Review: OtterBox Defender Case 88XX
[rating:9]
Link: www.OtterBox.com
Cost: $49.95 @ The BerryReview Store
I would like to start off by saying, this is not my favorite case, it is not on my device today for several reasons that I will get into later. However, I would not be without this case, and I think that anyone who spends time in an environment that is not Berry friendly should have one.
The Review Unit
The people at OtterBox were nice enough to send us a few of these to take a look at. You have probably seen a couple reviews in the past few weeks, and rest assured this will not be more of the same. Rather an opinion, how this case suits my life. I had seen a few OtterBox’s before, at some local shops, online and my buddy has one for his iPod Touch, so the concept of what the case stands for was familiar to me.
The packaging that the OtterBox ships in is great. It definitely says function rather than style, which is also my overall impression of this case. Inside the box there are 5 pieces. It should be known early on that; This case is not waterproof. It is however water resistant. It could easily handle being out on a rainy day however it will not handle the infamous drop in the toilet.
All of the buttons and ports are easily accessible. There is a very nice rubber plug that fits in to the USB port keeping dust and moisture out, there are raised buttons on the top and side for your volume control, convenience key accessibility, screen brightness and standby.
Installation
Installation of this case was fairly straight forward. The first piece is a plastic “film” that covers the screen, keyboard and then drapes over the speaker. The purpose of this film is to create as much resistance to moisture as possible. The instruction booklet suggests rubbing a little soapy water on the screen before applying the film to avoid bubbling. The second and third pieces are the hard shell. This is a snap together shell that covers the entire blackberry. The final piece of the case itself is a rubber cover that contains certain parts of the case. The last item in the box is a very sturdy slide in shell that holsters the BlackBerry.
Putting It Through the Paces
The first day that I had my Berry in the OtterBox, my fiancée and I went to a baseball game to support our local (horrible) team. At some point in the game I was sent to the concession stand to get some drinks. My poor BlackBerry was sitting on my lap when I got up, and it tumbled down 5 or 6 stairs. I ran down the stairs in a panic but to my surprise, no damage. It was then that I knew I was going to have some fun.
Throughout the next couple of weeks I had fun freaking out several of my friends. On one occasion, we were out at a local bar and I pitched my 8830 across the room onto the concrete floor. The jaw drop reaction is worth every penny of the $49.95 price tag. Around this same time, we had been doing some construction work around my house. One of the contractors had a Curve and I watched as he dropped it unprotected onto the asphalt. I started talking to him about BlackBerry Devices and while showing him some of the cool features, I threw my Berry up against my garage wall. He ordered two of his own that night 😉
Summary
I work in a corporate environment, the biggest threat to my BlackBerry where I work is a short fall to carpet. So this case is not one that I would leave on permanently. However, I will never go camping, hiking, mountain biking, fishing, skiing or really anywhere besides the office and home without the Defender Case protecting my BlackBerry.
The only negative things I can think of about this product is that the rubber that wraps around near the keys would sometimes peels back. The thickness of the device is doubled, causing it to be a little too industrial for an office environment. Really, that’s about it.
Pros
- Rugged in every way
- Awesome belt holster
- Tailor made for my 8830
- Amazing durability
- Easy access to every port and button
Cons
- Rubber cover peels back a bit
- Thick and heavy
- Might influence call quality just a little bit
xane Not Registered
Posted: October 2, 2008 at 11:04 PM EST
I’ve always liked OtterBox cases, and I intend on picking one up for my Bold before going to the Sierra Nevadas in Spain for two weeks. I just wish they were more technical with their specifications… such as provided a waterproofing rating, and crush and impact maximums.
Meredith Not Registered
Posted: February 21, 2009 at 2:55 PM EST
I actually DO leave my OtterBox on my Curve at all times. Yeah, it bulks it up, but I had my naked Curve get run over by a car, so I’m ultra-paranoid. It had a DecalGirl skin on it but nothing else, because I kept it in a little holster, and it was destroyed. When I bought the new one, I promptly bought the OtterBox to go with it.