Customer Reviews

OtterBox Defender Case for iPhone 3G, 3GS (Black)[Retail Packaging]

5 star:		(1,400)
4 star:		(607)
3 star:		(183)
2 star:		(97)
1 star:		(127)

 

 

This is a great case. This is the second one i have ordered (just like the yellow accent). Very rugged. You can rest easy handling your investment as long as it's in this thing. I have dropped mine onto asphalt too many times to count, and no problems with the phone at all. I must admit, when I first got the iphone into the case, I noticed that the screen protector adheres to the face of the iphone giving it an oily appearance. This is the most common complaint about this particular case, but I have found the fix for this. Baby powder. I know this sounds crazy, but it works flawlessly. There is a really good video on youtube on how to apply it. This completely fixes the problem. Because of this little fix, I now give this product 5 stars. Contrary to some reportings, this case IS NOT waterproof. However, It does a darn good job protecting it from splashes, light rain, dust, etc. If you are looking for extreme protection, look no further.

How to Applying Baby Powder [...]

I am not usually one to leave review comments... but I certainly read a BUNCH of reviews on cases for my iPhone 3G. THANK YOU to all those who wrote reviews and helped me pick the Otterbox Defender case! This case is awesome. VERY durable, all functions are accessible... and yes, the oil slicking effect is sometimes present, but easily fixed.

The ONLY issue I had when I installed the case was that immediately after I installed the case, almost 95% of all people I talked to said they heard an echo every time they spoke (you know, when you say something and a second later you hear it in your ear piece... ANNOYING!).

I was bummed because the case is built like a tank and already saved my phone from a 6' drop onto the asphalt in the rain. Though, I decided to remove the felt pieces that cover the mic and ear pieces since they are only there to prevent possible drops of water hitting those phone components directly. Once I removed those pieces, not one person complains of hearing the echo anymore! Strange, but it worked... so I wanted to pass it on.

The echo was the ONLY issue I had with this case... it's the best case I could find and WELL worth the money. I recommend it to everyone I see with an iPhone now :-)

I purchased the OtterBox Defender Case for my 3GS, then purchased one for my friend's 3GS after having such exceptional experience with it.

He is a paramedic / fireman and unintentionally abuses his phones because they sit on his hip and he moves around a lot against huge pieces of metal. The night I brought the OtterBox case to him at the station he was getting out of the back of their new (very high up) ambulance and the iPhone fell from the holster (he had it horizontal and it caught on the door on his way out). It fell over 6' onto a concrete floor and was absolutely perfect.

Though I hadn't dropped my phone in the case up to that point when I saw the fall his phone took I knew I picked the right case. I haven't experienced any of the issues with tunneling or echo, but I tend to use the headphones or my Jawbone for calls. The only negative I've found, and it isn't really a negative but you must use OEM cables that have rounded edges because generic square edged cables will not fit into the charging area of the case.

*** For the Oil Slick Issue ***

- You'll need a can of air, a lint free cloth (face cloth or sock), a screen protector (optional), and some baby powder.
- Take your OtterBox case out of the packaging and put around a teaspoon worth of baby powder (or talc) onto the inside of the window of the hard part of the case, this seems very odd but trust me it works.
- Swish the baby powder around until it coats the entire window of the front of the case. It should look dusted white.
- Dump off the excess.
- Use the can of air to blow out as much as you can.
- Finally, use the cloth to wipe everything clean.
- When you're done it will look like you didn't do anything. You may have a wee bit of residual baby powder here and there inside the case but don't worry about it.

Once you're done wiping the case off clean your phone front and back to get it nice and smooth and put the screen protector on, this is a nice additional layer of protection but it isn't necessary.

Now put the phone in the case.

Once you seal it all up you'll see that there is no oil slick effect and no powder residue.

Works perfectly every time.

I bought the OtterBox 3G Defender for my iPhone through their website, but I thought I'd mention how happy I am with it here. I've heard a lot of complaints about the oil slicking effect under the membrane, but that problem was very easily solved, and hasn't reoccurred since I placed my phone in the case for the final time.

Calls are clear through it, and clear on the other end. I've heard a few people mention a tunnelling effect, but that doesn't seem present. All my calls have been just as clear as they were in my last phone case.

The OtterBox case is really protective, and of all the cases I've looked at so far, the sturdiest case for the iPhone 3G that I've seen. I highly recommend it to anyone who's looking for a solid case for his or her phone. Well worth the money!

If you own or are planning to buy an iPhone, then you MUST have some sort of protection for your long term investment in this handheld device.

The otterbox does not advertise waterproofing the phone, but it does a pretty good job. The primary effect of the otterbox defender is to protect it from short falls to the ground. The FIRST day I had my otterbox on my phone, i slipped, and the phone when flying across the pavement and into the street. After picking it up, (along wiht my ego) i found that the skin wasnt even scratched or marked up, and the phone acted like nothing had happened (much like I did...).
Also, my dogs were fighting in my living room one day and knocked over a glass of water onto my poor Iphone in this skin... To my surprise,after shaking off the water and removing the skin, the phone itself was completely dry and unharmed... I let case and skin dry and re-installed it immediately.


