Product Review: Seidio Innocase Hybrid

I don't usually do product reviews, but I've come to appreciate this product so much that I wanted bring some attention to it. I also delayed reviewing because I wanted to make sure that I had sufficient time to break it in and give it a proper thrashing. I think that feedback should have some delay, something that a few of my ebay customers had to learn the hard way. Moving on....

My contract with verizon came to a close during july and I jumped ship to att. During that transition I picked up a new phone, the blackberry curve 8310. I'm not a big fan of babying my toys and I tend to be kind of rough on them from time to time. I wanted to be comfortable actually using my phone in day to day life without worrying about breaking it. I shopped around and found that, although pricier, the hardcase offered more protection than the rubber skins. The Hybrid Case (linky to site) is a fairly simple design. It is a thin, 2 piece, plastic case that snaps together on the corners and sides. It has cutouts for the convenience buttons on the sides and for the camera assembly. The design is fairly unobtrusive. The first day or so I had to adjust to the bar that crosses just above the pearl, but that was pretty much it. I will note that the mute button on the top of the phone can be difficult to poke for those with larger fingers, but overall, holding the phone before and after the case is put on really doesn't feel significantly different.

I can't count the number of times that this case has saved my phone in the 4 months that I've used it. I've dropped it on the cement in the parking lot about 5 times. Drop kicked it in the office 3-4 times ( I don't know why I try to catch it with me feet by kicking????) and my daughter has dropped it on the kitchen floor about 38 times. Only 1 time did the case pop open and that was when the corner landed first on a tile floor. The phone itself is still nice and shiny inside and has no obvious chips, dents etc. One downside for some people is that the case does not protect the screen. There are only a few other hard cases that offer this feature and they either cost 2x as much or they trap dust under the screen scratching it worse. Because the Seidio Innocase Hybrid covers the very edges of the screen I've found that it keeps dust from getting under the lcd (a noted 8310 problem) and creates a little bit of a buffer for the screen for when I carry it in my pocket etc. I take the case off about once a week to clean the phone and remove any dust. Simply put a fingernail into one of the corners and it pops right off.

Pros:

• very sturdy
• very protective
• keeps dust from getting under screen
• looks sexy
• easy to get on and off
• doesn't get in the way of the keyboard or the trackball/pearl

Cons:

• pricey ($25)
• doesn't protect the entire screen
• mute key may be hard to press for some people

Overall Rating: 9.8

I've always been a pocket carrier guy, but then I've always had flip phones. I decided to go ahead and spluge a little bit and I bought the Innocase Holster as well. I can now proudly say that I'm one of those nerds/queers/douches that wears their phone on their belt. To be fair it is fairly discreet. Since I use this phone for work and make/receive calls/emails I've found that this holster is a life saver. It is a pain in the ass to constantly stand up and dig for the phone everytime it's needed. I still use the pocket if I'm going out from time to time or if its raining or something, but I've found life is easier on the belt.

There are a few things to note about the holster. I am a lefty (duh) and so I wear it on my left hip. This means that If I don't do a weird contorting thing when I get in and out of the car it gets caught on the seatbelt or edge of the seat. This cause at least 1-2 of the drops on the parking lot. If you are a righty, I don't think this would be an issue though. It seems obvious, but the holster looks goofy with an untucked shirt. You get a wierd lumpy thing that your shirt bunches up on. The moral of the story, tuck in your shirt or lose holster when you go casual.

Some people have had an issue with the pin on the clip sliding out. I've used mine daily for 4 months and don't see any movement. I've personally found the build quality to be fine. The belt clip has a U shape on the bottom which hooks the underside of your belt and makes it nearly impossible to get off accidently. The holster is more snug and secure than I expected - It grips the phone securely and there is no wiggle room. At the same time, it let's you remove the phone and replace it quickly and easily one handed. See Video below. (sorry that you have to see me holding my sweater with my chin. And yes, I'm wearing a short sleeved striped polo under my sweater, so what - its saturday)

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dIENAdR0qrg[/youtube]

Innocase Holster:

Pros:

• small and sleek
• sturdy
• holds phone tightly
• puts phone into sleep mode which saves the battery life

Cons:

• not the greatest look in a t-shirt
• pricey ($25)

Overall Rating 9.8

This combination has saved my phone quite a few times already. the price that I paid covered the product and also provided me some peace of mind. I don't worry that my 2 year old will somehow smash it when she is running around the house chatting to people. After 4 months the phone looks nearly as good as the day I got it. The only exception being the screen has some smudges. This is a great combination that I'd have to recommend to anyone considering a similar solution. Did I forget anything?