CaseandCover.com reviews OtterBox cases and covers for the iPhone, iPod, and BlackBerry. Trusted reviews, from trusted sources throughout the internet.

If your a BlackBerry Bold user, I’m sure you want to best protection for your baby. Our friends at OtterBox have released the OtterBox Defender case for the BlackBerry Bold. The case is made up of three layers of solid protection. The first layer is a thin thermal-formed plastic wrap which protects your screen and keyboard from dust, dirt and mist. The second layer is a Polycarbonate shell which gives the case its durable body to protect against drops and bumps. The last layer is a Silicone skin which will cover the OtterBox case to provide a stylish silk design.


The overall construction of the Defender case is amazing. Its very well built and includes a durable plastic holster, which reminds me of the old school BlackBerry 7200/8700 series. Anyone who is upgrading from one of those older models will surely appreciate it. The Defender case itself can take a great amount of bumps and drops. Previously I took my BlackBerry Pearl in one of the OtterBox Defender cases and threw it against my concrete deck without any issues my phone still works and looks perfect. All OtterBox cases come with a life time warranty so if for some reason something breaks on the case they simply replace it for you.

Here is a bit more in detail of the Defender case layers:
Layer 1: Thermal formed protective clear membrane to safeguard screen and keyboard against scratching as well as dust and dirt* (layer optional depending on the level of ruggedization desired).
Layer 2: Hi-impact polycarbonate shell.
Layer 3: Silicone skin absorbs bump and shock (silicone includes innovative retaining features to hold it in place).

Recently OtterBox also introduced their new Impact Case for the BlackBerry Bold. These cases are similar to the RIM rubber skins, however just a little more protective. Those cases are available to order from OtterBox.com for only $19.95 USD.
Overall I’m usually pretty impressed with OtterBox’s products. They never seem to fail for those who are looking for maximum protection. The Bold Defender series case is a great fit and keeps the phone well protected. I recommend picking one up if your looking for that something extra. Although the price tag is a little higher than most cases the life time warranty and great quality more than make up for it.


This OtterBox Defender case is available in all black or yellow and black combination. You can pick up one of these bad boys up at The BlackBerry Sync Store for $49.95 USD and get $5.95 shipping to anywhere in the USA!

Rating:
From BlackBerrySync.com

Search Tags: BlackBerry, Black, Case, Cover, protection, Military, waterproof, Review, Bold, Defender

CaseandCover.com reviews Case-Mate cases and covers for the iPhone, iPod, and BlackBerry. Trusted reviews, from trusted sources throughout the internet.
Last weekend I was in the market for a new Case for my Blackberry Storm. I've been using the Seidio Innocase II which has served me quite well. However, there were a few issues I had with it: 1) I received a unit that didn't fit together quite right (the casing is made of two pieces, which fit together at the bottom 5th of the phone), so there has always been a slight give on the right side of the case. Not a big deal at all, but it always kind of annoyed me that it didn't fit more seamlessly. 2) Even though the case is very thin (something like 1mm I believe), it adds more bulk than I like. Every time I'd remove my Storm from the case, I admired it for it's very thin profile and wished I could preserve its pristine-ness without a case, which is impossible for me to do.


With that said, I must say that the Innocase has without a doubt saved my phone several times. I've dropped it from 4-5 feet on a few occasions, both times onto sidewalk concrete. Not only did my phone have no damage, but the Innocase didn't even have scratches on it. With the slightly off-fit and the desire to have an even slimmer profile case (not to mention the accumulation of dust and other small particles on the inside of the case on the felt area), I set out to find something that was a) cheap b) more sleek and c) visually appealing. It didn't take long to reach Case-Mate. Several popular Blackberry sites/forums had reviews of various cases, Case-Mate being one of those.

They have four color combinations available for the "Barely There" case. They have a Green, Orange, Royal Silver (which is black at the top that blends to silver at the bottom), and Royal Blue (which is black at the top that blends to a royal blue at the bottom). I chose the Green one.

