[Taigatrommel]

Please note, if you don't want to read all details, just skip to the end to find a short conclusion, pros and cons as well as some photos of the case.
Noreve currently offers two types of cases, one vertical flip case, the one reviewed here, as well as a wallet-type, horizontal flip case.
Link to the case: http://www.noreve.com/en/blackberry/2782-blackberry-passport-leather-case.html

Why Noreve?
I bought my first Noreve case roughly five years ago. Shocked by the price at first, I was pleasantly surprised with the fine quality later on. Fine leather, nice stitching, great fitting and good service are the reasons I keep coming back to this brand. Besides they are located in Europe and even partly produce in France, which is a nice local bonus.

Packaging
Everything arrives in a nice, black/red colored box. Inside you find a red cloth bag, which holds the case itself. I found the bag had a real tight fit with the case and it was a bit of work to fumble the case out of there.
The bag itself is a nice feat, I use it to store a wallcharger or my powerpack and USB cables all in one place before throwing it in my rucksack. It has a little cord on the top which keeps everything close and secured.

The Leather Case
Before ordering the case, you can decide between a bunch of different leather kinds and colors. My unit has the "Exception" leather and comes in "Dark Vintage" coloring, it isn't a deep black but rather a very dark grey or anthracite kind. The leather resambles a slightly used vintage look. The downside of this kind of leather is it is a bit prone to wear and tear. If you don't like this, I recommend either the standard "Perp�tuelle" leather, which is similar to the texture of the OEM BlackBerry holsters and pockets we all know, or the "Ambition" leather which has been prepared for a rough, daily use.

The front flap has a cut-out hole for the notification LED. While it doesn't look as clean as the OEM solution which only use a tiny hole with a plastic lense, this simple whole doesn't dim the light and it's also completely independent of your viewing angle - again unlike the OEM solution which can be hard to notice if it is laying right in front of you. Besides the cut-out you'll find the redesigned Noreve logo, which now kinda looks more like it underwent the modern flat or material design language.
The flap itself is nicely padded and keeps your Passport save from any damage, the inside has a smooth leather inlay with Noreve pressed in.
A little tongue on the top secures the flap, so it stays closed.

The back of the case has a cut-out for the camera and is connected via a piece of leather with the front flap. That bottom piece has a cut-out for the micro-USB port, so you can charge your device with the case being fully closed. The connection piece covers both speakers to roughly 50%, which is nice because no sound is blocked and you won't miss a call due to dimmed ringtones from the case.
The inlay of the back is the same as the front inlay, black leather with Noreve imprints.
You can by the way order to have a belt clip system installed on your case. I didn't because I dislike the idea of having this slab of a device at my belt. It already looks ridiculous taking a call with the Passport, no need to carry it around this way. However if you do decide getting a clip, I highly, highly recommend spending those few extra bucks for the metal clip. It simply is much better than the standard plastic clip. Besides the system is modular, which means you can use the clip on any other Noreve case.

The left side of the case is completely solid, like the Passport's counterpart and covers the left frame to 100%. The right side has a cut-out for the volume rocker.

Top and bottom aren't blocked at all, yet the bottom features small lips to help keep the device in place.

Daily use and installation
Getting your Passport inside couldn't be easier. Just put the left side in first and gently press the right side down. The lips of the case secure the smartphone tightly, so it shouldn't come off even when you drop the case.
The front flap is secured by a small "tongue" at the top of the device. There are no magnets or any mechanisms on the back of the case to keep it locked. Instead it locks on the device itself. If it is either too tight or too loose, you can apply some gentle force to adjust it to your likings.

To my surprise the case does indeed have a sleeping magnet, so you can not only deactivate the device by closing the flap, but you can also take full advantage of BB10s holster options. I am surprised because Noreve usually lists the magnet on the case's feature list, yet it wasn't mentioned for this one.

