The Seidio Convert Extended Combo case is a mammoth of a case with plenty of room for an extended battery and comes with a custom-made clip holster. The construction is as rugged as you could reasonably hope for from a smartphone case: first there is a hard plastic core, then a silicon skin wrapping around it, then, of all things another hard case along the outside. The whole package also comes with a screen protector and a lockable holster, making it an exceptionally rugged package all around.
Style
At first glance, the Seidio Convert Extended Combo case will seem obscenely huge, and for some people, it will be. For dudes like me with giant hands, it feels perfect. The silicone skin’s solid grip is supplemented by wide ridges on either side. Despite its size and rugged nature, the Seidio Convert Extended Combo case still has enough subtle curvature to it. The extra width actually helps mask the bump you’d have from the extended battery anyway.
Function
The handiest thing about the combo case is its extra room for an extended 3500 mAh or 3800 mAh battery. Field workers that need a well-protected phone will also likely need to stay connected all day long, and supporting an extra-large battery can guarantee that.
As always, the hybrid silicone/plastic combo provides a good range of impact protection. The additional core of hard plastic gives me a ton of confidence that my phone surviving a drop.
The Seidio Convert Extended Combo case has a dedicated flap for protecting the lens – a necessary precaution for anyone in a rough environment. However, there’s not much of a securing mechanism to keep it in place, either open or closed. The center of the case’s rear has a mount for the flap’s nub, but it doesn’t work particularly well, meaning you have to manually hold it down in order to take an unobstructed picture.
Access to the headphone and microUSB jack are also hindered by flaps, but again, these may be necessary for anyone working in dusty environments. At the very least they aren’t used as often as the camera.
The holster for the Seidio Convert Extended Combo case holds your phone securely, and the felt interior combined with bundled screen protector ensure the display will stay nice and safe when in put away. One nice little extra on the holster is a lock mechanism on the upper-clip, so you can be sure your phone won’t accidentally pop out under more rigorous circumstances. I’ve never had much of a taste for clip-style holsters since they’re not always the most secure, but the clip has a wide operating angle, a hook with two teeth on the end, and goes fairly long.
Pros
- Incredible shock protection
- Room for extended battery
Cons
- Very bulky
Bottom line
The Seidio Combo case is an excellent choice for Android users that mean serious business. The butt-ton of battery life afforded by the extended battery cavity is a great supplement for the obscene amount of protection the case offers. Of course, this is one of those “in for a penny, in for a pound” situations; this case is only really worthwhile if you already have the extended battery, and if you don’t, then it’s an awful lot of kit to catch up on.
You can pick up the Samsung Galxy Nexus version of Seidio Convert Extended Combo case for $49.95 (currently 10% off) from ShopAndroid. If you’re getting that, you’ll probably want to pick up the extended battery too.