Available in six colors, Mr. Smith’s new Jimi nano-case (also called the Jimi iPod nano case) is proudly proclaimed to be made in the United States from recycled plastic, with 1% of sales invested in the environment. Its front faceplate pops off and is interchangeable – assuming you buy additional plates – and your nano can be inserted right side up or upside-down relative to the case’s integrated rear belt clip.
A mirror window on the rear lets you see part of the nano’s back.
A couple of iLounge’s editors are big fans of Mr. Smith’s non-iPod products, but this one didn’t do quite as much for us. Protection remains a critical factor in iPod cases, and the Jimi nano-case does a relatively poor job of covering your nano – it shields the sides and parts of its front and back, but leaves holes elsewhere on the top, bottom, front and back, including both the nano’s scratch-sensitive screen and the aforementioned holes on its mirrored back.
These are said to be there to let you use your iPod as a mirror, but that’s not a good “feature” in our view – it’s an omission, somewhat akin to touting the lack of screen protection as a way to guarantee unmitigated enjoyment of the iPod’s menus or photos. Worse yet, even though the case’s bottom hole is large, it’s shaped in a way that keeps oversized Dock Connectors and headphone plugs from connecting properly. Apple’s smaller parts thankfully work without a problem.
For the price, there are numerous other simple plastic cases out there for the nano, most of which are considerably more protective than this one.
