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Nice upgrade from the original iPhone 4 Defender case, October 31, 2011

By 

K. Myers (United States) – See all my reviews

  

I used the original Otterbox Defender case for my iPhone 4s, and while it worked ok, this version is a definite improvement. The hard plastic case and the screen protector seem to be the same as the original, other than having larger cut outs for the camera/flash and the front camera/light sensor/proximity sensor area. I never had issues using the 4s camera with the older version case, but I did with the proximity sensor and this case fixes that issue.

The holster has been changed to update the release mechanism. The tab that holds the phone in the holster has been shaped differently in order to make the phone easier to clip in and release.

The biggest upgrade is to the rubber jacket that fits over the plastic case. The rubber seems to be of much higher quality. It has a firmer, more substantial feel, and doesn’t seem like it will lose shape over time. It gives the case a better grip in your hand and generally feels more solid overall.

The opening for the silent mode switch seems to still be off center, but not enough to be of concern.

If you are on the fence about whether to get the older iPhone 4 Otterbox Defender for your 4S or this updated version, I’d definitely pay the extra or so and get the new version.

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I wish there was something a little better, December 6, 2011

This box is fairly good overall but it has a couple major irratating factors that may well be a buying point for many of you so I wanted to talk about a couple things that don’t get mentioned very often.

+ Great Protection and pretty much the best case if you want ideal protection for your iphone 4s from drops on the concrete / outdoor working environment. That’s why i got it.

- The screen cover is a thin layer of plastic that when sitting on top of the iphone creates a ‘film’ illusion where if you have good vision you will see a hazy layer. I think it’s because there is a small space between the case’s layer of plastic and the iphone’s face that bends the light. Its quite annoying to me. I would prefer no plastic at all on the screen front and use a stick on clear protector over the iphone face.

- The headphone jack is closed by a plastic piece that lifts up but it’s annoying to have to fiddle with it to put in headphones.

- The case is fairly bulky and the plastic flap on the bottom of the case will prevent you from EVER using this in an ipod dock if the case is on.

- The case takes a couple minutes at least to remove and it’s annoying to do if you would be doing it more than once a month or so.

- The case is very bad in moist environments, worse than no case at all because moisture gets trapped under the plastic film on top of the iphone screen and you will see a “spread out water droplet effect.” I learned this after I worked out with the phone and noticed the effect.

This case is ideal for dry sandy environments where dropping the phone on the hard surface is a possibility, I still recommend it if you can get over the negatives.

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Very Sturdy and Excellent Accessibility to Buttons and Screen, November 2, 2011

Ordered this product directly from Otterbox.com, and it took 12 days to arrive–not sure if that’s because of a case modification/upgrade around the time I ordered the case.

The case arrived with instructions on the inside of the box, which were NOT very easy to follow. The box suggests going to Otterbox.com to view the instructional video. I didn’t view the video and it took me at least 20 minutes to figure out how to open the case and properly insert my phone into it. Make sure to watch the online video.

Access to all of the buttons and screen is excellent, though there is a flap you have to lift to access the headphone jack. The case definitely adds heft to the phone, but I find that to be a plus both for protection and security (somewhat conceals the fact that the phone is an iPhone).

The case is extremely sturdy and there’s no doubt that it offers excellent protection for the phone. The case may help parents relax when their young children want to handle the phone. The holster is convenient for those who like to carry phones on their hip, and it can be configured to prop the phone for pictures/video.

Gave this case four stars instead of five because the rubber shell doesn’t always seat perfectly with the plastic shell, and sometimes the flaps covering the headphone and charging areas on the phone pop out just a bit.

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