Motorola Droid Case Reviews

[orGSD]

@Skrump: There are two (technically three) cases that I would purchase again. The Waterfield UltraSuede w/ and w/o pocket. Both are excellent, well priced, and serve my purposes perfectly. The other is the G1 OEM case. They also make the integration with a car dock or desktop dock quite simple. I have a home mode desk dock, waiting for the comparison between Motorola and Amzer's. I do not yet have a car dock, I am waiting to find if Amzer's have a magnet or not for auto switching.

Regarding durability, there are two articles worth reading:
My First Fallen Droid… | Android Phone Fans <-- broken screen courtesy of bad fashion
Motorola Droid Screen Protected By Gorilla Glass | Android Phone Fans <-- info on the glass scratch resistance

I have taken photos of the various cases/screen covers I have. I will post them soon.

Cheers,

orGSD

 

[gardobus]

I have the leather verizon pouch but its too bulky. It's too much bigger than the phone and the clip on the back is annoying. Just ordered a WaterField with the pocket.

 

[Statman]

I bought the snap-on silicone gel cover from the Verizon store for $16.99.

Pros:
- Nice textured grip. I don't worry about the phone slipping around in my hands.
- Thick, durable material. I toss it in my bag without flinching.
- Covers side buttons, leaves power button and ports uncovered.

Cons:
- A bit bulky, not sexy and streamlined like the Droid is supposed to be.
- Rubberized texture makes it difficult to slip in and out of pockets, and it inevitably collects some lint/dust everyday.

Other points:
- Blocks the very top of the keyboard, but I rarely use this feature so it's no problem for me.
- Edge of cover hangs over microphone, although I haven't had anyone mention they've had trouble hearing me.
- Partially covers speaker on the back.

Verdict: I do like this sturdy cover, but I might look for something thinner and smoother eventually.

I bought two of these for two droids I gave for Xmas...neither one fit...the bottom of one kept snapping off and the top of the other never snapped on...POS if you ask me.

 

[jen_005]

I bought two of these for two droids I gave for Xmas...neither one fit...the bottom of one kept snapping off and the top of the other never snapped on...POS if you ask me.

Yikes! Sorry you had a bad experience with them. I guess I got lucky because I didn't have those problems with mine.

...If you combine the working parts of each, you'll have at least one functional cover! :/

 

[JohnnyDroid]

I have the leather verizon pouch but its too bulky. It's too much bigger than the phone and the clip on the back is annoying. Just ordered a WaterField with the pocket.

I bought that case with my Droid the other day and returned it the next day and bought a DLO iPhone case at BB that was on sale for $25.50, marked down from $32. I like it. It's a lot smaller than the Droid case and better looking imho. A little too small maybe but it will stretch. I like that it's rigid enough that I can use it to lean the phone against when I'm using the phone in say a restaurant. Just open the case flap and set the phone on the flap and let it lean back against the rest of the case - almost perfect.

 

[JessiesGirl]

I bought two of these for two droids I gave for Xmas...neither one fit...the bottom of one kept snapping off and the top of the other never snapped on...POS if you ask me.

Yikes! Sorry you had a bad experience with them. I guess I got lucky because I didn't have those problems with mine.

...If you combine the working parts of each, you'll have at least one functional cover! :/

Jen, if the Verizon rubberized case is blocking any of the keyboard or the keys below the screen , the top piece may be on upside down. There is a cutout at the short end that goes on the top--should align in the center, just above the screen. You'll see that the end that goes under the keys is beveled differently than the top, so that you can easily reach the keys below the screen.

I haven't had mine obscure anything on the phone since I got the top piece on the correct way, although I originally had it on upside down. I use the physical keyboard all the time without any problems.

Another advantage I've found to the rubberized silicone case is that it makes it hard to accidentally knock the Droid off a smooth surface, like a desk or countertop. Or when the dog comes over and sniffs it on the coffee table! Just about had a heart attack the first time she did that before I got the case on, as she pushed it just to the edge before I shrieked LEAVE IT!!:icon_eek:

 

[xmscott]

I got my case in one of the mall kioks. 30 bucks for a hard case and an invisible screen. They even put it on for me. I hate those shields. Always have bubbles. But not this one.

The case is hard plastic. Looks great.

 

[skrump]

@Skrump: There are two (technically three) cases that I would purchase again. The Waterfield UltraSuede w/ and w/o pocket. Both are excellent, well priced, and serve my purposes perfectly. The other is the G1 OEM case. They also make the integration with a car dock or desktop dock quite simple. I have a home mode desk dock, waiting for the comparison between Motorola and Amzer's. I do not yet have a car dock, I am waiting to find if Amzer's have a magnet or not for auto switching.

Regarding durability, there are two articles worth reading:
My First Fallen Droid… | Android Phone Fans <-- broken screen courtesy of bad fashion
Motorola Droid Screen Protected By Gorilla Glass | Android Phone Fans <-- info on the glass scratch resistance

I have taken photos of the various cases/screen covers I have. I will post them soon.

Cheers,

orGSD

Thanks for the tips, I'll check out those links!

 

[orGSD]

G1 Case ( NEW OEM T-Mobile HTC Google G1 pocket Case - eBay (item 160387982472 end time Dec-20-09 01:27:26 PST) )
Pros:

• Cheap
• Tougher padding than the ultraslims
• Stiffer construction
• Good fit regardless of how you insert the phone, still provides easy removal

Cons:

• Bigger because of the deep seams
• Arguably less attractive

Conclusion:
For the price this one is hard to beat. (Had 4 of these at my door for $12.79) Although this is more bulky than the UltraSuede's it can probably protect your device in a toolbox if you aren't too rough with it.

