Smartphones continue to get ever powerful and the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 is no exception. After making a considerable investment in buying the X10, you’ll probably want to protect it whilst out on the move. One of the contenders that we’re reviewing today is the Noreve leather case that was kindly sent over by MobileFun, a specialist retailer of mobile accessories.

Noreve supply premium cases for mobile phones and hence tend to be pricier than others on the market. This case costs £30.97 from MobileFun who apply a small delivery charge on top of this depending on whether shipping to the UK or mainland Europe.

I’ve reviewed many cases in the past and it’s nice to see this one using decent packaging. This Xperia X10 case is a premium model and it’s nice to get that feeling as soon as open the envelope.

The tagline for Noreve phone cases is ‘Haute Couture for Mobile Devices’. Fashion and good design is at the heart of these cases. A checklist at the back of the case tells you what features the case includes (a removable belt clip, resistant snap closure, a flat back and easy access to ports).

The Noreve case comes with a small fancy box to keep it in good condition when not in use. I’m not sure whether most people will keep it though as once the case is on the handset, you’re unlikely to remove it.

The Noreve case is made from top quality handcrafted leather.

The packaging includes the case itself and a small sealed bag including the parts to fix the belt clip.

The small bag includes a Noreve belt clip, a branded mini screwdriver, cog and small screw. The belt clip is sturdy and allows a complete rotation (360 degrees). The advanced system prevents the case from turning on its own. To attach the belt clip, the small button on the backside needs to be removed and the cog attached. If you don’t want to use the clip and desire a flat back, you can unscrew this and just fit the small screw instead. Click here for step-by-step instructions on how the belt clip works.

The Noreve case certainly is very elegant. It is constructed from fine-grain padded leather and feels very well built with no loose stitching.

The case includes the necessary holes for access to the headphone jack, dock connector, camera and screen.

The middle of the case includes a small faux-chrome button that can be removed to place your belt clip as discussed earlier.

The case has been designed especially for the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10. It fits the phone very well and includes all of the necessary cut-out points to get to needed features.

The flip-case has an interior lining that is embossed with the Noreve logo. It certainly adds to the luxurious feel of the case.

The Xperia X10 slides in easily into the case, however it was good to see that there was resistance that means there’s little chance of the handset falling out. The handset is supported on the bottom and left/right sides.

Everything has been measured perfectly. Even the back of the case does not overlap the handset.

There is no problem accessing the volume and camera buttons when the case is fastened.

The left side includes the speaker cleft and the smaller hole is possibly the mouthpiece.

The back hole includes a perfect cut out for the camera and flash. The snap closure keeps the flip case firmly closed but doesn’t require too much effort to open. I can easily open and close the case one-handed.

When the case is closed you have access to the 3.5mm headphone jack and microUSB port for charging. There is no problem in opening the cover for the USB port with the case closed.

We really liked the Noreve case for the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10. It is an elegant soft leather case that does not add too much bulk and is also lightweight. It is a stylish case and you can tell that Noreve have put much effort into the design to ensure the perfect fit. The whole experience screams quality from the packaging to the lining of the case. Whilst some may bemoan the premium pricing over other cases, I would argue that such an expensive handset deserves a stylish and well designed case. The Noreve case fits the bill perfectly and compliments one of the prettiest touchscreen phones on the market today.

Many thanks to MobileFun for sending through the Noreve case for review!