I expect I'm like most iPhone owners - I have a small obsession with cases. I've tried no fewer than 9 cases, several lasting only a few weeks before being tossed aside. A quest for the perfect case. At some point I stopped looking for the perfect case and settled on a couple that I swap out depending on the situation.
After scouring discussion forums related to iPhone cases, I chose the Otterbox Defender as the 8th case. Amazon packaged this with the Otterbox Impact for only $14 more, so I ordered both. The Impact arrived 2 days before the Defender. When it arrived, I thought I would send back the Defender when it arrived because I loved how the Impact felt on my iPhone.
The Impact is a full gel cover for the iPhone. The cover extends over the front of the device covering the metal surround as well as the home key. The power button and volume rockers are also covered, but small nubs highlight the keys for easy use while covered. The mute switch is not covered and easily accessible while the cover is on. There are also well fitted openings for the sensors, speakers, headphone jack, and power chord. The case ships with a screen protector. I opted to use the Power Support Anti-Glare Film Set for iPhone 3G that I've been using for the last year with my iPhones (http://store.apple.com/us/product/TS504LL/A?fnode=MTY1NDA0NA&mco=MTA4MzQ0ODc -- Apple will install these for free; they are the masters at doing so with no air bubbles!).
The good: the Impact case on the iPhone makes the phone feel sturdy and well protected and it looks great. My phone has been dropped on multiple occassions with no associated problems. The gel skin is raised enough to keep the screen from hitting the ground when it falls face down on a flat surface. The gel also provides a nice grip when using the phone to make calls. As far as gel skins go, this one passes the jeans test in that it does better than most at being able to slide in and out of the pocket. It does attract a minimal amount of lint when carried in this way, but wipes clean easily. I've been using the case for 4 months and the case shows no signs of wear. The case is very easy to install and remove.
The bad: The first Impact case I had ripped near the bottom within 2 months of use. The silver lining to this is that I contacted Otterbox to tell them the case had ripped and they replaced it for free. They didn't ask for proof of purchase and didn't charge me for shipping. Great customer service. I've used the second case for 2 more months with no signs of ripping. I do take the case off and on frequently for use in a speaker dock. The second case they sent me fits somewhat loosely. It doesn't hinder the functionality of the case, but I notice it when I'm pressing the power key or the home button. Perhaps this looser fit is what keeps it from ripping when frequently putting on and taking off the case.
The bottom line: I love this case. It fits well in my pocket, is relatively streamlined while still affording great protection for the phone. I've paired the case with a horizontal belt holster created for an HTC device and it slides in and out very easily. It's a great combo for when I don't have pockets. I feel safe enough with this case on to let my 4 year old use the phone in a controlled setting. When I want more protection, I switch over to the Otterbox Defender.
I didn't end up sending back the Defender. I tried it out, and for a while, liked it better than the Impact. A lot of people feel that the case is too bulky, and lets be clear, this case is very bulky. However, I came to enjoy the feel of the case on my phone. It makes me feel like I could throw my phone against the wall and it would survive unscathed. This is a good feeling for those of us who adore our phones but live in the real world of kids, outdoor activities, and general clumsiness. That said, I no longer use this case for day to day use but have relegated it to days when we venture out into nature.
The case is designed as 2 layers of protection including water resistance (you can't submerge the thing, but splashes are shrugged off). The first layer is a hard plastic layer that snaps together to cover pretty much the entire device sans the screen. This layer puts a beveled edge around the screen - only a few millimeters deep, but creates a well that can make it hard to access the edges of the screen for touches. A soft gel skin covers the plastic and is anchored in place by small tabs that fit into notches on the plastic case. Once installed, there is no movement or play at all in the case. It fits perfectly. All ports are covered with this case - the power, headphone, and mute button are accessed by flaps that fit snugly. I have average sized fingers and had to work relatively hard to access and switch the phone onto mute. These ports feel very secure and didn't seem to break down during repeated access. A gauze type film covers the sensors on the front of the device, as well as the speaker ports. A screen protector of sorts covers the cameral lens. The home button is completely covered and difficult to access for the first hour of use. After this, it seems to break in and I didn't have any further trouble with responsiveness. The volume and power button are covered but responsive under their layers. The case ships with a screen protector and holster.
My first experience with the case included minimal struggle to install it on my device. The Otterbox website has a great tutorial for installation of the case. After reading blogs about headaches created by using the included screen protector with the case screen protector, I opted to again use my own anti-glare screen protector. I never had any problems with echo that many people complain about while on calls with this case installed, but I did notice that volume through the speaker and speakerphone were somewhat diminished due to the covers over the speaker ports. Presumably this is protection from water, but I removed these covers early on so that I could hear better. I was very pleased with the results.
I loved the feel of this case on my iPhone and the peace of mind this afforded me to hand it over to my 4-year-old-tornado son. I really wanted to like the case itself, but the initial weeks were fraught with frustration. First, only the in-the-box Apple branded charger worked with this case on. It also couldn't be docked on my speakers (no surprise). The only issue with this is that I found it next to impossible to remove the device from the case. I have to resort to a letter opener insterted next to the volume switches to remove the hard cover. Alternatively, my 9-year-old daughter has small fingers and can remove the hard cover easily. Bottom line though, it's not a case that you'll be putting on and taking off with any regularity. I purchased new power chords for my office and car in an attempt to make this case useable, and gave up the speakers and opted for headphones.
More frustrations ensued though, as I was having trouble getting the screen to register touches near the edges. The case is designed to have 2 layers of screen protection. After struggling with this for nearly a week, I performed a surgical operation to remove the screen protector from the case. It was quite easy actually, and solved the issue of screen responsiveness. I also noticed though, that pictures taken on my 3GS 3 megapixel camera in the Defender case were more grainy than those taken on my 3G. I noticed that there was a screen covering the camera lens. I removed this as welland my pictures are clear again.
The good: I love the feel of this case. I love how sturdy it makes the device feel as well as the feeling of complete protection. When in this case, I don't even blink when the phone drops onto concrete or other hard surfaces.
The bad: I had to mod this case pretty severely in order to make if functional for me. This requires a trade-off in protection - with the changes I've made it's definitely no longer water resistant. However, I wanted the case for drop protection and it's still very functional in that regard. The time invested in making this case work was way more than I usually invest in a case. The included holster worked fairly well, but there were a few times when I didn't completely push the device into the holster as well as I'd thought, and my phone fell out. I didn't hear it fall and could have lost it had my kids not noticed it on the ground. The issues with charges not working and the difficulty in installing and removing the case almost make it a deal-breaker. The speaker volume is greatly diminished, even with the covers removed from over the speakers. Finally, this isn't a slide it in your pocket kind of case. It's fine to drop into your purse or use with the holster, but the pocket route is definitely out.
The bottom line: I still use this case, just not as an everyday case. Our family likes to geocache and this case goes on every time we do that. I have no fears then when I hand the phone off to one of the kids and watch it get dropped at least 6 times on every trip. There's no other case I'd put the phone in for a trip to the beach. Because I work in an office I don't feel I need this level of protection on a daily basis, but if I used my phone at work and had any type of mobile or active job, this would definitely be the case I'd use, sans the mods I did.
With the purchase of these two cases I am no longer searching for the perfect case. I've decided that road is long and ultimately unfruitful and have settled on 2 cases that meet all of my needs most of the time. I will say that while I love the form factor of the iPhone, I now feel a little nervous when it's not covered by one of these cases. Like riding in the car without a seatbelt... a little reckless.
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