Sold exclusively at Best Buy (and manufactured by Seidio), Platinum BlackBerry Cases are available for the Curve 8300, 8900, Bold 9000 and the Tour 9630. The 9630 case is the one I’m going to take a look at today.
To start, the Platinum case for the 9630 features a unique style of packaging, one that lets you ‘try before you buy’. Simply pop open the lid, slide out the case, and from there you can give the case a spin to see if you like it. This is kind of a nice feature, as many cases out there are sealed up tight, which makes it just a little bit hard to give it that initial test run before you throw down your coin.
In the Box
No surprises here. Once you pop open the box you’ll find the case in all its glory. It’s made up of three pieces.
- Front portion of the case
- Back portion of the case
- The holster
Both the front and back portions clip together, and are covered in an antistatic coating. It kind of feels soft and rubbery, sort of like the coating on the HTC Hero that I currently have sitting around here somewhere. I like the feel of it… But after handing it out to friends and colleagues, it seems to be one of those things you either love or hate. Some enjoy the feel, others complain that it feels like a residue is left on your hand. Again, I guess this is a very personal preference.
The holster is what you’d expect. It holds your tour safely in place via a retractable clip at the top… and it’s got a soft inner surface to protect your Tour from any scratching. The belt clip attached to the holster does an admirable job, holding your device in-place on your belt… if that’s your thing. Unfortunately if you’re one to ditch the belt clip, it doesn’t look like you can remove it… at least, without any sort of major force or trauma to the case 😛
First Impressions and Daily Use
Quite honestly, when I first popped this bad boy out of the case, there was nothing too shocking. What you see is what you get. Overall the build quality and look of the holster is quite standard, and after placing my Tour in it for the first time, I was pleased. At first blush I was impressed with the antistatic coating I told you about earlier. It feels nice in the hand, and gives some extra tactile feel to the case. Instead of just a hunk of plastic it makes it feel like you’re holding onto your Tour with some level of grip… Something that is quite important, I’d say.
The case/Tour combo actually looks quite nice when put together. There are reveals in the protective shell allowing you to see the camera and the decorative ‘chrome’ on the battery door while holstered. Of course, other reveals in the case give you access to all function keys, QWERTY keyboard, and display. Thank god they cut a hole out for the display 😛
The case is a solid daily performer. Day in and day out it held the Tour solidly on my hip, and I had no trouble removing the 9630 from the holster… or replacing it for that matter. It’s easy to use. I did notice after some time that the protective cornering on the outer holster took on some light scratching, but I suppose that’s the point.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Easy to assemble
- Nice fit and finish
- Antistatic coating feels right (at least to me) 🙂
- Belt clip and holster hold tight
Cons
- Belt clip is not removable
- May be a tad pricy for some
- Durability is in question. If you’re in need of a ‘ruggedized’ case, you may want to look elsewhere.
Conclusion
Overall my experience with the Platinum BlackBerry Case for the Tour 9630 was a pleasant one. It was easy to install, easy to use, and protected my Tour as I expected it to. The price may be a concern for some at $39.99, but if you’re looking for a solid performing holster, it may be worth the spend.
For more information or to pick yours up for $39.99, head on over to Best Buy.