Page 2: Case (continued), Testing, Conclusion
Case (continued)
Don't let the glare fool you, the protective screen on the hard shell is clear. You do get some added glare, but the Storm is good at adjusting its brightness to fix those sorts of issues. In addition, the screen protection does not diminish the touch screen in anyway. There is a period of breaking in the protection, though. Initially, the screen protection will be a bit sticky (good friction since it is new). Over time, the oils and such on your hands will make the screen easier to navigate once again. In a day, it will be a breeze to use.
Dust is a problem with black cases and dust seems to get into the case between the screen protection and the Storm itself. Remember that Blackberries have a notorious need for battery pulls so you'll have to remove the case to get to the battery if the Storm crashes (which happens often with the official firmware from Verizon, thanks Verizon!). The back contains clear protection for the camera lens as well. All in all, the design is very well thought out.
The soft case has ports and holes for the hard buttons and ports on the Storm itself. The outer shell is less like a skin since the Defender really cannot be used without the soft outer shell. Each port (USB/audio) contains a flap that closes when not in use. It isn't watertight, but it will be better than nothing in the rain.
All the buttons are easy to press and the case does not hamper the function of the unit.
Testing
The new version of the Defender series case for the Blackberry Storm is a dream to use. OtterBox listened to feedback with their previous edition and now the case is pretty much perfect. The entire screen is easily selectable and nothing gets pressed accidentally. Talking on the phone is just as fine as it was without the case and the speaker phone is fine as well. The ambient light sensor still works through the case since there is an opening for it.
Placing the phone in the holster is easy enough by pushing it in and it locks. The grip is fairly secure, it takes a bit of force to remove it which is good since you don't want to have the phone falling out when in the holster. The holster doesn't use a clip to lock the phone in place, it uses the ribbed hard plastic on the back of the case and a rubbery stopper on the holster. This works well in practice. A simple grab will get the phone released from the holster in time to pickup the call.
Conclusion
The OtterBox Defender Series Case for the Blackberry Storm »retails for about $40 at the time of this review. At this price it is a well worth it purchase for a ruggedized case of exceptional build quality. That being said, make sure you purchase the second version of this case. If you purchase a Defender series for the Storm and the screen is hard to press on the edges, return it and get another one.
OtterBox listened to the feedback and now presents a product that is near perfect as you can get. The Defender is a dream to use and if you have a Storm, do yourself a favor and check out the Defender series for the Storm from OtterBox.
ASE Labs would like to thank [url=http://www.otterbox.com/]OtterBox[/ur] for making this review possible.
Don't let the glare fool you, the protective screen on the hard shell is clear. You do get some added glare, but the Storm is good at adjusting its brightness to fix those sorts of issues. In addition, the screen protection does not diminish the touch screen in anyway. There is a period of breaking in the protection, though. Initially, the screen protection will be a bit sticky (good friction since it is new). Over time, the oils and such on your hands will make the screen easier to navigate once again. In a day, it will be a breeze to use.
Dust is a problem with black cases and dust seems to get into the case between the screen protection and the Storm itself. Remember that Blackberries have a notorious need for battery pulls so you'll have to remove the case to get to the battery if the Storm crashes (which happens often with the official firmware from Verizon, thanks Verizon!). The back contains clear protection for the camera lens as well. All in all, the design is very well thought out.
The soft case has ports and holes for the hard buttons and ports on the Storm itself. The outer shell is less like a skin since the Defender really cannot be used without the soft outer shell. Each port (USB/audio) contains a flap that closes when not in use. It isn't watertight, but it will be better than nothing in the rain.
All the buttons are easy to press and the case does not hamper the function of the unit.
Testing
The new version of the Defender series case for the Blackberry Storm is a dream to use. OtterBox listened to feedback with their previous edition and now the case is pretty much perfect. The entire screen is easily selectable and nothing gets pressed accidentally. Talking on the phone is just as fine as it was without the case and the speaker phone is fine as well. The ambient light sensor still works through the case since there is an opening for it.
Placing the phone in the holster is easy enough by pushing it in and it locks. The grip is fairly secure, it takes a bit of force to remove it which is good since you don't want to have the phone falling out when in the holster. The holster doesn't use a clip to lock the phone in place, it uses the ribbed hard plastic on the back of the case and a rubbery stopper on the holster. This works well in practice. A simple grab will get the phone released from the holster in time to pickup the call.
Conclusion
The OtterBox Defender Series Case for the Blackberry Storm »retails for about $40 at the time of this review. At this price it is a well worth it purchase for a ruggedized case of exceptional build quality. That being said, make sure you purchase the second version of this case. If you purchase a Defender series for the Storm and the screen is hard to press on the edges, return it and get another one.
OtterBox listened to the feedback and now presents a product that is near perfect as you can get. The Defender is a dream to use and if you have a Storm, do yourself a favor and check out the Defender series for the Storm from OtterBox.
ASE Labs would like to thank [url=http://www.otterbox.com/]OtterBox[/ur] for making this review possible.