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Waterfield UltraSuede ( Droid Suede Jacket - Droid Sleeve - Droid Case - Milestone Sleeve - Milestone Case - Slim Droid Case - Droid Pouch - Droid Soft Case - Ultrasuede - WaterField Designs Droid Suede Jacket )
Pros:

• Very soft in and out
• Optional stretchy mesh pocket
• Very slim, keeps your device slim
• Reasonably priced for what you get
• Protects from keys and miscellaneous pocket or light purse contents
• Good fit while still allowing easy removal

Cons:

• Slim, will not protect from drops or other tougher abuse

Conclusion:
This is one case I would highly recommend if a slim sleeve suits your needs. It seems well made, is pleasant on the fingers, phone and eyes. It is kind of like those silky Oakley sleeves but slightly stiffer and thicker. It will keep the shape and does not have a drawstring. Another, perhaps less important to some, factor is that the shop owner listened to feedback complaining about the shipping costs and came up with a reduced cost solution. Also the product is US made for those who care about such things.

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Zagg invisibleSHIELD Screen Protector ( ZAGG | invisibleSHIELD | Motorola Droid/Milestone Cases, Screen Protectors, Covers, Shields, Skins, Invisible Shield )
Pros:

• Prevents screen scratches

Cons:

• Application spunge can deposit tiny pieces of rubber during application, spray bottle solution is better
• Pieces contain imperfections causing linear moiré when the screen is lit
• Texture is bumpy like orange-peel
• Texture is more grippy than the glass, less smooth interaction with fingers
• Screen looks really bad for a day or few until all of the bubbles disappear
• I have not seen any fingerprint repelling qualities. Looks the same if not worse than naked screen in terms of fingerprints and cheek/ear smudges.
• Harder to wipe off fingerprints and smudges, possibly due to the texture and grippy-ness
• Takes away from the sharpness/crispness of the beautiful screen
• Costs more than the Clear-Coat and is inferior in the three I used

Conclusion:
I rarely advise against things, but I have three of these and all three present these same cons. I would strongly recommend a different product. If you must use a screen protector, I recommend Clear-Coat instead. Check my Clear-Coat review below.

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Clear-Coat Screen Protector ( Motorola Droid Screen Protection )
Pros:

• Prevents screen scratches
• Kit includes 2 Screen Protectors for the $14.95 retail price
• Warranty covers bad installations. Make a mistake and screw up the protector during install, they give you a new one supposedly.
• Installation yields a relatively bubble free immediate result. 4-10hours later it looks as perfect as it will

Cons:

• No cutout for the proximity sensor. I am not sure this is truly a con as the proximity sensor works better for my wife this way.
• Pieces contain imperfections causing linear moiré when the screen is lit
• Texture is bumpy like orange-peel although seemingly better than the Zagg
• Texture is more grippy than the glass, less smooth interaction with fingers although seemingly better than the Zagg

Conclusion:
If you really must get a Screen Protector, I highly recommend this one over the Zagg. It goes on better from the beginning, has a better warranty, costs less, includes two protectors right off the bat, has less moiré inducing imperfections. Overall it is simply a better product.

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I apologize for the shallow depth of field on the photos. If someone needs something better PM me. If enough people PM me I will take the time to redo them. That may give me time to whip together a better whitebox.

Cheers,

orGSD

 

[bllarkin]

I just got the Waterfield suede sleeve for my Droid and my wife's Eris. I gotta say it is a really nice case, and fast ship. I live in Phoenix, AZ. I ordered the case late night on the 23rd (like 11 pm), it shipped the afternoon of the 24th and was in my mailbox on Monday. They have a nice feeling, but, as said above, if you are looking for something more than just a little sleeve with little impact protection, this isn't going to do it for you. It is well worth the $11 if that is what you are looking for, though ($9 + $2 first class shipping).

 

[inevittable]

I got my case in one of the mall kioks. 30 bucks for a hard case and an invisible screen. They even put it on for me. I hate those shields. Always have bubbles. But not this one.

The case is hard plastic. Looks great.

Hey, as a fellow J-E-T-S JETS JETS JETS fan, I love your signature pic...do you have a full size graphic of that??

 

[tbever]

i just ordered this online: PDair Black Leather Vertical Pouch for Motorola Droid

it looks nicer than the sena case to me (and not on backorder). will return for a review in the week.

I like the idea of a vertical pouch belt clip with naked Droid and will be interested to see how this works out. I wonder if the lack of a flap to secure it is going to be a problem or not, or whether it is tight enough to hold it securely. I am worried about the thing falling out when I bend over and smashing on the ground. Right now I am using am elcheapo neoprene case from Fry's made by Cellet for a blackberry which does not fit right but does the job.

Also considering the Seido case/holster but I really like the car mount which would be incompatible.

 

[Akitakan]

tbever, I have this case without the belt clip. The "sides" are actually made out of elastic. Holds the phone really snug. I'm not worried about case ever falling out. In fact, I just tried shaking the case upside down (phone inside) and it would take SEVERE shaking to get the phone to fall out. Case is made very well and really compact. I think you will be very pleased; unless you plan on being upside down and forcibly shaken!

 

[Medman]

Has anyone asked Otterbox if they are going to be coming out with a Commuter for the DROID?

 

[PJ_ED]

Has anyone asked Otterbox if they are going to be coming out with a Commuter for the DROID?

I hope they do come out with one. I had an otterbox for my blackberry. It was pretty bulky but I am hard on phones. When I took the blackberry out of the otterbox after a year it still looked brand new. I did not like the plastic screen cover though. I hope they come up with something better for the Droid touch screen.