I wrote an article about luxurious cases for the iPhone 3G, and I included a couple of leather cases. This was published in iPhone Life Magazine, and soon after I got a message from the owner of Piel Frama. I had missed this large manufacturer located in Spain, and of course I felt eager to try out one of their iPhone 4 cases. This all went down during my vacation with a lack of internet, and I had to rely on what little power the iPhone 3G could provide. Looking around the site the iMagnum caught my attention both by means of the name, and the bold colours available.
After a couple of postal issues here in Sweden I finally got the iMagnum onto the iPhone 4, and the first impression was totally positive. I managed to screw the belt clip button onto the case with the supplied tool as I was out walking. The case hugs the phone snugly, and offers protection for about 90% of the phone. The weak point is the corner around the camera that is left completely uncovered around the back and top.
The leather is genuine cowhide of great quality with a nice shine to it. Soft on the outside, and with a strong polymer on the inside holding it all together. Much of the design is similar to that found in cases by Vaja, and it shares the same impressive strength to the edges holding the phone. The inside is also filled with the brand name Piel Frama. The front flap protects the screen really well, and is closed with a magnet on the backside. A tight credit card slot is found on the inside of the flap, and I found it really hard to get a card in it. A couple of notes is easier to fit inside without feeling like the case will be damaged.
The design is quite simple, and the front flap is only a big flap. On the other hand this offers more protection than if the focus had been on interesting curves. There is no telling the brand of the case until you open it, and see the lining. I would like Piel Frama to integrate their cool bull head logo into the design to set them aside from the competitors a bit more. The logo is used for the belt clip tool, and the button you remove to add the belt clip.
I really like the belt clip as it is so easy to extract the phone when out and about. Simply press the button to push the phone upwards. This move can easily be done with one hand. The belt clip stays in your belt, and it is cool to be able to just snap it in place on my hip without anyone seeing a holster.
Range of flap movement using headphones shown using a screwdriver and no phone. Completely scientific.
There is one major issue with the iMagnum in my opinion, and it became evident on that very first walk with it. If you use headphones with a straight connector the flap can only be opened at 120 degrees. This means that I can’t walk around playing games, surfing or texting without the flap trying to close. With an angled connector some extra degrees can be gained, but it is still not able to be completely open with headphones. I contacted the company asking about this issue, and got the reply that it is meant to be used closed with headphones. To me this is plain strange, as many people out there want to be able to at least start their music or make a call with headphones plugged in. Having the case close on you becomes quite annoying even for those not walking around playing like me. This glaring issue is a shame as all other aspects of the case are really great. The build quality, material quality, belt clip, magnet closure and fit are great. 
The credit card slot being a bit too tight is just a minor problem, as is the lack of protection around the camera.
The iMagnum is a great protective case offering style, a cool colour selection and a handy belt clip solution. If you use Bluetooth headsets, or generally hate wearing headphones definitely consider getting one.
Final Rating
iMagnum at PielFrama.com €80 (about $103)
