I’ve had my iPhone 4 for about a week now and I have been paranoid of dropping it since it was handed to me in the AT&T store. Today I can breathe easy because I just received the OtterBox Defender Case for iPhone 4. We have reviewed OtterBox cases in the past and it never ceases to amaze me how well these cases are made. In fact the the Defender Series for the BlackBerry Tour earned so much of my confidence that I posted a video of me giving it a toss with the device camera rolling. I will not be doing that with my iPhone 4 (yet), but only because I have not had enough hands on time with this case, not because it wouldn’t hold up.

At first look the case is typical of all OtterBox Defender series, in that it’s got a high impact polycarbonate shell and screen protector with an impact absorbing silicone cover that wraps around the shell.  The inside of the case has a felt backing to protect your glorious glass “scratch resistant” back while it’s in the case. (Mine already has scratches on it from my keys.), and also sports port-holes for the Apple logo, camera, flash as well as the front facing camera with clear plastic protection all around.

The Silicone cover as well as the shell have all of the needed openings for the volume buttons, mics, headphone jacks etc. The cover seals with a creative lip that goes around all of the edge of the shell and around the openings for the sync cable on the bottom of the phone and make a very tight seal for the case.

With the phone in the case it’s not too bulky and I could still slide it in and out of my pocket with little effort, though it may pick up some lent along the way. If you do not want to pocket your device a holster is included, but it is quite large when on your belt. A better use for the include holster is the fact that the clip can be held open and used as a desktop/bedside stand for your iPhone. Other than protecting you phone from drops and scratches, this is probably my favorite feature of the case.

Overall this case is great, it carries OtterBox’s tried and true reputation of protecting all types of devices without sacrificing the beauty that is Apple products. Also, in an OtterBox press release they note that:

The black OtterBox Defender Series case for the Apple iPhone 4 has been officially NAC tested to address the loss in signal strength. Test results indicate this case solves the antenna issue by acting as a dielectric between the two antennas of the device. No loss of signal strength occurs when using the iPhone 4 in a Defender Series case.

I can without a doubt confirm this to be true. While this case is currently not on Apple’s list of free case offerings, it may be worth holding out on ordering your free case for a week or two and see if it get’s added to the list. If my opinion matters at all, I would say that at 49.95 USD this case is a must have for an iPhone 4 user if there is any chance you may be taking it outside your house. To purchase your’s or see the other cases available from OtterBox head over to their store at OtterBox.com

The last time Verizon Wireless had a highly anticipated device wasn’t too long ago, and some would argue that the Motorola Droid X has surpassed the hype of the Droid Incredible by HTC.  We aren’t here to debate that.  We are here to give you our early thoughts on the latest Droid that does. Verizon graciously provided us with an early review device, continue reading on for my thoughts. 

Look/Feel-  The look and feel of the Droid X.. this is going to be the toughest part of this review.  If the Droid X was a standard 3.5″ run of the mill touchscreen device that consumers (me in particular) has grown accustom to this would be the easiest part.  I would pull out all the standard catch phrases and give you, the readers, and honest opinion.  Alas, the Droid X is not run of the mill.  The Droid X boasts the jumbo-tron of smartphone screens, at 4.3″.  The WVGA high res, 854×480 screen of course makes the device itself rather large.  So large in fact, I can’t make up my mind if this is a blessing or a curse. The screen when playing video and/or looking at pictures looks sharp and is one of the best on the market.  (In fact only one screen comes to mind that beats it, but again not what we are here for.) The body of the Droid X is thin for the majority of the body and then gets a little thicker as you get to the camera.

Camera- The Droid X packs an 8MP with auto-focus, 1/1000 second shutter speed, as well as touch to focus.  The 720p HD video camera has a three microphone setup to help with noise cancellation and directional audio.  Below is a picture taken with the iPhone 4 and a picture taken with the Droid X on a recent zoo trip I took.  I have my personal opinion on which picture looks better, although they are both pretty close.  The iPhone 4 picture was taken with the rear facing 5MP camera and the Droid X picture was taken with the camera being set on 8MP (it is customizable, and came from the factory set to 5MP).

iPhone 4 picture

Droid X pic

The HD quality video is what you would expect, clear and sharp.  The one issue is the HDMI port that is built into the phone.  I see the  thought behind having an easy way to attach the X to a TV or computer and play some videos you have taken with it.  But is there really going to be a huge consumer adoption of this?  I just don’t see it being used all that often.  Instead of taking up space with the hardware in the phone, why not put a front facing camera on it?  This would be a feature that people would actually use.  With Skype and Fring allowing for video chat, there is a market of people who want to video chat.

Battery-  The battery life on a device with a huge screen like this and a 1GHz processor is good enough to get you through one solid day of use.  Of course, any streaming or prolonged game playing is going to adjust that time considerably.  Expect to charge your phone nightly, if not at mid-day depending on usage.  It comes with the territory for this type of device.

