Review: OtterBox Defender for BlackBerry 8900 Curve

Review: OtterBox Defender case for BlackBerry 8900 Curve.
[Rating:10]
Link: www.otterbox.com
Cost: $49.95 USD (+shipping).

I have never given a perfect score before so this is a truly auspicious occasion. The design team over at OtterBox have finally done it. They have cracked what is, in my opinion, the perfect BlackBerry case. Now I know some of the ‘suit and tie’ type readers will argue that OtterBox cases make their devices too bulky and cumbersome for day to day use but the Coloradans have given this Defender case the full weight loss treatment including liposuction around the belly to make it a true pleasure to use (and abuse).

OtterBox have still maintained their traditional trademark ‘3 Layers of Protection’ (I’ve made the joke of ‘To be sure, To be sure, To be sure’ before so will refrain at this point… 🙂 ) whilst keeping the overall size to a minimum. The first layer is a thermally formed protective clear PVC membrane that covers the keypad and a clear PC sheet that covers the screen. This sheet is a hard polycarbonate the eliminates the need to painstakingly remove those annoying bubbles that would form between the screen and plastic on previous models. Next layer is a high impact polycarbonate shell that protects your ‘precious’ (Say ‘precious’ like in the movie ‘Lord of the Rings’….) from high impact collisions with inanimate objects and the like. Lastly, is the silicon skin that adds that extra protection and makes grip a whole lot easier in slippery situations. Otterbox also provide a holster (included) for your new OtterBox. The clip is extremely strong and large enough to clip snugly onto military/police/work style belts. The clip also has an adjustable angle ratchet (any soldier who has warn webbing would be able to tell you how handy that feature is) with up to 24 different positions. The holster has a small magnet installed so your BlackBerry will behave like it’s in a standard issue case from RIM themselves.

All of your outer buttons are still 100% (including the 2 top-side buttons)usable and all ports are still accessible whilst your device remains protected inside the Defender case. I actually found less accidental presses of the lock button on the top of my device after installing it in the OtterBox. The camera and flash in the rear of your BlackBerry have the same type Polycarbonate cover as your screen and I have had no problems with flashback into the lens that I have had with previous models.

Fitting this case is a lot easier than with previous models. The keypad PVC membrane is a lot easier to fit and has full wrap around straps to make interlocking a cinch. The screen cover is straight forward and about the only thing you have to be wary of here is ‘make sure your screen is clean before installing. The rest of the fitting process is straight forward.

Pros:

• Slimmer and  sleeker than previous Defender models.
• Hard Polycarbonate cover over the screen.
• Access to all ports and buttons.
• No interference from flash from the camera cover.
• Easy fitting.
• Provides better grip on your device.
• That Bullet-Proof feel that you only get with OtterBox.
• Full ‘military’ grade holster.

Cons:

• Color range limited. Black Only (Come on OtterBox. Drab Olive, Yellow and Pink would be a worthy addition)

Conclusion:

I don’t think I have to spell it out any further… The OtterBox Defender for the BlackBerry 8900 Curve is the best case I have seen for the 8900 and one of the best cases ever produced by OtterBox.  You can get more information and specifications here: http://www.otterbox.com/pdfs/blackberry-curve-8900-data.pdf .

I would like to thank OtterBox for sending me out the sample for review and Val for clicking the picture you see above. (It will be the last ones of my Jeep as it’s up for sale. New project underway ATM). Lastly, and most importantly, I would like to thank the readers as without you, BerryReview would just be a bunch of words in cyberspace with no-one to read.