This product contains two basic elements (though its advertised as three, its not...)

1: Hardcover plastic shell container
2: Silicone sealing skin.


The hardcover yellow plastic shell snaps onto the phone and requires a tool of sopme sort (or good fingernails and strong hands) to remove.
The black silicone cover is very surable, but attracts lint often and ends up being a grayinsh color if you keep the phone in your pockets (which is why i got the case to begin wiht, so spare change and keys wont kill my phone.
The hardcover has two intersting elements that are noteworthy.
First: Its solution for sticky and annoying screen protectors is an off-the-surface firm, plastic film that is on the otterbox hardcover... This film allows finger tip hat to pass thru it fery effectively and keeps most lint and dust out of the phone.
Second: It has a carrying attatchment that snaps onto the phone (or that the phone snaps into, depending on your perspective). It can accept the phone from either facing (screen out or in) but it only really secures itself in with a snap if the screen is facing inward (towards the belt-clip) as you can imagine, it has a rotating belt clip with a safety hook on the inside of the clip-part so it wont slip off whatever strap or belt you hook it on.


At the end of the day, this cover/case/skin is the best, first, and last line fo defense for your iPhone, and if you plan on getting a phone, have this baby ready to go on it BEFORE you leave the dealer with phone in tow.

If i could rate this any higher, i would, but 5/5 stars will do... I honestly rate it 7/5 stars... its just that good. (Also, you should note, this retails for nearly $50 - $65 USD depending on where you go.)

This is a fine case that will protect your iPhone better than most other cases.

Pros:
-Very durable. I would feel very safe using it for outdoor activities like biking, running, hiking, skiing (but it's not waterproof), camping, etc.
-You can use all buttons on the phone.
-Durable belt clip has an extra feature that makes it easy to attach to your belt.

Cons:
-Very, very difficult to detach the case from the belt holster.
-The rubber/silicone outer cover often gets bunched up when you attach it to the belt holster.
-Most importantly, the built in screen protector gets splotchy and greasy easily, almost as if there's condensation or liquid between the screen protector and the iPhone's screen. The only way to remove it is to take the phone out of the case and clean it off which is a nuisance.

Conclusion: It doesn't make a very good "everyday" case. I only recommend purchasing it if you're an avid outdoorsman. For everyday use, find another case.

I made this review after reading the (very few) negative reviews of this product. The negative reviews were so off the mark, it irritated me. You buy this case if you want the best protection available. I cook for a living, so this case is suspect to all sorts of grease, grime, dirt, water splashes, impacts, you name it. The case is dust proof, water resistant, and you can still use all the phone functions. You shouldn't go swimming with this case, but you should be fine if you happen to fall in the water briefly.

If you want protection, you get this case. I spent at least 12 hours researching cases to protect my investment, and this is the best available. Even my AT&T rep backed this up. Yeah its bulky, but not extremely so. And its not SUPER stylish, but I like the way it looks, and the way I carry it, in my pocket screen facing my leg, I think a blow would possibly break my femur before it broke this case. I may exaggerate a little, but I have (accidentally) tested this case harder than I wanted too, and I can't even tell I did so.

Long story short, if you want the most pretty, flashy case, don't get this. But if you want the most bullet-proof case on the market, BUY IT!!!

P.S. I'm not getting paid for this, but I wish I was!! Just a normal guy wondering why his superb product got even one 3 star review.

Not sure what the"hurt,sore" finger is about but Ill address the product I am using which is the Otterbox Defender;

Its durable and pretty much water resistant. I have dropped it in mud puddles accidently and picked it up and nothing got in. Its bigger thank most but has to be. This isnt a case to put in shirt pocket etc...but i really dont think that this is what it is made for. This is for those who have a job where you want to protect your phone from all sorts of elements. Or if you have little kids who play games on it to keep it safe from drops,smudges etc.
I have never nor any of my many co-workers who have this have ever had problems with running the there finger over the screen and when hitiing the edge have sore fingers, thats a first. You think the holster is defective but then when you actually put it on CORRECTLY its as snug as you know what. It isnt supposed to face out, it faces in and the little indentions fit perfectly. It does its job. Its not slim line like few people think it is. Its bigger than most. Hope this helps....

This is a great case. Very durable. Do a you tube search and you can find a guy that threw his out of a 2nd story window and when he retrived it the Iphone was in perfect condition. It really is up for anything.

Three things to be aware of, however.
1) the dreaded oil slick. At first, this didn't bother me greatly but as time wore on I became more and more annoyed. I discovered that if you put an anti-glare screen protector (pack of 2 available at Apple Stores for $15) then the problem is solved. No more oilslick and no more "rubbing the face of the phone on a greasy hand or face" (as recommended on the otterbox website.) Perfect. My $50 case is now $65.

2) you cannot dock this phone while in the case. Solution - buy a dock extender. The only company I have located to date that sells this is Sendstation -- SendStation Dock Extender. They are charging $30 for the extension. Amazon.com sells this product on behalf of an outside seller. Be prepared to modify it, however. As is, the extender does not fit into the slot at the bottom of the case. If you have access to a Dremel or similar tool, the sides of the extended can be ground down so that it will fit. Took all of 5 minutes for me to do this and I have no skills with power tools. Thankfully, the underlying plastic is black as well, so you can't really tell that you modified it unless you look closely at the fact that the modified area is not as glossy as the rest of the part.