Quality wise there is not a single reason to complain: Awesome leather, quality stitching, everything fits, great craftsmanship. Just the same, high standard Noreve quality I am used to.
To be honest, the case adds quite some bulk and weight to the device. While the Passport alone weighs roughly 199g, the combo brings it up to a whopping 283g. In terms of dimensions, the naked Passport is rated to be 90.3mm wide, with the case, you'll get up to roughly 94mm. While it doesn't sound like much, those few additional millimetres proved to be enough to make the Passport a now tide fit for the front pocket of my work jacket. Naked or with the minimal OEM flip case, it wasn't too much of a problem.

The good news is the amount of protection you get with the increased bulk. The case should prevent your precious phone from most damage when dropped. All corners are covered, the bottom is protected by the connecting leather, the top is a bit taller than the Passport itself, plus there also is the tongue of the front flap. The only somewhat exposed side would be the volume rockers, however thanks to the pretty thick sidelips, there shouldn't be any damage when dropped on flat surfaces at all.

I got used quickly to the additional weight, typing is not much of a problem. If the front cover bothers you, you can simply flap it around the back and keep typing, this almost makes typing more comfortable thanks to the additional thickness of the combo. Doing long calls can now be pretty tiring for your arms, you simply notice those constant 280+g after thirty minutes.

Conclusions
If you want a nice crafted case for a nice manufactured phone, the Noreve case surely is one to consider. Great quality of leather and crafting, access to all important functions while closed, good amount of protection to keep your device save from damage and last but not least the convenient sleeping magnet are the highlights of this case. Since there are many options for the kind of leather and color you want, you can order just the right combination for your individual taste.
It literally comes at a price though, the cheapest variant goes for EUR 49,90. That includes free international express shipping however. If you want to travel light and maybe already have troubles with the size of a naked Passport, I would suggest to look for a different case, either a hardshell or maybe the OEM flip case, although both solutions simply offer less protection.

The good
+ Great build and leather quality
+ Sleeping magnet
+ Cut-out for the notification LED, which neither dims it or makes visibility dependent on angles
+ Front flap stays safely closed
+ Good amount of protection...

The bad
- ...which comes at the price of quite some added bulk and weight for the combo
- Since it is handcrafted, shipping can take some time. During peak times like christmas seasons, consider up to almost four weeks.









Posted via CB10

[sling]

Thanks for sharing!

Posted via CB10

[geekaren]

Very beautiful case! Great write up, thanks for taking the time to share it and photos, Taigatrommel!

[parryl]

Nice one is it bulky?

Sent from my Passport using Tapatalk

[Taigatrommel]

Nice one is it bulky?

Sent from my Passport using Tapatalk

Well as I stated about three times in my review
Yes it is kind of bulky and it adds a few millimetres everywhere plus the new weight of the device would be about 283g inside this case.

Posted via CB10

[yeticn]

so ugly！

[Masahiro]

Thanks for the review! I'm about to place an order for one. How do you feel about using the case now after using it for some time?

[Taigatrommel]

Well my opinion hasn't really changed. However I kind of regret getting the Exception leather type. While I really enjoy the texture of it, it also causes quite some friction with the fabric used of two of my jacket's pockets. Wasn't a problem with the Q10, but with the large size of the Passport, it is quite difficult at times to get the device out of the pocket quickly. A smooth textured leather like Perp�tuelle might have been a better choice to avoid friction with inside fabrics. Yet the feel of the Exception leather is really really nice, so it is just a minor drawback.

The flap keeps closed nicely, although unlike the Q10 I usually need two hands to open it. Again not really a fault of the case but rather the sheer size of the Passport. If you have big bear paws however I think you could do it one handed. I don't have a problem with the flap, well, "flapping" around at the bottom while typing, this was a slightly inconvenient on the Q10.

Posted via CB10

[Masahiro]

I just placed an order for the case. Thanks again.

Posted via CB10

[mister2d]

That's a nice local option for you. I would consider it myself if the leather didn't look so loosely fitted onto the frame.