Seidio's Innocase 360 Surface Case for Tour 9630 Review

Seidio's Innocase Surface 360 for the BlackBerry Tour 9630 sports all the great features of the original Innocase plus a built-in display and keypad protector. The competently named 360 offers all-around protection for your Tour while the signature soft-touch, outer texture improves ergonomics and grip.

The Innocase 360's built-in screen protector eliminates installation issues that can arise from a separate screen film. A keyboard protector is included as well which adds a "rubbery" feeling to your keys and actually makes typing easier on the Tour 9630. One caveat of the keyboard protector is that the backlight is not as bright (but it is still illuminated) through the case.

The Innocase Surface 360 takes the two-piece, interlocking design from the original Innocase, with front and back sections (compared to the Innocase II that has a top to bottom, slide-out design). Although some users like the slide-out design for it's somewhat tighter fit, the 360's front/back design is easier to install and remove. The 360 manages to stay put over the Tour and includes a felt inner lining that cushions the device within the case to prevent damage caused by shifting.

What makes the 360 stand out is it's extremely low profile for a case that offers so much protection. The case measures less than 1mm thick and, even with the added screen and keyboard protection, still remains very light. The "Surface" material on the exterior provides a smooth and sleek feeling to the Tour and feels great in your hands. This innovative coating also allows for easy removal from pockets even though it has a "rubbery" texture.

As far as usability, the Innocase 360 allows full access to all buttons and ports via recessed cutouts in the case body. A recessed design of the cutouts help to prevent accidental button pushes when handling your Tour and also lets your fingers find the control your looking for more easily. The keyboard protector is fashioned to look exactly like your Tour's keyboard and is laser-etched for preciseness when typing. There is also a roomy cutout for the trackball with an indentation above to ensure smooth navigation on your Tour. The Tour's speaker and camera are fully functional with no interference from the case.

The Innocase 360 is ideal for users looking for complete protection for their Tour 9630 while still maintaining a very low profile. There are cases out there that will offer better drop protection, but the 360 is meant to bridge the gap between protection and bulk. The Innocase 360 accomplishes this goal nicely with a sleek design combined with hard-shell coverage for your Tour. The Innocase 360 for the BlackBerry Tour 9630 is available in several colors to suit your taste.

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Review of the Innocase Active Case for Bold 9650

The Innocase Active case for the BlackBerry Bold 9650 is now available; so I decided to take one for a a test run. The Innocase Active is a hybrid-style case that is designed for Bold 9650 users who find themselves on the move and may not have the opportunity to swap out cases regularly to suit their current conditions. By this I mean that the Active was designed to be an "jack of all trades" protective case that merges soft and hard-shell features and will provide the usability, functionality, and, of course, protective features that you need in most situations. I went with the Black version because I like to keep an unnoticeable style but the Active is also available in Burgundy, Blue, and Purple for a more flashy look.

The first thing I take note of in any premium line case such as the Innocase Active is how it looks coming out of the original packaging. I'm not referring to the physical characteristics of the case in and of itself, and I don't really care what the packaging itself looks like. I'm looking at just how complex the manufacturer has made it to figure out how to put the case on without consulting step-by-step installation instructions or doing an in-depth Google search. If I can't figure out how to install the case in the first few seconds of observing the case, then they've made it too complicated and will get bad marks immediately.

Luckily, Seidio has made the Innocase Active very easy to figure out. The case merely comes in two pieces without any fancy or needless dunnage in the package. I pulled out the silicone piece out of the case, slipped it on my Bold 9650, and then placed the hard, outer layer over top. Finished!

After installing, which took a matter of a few seconds, I glanced over over my 9650's ports, LED, camera, and speaker features to make sure that the Active lined up properly. All good. A perfect fit. One thing I did observe is that Seidio has left an opening on the back of the Innocase Active at the charging contacts on the back of my 9650 even though Seidio claims that the case is not compatible with their line of desktop charging cradles. The thickness of the case (around 2mm) would probably rule out compatibility with any other desktop charging pods as well. So why leave an opening in the case that is sure to collect lint and dust?

Anyway, the side and top buttons of the Bold 9650 are protected by the silicone layer which is exposed and are accessible by pushing through the silicone. This is not a new concept as many hybrid cases incorporate the same method but the silicone on the Active seems to be the perfect thickness because it takes very little effort to make contact with the buttons when pushing through. The same goes for the side buttons and Seidio has designed the tabs so that they don't stick out too much, helping to prevent accidental button pushes.

Likewise, the fit and exterior finish of the Innocase Active is quite impressive. Like all Seidio cases, the Active features the "soft touch" exterior finish that feels great in my hands and improves grip. It is interesting to note that even though the case is "grippy", it still glides in and out of my back pocket easily (likewise for purses I'm sure). The hard-shell/silicone combination provides a very snug fit around my Bold 9650 so I'm not worried about damage occurring under the case caused by shifting. My Bold 9650 lays better on my fingers as well which has made typing a bit easier.

As I mentioned above, the total thickness of the Active case after installing both pieces is about 2 mm. This makes for a very thin design and my Bold 9650 still has that "protected" feeling with the secure design of the Active. The bottom and top corners of the Active (the sections most likely to take the grunt of drops) are reinforced for greater protection. I was a little disappointed that the Innocase Active didn't include screen protection. If there is one thing I detest, it is a scratchy, lackluster looking display, so screen protection is an absolute must. Innocase Active users will have to get their screen protector separately though.

In summary, the Seidio Innocase Active for Bold 9650 is a very functional, comfortable, and sturdy case design and I think users will be very content while using it. I would also like to note that the Innocase Active for Bold 9650 fits the BlackBerry Tour 9630 as well since the Tour features the same dimensions and feature location as the 9650.

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