When the package arrived today, it came with the case (obviously) as well as a screen protector (and directions for its application). I tried to put on the screen protector first. It was a massive failure. Not to fault Case-Mate, it was simply difficult to keep the adhesive side of the film clean whilst applying it. So, if you pick up one of these, apply the protector in a room that has little to no air movement and one that's relatively dust-free. I kept getting dust particles trapped on it and could never get them cleared off. After some hassle trying to remedy the situation, I ended up just throwing it away. Something to note about the protector before I move on: the film isn't actually sticky adhesive, so don't worry about it leaving any sort of residue on the screen or anything like that.

The case itself is very sleek and has an insignificant profile, which achieves my desire for a case that keeps truer to the thinness of the Storm itself. Comparing the overall thickness (or thinness if you will) to the Innocase II, the Case-Mate is at most a millimeter thinner (I didn't measure but I compared it to the relative thickness of the Innocase II shell, which is rated at 1mm according to Seidio), give or take a few tenths of a millimeter. The durability of the material itself seems to be on-par with the Innocase, which was pretty much indestructable in most drop scenarios. The material is flexible and rugged, yet has an almost rubberized feel to it which is nice for a slightly better grip (probably even more so for those who have sweaty palms). Putting the case in the phone is a very simple process: just put one side of the phone in the case and snap the other side into the case (from left-to-right or right-to-left if you're holding the phone as a portrait). I've been using it for the entirety of today (approx. 10hr) and it's great! It feels just that much thinner than my Seidio Innocase II, and the lime-y green adds a great bit of style and uniqueness to my Storm.

There is one caveat to this entire review and any sensible recommendation I could offer regarding this case: this case is not as protective as the Innocase line of cases. The top part of the phone is still quite exposed, so I myself will have to be slightly more careful. The corners as well as the entire backside of the phone are completely protected, however, and in my case that means about 90% of my drops would have been protected in the past. That to me is a very fair trade-off.


My verdict: Ringing in at $25.99 plus some change for shipping, this is a solid buy. The Innocase and Innocase II by Seidio are slightly more expensive, but obviously the added protection is worth it if that's what you want. Case-Mate does offer a few more cases for the Storm that can also provide more protection than their Barely There case, but this is by far the most sleek protective case for the Storm.

If you have any questions, please feel free to comment and I'll be happy to answer them!

I'll leave you with some pictures I took of the case 'in action' but please forgive the horrible photo quality.. I had two sources of lighting of different color and that caused grainy photos even using a lower ISO setting. Hopefully I can get some clearer photos taken in a better-lit environment.








by Ryn on April 16th, 2009

Search Tags: Case-Mate, Storm, Case, Cover, Green, BlackBerry, Review

CaseandCover.com reviews Speck cases and covers for the iPhone, iPod, and BlackBerry. Trusted reviews, from trusted sources throughout the internet.

The Ultimate in Style and Protection for your Pearl

Did you get a shiny, new BlackBerry Pearl for the Holidays? There are few feelings like holding that new BlackBerry Pearl in your hands when it first comes out of the box. It is shiny, smooth, scratch free and truly beautiful to look at.

Unfortunately, most of us are pretty tough on our phones – especially our Blackberries. They get so much use and so much in and out of pockets and purses and jackets that they start to scratch and look worn.


Because of this, a good, protective case is almost a must have. There are lots of options and many to choose from in the CrackBerry Store. Today, we will take a good look at the Speck Products TechStyle Classic w/Holster Case and see if this is the one you should invest in to protect your new Pearl.

As you can see from looking in the CrackBerry Store, cases come in all sorts of shapes and sizes and styles. Holsters are particularly attractive to BlackBerry users because of the nature of BlackBerry devices as business devices – often on our belt.

The problem with holsters is that once you take the BlackBerry out of the holster, it is unprotected – and vulnerable if we were to drop it while using it (a fate that has happened to most of us.)

The problem with “skin” type form-fitting leather cases is that they don’t stay well on our belts.

Enter Speck Products with a unique solution that provides the style of a leather form fitting case with the protection and convenience of a holster.

