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Otterbox recently sent me their iPhone Defender case for review, and let me say right off the bat that this case is solid. The iPhone Defender case protects your iPhone with two layers: a strong plastic case and a rubber enclosure that holds it together.
The Defender also features:
- a plastic screen that shields your iPhone’s glass
- rubber flaps that cover iPhone’s buttons, openings and switches
- foam rings that cushion the iPhone’s speaker and microphone without muffling them.
If you want to insure your investment, the Otterbox Defender case is the ultimate protection for your iPhone.
If, on the other hand, you just want to prevent keys and coins from damaging the delicate plastic on the back of your iPhone, and you’re confident that you won’t ever crack the glass and ruin your phone, a mistake that could cost you up to $250, then just buy a protective skin.
Yes, the Defender case is great for peace of mind. But it does have some downsides.
This is what I’ve noticed after nearly a month of using the iPhone Defender case.
The downsides
- The Defender is not the most sleek or glamorous case on the block. A couple of people have even told me I “look like a construction worker” with it. Actually, the Defender is the perfect case for construction workers, because it protects your iPhone from both shock and debris. But I don’t see the Otterbox Defender being featured on Gray’s Anatomy or The Hills any time soon, if you catch my drift.
- The bulk makes it impossible to use the Defender case with my iPhone Xtand or the factory iPhone dock.
- The screen protector is prone to air bubbles when you press on it.
I contacted the friendly folks at Otterbox and they suggested a couple of fixes:
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“We have found that applying the adhesive screen from the Impact Series helps eliminate the air bubbles.” – Otterbox
I didn’t get an Impact Series adhesive screen because I think this case should work on its own, without having to buy an additional product, but I did have another plastic film screen that I tested with the Defender, and it did not ameliorate the air bubbles.
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“We also suggest using the natural oils from your skin. Take the phone out of the case. You’ll want your hands to be clean, but not just washed. You want to take the palm of your hand (or you can also use your cheek) and press it lightly on the front panel of the OtterBox (the part that would touch the phone screen). It might seem like there will be finger prints that would show on the screen of the phone, but they do not. The natural oils of your skin should help with the oil/bubble look on your screen.” – Otterbox
Surprisingly, the oils from my palm prevented bubbles to a large extent. The solution isn’t perfect, since it still produces some air pockets, but the bubbles were reduced by 95 percent.
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“We have found that applying the adhesive screen from the Impact Series helps eliminate the air bubbles.” – Otterbox
- The inner plastic case is tough to open without long nails. But hey, at least you know your case isn’t going to pop open if you drop it, considering the strength of the plastic clips and the rubber that keeps the plastic intact. Hint: Try using a dime or other small coin to pry the case open.
- The exposed plastic on the back of the case causes the iPhone to vibrate louder. This is a downside for me, since it can be a nuisance in class or during meetings, but it could be an upside for you if you think the iPhone’s vibration is too weak.
The verdict
If damaging your iPhone is a concern for you, and you’re not too worried about glamour, then the Otterbox Defender case for iPhone is a great investment. Maybe you work, play or exercise outdoors. The Defender lets you go wild without worrying about your iPhone.
The truth is, though, that sometimes I just want to set my iPhone free and use it as Apple intended. The bulk is not always practical or pleasing to the eye.
Nevertheless, whenever a friend would comment on my bulky iPhone case, I would drop my iPhone on the ground. “They call it the Defender for a reason.”
Have you used the Otterbox Defender?
Do you use the iPhone Defender or some other iPhone case? Or is a bare naked iPhone worth the risk to you? I’d love to hear what you think in the comments.
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I have used the white otterbox for a month now. I work construction so protection is a top priority. The thickness makes it a little awkward while typing at the sides of the keyboard, but by using the landscape mode to type does eliminate this issue. The outer covering is very slip resistant, so it stays in my shirt pocket even if I bend over and it will not slide on my leather seats in my truck. It is a little tough to open up the inner case halves, and the only reason that I need to do that is if I want to listen to my music through my truck radio via my ipod connection. It works great, but I need to take the case apart and remove it because the ipod plug is too big. It is square in shape not oval like the apple sync/charge cord. It is really my only issue with this case. I have thought about cutting the bottom lip off to allow me to plug the ipod cord in, but then the protective flap would not lock into position to keep out dust/dirt/etc. One other thing is that I actually like the bulk since I find it easier to hold the phone and I am not worried about it dropping/slipping from my hand.
I have the WHITE otterbox, and it is far more elegant than the black and yellow, I tried both and to me the white just looks like an extension of the 3GS back of my phone, which is white! It’s definately NOT as bulky as I thought!
Thanks a MILLION for the oils tip, I just got rid of 100% of my air bubbles!
All gone!! Literally!
Otter box is WELL worth it, seriously! (And I’m more The Hills than Construction Site! LOL) Although I do work in a very outdoors alot job, so needed it, but it’s really not as bulky as I thought, and the white one is very sheek!
Working with the Navy and Law Enforcement can be REALLY hard on a phone, so when I upgraded to a iPhone, i quickly bought the Otterbox Defender, i love it.
And so do others i work with who also have iPhones, 2 out of the 3 have also bought Otterbox Defenders.
Great product for the work enviroment, not so chic for downtime/casual use, but oh well, a new iPhone is a VERY expen$ive piece of kit……
Both my husband and I have an otterbox and love the protection it gives. He was somehow able to get rid off ALL his air bubbles not sure if his oils are better then mine lol but the same trick didn’t work with mine. I also do wish they had more of a color selection I was stuck getting a pink case because he got the black, white gets dirty too fast and well black and yellow wasn’t me…not that pink is either but oh well at least my phone is safe!
I don’t have an iphone, but I do have a Blackberry Curve with an Otterbox on it. Agreed, it is VERY bulky, but so far I’ve washed my phone without damage, drop it several times a day, and even drove over it with an AMBULANCE-no damage.
Been rolling around with mine for awhile and I really like the otterbox. It really protects the phone well but I can’t get the damn plastic case to open. I’ve been struggling with this thing for about 10 minutes now. Coins do not work, and I am about to resort to two sets of pliers.
Is this available to test? I don’t think it is that ugly, but it would be better with other colors… not yellow and black. Red would be better, Blue, anything else.
I’ve not used the Otterbox Defender, but I’ve chosen the invisibleSHIELD as my best iPhone proctection.
Cheers~~~