Something a little off beat. Otterbox was kind enough to send us their Defender Case for the Blackberry Curve 8900. I know what you are all thinking, this is an iPhone site, not a blackberry site?? Well since we have someone here who happens to own a Blackberry Curve 8900, we decided to take Otterbox’s offer and post a review.To start things off this is very similar to the Otterbox Defender Case for the iPhone 3G. Priced at $49.95 you cannot go wrong with the protection that the Defender series provides, but you sacrifice the sleek and slim feeling. Both the iPhone and the Blackberry Curve 8900 are very slim and sleek phones.

On a scale of 1 to 5, 5 being the best, I rate the Otter Box a 4 overall. It really comes down to what you are looking for, either protection or appearance. Since it is a protective case, the Otter Box does just that. It protects every part of your blackberry from what I would consider incidental damage. Lets face it, nothing will protect your phone if you are exposing it to high heat or extreme force. With the case on, my blackberry remained unharmed (dent free!) when I accidentally dropped it on the cement floor. The case is basically composed of black rubber and plastic. The screen is protected by a clear plastic and a soft plastic goes over the keys, preventing particles from going into the little crevices. However, the rolling ball is not covered for obvious reasons. The rest of the phone is basically covered by black plastic with a rubber cover on top of it (well, the camera on the back is covered by a clear plastic). The rubber feels quite comfortable when holding it and there are even a couple creases on the back of the case for your fingers to rest when holding the phone.

The case has not distorted my phone conversations (I can hear and others can hear me) and it is just as easy to use the keys and text with the plastic over it. The lock and mute buttons on the top of the phone can still be pressed down with the case on, along with the volume and easy keys on the sides of the phone. The plug-in holes for the headset and charger are “covered” by the case, but all you need to do is lift the rubber piece covering it to access it. I have splashed a little bit of water at my phone with the case on it and it did not get into my actual phone so I guess you can say it is some what water-resistant. However, this case is definitely not waterproof. If you plan on going into water with it, your phone will surely get wet because there are a few areas that are not sealed.

As for appearance, the Otter Box case is definitely not what I would consider attractive. The phone with the case on makes it bulky and much heavier. The case makes it look like it is made for a construction worker (remember those Nextels that were indestructible?). Also with the casing, it is not a phone you can easily put in your back pocket or in a wristlet because of its size. Because of these reasons, I rate the Otter Box a 4. But hey, if you do not mind a bigger phone or only care about protection, this case would be perfect for you!

–Samly Ku