I believe the photos make the bulge look bigger than it is. I was comparing it to my receptionist's iPhone 3G (with shell), and it wasn't that much different. When you hold it in your hand, it still feels thin around the edges. The "bulgy" (is this a word?) part fits nicely in the palm of my hand. As you can see, it still fits in my belt holster case. It does NOT fit in my Verizon window mount anymore. If I want to use it as a mobile GPS device, I'd have to put the old battery and cover back on.