The “Official” line from Speck products is the following:

“Enhance your BlackBerry Pearl with a premium, hand-crafted Classic leather case. These beautiful, textured cases are adorned with fine stitching, a removable swivel holster, and touch-thru screen protector. Offers secure protection and classic style for your BlackBerry Pearl.

Made from premium leather
Soft, plaid interior lining
Sewn-in screen protector
Removable swivel holster (belt clip)”
Design and Function:

The Speck case is really a brilliant design. Too many leather form-fitting cases either don’t have a belt clip, or, if they do, it protrudes from the case making it uncomfortable to also use in your pocket.

Speck offers the best of both worlds – a form-fitting leather case and a leather holster. The beauty of this design is that when in the holster – you have a nice looking, safe way to transport your BlackBerry. The holster is made of strong leather over a harder material that gives it a very secure feeling.

The holster is also “magnetized” so that the “holster” features available in your BlackBerry Profile settings can be used (like “vibrate in holster.”)

The “Skin” part of the case is also made of a nice, durable feeling leather. Pretty much every part of the BlackBerry Pearl is protected – with openings for the convenience keys, standby button and charging port.

The “Skin” case has a snap on the back to keep the Pearl in place once it is loaded (from the top) into the case.

The “Skin” case also has a plastic screen protector in place which protects the BlackBerry screen. Now, I am generally not a fan of plastic screen protectors for BlackBerries since none have a touch screen which gets poked on continually. Some people like the added protection and this case certainly offers that.


Fit and Finish/Aesthetics:

My sample case came in nice, dark brown leather. The holster had a nice plaid design on the inside which was certainly fashionable.

The leather seems “protective” and durable. This is not soft, supple calf skin which you find on many very expensive cases – this is hard, protective leather – function over aesthetics here.
The cutouts were all fine – there was easy access to all the main buttons and keys. Stitching was also nicely done – functional and sturdy.

Protection:

The Speck case offers good protection for the BlackBerry. When in the holster, it was secure and tight. I never had to worry about the BlackBerry falling out of the holster.

When out of the holster, the BlackBerry seemed pretty well protected by the leather skin and the screen protector. The leather was hard, but pliable – which made me think it would hold up well if dropped.


Areas of Concern:

One small area of concern was that the edging was not smooth – when I put the BlackBerry into the case, I did worry that it might get scratched on the way in – or on the way out. Since we all have to do the occasional “battery pull” every so often, this was a concern for me.

Overall Conclusions:

This is a well made and protective case. The solution to have both a leather holster and a leather skin really does make a lot of sense. The BlackBerry was always protected – both in and out of the holster.

01 Jan 2008 22:24 by Gary Mazo

Search Tags: BlackBerry, Pearl, Speck, Holster, Case, Cover, Colorful

CaseandCover.com reviews Speck cases and covers for the iPhone, iPod, and BlackBerry. Trusted reviews, from trusted sources throughout the internet.

OK, You just got the BlackBerry Curve – one of the slimmest, coolest and hottest Smartphones on the planet. Depending on the model, you paid anywhere from $99.00 to $250 or more for it. You hold it in your hand and it feels so nice, thin and…..fragile. You don’t want to drop it, but we all drop our BlackBerry at some point. So, you need a case to protect it…just in case (sorry about the pun). Luckily, there are lots of options at the ShopCrackBerry.com Store.

One of the things I love about my 8320 is the color – I don’t necessarily want to mask or cover that up in a case. Fortunately, I have a good option in the Speck Products SeeThru Case for the BlackBerry Curve 8300 series.

Overview
Speck Holster Case for Blackberry 8300 8310 8320 8330

Here is the “Official Overview” of this case:

Speck Products SeeThru for BlackBerry 8300 Series - Protect your BlackBerry Curve and keep it slim and sleek! Get great protection and functionality with the SeeThru case and holster. SeeThru cases are made of translucent hard plastic to beautify and protect. 2-piece snap together SeeThru case includes screen protection and removable swivel holster.

