[rating:9]
This is the first part of a two part series of outdoor must-have accessories for your BlackBerry.
There are many things in life that I care about. Be that technology, music or my Sci-Fi collection. But one thing I care about the most is my BlackBerry. More particularly, protecting my BlackBerry!
In this review I’ll explain the pros and cons of the BlackBerry 8130 Otterbox case from http://www.otterbox.com/
Unpacking the Otterbox I found:
- 1 Shock absorbent silicon cover
- 1 Hard plastic case
- 1 clear silicon screen and keyboard dust protector.
- 1 Instruction Manual and some brochures
At first glance I was not exactly sure about to how to apply the clear silicon dust cover without it annoyingly bubbling up in places on the screen. But the instruction manual showed me a neat little trick on how to prevent that. Next, the hard plastic case snaps together around your BlackBerry. I was really quite shocked at how much thicker it made holding on to my Pearl, but I soon began to appreciate the extra grip I had on it. Next on was the shock absorbent silicon cover that is form-fitted to go right over the hard plastic case. Once it was all together It looked really nice!
Nice smooth ridges on the back of the case snap perfectly into the holster so it won’t bounce out, which also has a wonderful rigid swivel belt-clip. The holster itself has a strong magnet as well, so your BlackBerry will automatically go into standby mode, just like the leather case that came with the smart phone.
This is an absolute must have for anyone who is outdoors a lot. While it’s not completely crush proof, it can sure take a beating. The front of the screen and keyboard could still be damaged say it fell screen first on a pointy rock or something, but the rest of the device is pretty well protected. As you can see, while the BlackBerry is inside the holster, the screen faces towards the body when worn, adding that extra level of protection.
I can honestly say I’ve never dropped my phone before. Ever. Until about two weeks ago, I dropped it out in the parking lot. I watched it happen in slow motion and I feared the worst. However, because I had it encased with the ultra durable Otterbox, it simply bounced on the asphalt and no harm, no foul. If my BlackBerry had made direct contact with the ground, it would have received quite a few scratches, an ejected battery or worse, a cracked screen.
I’d have to say the only thing I don’t like is the clear silicon screen and keyboard protector. I like the fact that it protects those two areas from dust and light debris, but I find it a bit obtrusive to using the keyboard. I know a few others here at BerryReview don’t mind the keyboard cover. It was just something I couldn’t get used to using. That is just my opinion.
Last week I went on a day hike just for the sole purpose of taking some cool “action” shots. You can find them below:
To see these pictures in higher resolution and more from the day hike: click here
