$20.45
The fabulous folks over at Proporta sent me a few items to review and the first item I’m tackling is their Maya pouch. Proporta’s site describes that it’s compatible with multiple devices, including the iPhone 3G, first-generation iPhone, the iPod Touch, and many more (see the full list of compatible devices here). I tested it with my iPhone 3G and my first-generation iPhone. It’s made of leather and comes in a variety of colors. My test unit is yellow (though it’s more orange than yellow to me) with 2 stripes stitched across the front – one in maroon and the other in white.
The Maya case in its box
Materials
The exterior of the case is leather with 2 contrasting stripes in different colors stitched diagonally across the lower left corner on the front. The rear of the case has a leather loop with a metal ring attached so you can connect a lanyard or wrist loop to the case (neither are provided with the case). Toward the bottom is the word Proporta stamped into the leather. The leather has a visible grain and is soft and matte. The right side of the case has a small black tag attached with an armadillo, the Proporta logo, on it. The case I have is light in color and it does show dirt relatively easily, though I presume you can use leather cleaner to keep it in tip-top shape if this matters to you.
The front and back of the Maya case
The inside of the case is a deep maroon velvet that does not scratch the iPhone at all. All of the stitches are even and I can only detect a slight unevenness in the shape of the top of the case, but this isn’t very noticeable at all.
Fit
The Maya case fits my iPhone 3G and my first-generation iPhone snugly enough so that they won’t slip out on their own if you hold the case upside down. The best way to remove the iPhone from the case is to push up on the bottom of the iPhone with one hand as you hold the sides of the case. There’s not enough of either iPhone version peeking out at the top of the case to get a good grip on and pull it out directly.
The Maya case with my iPhone 3G inside
The Maya case with my first-generation iPhone inside
Using the case
As you can see, this is not a play-through case all and you’ll have to remove the iPhone from the case entirely in order to use it for anything aside from use with a Bluetooth headset or wired headphones. While there are no cut-outs for the speaker on the bottom, you can still hear the iPhone ring without any problems, though if you’re worried about this, you can simply put the iPhone in the case upside down so the speaker is at opening at the top of the case. However, this makes it impossible to plug headphones into the iPhone at the same time.
The top of the Maya case
The bottom of the Maya case
As you already know if you’ve read my other iPhone case reviews, I access my iPhone frequently during my commute and I found myself sliding my iPhone out of this case a lot as I used it. Of course, it was fine when it was in my pocket most of the time, but a slip case isn’t quite suited to the way I use my iPhone, a fact exacerbated by the death of my V-Moda Vibe Duos – with no inline remote on a good pair of headphones, I switched to using my remote-less Etymotic ER6i headphones.
The left side of the Maya case
The right side of the Maya case
It doesn’t feel like there’s any padding in between the leather exterior and the velvet interior, but it’s thick enough to make me feel like the iPhone will withstand minor bumps and come out unscathed. I’m not as confident about a long drop onto concrete, but I don’t know of any slip cases that would be solid protection against this kind of treatment. It definitely protects the iPhone from scratches, except for the top portion that remains uncovered.
Summary
If you need a simple slip case to keep your iPhone protected while it’s in your purse or backpack, the Maya case will definitely work for you. The best part is that it’s compatible with multiple items, so if you own a first-generation iPhone and are upgrading to a 3G soon or even another compatible device, the Maya case will still work for you. Keep in mind how you use your iPhone first, however – this case is not ideal for the way I use my iPhone, so it’s not going to be my primary case as a result. It will definitely be a back-up case for me, though, particularly if I’m only using a skin on my iPhone, like the DecalGirl one I’m using now.
Price-wise, the Maya case is $20.45, which is a decent price in my view given how versatile it is. Shipping to the U.S. is very reasonable at $5.95 per order if you buy the case directly from Proporta online.
Related reviews:
Belkin Slim-Fit iPhone case
First-generation iPhone v. 3G iPhone comparison review