Review: BlackBerry 8900 Otterbox Defender Series Case
Rating: 
Price : $49.95 @ http://www.otterbox.com
NOTE: Read below for the giveaway details!
Thanks to Otterbox for sending me a sample of their new Defender series case for the BlackBerry 8900. Now I get a chance to tell you guys and girls my impression of it. My first impressions were “This is nice”. My little sister saw it and said that it feels cool. I think she was talking about the feel of their smooth Silicon skin layer that goes on top of the the hard shell. The Blackberry 8900 is RIM’s smallest full qwerty BlackBerry to date and with the OtterBox case you get a better grip but it increases the the size of the whole package a little bit.
I spend most of my working hours driving to and walking around construction sites. So I definitely need reliable protective gear for my BlackBerry devices and Otterbox offers exactly what I need. The reason why the Otterbox offers a strong protective case is because it is composed of 3 layers of protection.
The first one is the a clear membrane to protect the screen and keyboard. If your familiar with previous Otterbox models then this one has changed quite a bit. To start, instead of the clear membrane covering the whole BlackBerry it only covers the keyboard section so is a lot easier to install. The screen & camera area is protected by a clear hard cover that is embedded into the second layer of protection. The second layer of protection is a 2 piece Hi-Impact Polycarbonate Shell which encases your BlackBerry. The 3rd layer of protection is a smooth silicon skin that fits perfectly around the hard shell.
I found that putting this case together was a lot faster than the previous one I had for my 8310. To put the case on the 8900 is a fairly simple process. First you take the clear membrane and place it over the keyboard so that it fits all the keys in the correct place then the side wings just fold to the back of the BlackBerry for a firm fit. The second part is the hard shell. I simply put the front piece on first. This ensures that the clear cover stays on the device firmly, then the back shell clips into place. The last part is to fit the silicon skin cover around the hard shell for a smooth and better grip.
The difference with this one from my 8310 case, is that on the 8310, the silicon skin can sometimes come lose easily from the device but with this series it has small brackets that the skin clips into it for a more secure fit. The silicon skin has a smoother texture to it and feels stronger. If you’re wondering if you have access to all your convenient side keys the answer is yes. It has buttons added to the sides for easy access. The USB and head phone jack are covered so dust does not go into them and when you need to use it you can easily pull back the protective plug then cover it back up when your done.
To remove the case it seems to be much easier as well. The silicon part is not hard to remove but it took me a little while to figure out the easiest way to remove the hard cover. I found that if you pull it apart just a little bit at the bottom corners and then pull the top part downwards it will come apart easily.
The Ratcheting Belt Clip is my favorite. It won’t come off your belt that easily and it has a sleeper magnet that puts the BlackBerry on sleep mode.
The Pros of this case are:
- Protects your BlackBerry from bumps, drops (trust me on this one already drop it twice getting out of the car & nock it off my desk).
- Prevents dust from getting in.
- Better grip.
- Has access to all your convenient keys & plug ins.
- The clear cover makes it feel smoother when your typing.
The Cons:
- Some might find it tedious if you change covers all the time or if you use a Desktop charger.
- Adds a little bit of bulkiness.
Overall the benefits outweigh the cons by a long shot, especially if you tend to drop your BlackBerry a lot. If you are in the market for top BlackBerry protection this is one of the best products out there.
GIVEAWAY DETAILS:
Otterbox & Berryreview would like to reward one lucky reader by giving away an 8900 Defender Series case to have your Berry protected this summer. Here is what you need to do to Participate:
This is for an 8900 Case only, and what you need to do is on the comment area tell us your story of how you damaged your current or previous BlackBerry and better yet if you got pictures please post them as well. We will choose a lucky winner next week. Good Luck. (Contest ends Monday, 29/09/2009 at midnight Eastern standard time.)
Review & A Chance to win a Free Otterbox 8900 Defender Series Case
