OtterBox Commuter Case for Google Nexus One – review

If you are one of the lucky few that made the switch to the Google Nexus One Android smartphone, then you’ll be well aware of its high price. One of the best ways to protect the phone is with a case – but the number of cases on the market is quite limited, and certainly not as easily available as say, the iPhone.

The OtterBox Commuter Series case for the Nexus One is a two-piece protection solution that actually keeps your phone looking pretty good while keeping it safe from bumps and minor drops.

Unlike some of the other OtterBox cases, this one won’t protect it from being dropped in a pool or onto a concrete floor, but it does help protect the front, sides and rear from day to day injuries. The case consists of a silicone jacket and hard plastic shell. Every part of the phone is still accessible, and ports are protected by silicone plugs.

Putting the case on takes no more than 10 seconds – simply slide the phone into the silicone jacket, and clip the hard shell on.

The case obviously adds a little bulk to your phone – but that is the price you pay for keeping it looking good. The layer of silicone and hard plastic help cushion drops. Power and volume buttons still work perfectly, and the camera, microphone, speaker and sensor openings mean everything works exactly as it should.

The case even comes with a very good screen protector – the three part screen protector went on without a single air bubble thanks to the included microfiber cloth and squeegee applicator.

There may not be many cases out there for the Google Nexus One – but if you regularly take your phone outdoors, this may be the only one you ever need. The OtterBox Google Nexus One case retails for $34.95 and is available directly from OtterBox.com. If you need a slightly lower level of protection, check out the OtterBox Impact series case – this case trades the hard plastic outer shell for an inner layer of special shock absorbing silicone.