Ever since I was planning to buy the N97 I had been thinking about how to protect it against damage in the best possible way. I’ve been thinking about it as the form factor of the N97 isn’t the easiest Symbian-powered device to make a protective case for.
In addition important things such as added weight and the usage of the handset should not be affected. In my attempt in doing so I decided to order the Nokia N97 Silicone Case from Brando to see how well it performs in these areas.
The silicone case from Brando is available in four colors being, ice, blue, black and pink and as the N97 only comes in black or white the most suitable colors to pick is ice for the white version and black (obviously) for the black version. Pricing of the case is US$ 10.00 plus the cost of shipping.
The packaging is nothing out of the extraordinary and is simply some plastic and a paperback. A nice thing is with the paperback is that there is instructions on how to use the silicone case. I find that a very nice touch as not everyone knows how to use a silicone case.
Just as I have thought the whole silicone case for the N97 comes in two parts, one to cover the keyboard part of the device and one for the display portion.
What’s really neat is that there are holes where the speakers, ports and sensors are so you can still use your headset or charge your phone while the silicone case is on.
The silicone material used feels very smooth but does pick up some dust easily.
For the keyboard part of your handset you simply just slide your handset into the big hole. The skin for the display part is a bit trickier and requires you to press a bit on the plastic that holds the screen up to be able to put it on. So handle with caution when doing this.
Once you have successfully put your N97 in the silicone case you can still operate it as usual. The keyboard will actually have a bit more tactile feedback then before whereas the backlight on the keyboard is also clearly visible. The green and red key on the front works well too, however a tiny bit more pressure is required.
As you can see from the backside the camera is also easily accessible, do note that the skin covering the display have a flip that goes a bit inside. In closed position you really feel that your handset is really well protected.
The offer of good protection however comes with a price and this is evident when you have the N97 in closed position. First of all due to the long flip going in on the back of the display it makes the display a bit thicker. This unfortunately means that the display is not entirely closed and as you can see on the second picture there is a slight angle.
I don’t know if it was only I who was a bit unlucky but the keyboard part of the silicone case didn’t quite align all the way up on the back, meaning that the linings for the volume and camera button don’t fit. It’s not crucial as the silicone case still covers that part.
I’ve been using silicone cases before both on my N82 and N95 in which those have helped me protect my handsets greatly when I accidentally dropped them on the ground (rarely). It’s not quite Brando’s fault as making a good case for the N97 is hard, however the silicone case for the N97 was a bit disappointing. I’m not sure if I just got a faulty one, but from my experience I can’t recommend this case.
However if you aren’t afraid of such flaws and are looking for a case that offers very good overall protection even when your handset looks ugly and weighing a bit more than it already is, go for it.
What kind of pouches or cases do you use with your N97 and how well does it work?
