Tired of spending time and money trying to keep your Blackberry looking like new? Do what I do, and keep it looking perfect and scratch-free for as long as you own it!
A dedicated pocket! (front pants pocket, or purse pocket)
Step1
First, stop spending money on expensive skins, holsters, and screen protectors! I used to spend hours and hours online reading reviews of all these products. Hundreds of dollars and countless hours later, my Blackberry would still end up scratched.
Step2
Just start keeping your blackberry in a dedicated pocket somewhere on your person. I keep mine in my left front pants pocket. I've been doing this for about 6 months now and don't have a single scratch or blemish. (Ladies, you can use the front pants/jeans pocket, or a zipper pocket inside your purse) Previously I've used 3 different holsters. One holster kept getting knocked off my belt. Another had a flap with a weak magnet and kept flying open. The OEM holster didn't hold the unit tight enough. As a result, my Blackberry would wind tumbling on the asphalt or concrete on almost a weekly basis. By the time I got around to replacing the housing it was covered in ugly gashes and scratches.
Step3
Finally, after you've put all your holsters and other useless protective crap on eBay, check out the below list of tips and warnings. And of course, feel free to throw in your own two cents!
Tips & Warnings
What about battery life? Critics of my approach will probably say that the holster extends your battery life (because the embedded magnet puts the device to "sleep" when you're not using it). Honestly, I didn't notice any significant difference in battery life when I stopped using a holster. Just make sure the backlight timeout is set at 30 seconds or less (check Options > Screen/Keyboard). My battery lasts about 2 days without a charge.
Another great advantage to keeping it in your pocket: you're less likely to go through the hassle of fishing it out of your pocket when you're behind the wheel. If I'm wearing a belt holster, I'm much more likely to try to use the device while driving (I'm ashamed to admit, I once totalled my car while attempting to type a Blackberry message).
One thing I do miss since adopting the pocket approach: holstering your device automatically locks the keys (assuming the holster is equipped with the strategically placed magnet like the Blackberry OEM holster). However, I have found a great workaround. Program your convenience key to lock the device! 1) Go to the settings/options screen 2) scroll down to "Screen/Keyboard" 3) Scroll down to the bottom and change the front or side convenience key value to "Lock".
To get a new housing for your Blackberry, check out eBay. And don't spend too much! I searched around for a while, and found a Chinese merchant selling the full housing (front, back, and battery cover) for only $40 - and it even had my carrier's branding.
Make sure you're buying a housing that is perfectly compatible with your model (e.g. 8700c is not the same as 8700k). It may look the same, but you'll find the buttons might not line up correctly with the holes unless you get the housing for your exact model.
If you don't want to buy a new housing, and would rather attempt a DIY repair, just do an internet search for Blackberry repair tips. Some people have gotten good results using car touch-up paint, model paint, and solutions that are meant to repair scratches on CDs or glasses.
Disclaimer: I'm sure there are plenty of people with great holsters, protectors, and skins, but if they're anything like me, there's always one little thing they don't like about it. For example: it sticks out too far from the belt, you have to take it out to charge it, it blocks some of the buttons, it doesn't put the Blackberry to "sleep" when holstered, etc, etc. In my case, the pocket approach has worked great, and I won't be spending another dime or second shopping for the "perfect" solution!
When I say "dedicated," I mean nothing else should be in that pocket but your Blackberry. Not keys, not loose change, not writing instruments. Just the Blackberry.
I wouldn't use a shirt pocket or inside jacket pocket. You could forget it's there, sling your jacket over your arm and WHAM! "Hello concrete! Meet Mr. Blackberry!" Or maybe one day you're trying to beat the "don't walk" signal and decide to jog through the crosswalk. One good, healthy bounce in your stride, and "Goodbye shirt pocket! Hello asphalt!"
Obviously, don't use your back pants pocket - repeatedly sitting on your Blackberry can't be all that good for it.
Novice 
Comments
waterprise2 said
on 4/3/2008 Thanks for the idea of the Convenience for the Lock!