• great screen protection
• removable swivel holster (belt clip)
• full phone functionality while your phone is in the case
• protects yet keeps a slim profile
• Design and Function

The Speck SeeThru case is designed to snap over the BlackBerry, giving it a clear, hard outer shell. The case is totally see thru – as the name indicates. There are cutouts on the sides for the convenience keys and charging ports and on the top for the standby/mute key.


Speck’s version of the Seethru case has plastic over the screen as well – to provide an added layer of protection. Included is a plastic swivel clip for attaching to your belt and securely holding your Blackberry.

I found that I had access to pretty much every button and key while the BlackBerry was in this case. The screen protector did get in the way, just a little, when I went to press the trackball. I also found that the convenience keys were a bit tricky to push and the mute key was very tricky to push when this case was put on the BlackBerry.

One thing I appreciated was being able to clearly see the nice Pale Gold color of my Curve through the case. I also appreciated that little bulk was added by using this case.

The holster has a very minimalistic design, but it does hold the BlackBerry securely. Unfortunately, this holster/case combo does not contain a magnet to put the BlackBerry into "sleeper" mode when inserted into the holster. This means you can't utilize the BlackBerry Operating system's In Holster sound profile settings. It also means you will want to hold down the mute key for 2 seconds to manually put the phone into standby (save battery life and prevents accidental keyboard presses) when inserting into the holster.

Fit and Finish
Speck Holster Case for Blackberry 8300 8310 8320 8330

The Speck SeeThru case fit perfectly onto the BlackBerry. I did feel some “sharpness” around the cutouts of this case. Very important was that the camera lens was not obstructed nor were any of the keys on the front of the phone. There was no added glare by having the screen covered. One curious thing about the finish of this case was that there was a seam in the upper left hand corner of the case – sort of small square. This was in the area where the case seals together – so, my guess is that it was simply re-enforcement of the plastic.


Protection

This is a hard case. It seems like it would protect the Blackberry in a fall – but there is no padding, so I don’t’ know how the fall would be absorbed. What it did protect against were scratches and scuffs = both on the screen and on the device.

Overall Conclusions
Speck Holster Case for Blackberry 8300 8310 8320 8330

This is a nice, inexpensive way to protect your BlackBerry and not lose any of the “luster” of the nice color. I happen to really like the feel of the rubberized sides on the new BlackBerry curve. When using this case, I lose that for the feel of hard plastic. It doesn’t add a lot of bulk which is a good thing and it preserves the general look of the device. If you simply want a hard “skin” for your BlackBerry, this could be a fine alternative for you.

14 Mar 2008 by Gary Mazo

Search Tags: Speck, Clear, BlackBerry, Case, Cover, 8300, Review, Holster

CaseandCover.com reviews OtterBox cases and covers for the iPhone, iPod, and BlackBerry. Trusted reviews, from trusted sources throughout the internet.

BlackBerry Users and Abusers Rejoice! Following the success of their Defender Series case for the BlackBerry 8800, Otterbox has released the Defender Case for the BlackBerry Pearl 8100 (one for the Curve will be available at the end of this month). Rugged and durable, no other case on the market offers BlackBerry protection like an Otterbox does.

The Defender case is offered in two colors, a yellow and black combo which is featured in this review, as well as an all-black version. You can pick either up from ShopCrackBerry.com for $49.95. Regardless of the color you choose, you willl sleep well at night knowing your beloved BlackBerry Pearl 8100 is well-protected.
For the BlackBerry Pearl 8100 - Not the 8130/8120

Now I know that the BlackBerry Pearl 8130 is out in North America (and the 8120 in other parts of the world), and no sadly this case does not support the new Pearls. I did actually try putting my new 8130 into this case, and although it fits, a few of the side buttons on the new Pearl have been moved and the Otterbox triggers them inadvertently. Nevertheless, I'm sure there are plenty of you still sporting the 8100 and are looking for a solid rugged case like this. And if you are the lucky owner of a new 8130 or 8120 for that matter, I checked with Otterbox and they plan to have a Defender case for the 8120/8130 out in the first quarter of 2008. You won't have to wait too long.

The Assembled Unit - No BlackBerry Inside
The case/holster will add some bulk to your Pearl.  

