Review: DLO CellShell

The Motorola RAZR is arguably the iPod of the mobile phone world—in a few short years it has become the “gotta have” device, and now it seems like everyone and their brother has one. Despite having a relatively durable aluminum shell, many still want to protect their RAZR and DLO has stepped in with an option.

For $20 (yes, we realize that it is more than some RAZRs if you sign up for a contract), the CellShell is made of two plastic pieces that snap in place around the outer sides of the phone. This product reminds us a little of XtremeMac MicroShield. Once snapped in place, the CellShell is not going anywhere, unless you remove it.

It is very important to note that the CellShell only works with the GSM versions of the RAZR. In other words, it only works with RAZRs sold through Cingular, T-Mobile, Centennial, and various carriers throughout the world. Phone sold through Sprint, Verizon, U.S. Cellular, Alltel, and others have a few cosmetic differences, and so the CellShell won’t fit.

The CellShell is available in a number of colors, so you should be able to match it to your liking: crystal clear, black smoke, tech lime, and hot pink. All are transparent and add just a tint of color to whatever color your RAZR is.

While in place, the CellShell does a good job of protecting the phone, and only leaves the hinge, side buttons, USB port, camera exposed on the outside. When the phone is open, the screen, keypad, and the rest of the internal surfaces are exposed (and accessible).

This is a pretty simple product, and it does its job fairly well. The only gripes we have is that the plastic is somewhat scratch- and fingerprint-prone (better it than the surface of your phone) and that the added thickness makes the side buttons a tad harder to press. A matte textured surface might have been a better choice on DLO’s part (except for around the outer LCD).

Overall, the CellShell is an attractive alternative to the usually bulky cases available for the Motorola RAZR. It only adds a some thickness to the phone’s slim profile and allows one to customize the appearance of their phone, too.