Case-Mate HTC Desire Tough Case - Black/Black

The case fits well, feels sturdy, no real risk of it popping out accidentally. I'd say it offers moderate protection from drops. But substantial protection from the kind of abuse it might see in someone's bag, with other items. Really it's all you can hope for given the trend to large touch-screen phones, that are always going to be a bit more susceptible to breaks.

The screen protector application process is probably one of the best I've experienced. I've only got one bubble. The application card really helps.

A good price on Play.com, but still not sure if it's worth 15 pounds.

I have to say, I bought this expecting nothing special. I've never bought any kind of case that has actually impressed me enough to recommend it. This is different.

A lot has already been said in previous reviews, so I'll cover the concerns I had before buying it, that I can now comment on:

- Bulkiness. It actually adds surprisingly little bulk to the phone; I thought I'd buy it and struggle to fit it into my pocket, and would get sick of it. But no, it's just as easy to fit in my front jeans pocket as it was without the case.

- Grip. Those rubbery silicone cases you can buy are odd.. they make the phone slightly slippery to hold unless your hands are bone dry, but they also grip material, which makes putting them into jeans a very tedious process. The hard portion of this case covers most of the silicone under-layer with solid plastic, and despite this being superb to hold in terms of grip, it doesn't have problems sliding into and out of my pocket quickly. This was a major concern before I bought it, and I'm impressed that this is not an issue with this case.

- Buttons. It leaves the face buttons open, which is good. The volume rocker is covered by silicone but you don't even notice it. The top power button has slightly ticker silicone covering it, which I've found to be great because I can't accidentally activate the screen when I slide it into my pocket now.

- Toughness. It feels tough, but without bulk. I've never used a case on any device that feels like it's going to protect said device as well as this one.

- Looks. It actually looks great; the exposed silicone areas meet uniformly with the edges of the plastic outer case. It just seems so well designed and doesn't make your phone look like an armoured tank either.

Overall, it's definitely worth the money. It's clear that some thought actually went into designing this; they didn't just shove a Desire into a mould and release some lousy, half-arsed attempt like a lot of companies seem to. Very impressed.

All in all a magnificent protector for your HTC Desire.
I work on site as a bricklayer, and has offered my phone an IMMENSE protection against dust etc.
The only downside is that the thickness of the casing does actually affect the WIFI signal.
I tried to download a couple of APP'S from the APP Store, and the download kept failing. So, thinking back to the issues with the whole iPhone 4 scenario, I took off the protective casing, and the download was successful!
Thinking that it was just me, I rang a friend who has the same phone and case (he paid 25 quid for his!) and he's had the same problem.

It's easy enough to take the casing off and to put back on, so there's not really any hardship.

But, still, the case is worthy of a 5 star rating...

The Case Mate 'Tough-Case' is superb! It is a 2-layer case- A thin silicon lining with a solid rubberized outer shell - which fits the phone body exactly.

It makes the phone a little bigger but this is compensated by its stylish looks & EXTREME Durability.

Its a great addition to the phone and if you want to protect your device from scrapes/scratches this is MUST BUY.

PLAY.COM IS THE LOWEST COST ONLINE RETAILER OF THE CASE I FOUND!

Now on my fourth case for my HTC Desire. This one is a keeper! All the other ones I have tried had some flaw that eventually got on my nerves, whether it was a bad fit, or buttons were too easy to accidentally press, or the edges lifted up the screen protector....
I have spent 400 pounds on my phone, so I don't want a cheap case that detracts from either it's form or function.
This case has none of these flaws. It fits perfectly, is exceptionally well made, provides excellent protection for your phone, and does not cheapen it's looks in my opinion. I quite like the slightly bulky look it lends to the phone. Feels good to grip and a lot less slippery.
Furthermore the included screen protector is the best I have fitted, and I've tried quite a few. This protector differs from other cheaper ones in that it retains the feel of the bare glass screen, and your finger slips across it as though it is not even there. Still prone to picking up lots of finger smudges, but I think that's unavoidable anyway.
Basically it does exactly what a decent case should; Puts your mind at ease from damage to your phone, whilst retaining function and not detracting from it's looks.