Speck Executive Moto Q Case Review
Last Updated (Friday, 11 May 2007 10:32) Written by Christopher Meinck Friday, 11 May 2007 09:03
Review: Speck Executive Moto Q Case
The Executive Moto Q case is a black leather flip-lid case made from Speck, who are know for the ToughSkin case products. Read our review to see if this case if right for you.
Review: Speck Executive Moto Q Case
By: Christopher Meinck
The Executive Moto Q case is a black leather flip-lid case made from Speck, who are know for the ToughSkin case products.
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Materials and Protection
The first thing you notice about any of the Speck products is the packaging. The Speck cases are made for retail and the packaging is impressive. The first impressions of the Speck Executive case were positive. The leather is soft and the stitching that outlines the case is very well done. Dubbed the Executive, this case is clearly aimed at professionals looking for suitable protection for their Moto Q. The inside flap features an almond colored enclosure for credit cards, cash and spare miniSD cards. The idea of this case is a good one. You can carry your wallet and your Moto Q. For most, this still won't replace your wallet. I don't see this case fitting more than two credit cards and a miniSD card. Because of the flap, the Moto Q screen is protected. However, I'd be concerned about scratching the screen when using the credit card holder. Once inserted, the Speck Exective will offer excellent protection allowing you to "pocket the Q" and from accidental drops.
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Design and Fit
As mentioned, the case provided solid protection once the Q was inserted. The tough part is actually getting the Moto Q inserted into the Speck Executive Case. While the case is "made for the Moto Q", the fit is far from perfect. I had to use extreme force to wedge the Moto Q into the case. After publishing the review, I decided to try the Verizon Moto Q. The fit was much better (and what I expected). Although the size of the Sprint Q and Verizon Q look identical, the rubberized coating clearly has an affect on how it fits in a case such as the Executive. Using either the Sprint Q or Verizon Q, there is no way it would ever slip out. That being said, there are times when you might want to remove the Moto Q and the Speck Executive makes this difficult on Sprint Q owners. Considering the features (belt-clip, credit card slots, mini-SD holder), the case still maintains its low profile. It easily fit into my front jeans pocket without a problem.
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Click image to view larger.
This case had a noticeable difference when going from the Verizon Q to slightly larger Sprint Q, so the extended battery is out of the question.
Usability
In theory, the Speck Executive should allow for access to all ports outside of the miniSD. In fact, photos of the case on Speck's site show this accessibility. The case I reviewed offered a "less than perfect" fit on both Q's. The data port was partially covered on the Sprint Q and I had to push the casing in order to fit my car charger. When testing with the Verizon Q, the data port was completely accessible. The back button is partially covered and it's simply not usable. With the Moto Q fully inserted, the leather strip that connects in the center of the case caused many problems accessing the left and right menu buttons. Despite many attempts to achieve a better fit, this case continued to fall short. The Moto Q has a cover to protect users against losing their miniSD, so I don't see a need to cover that portion of the Moto Q.
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Click image to view larger.
Considering the difficulty I had inserting the Moto Q into the Executive case, it would be very difficult for a power users who carry the Sprint Q to swap miniSD cards or change to a spare battery.
Speck does a good job with the clip. By integrating the clip into the case, you can attach to your belt and it doesn't feel as if the case is too far out (a problem that can occur with some belt clip attachments). The clip would work on belts that are 1 1/4 inch. Anything larger might work, but wouldn't be optimal. The clip appears to be durable, but extensive clip testing was not done for this review. 
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Pros
- High quality leather with professional stitching
- Offers solid protection of Moto Q including screen
- Provides slots for credit cards and miniSD
- Still slim for being a "wallet replacement"
- Integrated belt clip keeps case close to body
Cons
- Case does not fit the Moto Q properly
- Unable to access data port, miniSD and back button
- Not compatible with extended battery
Overall
Having seen my share of Speck cases, I was suprised at the fit of the Executive Moto Q case. The rubberized coating on the Sprint Q evidently changes the size of the Moto Q requiring me to use extreme force to insert the Sprint Moto Q into the Speck Executive case, something you don't want to do with an expensive smartphone. Despite a better fit with the Verizon Moto Q, the inability to access ports including the back button due to manufacturing flaws is simply unacceptible. Speck is normally known for their high quality cases, but the Speck Executive for Moto Q falls short.
The Speck Executive Case for Moto Q retails for $24.95.