Review of the Otterbox Defender Case for BlackBerry Curve

We first became aware of Otterbox cases for BlackBerry smartphones last fall when we were gearing up for our big holiday gift giving site. Among all of the add on electronic gizmos and application software, the Otterbox stood out as a down-to-earth product that could actually help protect our expensive, indispensible electronics. To be perfectly honest, we also thought it looked cool.

Real-life evaluation of the Otterbox Defender case for the BlackBerry Curve has been a pleasure. After getting over the initial surprise of there being three distinct levels to the case, installation was simple. The first step is to position a thin, transparent skin over the device. This protects the screen and keypad from scratches, dust and moisture.

There’s a curious optional instruction step that is to mix a drop of dishwashing liquid into a glass of water and to apply a miniscule bit of the solution to the BlackBerry’s screen before putting the skin in place. It’s then recommended that you not touch the screen for 24 hours. We left that instruction out at first but later decided to go back and try it. As it turns out, the additional effort makes the skin all but invisible and is well worth it.

The second layer of protection comes from a two piece, semi-rigid polycarbonate shell. It covers the device completely except, of course, for the screen, keyboard and side and top controls. Over that, layer three, a silicone rubber skin holds the whole assemble together. The skin has little bumps that correspond perfectly to the top and side controls like the mute/standby button and volume and convenience keys so pressing them is as easy as if there were not case installed.

The fit of the Otterbox is incredibly precise. Indeed the detail to every button and port on the BlackBerry is perfect. That is very typical of the manufacture’s attention to detail in the product promotion. It’s rare that a product is exactly as described by the maker but in Otterbox’s case, it is. We had only one minor complaint about this case and that is that it’s a bit bulky. There likely isn’t a way around that if it is to provide much protection but it is a point worth mentioning. The entire assembly slips into a heavy duty belt clip which will be a good carrying option for many people, especially when wearing tight pants.

Read our review of the BlackBerry Curve, and be sure you have a look at our BlackBerry Apps reviews.