My review: 3 hard cases for Droid X

[Freezetron]

Greetings all! It's amazing that just a few weeks ago I went from the very notion of poo pooing the idea of using and paying for a smartphone for personal needs, then trying them, getting a Droid X last week and now I can't put the thing down an am obessed with learning and using it!

http://www.droidforums.net/forum/ne...ite-assistance/95344-i-must-outa-my-mind.html

Along the way, I knew for a fact I wanted to protect my investment with a good, quality case. Even with adding on insurance, my OCD still compelled me to get something to prevent dings and scratches on my beautiful $500+ Droid X. I quickly found there was large amount of cases available for this awesome phone, and I quickly learned that there was some definite quality and design differences between them.

For me, I was looking for a case that basically did it all, including:

1. Soft, rubbery texture to minimize sliding on slick surfaces
2. Covered as much of the phone as physically possible
3. Wouldn't fall apart on a slight drop or slowly work itself loose.
4. Removable belt clip or holster

With that, the last week i've been going around my town and picking up a few of the cases that caught my eye and decided to give them a try on my phone and post my initial impressions of them. Due to the nature of only having 30 days to return these cases and the fact I needed to keep them in pristine condition in order to return for refund, I couldn't really do in depth testing and trials on these cases for those reasons. Instead, I'll just show and tell you what I thought about the cases once I installed them and how they worked and felt for my every day uses.

IMPORTANT: These are PERSONAL based opinions and viewpoints. What I experienced and rated on the cases may be vastly different from your own viewpoint and needs of your phone and case! YMMV! The pricing and selection of these cases will also vary depending on your location and store stock. These reviews are only intended to give you a rough idea of the differences between the cases and were done out of kindness of my heart, so I am not responsible for any incidents or problems you may encounter.


But enough with the talk, lets bring out the first three contenders that I rounded up locally to compare.

From left to right: Verizon store Droid X Bodyglove: Verizon store Droid X Shell/Holster: Best Buy Platinum Droid X case w/quick clip holster

 

[Freezetron]

First up is the VZW Droid X Shell/Holster combo case that I purchased the day after I got my droid and actually used it for a few days before checking out other cases, so I have some field testing with this guy actually. Cost was $30 at VZW store though I managed to snag it for $23, musta been a sale day or something.

This case is a very good one overall. The rubbery texture is very nice feeling and will easily grip most surfaces preventing sliding and doesn't attract dirt or dust easily though in and out of pants pockets was a little harder. It also feels tough and likely won't get marred easily. The phone case itself is one piece and you simply slip the phone one one side and then slide and snap it into place, thats it! Once on, its very well attached to the phone with no chance of easily coming off

The phone case itself protects most of the phone but it does leave the bottom and top area's pretty open to scratches and dings as well as the upper portion of the ear and mouth pieces are not protected either. The buttons are easily accessible but vulnerable as well. This was my biggest gripe with the case.

This unit comes with a quality and easy to use belt clip/holster combo. The belt clip is not removable from the holster but it rotates fairly easily with a bit of force. The holster also has a very nice, quality rubber texture to it along with a soft felt lined inside that protects the screen very well when inserted. The phone is initially hard to pull out from the case but after a few dozen uses, the rubber gets "glazed" over and it slides out much more easily but still stays attached with no feeling of coming loose.

The body clip holster is nice and stiff and protects the screen very well. The clip itself is very solid and stiff to open and close, so very little chance of this thing flying off your belt or pants

Pro's:

1. Quality and tough rubber texture, build, fit and finish all around
2. Belt clip holster secures phone very will no with no movement
3. Easy install/removal
4. Belt clip holster protects phone screen very well
5. Button easily accessible


Con's:

1. Leaves top and bottom areas of phone exposed to damage as well as ear and mouth sections.
2. Two different holster pieces to keep track of
3. Button area's not protected well
4. Rubber texture makes it somewhat tough to pull in and out of clothes pockets.


Personal Rating: 4 out 5 happy Droids dancedroiddancedroiddancedroiddancedroid

 

[Freezetron]

Next up we have the VZW DroidX Snap On "Body Glove" which according to a few VZW reps, were the most popular case for the Droid X. Let's find out for ourselves on that. It went for $30 at VZW store.


