OtterBox Defender Series for Nokia N8 versus Nokia CC-1005 Silicone Sleeves

I've recently purchased a Nokia N8 Silver handset.  The phone is ultra-durable, as this youTube video shows.
Call me cautious, but I'm not trusting enough to leave my phone without protection.  Better to spend a small amount to protect your shiny consumer electronics rather than risk catastrophic damage resulting from a drop.

I want to share with you my experiences with the official Nokia CC-1005 Silicone Sleeve and the OtterBox Impact Case for the Nokia N8.  Both products have their advantages and disadvantages.



Nokia CC-1005 Silicone Sleeve

I was kindly offered an official Nokia CC-1005 Silicone Sleeve because I registered my interest for the Nokia N8 with Nokia Australia.  I must say it was very nice of Nokia Australia to offer this to their keen followers, and I accepted the offer gratefully.

I've been using the CC-1005 case now for about two weeks.  Here are my thoughts.


Positives:

• It was free (normally retails for A$19.95)
• It is perfectly colour-matched with the range of N8 colour schemes.
• It features Nokia NSeries livery on the back of the case.
• It makes the slippery N8 nice and tactile.  
• It is easy to install (very flexible)
• Menu button light shines through the silicone case.
• Hole present for a lanyard loop.

Negatives:

• The textured silicone makes it hard to whip the phone out of your pocket (or phone pouch).  It drags on the way out.
• No access to the SDHC and SIM slots on the left of the phone.
• Camera button mold has very little texture on the button (unlike the volume control rockers). This makes easily finding the button a problem.
• No dust cover for the MicroUSB port.
• When scrolling left or right, the case edges flop if you extent your gesture past the screen boundaries.

OtterBox Impact Series Case for Nokia N8 

I follow OtterBox on Twitter (@OtterBox), and their tweet stream alerted me to an offer they had running for the Thanksgiving holiday period (not just for US addresses either, which was awesome).  Unfortunately the offer has ended now, but you could get the OtterBox Impact Series case for US$19.95, and they would throw in their "Handy Dandy Versatile Stand" (HDVS) for free with the phone.  

I was introduced to OtterBox by one of my iPhone-loving work colleagues, who has the Defender series case for that product.  I was so impressed with the quality, I ordered a Nokia N97 Commuter Case at the time.  The HDVS was just the thing I needed to prompt a purchase for the Nokia N8.

Positives:

• The buttons molds all sit quite proud of the case.  This makes "finger feeling" for a  button very intuitive.
• The case is textured on the sides for easy gripping, but smooth on the back and front.  This eliminates the problem the CC-1005 case has with pocket gripping.
• The Unlock Slider key hole on the right of the phone is catered for with a tapered recess in the case.
• Less gap around the open holes limit the dust that can enter the case. 
• The camera housing sits below the case profile by approximately 1mm. This protects this sensitive part of the device from direct impact, unlike the CC-1005.
• Capacitive screen protection film is included in the package, to give you added protection.

Negatives: 

• You have one colour choice: Black.
• No provision for a lanyard loop.  
• No access to the SDHC and SIM slots on the left of the phone.
• Menu button light does not shine through the OtterBox case like it does with the CC-1005.  
• No dust cover for the MicroUSB port.  This was a great feature on the Commuter series case of the N97.  Must be a feature of Commuter cases only.
• When scrolling left or right, the case edges flop if you extent your gesture past the screen boundaries.

Summary

You'll notice the Negatives for both protective cases are almost identical.  

Both cases have the silicone flop issue.  If this really bothers you, install a thin strip of double-sided clear tape on the sides of the case so the case sticks to the phone body.  

Otterbox have made different colour cases for the iPhone, so matching the Nokia N8 colours to the Impact case would be a great selling point.  Some N8 colours are very hard to get due to their popularity. This is why the CC-1005 is attractive to those who want to change the colour of their handset.

I really like the fact that the status light is visible through the CC-1005 case. You could argue that because of the N8's various status alerts that the warning light is redundant, but it is still a feature of the phone that is obstructed by the Impact case.  

Where to buy

You can get the CC-1005 from your local Nokia accessories stockist, or online.

You can get the OtterBox Impact Case for Nokia N8 from www.otterbox.com

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