Boxwave Flexiskin for Dell Axim x50v

Developer: Boxwave (http://www.boxwave.com)

Boxwave Flexiskin for Dell Axim x50v Price: US$29.95 (Web Special) Rating (4 out of 5):        

When it comes to cases for you Axim, plenty of companies have you covered (pun intended!). There’s plenty of leather cases, hard cases, and fabric cases to choose from. However, leather cases can be rather expensive; fabric cases are nice but don’t necessarily protect you from much. So, Boxwave offers the Flexiskin case (made of silicone) in attempt to give you decent protection, little additional weight, and smooth finish. Boxwave bills this case as being both “usable and protective” - but how does it fare under real world circumstances? We’ll find out.  

Note = Boxwave also offers this case in a Smoke Grey color (although, oddly enough, without a plastic flip cover). The case I reviewed was from the Axim x50v, but it will also fit the x51v as well.

What’s in the box?

As you can see from picture below, your case comes with everything pictures here: A wrist strap, a belt clip, and extra screw, and the case itself. If you look closely, there’s not actually an Axim x50v unit inside the actual case (not yet, anyway). The case comes padded out with a model one, complete with packaging foam and plastic over all the right places. Overall, I think it was a nice packaging job. It was very nice of them to include a wrist-strap!

Unfortunately, there are no instructions to be found. It wouldn’t have hurt to put in just a small amount of information regarding cleaning and maintenance. Maybe a small card viewable from the back of the box could work. Even my Boxwave headphones and screen protector came with instructions!  

Dress Rehearsal

Now it’s time to slip the case on and see how it looks! From the back, you can see what the case looks like both with and without the belt clip. Personally, I was looking forward to the belt clip, but was a bit disappointed. It doesn’t “click” in position, and consequently jiggles a lot while walking with it. If you don’t use the belt clip, you can remove the screw. However, the device does not lay completely flat (mentioned below)..

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As you can see from the pictures below, neither case sits flat on the table when resting with the screen facing up, especially with the belt clip. This can be both a good and bad thing. When resting it on the table, the unit will wobble as you mark on the screen. If you hold the unit primarily in the palm of your hand, this shouldn’t be an issue. The elevation is nice, however, when doing something stationery - such as watching a movie. It’s very convenient to place the unit horizontally, and watch a movie while elevated from the belt clip at a nice angle.

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Although it’s optional, the unit I tested did come with a clear flip cover. This cover can be attached, detached, and lifted up to provide extra protection for your case. As you can see below, the cover has two pegs on both sides that allow it to slide in and out of the holder efficiently.  The cover lifts easily from the holder with the latch attached to it. It can also be snapped back into place, thanks to two little holders on the bottom-front of the case.

Personally, I found the plastic flip cover to be a necessary evil. It certainly protects, but is an annoyance while doing so. After snapping the cover back in, the tiny feet touch the screen and cause the “new” or corner buttons to be activated. I soon got into the habit of either locking my device or turning it off, prior to putting the cover on.

It also is annoying to lift up all the time. If you’re doing a lot of stylus heavy work, it can be annoying to have a new plastic cover to worry about and hold upright while writing. Eventually, whenever my Axim was in use, I just slipped the plastic cover off for the time being. This is also the best way to take the unit out of the case, since it can pass through the wide opening very easily.    

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These workarounds may be annoying, but when the Axim was not in use (and in my purse), I found the screen protector a lifesaver. I couldn’t imagine keeping the unit in my pocket with the screen exposed. Even though I have clear screen protectors (coincidentally also made by Boxwave), I know they won’t protect from everything, especially sharp objects! After a few weeks of moderate use, the screen protector does have some minor signs of scratching. However, better this insert than the Axim screen itself!  

Cut it Out

The case has lots of little cutouts and impressions, each custom tailored for your Axim unit. Starting with the top both cutouts for the microphone and wireless light. Although, does the light really need to be exposed? The power button and logo have impressions, but are not exposed; the power button itself is very easy and comfortable to press.

The entire top of the case is open and some may want to take caution about this. The opening is very convenient - it allows you to easily access the card slots, headphone port, IR port, and stylus. It also accommodates for any external Compact Flash/Secure Digital accessories (e.g. a wireless card). However, it does not cover it and so dust and dirt could get in. Before this case, I used the basic Axim slip case which also had the cover exposed. Personally, I’ve never had a problem with any of my ports or cards, so I don’t mind it.

In the top corner, there is a cutout for the stylus itself. Next to the stylus hole is one of two rubber top-rests. For those that have had these black bands fall off on the actual unit (like me), they will appreciate that they are now molded into the design of the case. You’ll also see the holder for the included wriststrap, which I really like. It’s tight, long, and functional. It even had a clip to detach it on the end. 

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Boxwave has also taken into consideration keeping the unit itself from overheating. There are two rubber holes on the bottom and three slits on the unit to allow air to pass through. The back side is also very flexible, and makes for a neat storage compartment for small items such as extra SD or CF cards.  

Quit Pushing My Buttons

One thing I’ve never liked about Axim cases is that they’re not very considerate of the bottom buttons. Even a lot of leather cases don’t make button pressing easy. I’m glad to say the Boxwave case handles the four main buttons and D-pad nicely. They are molded well and are enjoyable to press. I actually like them more than pressing the buttons on the actual unit. It’s also nice not have an impression of a “calendar” after an hour or two of gaming.

If you look closely, you can see some speckles of dirt on the case. One unfortunate thing about silicone is that it attracts dust and dirt. Thankfully, these cases can be washed and easily restored. Boxwave was smart to make this a smokey-white color, so dirt isn’t as easily noticeable.

The bottom is exposed just enough for you to stick the docking cord directly in. If you have a cradle, however, you’ll have to take the case off. After a few practice tries, it’s really quite easy! I recommend taking the plastic cover off first so you can slip it through the wide opening.

While the buttons on the bottom of the unit are well designed, the buttons on the side seem a bit of an after thought. The buttons simply do not feel comfortable, and it’s hard to tell whether you’ve pressed them or not. I wish there was little bit more indentation for these buttons.

You’ll also see that the reset button, button lock, and wrist strap all have cutouts on the case. The reset button is very nice, as I press it a little more than I’d like to admit. I’m not sure how useful the exposed wrist strap is, especially since the device already has one. I could imagine that even if you did have a wrist strip attached, it would get to be a pain taking the case on and off.  

Push and Pull

Finally, it’s time to pull on this case a little and see how stretchy this silicone can get!

If you decide to use the belt clip, be warned that it does detach a little bit from the case. It’s not enough to jiggle the unit, but it is noticeable. I highly recommend that if you plan to keep this device primarily on your belt, this may not be the best case for you. 

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The wriststrap gives a slight pull when tugged on as well. The unit stays still, but it does expose the edge very slightly. Both of these things are minor considerations, though, and are to be expected when dealing with something as flexible as silicone.

• Will not dock on cradle
• Pulls slightly with belt clip and wrist strap
• Plastic cover can be VERY annoying
• Attracts particles very easily
• Doesn’t feel very safe if dropped
• No instructions on how to handle or treat case