3) the covering over the speakers and earpiece will mute sound so much that you will not hear the phone ring unless you are in a quiet environment and you will constantly ask callers to repeat themselves. The only solution I have found for this is to poke a very small hole in the coverings. Obviously, the case is no longer as dust proof or semi-water proof, but at least I can hear the phone ring - which after all is important as my Iphone is first and foremost a phone. Prior to punching the holes I had the ringer volume and settings all set to max levels. Now, they are reasonable at mid way and I can hear the ipod functions and ringers in less than silent enviroments.

So - in sum, my $50 case now cost $105, but it is still WAY cheaper than buying a new phone if (or should I say when) I drop my phone. Worth the cost and the fixes in the long run.

Hello. I got an iPod touch as a trial run to see if I wanted to get an I phone. I found I really liked some of the apps available and I was enjoying the touch. I had it in a rubber case that was open in the front with a stick on screen protector. I felt I had it pretty well protected. I carried it in a chest pocket of a vest that I usually wear when working. In the other pocket was my trusty Treo 755p. Well one day I got dowsed with water. I work with water in my job and it happens occaisionally. I had a job to do so I didn't think much about it until about an hour later when I pulled out my Touch to show a coworker the latest cool app I had downloaded. It was completely dead. I then checked the Treo and it was perfectly fine. I tried various techniques to dry it it out and bring it back to life but nothing worked. My point is that Apple products are very sensitive to water and don't do a very good job of keeping it out on their own. When I got my iPhone 3GS I knew I had to protect it so I searched and the only thing I found that offered any real water protection seemed to be the Otterbox Defender.
Here are my observations so far.
1. While they don't claim it to be waterproof I believe it is at least splash proof and have already been caught in a serious downpour and it was fine. Have also dropped it from about chest height and suffered no damage.
2.Many people have complained about the "Oil slick" on the screen. I had this too. The suggestion to rub it with the side of your hand worked somewhat but I still have a few small visible bubbles. This is not actually oil, of course, but trapped air. Personally I can live with this and it more noticable when the screen is off than when it is on.
3. Some complain about the way it looks. That it ruins the beauty of the iPhone. I happen to like the way it looks. I bought my 3GS when they first came out and all they had were white colored units. I would have prefered a black one but I didn't want to wait so I took a white one. Now with my Otterbox I have a black iPhone.
4. I read some complaints about the belt clip coming off too easily. I find this to be true if you just slip it over a pocket or waist band. If you actually use it with a belt as it is designed to do it works just fine. It has a hook that prevents it from easilly slipping off. Without the belt there is nothing for the hook to grab. I find the holster grips the phone tightly enough as long as it is installed with the screen facing inward. This is the best way to protect the screen anyway. I have read complaints of the holster not gripping well but but it seems adequet to me. But the I mostly carry it in a pocket.
5. I have also seen complaints about the rubbery grip making it more difficult to remove from a pocket. This is true but it's a trade off for great protection. And I think the grippy rubber and extra bulk make the unit more comfortable to use. It is a little harder to tap things on screen that are near the edge or corners but not impossible and you get used to it. Again, tradeoff for protection.
6. I read at least one complaint about the little rubber covers for the ports. Someone said that they are hard to close and come open accidentally. I too found them a little difficult to get closed properly at first but with practice you get the technique down. And I find if you are careful to close them properly and completely they stay closed pretty well. I can see it being a problem if you carry it in a tight pocket though.
7. One reviewer said they returned the Otterbox because their 3rd party accessory wouldn't fit through the bottom access hole to plug into the iPhone. I can confirm that my third party car charger/FM transmitter will NOT fit through the Otterbox opening but Apple branded products will. Personally I would return the 3rd party accessory and keep the Otterbox. My charger is so close to fitting that I am considering using a Dremmel tool with a grinding stone to slightly modify the plug to make it fit. I have not tried this yet though.
8.Bottom line: If you work in an office all day or other job that is mostly indoors then the Otterbox might be overkill and some of it's hindrances might not be worth it. But if like me you work mainly outdoors or in a harsh or damp indoor environment then you are crazy not to have your iPhone in an Otterbox. Even if you work indoors but enjoy outdoor activities on the weekend I would consider using the Otterbox for the weekend then take it out for the work week. It's a little too difficult too do multiple times a day but once or twice a week would work. The way you have to stretch the rubber out to insert the phone makes me not want to remove it very often. I'm afraid that eventually it would tear or just become stretched out of shape.
9. If you are at all concerned about your daily activities exposing your iPhone to moisture, dirt/dust or shock then you should get an Otterbox. I am not an Otterbox salesperson nor do I play one on TV. Once in a while you go looking for a product to perform a specific function and you're not even sure it exists at all but then you find the product and it does exactly what you want it to do. That has been my recent experience with the Otterbox Defender.