My OtterBox Defender Review

[wth1973]

nice review now im leaning towards the otter box

[Jeff5886]

Thanks for the awesome review.

Charging issue = nothing a dremel cant fix!

[CJG_NYC]

Awesome write up! The durability is amazing. But, am I the only one that just cant bring myself to turning a sleek phone into something so bulky?

That said, it still is tempting!!

[click here]

Originally Posted by CJG_NYC

Awesome write up! The durability is amazing. But, am I the only one that just cant bring myself to turning a sleek phone into something so bulky?

That said, it still is tempting!!

I guess it depends on what you compare it to, the phone below is naked yet seems much more bulky to me than the otterbox. lol

[Grafixx01]

Originally Posted by Jerg

Nice review. Although my heart kind of stopped when I saw the phone going down the stairs, but thats probably because I paid over 750$ for mine here in canada lol. I might have started with something below 2 or 4 inches haha.

Nah, there's no fun in 2-4". I figure that the case is meant for it to get tortured so that's what I did, or tried to do. Figure that anyone questioning getting the case will know they're getting what they paid for. Even if I paid as much as you did, I'd still do it.

When I got my 8830WE, I paid full retail and at the time it was $650. I still put an OtterBox on it and the guys where I used to work, for the U.S. Army, decided to 'test' it. We threw it down cement stairs, threw it at a brick wall, it still kept ticking away.

[Grafixx01]

Originally Posted by wth1973

nice review now im leaning towards the otter box

Well, trust me, you won't be disappointed at all!

Originally Posted by Jeff5886

Thanks for the awesome review.

Charging issue = nothing a dremel cant fix!

Yeah, mine got fixed with a carpenters knife and a new blade. Fixed like a charm! Fits tight and charges so I don't have to worry about taking the case off.

[mixtape86]

How do you think the case will withstand being taken off/on twice a day everyday? I'm hoping to have 3 batteries for those "just in case" times when I'm away from a charger. The Seidio Multi-Function Battery Charger seems like a nice option .

Though I might just get the Innocell 2600 Extended Life Battery when it coems out for the Tour. However I'll have to pass on the OtterBox .

Decisions decisions

[Grafixx01]

The case will be fine if you have multiple batteries and switch them out should you run low on power. Over a long period of time, I noticed about 1.5years with my 8830, removing the rubber and case to do battery pulls ended up stretching the rubber a little. It still worked in the fashion that it was designed for, but it did stretch. I'm pretty sure that I could have possibly called OtterBox and asked about getting a replacement but it didn't bother me that much. It was maybe like 2 milimeters bigger, one on each side.

[Chad4BlackBerryTour]

You have the keyboard cover on it in the pictures right?

[DolfanCole]

Thanks Grafixx01! Very nice review. Can't wait for mine to get in.

[StealthMan]

Originally Posted by CJG_NYC

Awesome write up! The durability is amazing. But, am I the only one that just cant bring myself to turning a sleek phone into something so bulky?

That said, it still is tempting!!

I agree, looks like great protection but looks way too bulky. I guess if you are in a rough environment it's a must but for the average user it looks like overkill. How about the other Otterbox case (Impact?), how bulky is that?

As far as the charger issue, that should not be, you should not have to modify the case. Otter should get that fixed ASAP.

[Tdubby]

Nice review. That definitely will protect it from drops but just seems to be overkill unless you work in a rough environment. I just have the basic skin on my curve and i've dropped it numerous times and there's no marks but it wasn't stairs lol.

[CJG_NYC]

Originally Posted by Tdubby

Nice review. That definitely will protect it from drops but just seems to be overkill unless you work in a rough environment. I just have the basic skin on my curve and i've dropped it numerous times and there's no marks but it wasn't stairs lol.

I just feel like it defeats the purpose of the new technology enabling phones to be thinner (and sexier).

I think the Sedio snap-on case is bulky! haha

But, like others have said, if you find yourself throwing your phone down staircases on occasion - this is the case/protection for you!

[Grafixx01]

Originally Posted by StealthMan

I agree, looks like great protection but looks way too bulky. I guess if you are in a rough environment it's a must but for the average user it looks like overkill. How about the other Otterbox case (Impact?), how bulky is that?

As far as the charger issue, that should not be, you should not have to modify the case. Otter should get that fixed ASAP.

The Impact case is roughly a 1/4" smaller since it does not have all the hard plastic protection. It is similar to a silicon skin that just has some extra padding on the necessary pieces like the corners and back. However, it does have the additional plastic film to protect against dust and water droplets.

Originally Posted by Tdubby

Nice review. That definitely will protect it from drops but just seems to be overkill unless you work in a rough environment. I just have the basic skin on my curve and i've dropped it numerous times and there's no marks but it wasn't stairs lol.

Originally Posted by CJG_NYC

I just feel like it defeats the purpose of the new technology enabling phones to be thinner (and sexier).

I think the Sedio snap-on case is bulky! haha

But, like others have said, if you find yourself throwing your phone down staircases on occasion - this is the case/protection for you!

Yes, this is true. If you don't work in an area that you need it, then you can always go with the Impact or another case of your choice. The reason why I swear by the OtterBox is because of my job. I'm an IT guy so crawling around under desks, in ceilings, and cramped places, my phones get banged around a lot. I also ride a motorcycle and leave the phone attached to my belt when I'm on my Yamaha R6. Its fallen off at about 45-50mph down the street, only once though, but it still worked. I wouldn't try it at a higher rate of speed though.

[F2]

It is probably me but my early phones were flip phones and they were generally safe in my pack or rack when biking, hiking and cross-country skiing. The 8830 was my first phone with a very exposed screen and keypad so after trying a few other solutions I got an Otterbox. I felt it made my phone safer from damage in my pack or accidently dropping it into snow or on the ground.

I also think it added to its water-resistance but here maybe I read too much into the fact of BB's being very water sensitive whereas I don't recall such admonitions on my other phones (that may have not been true). So with the keypad membrane and its wrapping almost the entire phone, I liked it for outdoor use.

I have dropped my 8830 a couple of times and it resisted damage. I don't look forward to dropping it down a staircase anytime soon. And I am not quite so sure that the case adds that much shock protection in any event. While it can absorb bumps, the electronics are such that I can see traces breaking or things working loose.

The review is excellent.