This case also has a decent rubbery texture on the outside, though not as nice as the Shell/holster combo from earlier. This one also is a two piece shell that clips together once the phone is installed. The belt clip is attached to the back of the shell and is removable with a small clip, leaving a small "button" attachment point. This is also removable with no phone installed by popping it out from the inside and swapping it with a flat "filler" piece so that the phone with case is easier to put in your pocket. The speaker recessed area has a weird design to it, dunno what up with the temprature probe sized opening to the right of it, *shrug*

Before I even took out the case from the box, I could tell the fit and finish of this unit was subpar at best. The area's around the buttons and openings are uneven and look really cheap. The two units attached firmly with a satisifying "click" around the phone but I have a hard time imagining this thing staying together on a hard drop on a hard surface. The unit however does protect most of the upper and lower area's of the phone as well as the mouth and ear pieces area's, so thats a plus. This units cover is a bit thicker and the buttons are bit more recessed as a result which may be a problem with people with bigger fingers/hands.

I found also however that the swappable clip attachment pieces flimsy and don't clip together very well. The only thing that prevents the swappable belt clip pieces from falling out is the phone itself once inserted into the case. I consider this a weak point of the design as one good hit on something hard or a good pull while wearing the unit on a belt will probably be enough to break that back piece right off. The back holster piece is nicely covered in a soft felt however. The belt clip itself felt fairly solid with descent spring action though not as good as the shell/holster body did.

Pro's:

1. Decent rubber quality feel, won't slide very easily
2. Belt clip is removable along with button attachment for easier pocket use
3. Two piece unit clips together well
4. Phone well protected all around
5. Back piece felt covered


Con's:

1. Fit and finish poor around edges and button areas, looks crappy
2. Removable belt clip attachments don't clip well and could be easily broken
3. Buttons a bit more recessed from thicker case
4. Debatable weather case will stay together if phone is dropped on hard surface.
5. Whats up with the weird speaker/mic opening?


Personal Rating: 2 out of 5 happy Droids dancedroiddancedroid

 

[Freezetron]

Lastly, we have the Platinum case from Seido for the Droid X found at my local Best Buy. This was the most expensive at $35 retail cost.

The case was the most impressive next to the VZW body/shell holster unit. The unit is a hard two piece casing with a nice soft texture all around that will help minimize sliding around though not as good as the previous two cases did. The clips appear to hold pretty well once attached. The fit and finish is very well done around the seems and button areas. The case however doesn't have any lining on the inside though once the phone is inserted, it won't budge at all within the case.

The buttons, speaker and ear piece area's are well covered with this unit. The fit and finish is well done all around with no weird caps or uneveness to be found. The soft, gentle texture of the case gives the phone a very nice "luxury" feel to it and won't grab onto your clothes or dirt/dust as easily as silicon covers will

The belt clip/holster unit is seperate and feels fairly sturdy. The belt clip is non removable and does not rotate, the spring is stiff but not to stiff. The holster uses a second spring and clip assembly on top to hold and remove the phone. Once inserted, the phone stays put in the holster with only the slightest of wiggles. The inside is also lined with felt to prevent screen damage and protects the screen pretty well once inserted. The prevent marring of the phone case, you need to open the clip on top to insert and remove the phone out of the holster or your risk damaging the top of the phone case over time due to dragging it across the clip.

With that in mind, it will be interesting to see how well the hard case's soft texture will last during usage as well as the staying together after being dropped on a hard surface. Time will tell.

Pro's:

1. Phone is very well covered with good fit and finish all around
2. Soft luxury texture to plastic is pleasant to touch and will reduce sliding somewhat
3. Belt clip/holster easy to insert and remove phone as long as you flip the clip on top
4. Felt liner on holster a bonus to prevent screen scratching
5. Buttons recessed slightly but still easily accessible.
6. Gentle soft texture makes it easy to remove from clothes pockets


Con's:

1. Debatable wether case and texture will stand test of time and usage
2. Easy to forget flipping clip on holster and thus damaging top of case over time
3. Again, two piece to keep track of
4. No lining on case inside though phone doesn't budge once inserted.
5. Pricier


Personal Rating: 4 1/2 out of 5 happy Droids dancedroiddancedroiddancedroiddancedroid 1/2

 

[RETG]

Nice and informative write up.

Do have a question:
The Seidio case belt clip does not rotate? The ones they advertise on their site says the belt clip rotates to seven different positions. And the ones I have for BB Tours do. Maybe the ones sold in stores are different than the ones sold online.

Do have some insight on Seidio Cases:
In regard to any case, including Seidio. I have two BB tours; one is personal, one is issued. Both are in Seidio surface cases.

