how does the aluminium case from pdair make the phone look, i mean how much bulk does it add to the phone ??
I'll take a photo later on of the phone next to the case. Yes, it bulks it up a bit. Personally I like it as it makes it feel far more industrial and robust, and since I carry it in my shirt pocket it doesnt matter as much as if it was in, say, tight jeans.
It also flips open pretty easy (but not easily enough to open on its own) so usually if I plan on writing an epic novel on my phone I flip it open to fully expose the front of the phone. I mentioned somewhere else here that with the hard case on, hitting the furtherest right-hand and left-hand keys is tricky (ie: 'p' and 'delete' on the right, 'q' and 'uppercase toggle' on the left). Just sending an SMS is fine as you work around it easily enough, but making a forum post or sending an email can be frustrating so flipping it open takes it back to as if the case wasnt on at all.
I'd say its probably the same amount of bulk as a silicon case, but since its a hard case its maybe more noticable? It does have a soft inner lining so you get most of the benefits of a silicon case, but being a hard case means that it never falls off / slips off the edges and gives the phone some decent structural strength for if you lean on it or whatever.
Worth the cost? Probably! It was less than half the price to buy it through pdair than to buy the one and only case available locally (Australia - a crappy pleather one at a Chinese junk shop) so to me it definately was.
I refused to buy a 'crysal' case due to every other one I've ever owned being a complete pile of crap, and the leather ones are all very wanky looking and require them to be opened or removed from a pouch to access the phone which I dont like.
Hope ths helps