Several Layers of Protection

The Otterbox Defender comes with a several layers of protection for your Pearl. The first step to getting your BlackBerry protected is to put on the thermal formed protective clear membrane which acts as a safeguard for the screen and keyboard against scratches, dust and dirt. It somewhat tricky to get the layer on, but just line up the trackball first, and try to apply the screen smoothly to avoid air bubbles. The clear membrane is optional, so if you’re more worried about dropping your BlackBerry than it getting dirty, you can leave it off.

Next Step is to apply the lower portion of the hi-impact polycarbonate shell, and then snap on the top cover. This cover provides the bulk of the protection for your BlackBerry in the case that it accidentally gets dropped or stepped on.

Next, there is the silicon skin that goes over top of the shell. The Silicon acts as a bumper to absorb bumps and shocks. It will also hold the two pieces of your shell together, as well as provide extra grip when handling the case.


Using the Otterbox

The Defender case feels sturdy in ones hand, and the silicon skin offers a nice solid grip to the package. The case does not interfere with controls and still made typing on the Pearl’s SureType keyboard easy. It allows full use of the Camera, and has access plugs for charging/syncing so you don't need to take your BlackBerry out of the case to charge it.

The Defender also comes with a belt clip holster. The proper way to use that would be to have your BlackBerry screen facing towards you, thus protecting the screen. As always, Otterbox's BlackBerry holster does contain that all-important magnet, so it puts your BlackBerry into standby/sleep mode when inserted.

The Otterbox case only weights 1.6oz and provides an extreme level of protection most common jobs would throw at it. I was so confident in the protection it provided, as a test I threw my 8100 in the OtterBox down a set of stairs (see video), and of course no harm was done. I was actually more worried about the OtterBox doing damage to the floor than the floor to the BlackBerry. ** note: don’t try this with your BlackBerry – OtterBox doesn’t guarantee the safety of your BlackBerry for that level of abuse and won't replace your device if you call them and say you saw it on CrackBerry.com! :-)

Lastly, I just wanted to note, that this case is not meant as an underwater case. It will offer some protection against water and dust, but I wouldn't count on it for protecting your Berry if it falls in water.

Conclusion

It's not waterproof and it's not indestructable, but it's damn tough and provides awesome protection and good looks (in that rugged sort of way) while maintaining ease of use. Pricing for the Otterbox comes in at $49.95 per unit, which is reasonable considering it is the only case on the market that will offer this kind of durable protection for your BlackBerry Pearl 8100.

Review Summary: OtterBox Defender Series Case for the BlackBerry Pearl 8100

Pros:
Protection for your BlackBerry like no other Case Available
Pearl's controls still easy to access and use
Looks Cool
Holster magent included for Standby/Sleep Mode
Did I mention it's tough? 

Cons:
Little tricky to get the clear membrane seated properly, but not too difficult
I wish it was available for my 8130 Pearl today!!

13 Nov 2007 by Remik Szul from CrackBerry.com

Search Tags: BlackBerry, Pearl, Case, Cover, Review, protection, 8100

CaseandCover.com reviews OtterBox cases and covers for the iPhone, iPod, and BlackBerry. Trusted reviews, from trusted sources throughout the internet.
Otterbox Defender Case for BlackBerry Curve, Black


Review by Darrin Olson on February 8th, 2009

The folks over at Otterbox , protectors of gadgets for the active and accident-prone, gave us a chance to try out one of their defensive products to see just how well it holds up. In this case, OtterBox sent us a protective case for the Blackberry Curve, a device I have with me day in and day out.

Since the case from Otterbox is protecting something I own and depend on daily, we did not put it through the usual drops, dunks and vodka-proof trials that we would normally do. But, despite this we can tell you that this case blows away any other protective case we’ve had our hands on, for any mobile device.

We thought the best way to describe this protection was to take you through a quick tour of encasing the Blackberry Curve:

For starters, you need to still be able to press that QWERTY keyboard. To address this Otterbox created a molded, flexible membrane that is molded to fit around not just the phone but each individual key, and leaves a small hole for the track ball. When using it you can tell the membrane is there, but if you get it on straight its not noticeable by much.

