Technology Development

We've tried a number of different cases for our beloved BlackBerry, but couldn't find a case we felt was 100% protective. We heard many great things about the structural integrity of Otterbox cases, but needed personal assurance so we tested one ourselves. You can read the full review or simply skip to the very bottom to watch a video with stress test, after the break...










Testing the Otterbox Defender on a Storm2 was our choice. We believe this case is standard with any BlackBerry model. Therefore, whether or not you have a Storm2, you should still find this review relevant.








What you get:

There are a total of 3 pieces, which make up the Otterbox Defender case. Two very thick and hard plastic pieces snap together to create the "shell" or primary protective casing around the phone. The third piece includes a silicone skin that fits evenly over the plastic shell. The silicone skin adds an extra cushioning if the phone were to be dropped. It also offers a greater level of grip when holding the phone. However, we found the silicone skin to be a bit difficult when putting in and removing from your pockets. The silicone skin also tended to attract pocket lint and other dirt.








Unlike the iPhone's Otterbox Defender case, you have to manually attach a screen protector on your Storm2. While we opted not to do this (for touchscreen performance reasons) we can't imagine it would be difficult to install. The screen protector also came with a cloth wipe and a squeegee to make sure you press out any air bubbles.



A very durable plastic holster comes along with the case. The phone easily snapped into the holster, but required a bit of a tug to take out. What was nice about the holster is it held the phone with the face closed. This ensured optimal protection while holstered.



Lastly, you also get a nice Otterbox bumper sticker to show your support.






How it held up:

We tested the Otterbox Defender case for a week. Needless to say we did not baby this case. It went everywhere and landed on just about every surface type imaginable.



We threw it on concrete, asphalt, grass. Tossed it down a flight of stairs. Threw it up as high in the air as possible and let it fall, hoping it would shatter, but it didn't. We even had one of our minor league baseball friends throw it at a wall at 87mph, and to our surprise the BlackBerry withstood the carnage.






While we cannot tell you that your BlackBerry will be the slimmest or sexiest phone with an Otterbox Defender case, we can confidently say it will be the most protected. If you're continuously dropping your BlackBerry and frustrated with all the scratches, chips, and cracks on its bezel, the Otterbox Defender will be your best spent $49.99, period.



To get more info, check out Otterbox.com