The surface cases (which looks to be similar to the one you have), fit extremely tight at first. Both slowly loosened up and the BBs got scratched on the front shiny surface. Probably on the back too, but the surface on the backs of the BBs are not shiny so it does not show. Dust/dirt gets under there and the movement of the cases on the phones cause scratches.

I will say the case protects the unit (BB in my case) from drops on rocks, and from sliding down rocks a few times.

I will say that both of these cases and phones are subjected to conditions normal people will not encounter. I basically live in the desert so dust is a way of life. When not actively on the job, I am off-roading, hiking and taking photos while climbing over and around red rock ledges, mountains, etc. I have fallen a few times, I have slid on the Tour, I have dropped the tour, but the Tour, thanks to the case, is not broken; only scratched on the front shiny surface. Two-months ago, I took a tumble down some ledges that literally destroyed the finish on a Beretta PX4 and the Fobus holster it was in, broke an arm and a wrist, and the damage to the Seidio was scratches to the case, and one of the clips where the case halves snap together broke (case still usable).

The issued case is usually under a sport coat or loose fitting shirt, although on extremely hot days, I do walk around with it open to the elements, and I try not to climb around rock ledges while working; although it has happened on occasion.

Irregardless of the scratches, when I get my Droid, I will order another Seidio case and holster. Scratches are minor considering what could have happened.

 

[crankshot89]

I have the Seidio case for my X and the belt clip does rotate... in several directions just as advertised. I love this case and use an SGP screen protector that also rocks

Sent from my DROIDX using DroidForums App

 

[Freezetron]

Im not sure what you mean by surface cases and my platnium holster does not rotate at all

Sent from my DROIDX

 

[crankshot89]

http://m.bestbuy.com/m/e/product/detail.jsp?scr=&pid=1218226127993&skuId=1151267

This is the case I believe we're both speaking of.

Here is the holster of said case with the belt clip rotated 90°:

Sent from my DROIDX using DroidForums App

 

[Freezetron]

Yeah, that's it but mine felt like it was gonna break when I rotated it

Sent from my DROIDX

 

[FranklinWalker]

the review is reasonable!

 

[seidioseidio]

Im not sure what you mean by surface cases and my platnium holster does not rotate at all

Sent from my DROIDX

Hello,

Thank for you the insightful reviews! Please note the Platinum (Seidio) Holster will indeed rotate. It is intent to be a bit more resistive to make sure the holster stay rotated to that position. Give it a shot! :icon_ banana:

Regards,

 

[Freezetron]

UPDATE: After having the Seido Platinum case from BB for around a day, im starting to have gripes with it including:

1. The edge of the casing right below the 4 main buttons makes it more difficult to find and press the buttons then before, I almost have to punch the buttons directly from the top, I can't do it at an angle anymore easily.

2. The volume button is more recessed then I thought, I don't have very big fingers but its much more of a pain to change the volume on the Droid X with the Plat casing on it, especially when i'm using the Droid vertically for texting or other uses, its really annoying.

3. The opening around the USB and HDMI ports isn't "sharp" but its enough of an edge to dig into my hand when I grip the phone for periods of time to the point where I need to move my right hand frequently to keep it from getting sore. Why they didn't round the corners of the opening is beyond me. This is my biggest complaint with the case.

For the above reasons, the Platinum case rating is now rated 3.5 out of 5 happy droids dancedroiddancedroiddancedroid 1/2

I'm likely going to be returning the Plat case to BB tomorroo and have placed an order for an Otterbox Commuter for my Droid X.

 

[supr2nr]

I wondered how long it would take you to discover the issues with the Platinum case. The case feels wonderful, it does protect it really well, and the case is very slim as well so it doesn't add much bulk to the phone. But as you mentioned button access (both for the volume risers and the camera button) on the side are very VERY difficult to reach. I have large thumbs and trying to raise/lower the volume while your in a call is damn near impossible. For that reason I had to give up on the case and stick with a silicon slip on case.

 

[umx]

The plat case is all over ebay for cheap

platinum case droid x items - Get great deals on Cell Phones PDAs items on eBay.com!

 

[Freezetron]

Siebo platinum case is getting more annoying. The camera button is also recessed pretty deep and once again, I don't have big hands/fingers either. The case is also creaking and popping a fair amount when I handle it. Whata waste of $35, I dunno if I can wait till my otterbox commuter gets here and have my DX unprotected but this thing is utter crap.