Posts Tagged cell phone cases
Pelican i1015 Smart Phone Case
It wasn’t until my friend dropped her phone into Lake Union that I came up with a great use case for Pelican’s i1015 iPhone case. It’s not that there’s anything wrong with the case, nope, it’s sturdy, waterproof box with a headphone jack, a carabiner, and slots that I suppose you could run a belt through. You put your phone in voice control mode, plug in your headphones, and seal the case around the phone. Now, your phone is protected from weather, falls, being smashed in your pack, whatever. All good. I was just having a crisis of imagination around what scenario I would need this level of protection for my phone. Then my friend dropped her phone into the lake. “Oh, that’s it!”
The Pelican i1015 Smart Phone case offers serious protection for your phone when you’re worried about the elements. If you’re doing a dusty road trip or going boating for the day or you’re heading to the beach, this will keep your phone clean, dry, and from getting trampled on by beach volleyball hotties. My headsets have a “activate voice control” button on them, so I was able to use the phone without taking it out of the case — but just so it’s clear, no, you can’t access the touch screen controls (controls of any kind that aren’t voice activated) when the phone is in the case.
A couple of possibilities… you’re a mad snowboarder who takes some falls. The case will keep your phone from getting crushed in your pack or pocket. You’re going boating and you need to have your phone on deck but there’s spray and you want to keep it dry. You’ve got your tunes while horseback riding. (Cue America’s “Horse with No Name.) Actually, it might be kind of cool if you’re doing voice memos of your crazy outdoor adventure… you’ve got your headsets on and you’re recording, meanwhile, you’re in a squall. You’re soaked but your phone is totally dry.
I’m curious. You tell me, why don’t you? What are you doing that needs mad protection for your phone? And if you’re that person, you can get your Pelican i1015 Smart Phone Case either from Pelican or from Amazon for just over 20 USD. Or check prices at Backcountry.com
Turns out John put this thing to the Ultimate Torture Test. See the results here.
Posted by Pam in Adventure Gear, Business Gear on April 15th, 2011
OtterBox BlackBerry Commuter Case
I’m a new smart-phone user — I just got my BlackBerry Tour a couple months ago and immediately fell in love with it. What I didn’t love was the generic case it came with; so I didn’t use it much, and then my beloved BlackBerry felt naked and vulnerable without protection. Thankfully, OtterBox offered to send me a new case from its Commuter series, and I’ve been using it for the past few weeks.
What I like about the OtterBox is that I don’t have to pull my BlackBerry in and out of a case. The OtterBox comes in two parts: a snug-fitting, custom-molded silicone sheath and a hard plastic shell. All of the phone’s ports (for headphones and chargers) are covered with soft, easy-to-pull-out attached plugs, and a separate clear film covers the screen. I’ve dropped my phone a couple times, but didn’t freak out (that much) because the case protects from bumps, shocks and scratches; my BlackBerry still (seems to) work fine after some abuse in the OtterBox case.
A couple of things that bummed me out about the clear screen film: When I applied it to the screen, some residual adhesive from the paper it had been stuck to remained on the film (the side that faces out, not the side that stuck to the screen). I tried to remove it with my fingernail and a washcloth, but resorted to hard-core adhesive-removal solution to get it off. (Yes, I’m talking about a solution you’d buy from a medical-supply company to take off adhesive that remains after removing a long-time Band-Aid. I was not happy to be applying that near my BlackBerry keypad.)
The film has also bubbled at the edges. I can’t get it to smoothly stick down. (Maybe has something to do with my applying the solution!)
I’m also a little bummed that my BlackBerry doesn’t smoothly slide into the fleece-lined pocket of my Overland shoulder bag anymore. The case — although it is advertised to have a “slick” exterior — can’t match the smoothness of the BlackBerry itself.
Other OtterBox BlackBerry cases include the rugged Defender series — a bit bulkier than the Commuter, offering more protection — and the Impact, which gives less protection.
The Commuter case retails for $34.95 on OtterBox.com, but you can find it much cheaper on Amazon.com.
Posted by Kara in General Gear on November 20th, 2009