OS- Even with a dumbed down version of MotoBlur you still get the same, almost cheap, feeling while using it.  I had enabled all of the MotoBlur features for social media when I first received the device, and deactivated them within 15 minutes.  The Blur portion still feels half cooked and thrown together. With Android 2.1 at launch and according to Verizon Android 2.2 with Adobe Flash Player later this summer the Droid X has all the same bells and whistles we have come to expect on Android and the hopes of gaining a ton of features very very soon.

Overall-  The Motorola Droid X is a great device.  I am not a fan of the screen size, and doubt I will ever full adjust to it.  MotoBlur needs to be stripped from the device and have stock Android 2.1 (2.2 soonish) on it.  It would make for a better user experience.  My last Android review of the Incredible touted it as the best device I had used to date.  While that still remains true, in the Android world at least, the Motorola Droid X comes in a close second and will make a lot of Android users happy.  You can pick one up on July 15th on Verizon Wireless for $199 after a MIR.

A big thanks to everyone who entered.  We appreciate you taking part in our contests.  If you weren’t selected we will have more contests in the future, and if you were please be watching your email filters for an email from me with winning instructions.  The winners of the Speck Fitted iPad Case are:

• Brandon
• Ray Nicolini
• Pat

Congrats again!

The Droid X has landed on my desk.  I have been using it for maybe 15 minutes.  A few first thoughts:

• I didn’t expect it to be THIS big (TWSS).  It is almost overwhelming at first.  I am sure I will adjust to it after a few hours of use.
• The screen looks great
• The buttons fit the phone, don’t feel out of place.
• Camera looks sharp

That is it for now, after 20 min of use I am getting use to the size (TWSS).  I will have a full review coming up in the next week.

Speck Products has been kind enough to give us 3 of the Speck Fitted Case for the iPad.  There are a few different colors available and each Fitted Case comes with a screen protector.  Normally valued at $49.95 you will have a chance to win the color of your choice simply by entering.  I have been using this case for a week now and the only bad thing I can say about it is that it I can’t use the iPad dock when the case is on.  It does a great job at protecting my iPad and making it comfortable to hold.  Entering is easy.  Simply leave a comment on this post, and you are entered.  THREE of you will end up with a Fitted Case.  Not too bad, right?

Do not comment more than once or you will be disqualified.  Contest will end 7/11/2010 at 11:59pm PST.  We will pick the lucky winners by comment number using random.org.  Good luck to everyone!

With the purchase of nearly any device people are naturally going to want to protect their new investment.  One of the ways to protect and increase signal quality your new iPhone 4 is to purchase a case.  Case-mate has always provided quality cases for the devices we love and abuse for awhile now.  With the iPhone 4, they are continuing that same tradition. The case-mate Vroom for iPhone 4 offers great protection and a unique design.  The tire tread design on the back side of the case allows for a firm grip on the iPhone 4 and in case you do drop it the covers/corners are protected from those nasty dents and scratches.  Along with the case case-mate provides you with screen protectors to help keep scratches to a minimum.  You can pickup the iPhone 4 Vroom case from case-mate today for only $14.99.  Well worth it in my eyes.

Hit the jump to see Pictures & Video.

Have you ever been stuck in an airport, hotel room, coffee shop, or on the road with no Internet? Frustrated paying $9.95 for 30 minutes of internet service? Resorting to your Blackberry but wished you could use your laptop?

Tether is here to provide a solution to all those worries!

Tether is an application that allows your PC to take advantage of your Blackberry’s data plan, allowing you to access the Internet on your laptop anywhere there is cellular coverage from your BlackBerry.

Tether is easy to install, easy to use, works practically anywhere, and is cost effective.

Features:

• Internet Anywhere: You can use Tether anywhere you can make phone calls.
• Easy Setup: Download our software to your BlackBerry and another for your laptop… Then surf the web and email just like you would with any Internet connection.
• Fast Speeds: Download speeds that are impressive. Our users download at speeds up to 1,800 kbps.
• No Tethering Fees: Tether uses your phone’s data plan and we do not charge tethering fees. (refer to our Terms of Service) (Note that significant charges may apply for data usage if not on an unlimited data plan. Please check with your carrier.)
• All BlackBerries: Tether is compatible with all BlackBerries.
• All Carriers: Tether has been used by carriers all over the world. Some carriers do require APN settings, though. It appears our product does not work on the iDen Network.
• PC & Mac: Tether works on both PCs and Macs.

Get your copy of Tether for BlackBerry here!

I want to thank everyone who entered as well as Otterbox for providing the cases for the contest.  We hope everyone continues coming back and participating.  The winners below were randomly chosen and assigned a case.  I will be contacting you guys via email today or tomorrow for shipping arrangements.

• joselito delosreyes (commuter)
  
• george (impact)
  

Today is the last day to take advantage of the BerryScoop Store grand opening sale!  You can get 20% off ANY app in our store just by using coupon code BScoopOpen.  This is a great opportunity to pick up the app you have been putting off and getting it at a good discount!  Check out my top 5 apps and look around the store.  What are you waiting for!?

Visit the BerryScoop Store right now!

The official BerryScoop Podcast is now in iTunes!  You can subscribe and listen to our first episode, as well as episodes down the road right now!

Click HERE to subscribe (iTunes link)