I have always liked silicon skin cases for my BlackBerry devices, but have always preferred hard cases over them for their protection.  The one complaint I have against silicon cases are how hard they make it to slide your phone in and out of your pocket. Hard cases usually add a good bit of bulk and can make it difficult to press some buttons. With the Commuter series of the OtterBox for the Bold 9700, you get the best of both worlds.

The case comes with two separate parts, a silicon skin and a flexible plastic shell. This gives you the ability to pocket your phone with ease, access all functions of the phone and buttons, protect it from falls, and do so without adding too much bulk.

This case actually makes using the convenience keys easier with the 9700. I use the right side convenience key a lot, and often find myself having to press it a second time due to its multi-click feature (intended for use with the camera). With the OtterBox, the silicon cover makes this key stick out just a tiny bit more to make pressing it just a little easier. Also, one thing I have noticed about using hard cases with the new style BlackBerry devices is the top keys are difficult to use. With both the lock key and mute key on the top edge of the device, there is no ideal way to protect the buttons and keep them easy to access. The OtterBox does this perfectly by blending silicon and hard plastic.

Pros:

• Easy access to all buttons and features.
• Very little bulk.
• Medium to high protection.
• Easy to put on/remove.
• Easily pocketed.

Cons:

• A little bit pricy.
• Only comes in one color.

I would rate the OtterBox Commuter Series for the Bold 9700 a 9.5 out of 10. It is by far my favorite case for the 9700.