Blackberry Leather Pocket Review
 

I had my Blackberry 8830 in one of those snap-together plastic cases. And, as far as protection goes, it worked well. In fact, it was kind of like having my BB in a tank.

But, I didn't like it for a few reasons:

(1) It made my BB look like it was in a tank and added a little too much bulk for my liking.

(2) Battery pull is impossible. I needed a screwdriver to pry open the case, no easy task. And after doing it a few times, one of the tabs broke.

(3) No protection for the keyboard/screen/trackball.

You see, I keep my BB in my pocket. While the included holster is nice, I simply cannot bring myself to put something like this on my belt.

So, I went looking for a slip case. Something that was thin, provided a little cushioning to give a little protection, and would cover as much of my BB as possible.

Most slip cases are really holsters, with clips on the back. This adds thickness that I don't want, since I'm not using the clip.

Finally, I settled on the Leather Pocket, available from Shopblackberry.com. I found it listed a few other places, but many seemed out of stock. Plus, I had a nice Shopblackberry.com coupon.

BlackBerry Accessories Store - Product Detail

What I got was a thin, leather, slip case. On one side is the "Blackberry" name and logo. The other, the logo. This is an authorized by RIM item.

My 8830 fits perfectly inside. One side of the case has a groove that fits the trackball, so the BB can only really be inserted one way.

The case includes the holster magnet, so sliding my 8830 into the case puts it to "sleep mode" (or whatever it's called) and activates the holster profiles.

I covers all of my 8830 with the exception of the speaker, top, and a area of the back that's the same size as the speaker. These are finger holes, allowing you to pull out the BB. The LED is easily visible. If I push the power button, I can kind of see the area of the screen where it shows notifications (e.g., mail).

What I like:

(1) It's thin. Short of those plastic wraps, this is the thinnest case you'll find.

(2) It looks nice, being a dark brown (almost black) leather. It just so happens to match my wallet.

(3) The holster magnet. Although I've yet to see why I'd have different profiles for in/out of holster.

(4) LED is visible.

(5) It covers almost all of the BB, giving reasonable protection.

What I don't like:

(1) The price. At $30, it's not the cheapest case around. And shopblackberry.com's shipping costs are (in my opinion) high. Luckily, I had a 15% off coupon.

(2) It requires two hands to remove the BB: one to hold the case and another to pull the BB out. This can be inconvenient/slow, particularly when driving, to see who's calling.

(3) No protection for the speaker/earpiece. Lint from my pocket can still get in there.

(4) No protection for the power and mute/standby buttons. They can get pressed accidentally.

(5) If I don't squeeze the sides when I put out the BB, the case may rub on the trackball or keyboard.

(6) Because it's totally seperate from the BB, one the BB is out, I gotta put the case somewhere.

All-in-all, however, I find it finds my needs. If there was someway to pull down a flap to see the screen (to see who's calling and to activate the speakerphone), it'd be pretty near perfect.

If you're someone that hates the holster, wants something that looks professional, and wants to keep their BB relatively clean and protected, this should work.

Blackberry hard cases
 

Thank you for this post...

Last week, I go to the local store and ask about cases. The sales person pulls out a nice black hard case and starts putting it on my device. I was like: "Wait, is it easy to take off?" He says: "Oh yea, no problem." So a few days later my blackberry freezes. I needed to pull the battery. This is when the nightmare began. I discovered that you basically need a blow torch to take off the case! I ended up using a screwdriver - along with my thumbs (which then blistered badly). After an hour of struggling with it I finally got it off..My advice to anyone>>NEVER GET THE HARD CASE!

It is a piece of crap..
I ended up purchasing the rubber case.

I am glad you found the right case.

And I totally agree that the hard case actually makes it look really ugly..

Oh well.. : )

I, too, did some harm to my fingers. And there's a scratch on my Blackberry's side from where I gouged it with a screwdriver.

Worked just fine, until I needed to take it off.

If you use a screen protector like Best Skins Ever, beware that the dye used on the slip case will stain your screen protector. Been reported here several times.

That the one I use over the pdair case i bought.

Note: The BB slim holster youre reviewing came free with my unit(curve), what case came with your?

My 8830 came with a holster, with a clip. I didn't want a clip, which is why I went with this clipless slide case.

Looks almost exactly like the one that ships with the Curve. Nice construction, fits tight at first but gradually molds to the shape of the Curve. I did get the BB holster with belt clip for times when I need to have the BB on me but not in a pocket.