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Unfortunately, neither case name does a very good job of describing how they are different. For example, is the “Rubberized” case made of rubber? No, it is not (but the Premium Skin Case IS made of rubber). Is the “Super Slim” case slimmer than the Premium Skin case? Not really, they are both nearly the exact same thickness.

So how do you choose between the two cases? Let’s take a closer look at both and see what we find.

Similarities

• Both cases have a soft and smooth rubberized texture
• Both cases are very thin…only 1mm thick
• Both cases fit the Centro almost perfectly
• Both black cases are almost the exact same shade of black
• Both cases are easy to put on and remove from your Centro (once you know how)

Differences

Upon closer inspection there are some clear differences between the two cases that may help you decide which case is the right one for your Centro:

Super Slim Rubberized Case

• Made of hard plastic covered by a soft and smooth rubberized finish
  
• A two-piece clamshell case that snaps together over your Centro
  
• Cutouts for camera and speaker are very small and expose minimal surface area
  
• Cutout on right side only exposes IR port
  
• Cutouts for stylus and external antenna ports are the same size of the openings on the Centro.
  

• Made from a soft and flexible high-grade polymer “rubber”
  
• A single-piece skin that you slide over your Centro like a wetsuit
  
• Cutout for camera and speaker is a single square that exposes the metal area of the Centro
  
• Cutout on right side exposes both microSD card slot and IR port
  
• Cutouts for stylus and external antenna port are slightly larger than each area on the Centro (this is more obvious on the pictures with the red Centro).
  

Decisions, Decisions

I’ve been using both of these cases for a few weeks now, switching between them every other day or so. Overall I think they are both great cases and would be quite satisfied with either one, but each case has its pros and cons:

• The Super Slim “clamshell” case is a perfect fit for the Centro and won’t come off by accident, but it can be a bit difficult to remove if you need to get access to your battery. With the Premium Skin case it is very easy to peel the case back to reveal the battery cover.

• The Super Slim case is made from hard plastic and it doesn’t slide around once it has been applied. Even though the Premium Skin case fits very closely to the Centro, it can still shift around a bit since the rubber is more flexible.

• The top cutouts for the Premium Skin case are a bit oversized and don’t look as nice as those on the Super Slim Rubberized case, but they do make it a bit easier to remove the stylus.

• The rubber of the Premium Skin Case feels like it might offer a little more impact absorption over the hard case. Then again, maybe the hard plastic will offer better protection (I’m not about to drop my Centro to confirm either theory).

• The rubber of the Premium skin case feels a bit softer and easier to grip, but it also makes it more difficult to remove the Centro from my pocket.
  

One trick I found for quickly opening the Super Slim “clamshell” is that it is easier to separate the two halves of the case if you hook your fingernail under the top part of the case near the “volume up” button (circles in red in the picture) and then pull up and away from the Centro. This will release one of the main latch points and let you easily separate the two halves.

One More Thing…

Last year I use the Seidio Rubberized Holster for the Treo 680, and it quickly became my favorite way to carry my Treo. While I couldn’t use this holster with my Centro, Seidio now offers a holster for both skinned and unskinned Centros. The one difference I found between the holsters for the skinned and unskinned Centros is that, contrary to the name, the version for skinned Centros is not actually rubberized. I’m guessing this is because putting a Centro with a rubberized skin into a rubberized holster might cause them to stick like two pieces of Velcro, but the product name should really be changed to indicate that the holster for skinned Centros isn’t actually rubberized.

Conclusion

I think both of these cases from Seidio are great and I would be happy with either one. In addition, the Seidio Rubberized Spring Clip Swivel Holster for Skinned Centro is a perfect match for either case. However, if forced to choose between the two cases, I would pick the Super Slim Rubberized case because it is easier to remove from my pocket, looks a bit sleeker, and doesn’t shift around at all once it is put on your Centro.

Links

Seidio Rubberized Spring Clip Swivel Holster for Skinned Centro

Seidio Rubberized Spring Clip Swivel Holster for Unskinned Centro

Centro Software & Accessories