99 of 100 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Reluctant at first, but now I'm very happy, December 10, 2010
I waited a long time for Otterbox to release this thing, babying my phone the whole time to keep it safe. When Otterbox finally released the Defender case, I jumped on it immediately. At first I was disappointed. While the hard shell fit perfectly, the silicon outer shell didn't fit well at all. It left a huge gap at the bottom of the phone where the buttons are which I just knew would eventually fill up with grit and dirt, damaging the phone more than protecting it. Eventually though, with a little bit of manipulation and time to let it settle, the silicon layer has shrunk and layed down flat, and I'm perfectly satisfied with it. I have to admit, while it adds a good bit of heft to the phone, this case is bomb proof. My phone takes a lot of abuse during my daily routine, and this case takes it all without flinching. I especially like the locking feature on the holster clip that allows you to lock the clip open until you get it around whatever it is you're trying to clip it to. The access plugs were clumsy and loose at first, but now fit well and are easy to open and close. I guess the silicon just has to have time to adapt. I don't know how it would adapt to constant removal and re-installing, but I don't plan on removing it. In my case there's no reason to.
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75 of 76 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Great Protection, Not Practical for Dock Users, November 28, 2010
I ordered the Otter Box Defender for my Droid X based on my previous use of this product with a Blackberry Curve.
The box comes in four parts; a very large holster w/belt clip that provides maximum protection, a silicon rubber-like glove and a two piece clamshell case. The clamshell includes a top screen protector as well as a sturdy backside.
It is quite obvious that in the holster, it would take one heck of a severe drop to hurt the Droid. Outside the holster, the silicone glove appears to be an excellent shock absorber, and the depth of the glove plus the clam shell case makes it impossible for the screen to make contact with any surface if dropped face down as it is recessed.
I already had a adhesive protective screen cover on my Droid X, and I found the clamshell with its own screen protector works fine with the touch screen--no lags playing games or activating apps with both the adhesive cover and the Otter Box screen protector. The silicone glove has cover flaps over all portals (for chargers, ear plugs, etc) but these can be opened easily. The provide protection from dust, dirt, and to an extent, water. With the holster attached,one has to choose the proper arrangement for access to various functions. You can place the phone in the holster face out, or face down. If you choose face out, you can expose the HDMI/charger function, but the volume and camera shutter is inaccessible (plus, in this position, its very easy to activate the camera shutter when placing it in the holster). You have the same options with the face down mode--depending where you position the "top" of the phone, either the left or right side controls will be hidden. Access to the earphone jack is always available.
The holster's belt clip also serves as a nifty horizontal kickstand for viewing the face of the phone by merely pushing a release lever and locking the belt clip into a kickstand position.
Motorola's own "boxes" lack the ability to use them with docking stations. With all of them I have used, one must disassemble the entire protective case in order to seat the phone in a vehicle or desk docking station. On my Motorola protector, this involved merely popping the Droid out of a hard plastic sleeve, which covered only the back and outsid edges of the phone. Smart phones are unique, with their GPS capabilities, internet radio and hands free capabilities that make docking stations an essential part of their daily use, so this should be taken into account for these protective cases.
The Otter Box reveals a similar story, only there's even more to dismantle! First, you have to pop it out of the holster. Next, you have to remove the silicone glove. This is fairly easy, but I worry that doing this several times a day may stretch or stress the glove. I dock my phone at my work desk, any time I drive for a considerable distance, as well as at night. Finally, you have to pry apart the clamshell, which takes some work, and once more--will repeated prying lead to future damage? The clamshell does not have a release tab or button in order to separate it. And, you have to put the entire thing back together again when un-docked!
Without the holster, the Otter "boxed" phone still fits in my front jeans pocket and it also slips into an inside suit pocket, but beware, the already heavy Droid is even heavier and bulkier with the Otter Box installed. Don't be surprised if a "bouncer" frisks your suit jacket to see if you're "carrying"!
Overall, for protection you can't beat this unit, although it is pricey. Five stars if these developers, along with most others would work with docking station manufacturers to build docking units that support these phone while in their cases... or in Otter's "case", making the Defender far easier to dismantle so the phone can be docked rapidly.
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25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Good protection is worth the dough, November 20, 2010
I received my Defender today direct from Otterbox. It took some fiddling to get the case on the first time. I'd prefer slightly more detailed instructions than the pictures on the inside of the box to alleviate this. However, once I took it off and put it back on again, the construction became a lot more clear to me and it shouldn't be a problem going forward.
The case definitely adds some heft and bulk to the X, but I still fit it comfortably in my pocket with or without the holster (your mileage may vary depending on your pocket depth).
The pictures on the Otterbox website make the button housings look like separate pieces but they are actually molded into the rubber. That being said, anything else would probably have been impractical and I found the buttons to be very responsive.
There is a hard-plastic screen protector connected to the inner shell that will help keep the fingerprints down. Some folks on AndroidForums.com mentioned a bit of lag with the touch responsiveness, but I haven't noticed this problem myself.
All in all, I'd say the Defender was well worth the wait. It is an EXCELLENT case, offering good protection. This one was the right choice for my needs. If you're not a klutz like I am, then the Commuter or Impact series might be a better fit.
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