Android Case Review: OtterBox Commuter Series for Droid Incredible

The OtterBox Commuter Series Case for the Droid Incredible is truly a tank of a case. It wraps your precious DInc in two protective layers: a hard outer shell and a soft, shock absorbing inner layer. Join me past the break to get a closer look. 

To put the case onto your phone, you must first encase your Droid Incredible in the inner layer. This layer has little rubber flaps that guard the microUSB port and the headphone jack, as well as a pronounced rocker casing for your volume controls and a slight nub for the on/off button at the top of the phone. Once you have all of these lined up just right, you have to use a bit of force to get it into the hard outer shell. I found the easiest way to to this was line up the volume rocker and microUSB port on the left side into their respect holes in the outer case, and then force the right side down into place. Around the back, slots are cut out for the camera, LED flashes, and the speaker. The front is left mostly exposed, so you will want to get a screen protector for that 3.7-inch beauty if you don't already have one.

When you use this case, you really feel like the phone is inside a small tank. It adds a good bit of padding on all sides, and you can definitely feel the difference when you hold the phone in your hand. Those with large hands might find the slim DInc slightly easier to hold because of the added size. The case itself is smooth on all sides, which I am not too fond of. It almost felt like it might be a bit easier to drop to me, but I am sure the case would help prevent any issues from dropping it. The volume rocker on the side does its job quite well, but the on/off button at the top is somewhat hard to press without using more force than you are used to. In addition, the area around the microUSB port is pretty cramped, so if you are using any plug other than the standard HTC one, you may run into issues. The same could be said for the headphone jack, but this is much less of an issue. 

Overall, this is a case for anyone paranoid about dropping their phone on those with large hands. I tend to go for the thinner cases that mostly protect against scratches and the like, so your mileage may vary. That being said, the case itself was built very solidly and gave me confidence that my precious DInc would survive a moderate fall to the floor unscathed. The OtterBox Commuter Series Case for the Droid Incredible is available now for $32.95 from the Android Central Store

Kyle Gibb