BoxWave vs. BookBook

BookBook

The next geeky and book-related gadget I'd like to discuss is this vintage bookcase cover for iPhone.
I first bought a BookBook case (by TwelveSouth) for a low price on eBay, and was really happy with the design. The iPhone just slid in and was held in place by the red bookmark tab. There were neat little holes on the side and bottom to reach the volume control and charge/sync function. The book case also functions as a wallet, with four slots to insert cards and credit cards.

The only, and biggest, downside I experienced was that it didn't have a camera hole. I soon discovered that sliding the phone in and out of its case to take a picture each time, was a little too much trouble and also created more risk of dropping my precious and overpriced smartphone. So with great fear of completely destroying my beautiful phone cover, I punched a hole in the back of the case with a belt punch tool. It did the job, but not that well, as the flash function refused to work properly, and the hole I made was slightly too narrow, so that when the phone shifted in its case, edges would show up on pictures. Which, admittedly, oftentimes created a pretty vignette effect.

BoxWave

After carrying around the BookBook for 2 years, I noticed it was getting pretty worn and decided to look for a newer edition - preferably one with a professionally added camerahole. I soon found one which turned out to be a tad cheaper than the TwelveSouth edition: the BoxWave Classic Book iPhone 4s case. As this one was made specifically for iPhone 4s (instead of for both 4/4s), it was a better fit immediately. The iPhone just clicks into the black hard plastic holder, and even though I've now lost the cute red bookmark tab, the phone is held in place more tightly. After a year of daily use and sliding the phone in and out of the BookBook, the leather holster had loosened and my phone ended up sliding out unintentionally, which is not a very fun feature. BoxWave has a much more secure system, and the camera-hole is a great added bonus.

Both have four card slots and a similar vintage leather design. While the BookBook case looks a bit more realistic, the BoxWave cover is just as qualitative. For its better holster and camerahole, the BoxWave wins the battle in my book (see what I did there?). As for the slightly less pretty design: as the leather gets worn, the case will look more authentic over time, fooling more and more people that you're just carrying around a pocket-size book. One that can take pictures, film video, and play music. Books these days...