One of the first accessories people consider purchasing after acquiring a device is a good, reliable protective case. Today we’re featuring our comprehensive review of one of the best (if not “The Best”) protective case for your Torch 9850/9860, the OtterBox Defender.
Continue reading for more.
For the past 10 days, my Torch 9860 has been protected by the OtterBox Defender, and I would like to share my personal experience for all the BlackBerry Torch 9850/9860 owners out there.
Installation
The OtterBox Defender for the Torch 9850/9860 comes in four separate pieces: two hard plastic (polycarbonate) components that make up the primary shell protection, a durable rubber casing to cover the phone, and a hard plastic belt clip / holster that protects and secures your phone in place wherever you go. Check the pictures below.
Encasing your phone with the two hard plastic pieces is very easy. We found that both pieces perfectly encase your phone without leaving any space for your device to move around or shake inside the casing. Installing the rubber cover is also very easy as there are slots for keeping the rubber protection in place. Assembling the entire OtterBox Defender case, one truly gets the feeling that OtterBox has really thought of everything to keep the case intact and your phone protected.
Function and Use
The rubber case is definitely a big help in protecting one’s phone. Aside from physically protecting your phone, the texture of the rubber makes it very easy to grip your phone securely while in use. It actually limits you from accidentally dropping your phone! Likewise, when placing your phone (facing up) on a smooth surface, the rubber case keeps the phone generally in place. We all know how placing your phone on your very busy desk/table can sometimes cause you to accidentally knock the phone off the table as you sort your way through those documents, calculator, computer mouse, etc. Well, with the OtterBox Defender, that’s less likely to happen because it stays generally in place on your table.
Compared with other silicone protective cases that leave your phone’s charging and headset ports open to the elements, the OtterBox Defender’s rubber protective case offers great protection for these ports. When using them, all you’d need to do is pull on the cover, and plug in your cable or headset. Check out the picture below.
Working your way with the touchscreen function of the phone is also generally easy. The OtterBox Defender comes with a built-in screen protective membrane that keeps your precious touchscreen free from scratches and marks. The material is quite thicker than the usual adhesive screen protectors out in the market. I initially thought the thicker material would make it difficult to use the touchscreen, but I was pleasantly surprised that it worked well. It did take a little getting used to at first, because the general “feel” of the screen is different. That is, swipes and clicks should be a little more deliberate. Personally, I like how it feels. I realized that the more deliberately I press and swipe on the phone’s screen, the more solidly I held the phone, leaving less risk of dropping it — which was my fear when I first held the Torch 9860 and used the touch-sensitive screen.
One thing to consider, though, is that the slight gap formed between the screen protector and the phone’s actual screen leaves space for some dust and particles get in between them. Since I installed it though, I only had to remove the front hard plasic with the screen cover once to be able to remove dust that found its way in. I personally don’t mind doing this every once in a while, but I feel this may well be an area for enhancement for the OtterBox Defender case.
Access to the phone’s physical keys is in no-way limited by the case. The 5 front physical keys are exposed and easy to access, while your side keys, although covered by the rubber casing are easy to access and use. Typing on the virtual keyboard, though, is slightly affected, specifically the full keyboard in portrait mode, because the edge of the case partly requires a little effort to reach the left and right set of virtual keys. However, in reduced keyboard mode, it’s definitely unrestricted.
The OtterBox Defender also comes with a protective membrane for your Torch 9850/9860 camera lens and flash. After taking several pictures and videos over the past 10 days of using the Defender case, no noticeable difference was noted with the quality. It’s as if the protective membrane wasn’t even there!
The belt clip case is another feature I also appreciate. If you’re like me and dislike carrying your phone in your pocket together with your car keys, etc., then you will love this as well. The belt clip case is made of hard plastic and some metal parts. It securely locks your phone in place. The actual belt clip can be rotated to suit how you would like to carry your phone around. Even when rotated at landscape mode, the belt clip case securely locks your phone in place. Another great feature of the belt clip case is that there’s a magnet right in the middle where your screen will rest. This magnet lets your phone know that it’s holstered, thus switching off the screen. With the same level of phone usage, I noticed this helped increase the battery life of my phone, because even when ringing or receiving messages, the screen remains switched off until after I remove the phone from the belt clip case.
Considerations and Overall Recommendations
Overall, the OtterBox Defender for the BlackBerry Torch 9850/9860 really provides full protection for your smartphone. The case is perfectly built for the phone model, securely encasing and protecting it from all the things you would normally encounter in a typical day. A friend even remarked after seeing the OtterBox Defender, that it’s something that seems perfect for when you bring your phone when you go hiking! That’s how durable the case feels, and ultimately, how protected your phone is. The case does seem a bit bulkier and heavier with the case installed, but definitely a slight trade-off for the full care and protection it affords. Considerations for the small gap between the phone screen and the protective screen membrane, and the slight limitation when accessing your left and right virtual keys in full-keyboard-portrait-mode should be noted. However, based on personal experience, these have become non-issues compared to the full range of protection that the case provides. It just takes a little getting used to. I got used to it a couple of days after installation. The increased battery life experienced from using the belt clip case is really much appreciated, with battery life being one of everyone’s concern with today’s range of smartphones (even with other brands/OS). The price of the OtterBox Defender ranges from US $30-$50 depending on the retail store of choice. If you value your BlackBerry Torch 9850/9860, this is definitely a small price to pay for ultimate protection. I would definitely recommend the OtterBox Defender for all the BlackBerry Torch 9850/9860 owners out there.
Read the official OtterBox Defender product documentation here.
Grab your very own OtterBox Defender from the BlackBerry Empire Store.
Thank you, OtterBox Marketing , for allowing us to review the OtterBox Defender for Torch 9850/9860.