HTC One M8 Speck CandyShell case review

The HTC One M8 has a decent list of options when it comes to protecting the exterior of the phone. Speck, a well-known designer in cases for the portable electronics field has come to the plate with another case for all those times your HTC One M8 is going to slip out of your hand. I hate to re-read the last part of the previous sentence, “your HTC One M8 is going to slip out of your hand”, but we know it is inevitable, right? I have a pretty good record, my HTC HD2 never hit a hard surface. My HTC One M7 flew out of my shirt pocket and was bobbled before landing face down in a rock garden (the screen did not break, thank goodness). And my HTC One M8 has not met the pavement… yet, but I have to think that no matter how focused I am on keeping my phone safe the day will come and my phone will escape my grasp and get beat up by the ground. The least we can do is add something to the phone to give us a bit more grip on it to decrease the amount of times we might drop it. Allow me to introduce you to the CandyShell case by Speck.

Price: $34.95

Design

The design of this case is very much like the clear GemShell case I reviewed earlier this month. The mold is very much the same; the cut outs for the cameras, mic, USB port, and audio port are in the same places and there’s even a black border around the window for the rear camera and flash to breathe. The particular case I’m reviewing is white and there’s black trim all around the cut outs and the main part of the case that opens for the phone’s display. The black trim on the front of the case gives the screen some protection in the sense that it helps keep the screen from touching the surfact if laid face down. It even offers some grip so it won’t slide off of a surface like the table top or dash in your car. The white shell itself has a solid feel to it. Even though it is flexible when it’s off the phone it becomes a mini fortress when it is wrapped around the HTC One M8. The four corners on the back of the case have a softer, black slice that is probably there for the case to have a little bit of give to help absorb the trauma from a rough landing.

The Speck CandyShell for the HTC One M8 comes in four primary colors:

• Black with Slate Grey inner layer and trim
• White with Black inner layer and trim
• Beaming Orchid Purple with Revolution Purple inner layer and trim
• Haze Purple with Grape Purple inner layer and trim

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Protection

The CandyShell case is slightly more durable than the GemShell case, because it has an inner lining that the GemShell doesn’t have so that it maintains the see through feature. You can tell there are two layers to the CandyShell by comparing the outside to the inside. There’s a black rubber on the inside and a harder rubber on the outside that pair nicely for all-around protection. Even though you know this case still won’t protect you from a bullet there’s a good chance the case will stand up to most of your every day bumps and drops.

Use

This case has all the basics covered. It keeps that shiny metal protected and safe; although it also keeps the brushed metal hidden. It has openings for all the important parts of your phone like around the audio and USB ports, the power button/RF transmitter, and the rear cameras. The shell has a glossy finish and is almost as slick as the bare metal finish with sweaty or oily hands.

Final Verdict

The CandyShell case by Speck gives the average user a fair amount of protection. I would say it is a small step up from the GemShell case and a few steps below the Otterbox Commuter case also reviewed earlier this month. The colors are more on the feminine side, but at least there’s neutral options like black and white.