If you want to give your Windows Phone a little protection, a hard shell case is one option that won't weight you down. Mobi Products and Seidio both offer a hard shell case for various Windows Phones. These cases offer an extra layer of protection to the back and sides of the phone while adding very little overall bulk to your Windows Phone.
But does one stand out from the other? Is the Mobi case a better deal than the Seidio? Or is the higher priced Seidio hard case worth every penny?
Make the jump past the break and see how these two cases perform when used with the HTC HD7s.
Design
Seidio Innocase Surface
The Seidio Innocase Surface is a two piece, hard shell case. Some models have the case split along the horizontal plane (top and back pieces) where the phone lays down on the back half and the top half snaps into place over the phone. The model for the HD7s is split along the middle creating a top and bottom section that slides over the respective halves of the phone.
The Seidio Innocase for the HD7s is also lined in a felt-like material to protect the phone from scratches and to reduce the friction while sliding the halves on/off.
Mobi Hard Shell
The Mobi Hard Shell is split down the horizontal plane creating two halves that fit around the phone much like a clam shell. Tiny clips are spaced around the shell that snap the case into place.
There are the necessary cutouts in the case for the phones control buttons and a small space along the left side to allow you to pry the two halves apart.
Fit and Feel
Seidio Innocase Surface
The Seidio Innocase has cutouts for the volume keys, camera button, power button, USB port and headphone jack. The cutouts are spacious enough but at times a little too deep. It takes an assertive effort to get to the power button to turn on the screen.
As far as fit and feel is concerned, the Seidio adds just a hair of thickness to the HTC HD7s. Not enough to give the phone an uncomfortable feel but enough to be noticed. The shell has a nice, grippable finish to it and once in place, the Innocase stays in place nicely.
One last observation on the fit of the Innocase is that the case creates a bumper of sorts around the screen. This recesses the screen ever so slightly to avoid scratching it should you lay it face down.
Mobi Hard Shell
As with the Seidio Case, the Mobi has the same cutouts to access controls. But the Mobi case isn't as thick as the Seidio, which reduces the depth of the cutout making the controls easier to access.
The case creates the same bumper around the screen as the Seidio case does.
Additionally, the HD7s feels thinner when fitted with the Mobi case. The difference in thickness of these two cases may only be a millimeter but it is noticeable. The Mobi also has a grippable finish to it but I preferred the Seidio's surface a little better. I think either case would benefit from a textured surface bt to get that, you might have to increase the thickness of the shell. Which may outweigh any benefit a textured surface would have.
All in all
All in all, both the Seidio and Mobi shell cases add an extra layer of protection to your phone while adding minimal bulk. Which is better? I like the design of the Seidio better. The two halves seem sturdier and with the Mobi, I always fear that I'm going to snap one of the locking tabs off when I remove the case.
The Mobi case seems fitted better though. It feels thinner on the phone and the cutouts more accessible. While each case comes in an assortment of colors, personally, I like the color select of the Seidio cases a little better.
Seidio makes a companion holster for the Innocase (sold separately) and while I'm not positive that it is compatible with the Mobi case for the HD7s, it is compatible with the Mobi case for the Samsung Focus.
However, when all is said and done, with these two cases being so close in comparison, it may boil down to the price. The Seidio Innocase Surface runs $27.95 while the Mobi Hard Shell runs $12.95.
My opinion, with the thinner feel and lower price the Mobi case gets the nod. I can live with the color choices. Rating the two, give the Mobi Hard Shell an 8 and the Seidio a 7.5.
You can find both cases over at the WPCentral Accessory Store. The Mobi Hard Shell case for the HD7/s can be found here and the Seidio Innocase line-up for the HD7/s is here.
