This just in from Vaja - something new to look forward to. Say hello to the i-volution Leather Suit for MacBook Air…

I can almost smell the leather; can you?

Vaja is apparently branching out even further than their current line of PDA cases, laptop bags and other luxury Argentinean leather goods; today they have sent notice that they have introduced a new product category called “Objects”.

The first items in this line are an aluminum box with leather appliques and a leather mouse pad; both of these products can be customized in more that 40 leather colors.

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Those of you who have been following me for years know that I am a sucker for shiny things. After all, I once had my own little PDA stylus company which created custom styli made of sterling silver or gold, with options such as inlaid precious stones. Yeah, I can be a little bit over the top like that.

The product I am writing about today is in the same vein, and it is not for the faint of heart, nor is it for the light of wallet. I’m going to put that statement right out there, right up front. The Vaja ivolution Silver for iPhone is an item of near decadent luxury that will make some swear and some swoon. You see, it’s not just the “typical” ivolution case made of the finest Argentinean leather, it’s also jewelry for your device because all of the metal trim on it is made of pure sterling silver.

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It wasn’t long after I received a Palm 700p review unit that I knew I would be buying either the Palm OS version or the WM5 version of the Treo to use as my mobile phone. Other than which OS to go with, my next decision was what case. I’ll admit it, I went right to the Vaja’site, and I literally swooned when I saw the T7 Silver.

However, reality eventually set in once I saw the price for that intricate piece of sterling silver accented leather-art. Luckily, there was a very similar case available with a more wallet-friendly price - the i-volution for Palm Treo 700 Series.

As with all Vaja cases, the first thing that greets the owner upon opening the box is the yummy smell of perfectly tanned Argentinean leather. The second thing that the owner will notice is the case’s complete attention to detail. Everything is laid out perfectly, and all has been created with a good experience in mind for the owner.

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The Motorola Q is a very thin, yet wider than usual Windows Mobile 5 Smartphone which was designed to be held to the user’s face when making calls. It also sports a full QWERTY keyboard for thumb-typing and a bright 2″ wide x 1.5″ tall screen. Making a case that would keep the screen from being unnecessarily scratched, protect the majority of the device’s plastic body, and yet allow unfettered access to the keyboard and other ports was the challenge. If anyone could rise to the occasion it would be Vaja; read on to see how they did…

There are four new Motorola Q cases offered by Vaja. Of them the most device-accessible version is the Motorola Q Classic MO111, an open-faced custom handcrafted case which is available in plain vitelino or plain aniline leather. The difference between the two leathers is that aniline is a soft leather with a smooth finish. According to the Vaja site, ” no pigmented finish or topcoats are applied to correct or mask the natural beauty of the hide. This means that you will be able to see the actual surface grain and markings.” Vitelino leather, on the other hand, has a “beautiful, cracked-look surface” which is “achieved by polishing with extreme pressure by rollers made of agate, steel or glass.” Vaja uses the glass rollers, “because it allows for the best possible results.” There are fourteen different vitelino color choices, and there are eighteen different aniline color choices.

If you would like a belt-clip, there is an option of adding a plastic Ultra-Clip for $6, or the sleek rivet clip system for $20. Personalization may also be added, with embossed text costing $10 and an embossed graphic costing $30.

I was sent two Q Classic cases - an Olive Vitelino for the Q with regular battery and an Azzuro Vitelino for the Q with extended battery; let’s look at the Olive case first. The sewn-in plastic screen guard has a piece of blue protective plastic on it, and there is no device inside to push out the custom sculpted leather sides. Worth noting are that the only branding evident on the device are the two subtle pewter colored teardrops which make up the Vaja logo, and there is a repetitive embossed Vaja logo making up the interior’s back wall.

The case�almost looks like a slipper here, doesn’t it?

This is more like it…once the Q has been inserted in the tightly fitted case, the leather sides are filled and the case hugs the device’s body to perfection. Without a case, the Q measures exactly 4.6″ tall x 2.6″ wide x 0.46″ thick and weighs 4.2 ounces. Inside the Classic case, the Q now measures 4.6″ tall x 2.7″ wide x 0.62″ and weighs 4.8 ounces. The difference in size is negligible, but the difference in the feel of the device is immediately evident. Where the Q’s exterior was a slightly cheap looking prone-to-scratches silver plastic before, the Q is now transformed into a sumptuous leather-wrapped device with silver trim.

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One of the treats we received at Mobius Thailand this year was a Vaja case for the HTC Hermes / Dopod 838Pro.

You would have thought it was Christmas!

John Starkweather had no sooner announced that Vaja had made custom cases for our new Windows Mobile 5 Phones, when the room erupted with “oooooooohs” and our eyes grew wide; there was a good reason for this.

Vaja has been around since 2000, and in that time they have managed to revolutionize the case making industry. No longer the new guys on the block, they are now the leather craft company that every other case-maker aspires to be. From the beginning they have created form-fitting, well made cases constructed of aromatic Argentinean leather which complemented the PDAs carried inside. But before long their innovative designers chose to not only create the highest quality cases, they also began to offer custom designs that allowed their patrons to personalize the case-making process in a way never done before. Whether the case is from their Classic line or the slightly edgier iVolution line, Vaja items all have a few thing in common - they are impeccably made, they look beautiful, and they all smell yummy!

So today we’ll take a look at the HTC Horizonal Pouch, which is made to fit Pocket PC Phones - with or without a sliding keyboard - that measure no larger than 4.45″ tall x 2.3″ wide x 0.5″ thick. This pouch is very similar to the Vaja HT41 Pouch which I previously reviewed.

The case itself measures 4.53″ long x 2.6″ wide x 1.35″ thick. It is composed of black aniline leather with a deep red aniline accent stripe. The subtle Vaja logo is the only branding evident anywhere on the pouch.

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