is done from the top of the wallet. It slides into a bottom piece where there is a cutout for the home button. It is incredibly hard to get a proper line-up with this cutout, and this gives the entire fit a wonky feel. This is not meant to have a perfect fit, and instead focus on a timeless design. I still think that a good fit is vital to make the iPhone feel fresh, and in focus. This lack of fit also affects the actual usage of the phone because of the light sensors being disturbed. When I start up the phone from sleep mode it is dimmed for almost 10 seconds before my usage wakes it up. This is a real nuisance in my opinion, and the wonky fit also means that you have to align the wallet with the phone if you want to take pictures. The cutout is large enough, but without proper fitting and something rigidly holding the phone in place it tends to be misaligned.
The materials used are excellent, and breathes classic design. As there is no cheating involved with painted, or glued edges these tend to fray and become slightly uneven. This is nothing that disturbs the structural integrity, but it looks frail. There are also some fraying, and uneven seams. This on the other hand makes every wallet feel, and look unique.
Functions that are available in the wallet are the headphone socket, charge socket, volume buttons and silent button. The only function not accessible is the mute switch.
As a wallet it works really well with one large compartment for bills, and three smaller for credit cards and business cards.
The iPhone 4 Wallet from PAP is a good choice for those looking for a wallet case. The strengths are the soft leather, good compartments and understated classic design. The wonky fit and light sensor issues limits the appeal, and shows room for improvement. For a night out it works really well protecting the phone while keeping your money around.
Final Rating
iPhone 4 Wallet at PAPSweden.se €55