Once this is applied, you can snap your phone into a hard plastic shell that encases pretty much the entire phone. It has a clear, flat plastic window for the display and leaves the keys open to expose the previously added membrane. There is also open ports for all the buttons, camera lens, speakers and ports.

On top of the hard plastic shell applies another case, but this time more rubber like. It stretches and snugly fits around the hard plastic case both holding it together and providing a soft case for drops and bumps. This rubber “glove” provides raised sections for pressing buttons without exposing the actual buttons. It also has pieces that can “fold” out and be put back in for exposing the ports, only when you want to.

In addition, the case comes with a holster and belt clip, designed to hold the device tight… real tight. Be sure to place the phone in the holster with the screen facing in. It will fit in the other way but you will notice that it will not stay put nearly as well. The holster is also made of a hard plastic giving another layer of solid protection at your hip.

Smartphones like Blackberry’s and the like have been traditionally synonymous with indoor office use, but they being found more often attached to individuals with more active roles and the phone itself is often just not built for it. The case from Otterbox is not marketed as waterproof but it has to be pretty close.

The downside is that it does have the exposed trackball but that one is pretty hard to get around while still maintaining its functionality. It also makes the phone quite a bit more bulky, and with the holster it is easily more than twice as thick. But, if you want the advantages of a smartphone such as a Blackberry Curve and lead a more active, or just plain clumsy lifestyle, you’ll be doing yourself a favor by taking a look at one of these cases from Otterbox. The case comes in black as we show here or a black and yellow model, both retailing for just under $50.

Search Tags: Case, Cover, OtterBox, Black, BlackBerry, Curve

CaseandCover.com reviews ZAGG’s invisibleSHIELD screen protector cases and covers for the iPhone, iPod, and BlackBerry. Trusted reviews, from trusted sources throughout the internet.


by Shane Pitman on 25 March 2009

During CES this past January, Neowin had the opportunity to catch up with the guys from ZAGG, makers of invisibleSHIELD, a polyurethane film designed to make your portable devices scratch proof. The invisibleSHIELD film was originally developed to protect the leading edge of helicopter rotor blades, and yes, it's that tough. They had numerous video clips cycling through a presentation that they had setup in a motorhome that depicted numerous stress and scratch tests.



After viewing their presentation and a couple of live demonstrations where they willingly threw their own devices into a bucket of nails and shook them around vigorously, only to emerge unscathed, we were impressed. But we've all tried some of these adhesive protectors before, and they were a pain in the butt to install. We always wound up getting air bubbles, wrinkles, or pieces that just didn't align properly, and consequently ended up curling up around the edges, sliding around instead of staying where they were put, or just flat out peeling off. So to show us just how easy it is to do a proper installation, the guys at ZAGG kindly offered to do a live installation for us, and I offered up my BlackBerry Curve.



And now, 2 months later, here is my Blackberry Curve, still scratch free.





So far, I'm impressed with ZAGG invisibleSHIELD. I've tried several other device protection devices for my Curve, including the neoprene sleeve (which was falling apart) that I disposed of in the video, other adhesive protectors, and non-adhesive "static stick" screen protectors. None of them lasted as long without complications as the invisibleSHIELD has, and none of them had a Lifetime Replacement Guarantee like invisibleSHIELD does. To quote their warranty policy:



The invisibleSHIELD™ purchase includes a lifetime replacement guarantee. We want you to feel safe and secure when investing in your digital life, and that you are confident the invisibleSHIELD™ is the strongest and most durable protection you will find. Purchasing an invisibleSHIELD™ will protect your investment for the life of your device. Proof of purchase and return of original product are required.

The Lifetime Replacement Guarantee is simply what it says: If your invisibleSHIELD™ ever becomes scratched, torn, or damaged in any way while protecting your device, we will replace the invisibleSHIELD™ at no cost to you, for as long as you own your device.

Search Tags: BlackBerry, InvisibleSHIELD, ZAGG, Clear, Military, Scratch, Film