Apple Thoughts: A Wallet for all iPhones

The iPocketWallet is a black leather wallet/iPhone case combo from iPocketWallet.com. It provides protection for your valuable iPhone while doubling as a full-service wallet. It will run you $45 USD, but is well worth the price. I hate to have all my pockets bulging from carrying a lot of electronics. One of the reasons I originally got an iPhone was because I hated carrying a mobile phone and an iPod/MP3 player. Having said that, I decided I also hated carrying an iPhone and a wallet. Thus began my search for a combination iPhone case and wallet.This is the third iteration of the iPocketWallet. It is designed like a typical, vertically-oriented wallet. When open, it lies flat, with four credit card slots on the left side, and the iPhone pocket and drivers license window on the right. There are two horizontal pockets located under the credit card slots. When I first received the iPocketWallet, it was quite stiff, as leather is wont to be, but the leather stretched after just a few days, and now it lies flat when open or closed.

The four credit card slots on the right-hand side are sufficient. The cards fit snugly with no fear of slippage. The horizontal pockets underneath can be used for holding cash, although bills (US and Canadian) need to be folded in half to fit. This doubles the bulk when the wallet is closed, so take note if you are in the habit of carrying a great deal of cash. Fortunately, debit cards and my relative lack of cash relieves this issue for me. The iPhone pocket on the right-hand side is a perfect size to hold any model of iPhone. I have the 3Gs, and it fits just right. The pocket accordions a bit when the iPhone isn’t in it, which causes the leather to protrude a bit. For protecting the screen, I recommend inserting the iPhone with the screen facing the inside of the wallet when closed. iPhone 4 users might have a more difficult decision to make in this respect, since that device has glass on both sides. The driver's license/I.D. pocket is really two pockets. The front pocket has a plastic window so your license can be visible. Underneath that is another pocket for holding any other ID or cards you might carry. The iPocketWallet fits most every pocket, be it a jacket, shirt or pants. When the iPhone is out, the wallet fits easily into a hip pocket. I don’t recommend doing this with the iPhone actually IN the wallet, for (I hope) obvious reasons. I also wouldn’t recommend putting the loaded wallet in a front pants pocket, unless you are Harry Shearer in “Spinal Tap”.

If you like to keep your cash organized, you’ll have a somewhat easier time of it, since you have to take the paper bills out of the wallet in order to sort through them. If you are like me, and tend to stuff the bills into your wallet in whatever order you receive them, it gets a bit tedious to sort them out, since you have to unfold them first. I highly recommend Canadian money, since the colours will help with this. There is one thing about the iPocketWallet that I feel needs serious improvement. Chances are you won’t be able to hear your phone ring if it is in the wallet and in your coat pocket. I’ve missed a lot of calls because of this, to the point that I’ve used an Exacto knife to slice a small hole in the leather to line up with the speaker on my 3Gs. At the same time, a hole for the headphone jack would be a good idea, as well.

Jon Marvin is currently the IT manager for a non-profit organization in Toronto, Canada. He is a tech junkie, and reviews hardware and software to feed his habit. His two cats, Calvin and Hobbes (no relation), do not share his enthusiasm.

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