There Otter Be a Better Way...

Product: iPhone 3G Defender Case
Manufacturer: Otterbox
Price: $49.95

A small but growing company, Otterbox continues to impress me with their line of technology cases. You may have seen my Blackberry Curve case review a couple months ago. Well, now it's time to tell you about the case that started it all (for my family), the iPhone 3G Defender series case. As far as I'm concerned, there is no better way to protect the iPhone. We've actually tried 5 other cases, $149 at the high end and $9 at the low end.  Every time we went back to the Otterbox Defender. Read on to learn why I have purchased 2 of these cases (one for each iPhone) and why I'll do it again for anything else I own that they make a case for.

I actually had my phone out of it's Otterbox the other day. It felt naked in my hands!  I was worried about the open ports, the lack of a silicon casing to protect it from a drop, and the overall unprotectedness of it. The Defender series case from Otterbox is definately my ideal of protection. The first thing you put on your phone is a hard shell that has clear sealed plastic over the screen area, the camera, and the apple symbol on the back. This piece in itself is fully protecting from scratches and bumps. Then you put the silicone cover over the plastic and now all the ports are covered with a solid silicone button area or a plug. The plugs are attached and to access the ports you just pop them out, they are still connected to the case though so you will never lose them. With the full case assembled you have water and dust protection of screen and ports as well as shock protection and crush protection. It's like the best of all worlds. It also looks pretty tough and I do get comments as to "what kind of phone is that?" and when I answer with "iPhone" they always say "that case is awesome".

As I'm sure you can tell from the photos, the Otterbox Defender for iPhone 3G is not meant for folks that want to keep the small sleek look of the iPhone. This case is for people who want to protect their phone in any environment.  The case is bulky, and heavy.  With your iPhone in this case you will not be tossing it in your front shirt pocket. You can, however, toss it in your pocket or purse. The case comes with a very nice belt clip that is solidly built and has a tight swivel. The belt clip can also be used to prop up your iPhone on your desk for watching movies.

Like all the Otterbox Defender cases, the iPhone 3G case has three layers of protection. There is the clear layer that is sealed all the way around, as I mentioned earlier. The clear layer is built into the hi-impact Polycarbonate skeleton which is a two-piece interlocking case. Covering the whole thing is a Silicone skin that helps with shock absorption and keeps the phone from slip-sliding all over the place. The silicone skin also gives a nice grip, though it does tend to pick up too much lint and other debris from pockets and such.  The belt clip is made of the same durable Polycarbonate as the inner skeleton. I have not had a crack or break in any of the hard parts, though my husband has managed to rip two parts of the Silicone skin. Luckily, Otterbox offers an unconditional warranty and replaced the skins for us.

Putting the Otterbox iPhone 3G Defender case onto the iPhone is fairly simple. It is actually more like putting the iPhone into the case. First you put the phone into the bottom portion of the skeleton, then you place the top portion of the skeleton on. The skeleton interlocks and clicks when it is on correctly. Once everything is seated properly, you simply stretch the Silicon skin onto it and seat the plugs into the ports. It all goes together very easily, but you do need to be aware of some thin parts on the skin and make sure you don't over-stretch them.  If you are taking your phone in and out of the case a lot, this might not be the best solution for you as it is difficult to get the Otterbox case off the iPhone. The great parts of the case, like the multiple layers of protection and the locking skeleton are also it's downfall when you want to remove your phone.  There are 3 tabs that lock the case together and you need to unlock these to get the skeleton off. Once you get the hang of it it isn't so bad, but is always going to be more difficult then less protective cases.

Now some of you may be looking at the price and saying that it is too high for something to protect your $200 phone. Let me tell ou, for this or any price you are not going to find a better option. At the Apple Store, they sell cases that aren't nearly this protective for $35-$50. I don't think any other manufacturer offers the unlimited warranty either. Imagine that you rip the skin or somehow break the belt-clip - Otterbox will replace it.  Just the peace of mind it gives me that my phone is safe from just about anything is worth my $50 without a doubt.

I want to make a slight clarification - the Defender series case are NOT waterproof. DO NOT drop your iPhone into the toilet or any other wet container. Otterbox will not warranty the replacement of your phone.

Review

The Good:

Unparalleled protection for your iPhone 3G. The three layers of protection will keep your phone safe from short drops, dust, and water splashes.  All of the ports are covered either by clear plastic or silicon (solid or a plug), keeping your phone safe and dry.

The Bad:

Part of the protection the case offers is the touch screen is totally covered by a clear plastic. For the most part, this screen does not impede use of the touchscreen. There are times, however when the screen seems to react a bit slower then it did without the case. I also find it difficult to access touch controls that are right along the edges and especially controls that are in the corners.

The Ugly:

That darn bottom port. The OEM Apple adapter works just fine, but 90% of all the third-party adapters are too wide to fit into the port. Most of the time I can shave down the corners to make them fit (and they work fine), but I have found a couple of adapters that were too large to even shave down for a fit.

Overall:

If you are looking for something that will protect your iPhone 3G no matter what, you can't go wrong with the Defender case from Otterbox. This thing is like a tank for your iPhone. They also have them for original iPhone at a nice low price of $24.95.

Final Vote: 4/5