Fortte 8700x Glove Fit Leather Case

Hands on review by lgreenberg

June 16, 2006

Price as reviewed: $24.99

Fortte never seems to rest. All they’ve done since the Blackberry 8700x was released is come up with seven different case designs and six different belt clip options. Not a bad line up if I do say so myself.

Recently Fortte sent me their latest release for the 8700 series Blackberry. The Glove Fit Leather Case. So let’s have a look.

The case comes in the traditional Fortte retail box.





The case is made of a thin, black leather. The thinness of the leather is what allows it to stretch over the device. This makes for a very tight fit. I like the fit a lot. It means the Blackberry won’t move around in the case.



Want to stand out from everyone elses plain old black case? Fortte also has a "custom" option where you can have this case made in a variety of colors.

How about "Brandy Blue"



or maybe "Charm Pink"



The case also contains a clear plastic front, which does cover the screen and the keyboard.



Typing through the plastic screen might take a little getting used to. But since the fit of the case is so tight it doesn’t seem to be much of an issue.



The version I was sent contains no belt clip at all. This made the most sense to me. I think this case is best for someone who likes to carry their Blackberry in their pocket or purse, so why have a belt clip.



However, for those of you who like to carry your Blackberry on your belt Fortte offers the case with several belt clip options.

Fixed Clip


Swivel Clip


Belt Loop


Ratchet Clip


Heavy Duty Clip


The case has cut outs for the speaker, track wheel, side key, audio jack and charging port.







For those of you who rely on the LED there is also a cut out around it so it’s not obstructed.



The case does not have a sleeper magnet.

I personally think this is a great case. When and if I go back to the 8700 (I’ve been using the 7130c lately) I’d probably use this case on a daily basis since I like to carry my Blackberry in my pocket.

My only complaint it the zipper pull-tab which kind of hangs of the side of the case. I complained about the same thing with the Krusell case for my Treo 650.



This case gets my highest rating. 5 out of 5 Blackberries. If you like to carry your Blackberry in it’s slimmest form but still want some sort of protection, than this might be the perfect case for you.



Those of you worried about a loss in battery life because of the missing sleeper magnet, worry not. I recently started carrying both my 8700 and 7130 in my pocket naked and haven’t noticed any sort of difference in daily battery life from when I used to carry a case that had the built in magnet.

Pros: Very slim, built in screen protector.
Cons: None.

I guess as soon as the 7130 case like thise comes out, I'll have to get both, and an open faced case... I havea feeling I'll start carrying the 7130 much like a usual cell phone. I'm still trying to decide what to do with me 8700!

Thanks so much for your review! It appeared just a day after I had ordered one of these cases (with swivel belt-lip) and in finest British Tan leather.

I took advantage of their Father's Day offer and am eagerly awaiting said case.

Your review vindicates my decision ..

Once again many thanks!

Dave

Glad you like your case dbondy.

Hmmmm. Very interesting in fact. I love the tight fit. But I still can't quite wrap my mind around typing through the plastic.
lgreenberg, you would seriously go with this daily?

I got the case and absolutely love it. Typing was fine for a few days but then I had a long-winded email response to type and the plastic killed me. I just cut off the bottom half of the plastic with my trusty Xacto knife so the keyboard is exposed and now I am convinced that I have the most perfect case made. The fist is like a glove (go figure) the screen is protected, all corners are wrapped in a very nice leather and now my keyboard is not affected in any way

Please keep us informed as to whether the "glove fit" remains tight without that plastic.
If it does... Salo, if you are listening, that could be a great product option.

I know Krusell did a similar thing.

When they first released their glove style case for the Treo 650 it had plastic covering the front. Eventually they changed the design and released it without the plastic.

Personally I don't see the point of the case if it doesn't have the plastic.

You should know by now that there are very few things we will not do and if you would like a case w/out the plastic, all you got to do is ask . Several people have asked for glove fitcases with either half or no plastic.

This is my second fortte case (I use a verticla holster when i want the belt clip and the glove fit when it goes in my pocket). I had my glove fit case custom made with the Nubuck brown with no belt clip and really thought I would live it but just couldn't get used to the full plastic. If I had to put in a design request it would be for the glove fit case with half plastic with a subtle sticky on the plastic to cover the screen. I think this would combine the screen protection of the Patronus with the full-body protection of the glove.

To answer cooperwc... The case is holding up and still fits like a glove after a weekend of heavy use and I really prefer the half plastic design I created with my Xacto. The one drawback is that a lot of lint gets in under the screen now. I would be nice if the plastic stuck to the screen like a screen protector as mentioned above

Thanks for the feedback. I'm a Screen Patronus guy so I think that if I order this I would actually go with no plastic. I haven't pulled the trigger on it yet though.

I kind of wonder whether you'd still get the same tight "glove fit" with no plastic at all on the front. What's going to keep the top edges all the way around fitting tightly, without anything on the front pulling them tight?

My opinion:
I've tried cases similar to this made by Krussel, and I just don't like any case that covers up the keypad. Just makes typing slower, and I often need to type quick notes, emails and reminders. With a vinyl transparent cover onthe keypad, I invariably end up pressing buttons I don't intend to press.

lgreenberg: do you find out it is easy to use the wheel, esc button, and the side quick button very easy and comfortable?

I ordered a Krusell case and I love the design. However, the leather is pretty thick so it is very difficult for me to use the wheel, esc button, and the side quick button (to switch different profile). I used it for 5 mins and I ended up putting it in a storage room :(

I want to buy some carrying case which is very protective and very thin so I can use the wheel and other side buttons very easily and comfortablely.

thanks

I've just received mine. The leather seems a tiny but off. By that i mean the holes aren't cut in the proper place to full expose the wheel, escape key, convenience key etc.. But I can still use it. The only major complaint i have is the plastic screen. It seems to want to stick to my screen and make blotch marks which at certain angles or in the sunlight is bothersome. Overall the case itself is great to protect your Blackberry.