Reviews

Speck Cases for the Motorola RAZR Mobile Phone

July 12, 2006

See-Thru Hard Case Three-Pack

Speck’s See-Thru Hard Case for the Motorola RAZR is a two part case made of very high quality transparent plastic. The case is much thicker than the knock-offs I’ve seen in those mobile phone accessory kiosks in shopping malls, and will of course last much longer without cracking or chipping. The See-Thu case is actually two pieces, to accommodate the RAZR flip phone design. The bottom piece is attached to the phone by sliding in the bottom edge first, then snapping the top edge (close to the soft keys) down into the case, which has two small “arms” that come around to the front and grip the phone. It’s a little nerve-wracking to insert, because I was afraid of either cracking the case or scratching the phone, but it worked out just fine. Thankfully there’s a cutout for the mini-USB charging port on the lower left side of the phone, so there’s no reason to remove the phone from the case in order to recharge it.

The top of the case works in basically the same way, though no sliding is involved. Instead, there are four small “arms” that hug the sides of the phone and keep the case on. There is a small cutout that perfectly matches the small speaker on the front of the phone for the ringer, so you don’t have to worry about your ability to hear the phone when you have an incoming call. There’s a small indentation for the camera lens at the top edge, but it is not an actual cutout. I like this design because the lens is fully protected from dirt and moisture, but you can still easily take pictures.

It may be a little difficult to see all the details in the photos, but this case does a very good job of protecting the entire phone. Some areas are necessarily left uncovered due to the two part design of the case, but I think it works very well. The entire front and back of the phone are covered, and most of the sides;the open areas are the hinge at the top and a small portion of the sides, mainly the part where it starts to curve and narrow as you come to the interior of the phone.

The See-Thru case is a good value, because the cost comes out to just a bit over $8 each. Of course you’ll pay $24.95 for a three pack, because that’s the only way this case is sold, but if you friends/family with the same phone you can split it up and share the cost. Red, Clear, and Black cases come with each pack, so you’re sure to find a color that will work with your phone. About the only downside to this case is that it is somewhat difficult to remove and does not have a belt clip option, but if you’re just looking for something to protect your phone inside a purse or pocket, the See-Thru will work quite well. There are also models available for the Motorola SLVR and the Q smartphone.

SkinTight with Holster

If you’d like to carry your RAZR on your belt or clip it onto a bag, you might want to take a look at the SkinTight with Holster. The SkinTight is made out of rubberized material that feels soft to the touch. The case is all one piece, and it’s very simple to slide your phone into it. Since the case isn’t completely clear, there are cutouts for the camera lens and display on the front of the phone, as well as for the ringer and the mini-USB charging port on the side of the phone.

Every other part of the exterior of the phone is completely covered and protected from scratches and other cosmetic damage. When you open the phone the skin case will naturally “pooch out” along the hinge, but I found that the case was thick enough and non-slippery enough to stay in place on the top portion of the phone; this means that you won’t have to wrestle the case back into position every time you close the phone, which is a very good thing indeed.

You can of course use the skin case by itself, but the holster is what really completes the package. The phone faces out when it is in the holster, so to insert it you push in the bottom edge first and get it “seated” properly, then push in the top edge, which is secured in the holster by an “arm” that comes over the top of the phone and hugs it.

There’s a belt clip on the back that is large enough to accommodate a 1.5 inch belt. While the clip doesn’t rotate freely, it is one of the ratchet-style clips can easily be rotated to hold the phone at almost any angle. Even better, the holster works well with the See-Thru case reviewed above, offering more carry options for your RAZR.

The Skin-Tight with Holster comes in your choice of three colors: clear (more a milky white), pink, and black and sells for $24.95. This is a good case value that is easily removable if necessary, and can be used either with or without the belt holster.You can also get one for the Motorola SLVR for the same price, in your choice of colors.

Conclusion

Speck Products makes some great cases for mobile devices, and these two phone cases are certainly up to my high standards. They’re well made, reasonably priced, and well designed. If you need a case for your Motorola RAZR or SLVR, you should check out both of these options at the Speck Products online store.

All content copyright 2001 - 2007 PocketGoddess.com
XHTML | CSS | RSS | 508