Defender for iPhone 4
From: Otterbox
No matter how careful people are with their phones, accidents happen. Phones get dropped and screens get cracked and scratched, sometimes making the phone unusable. With the kind of use that our phones see, some sort of protection is necessary so when an accident does happen, our phones come out still working. Otterbox has an excellent reputation when it comes to their durable protective cases for mobile devices and phones and they lived up to that reputation with their Defender case for the iPhone 4.
When I first tried out the case, I was curious to find out how Otterbox would go about protecting a phone that was almost entirely touch operated without lowering the functionality of its screen. They accomplish this with a screen protector that is built into the front half of the hard case. The screen is still fully responsive through the protector and it doesn’t impede vision of the screen. The best part is that you no longer have to waste money on screen protectors that you have to stick to the phone.
The design of the Defender is similar to other Otterbox models. It combines the protection of a hard case with the shock absorbing power of a silicone case. The hard case comes in two pieces. The back plate has a felt lining to prevent the case from scratching the iPhone and connects snugly to the front plate that has the screen protector. The silicone wraps around the hard case and fits in tightly around the iPhone so you don’t have to worry about it getting caught and constantly falling off. The case has openings for both the front and rear cameras that wont impede the camera’s range of vision. It also features protective flaps for the headphone jack, charging jack, and silence/vibrate button to keep dust out, all of which stay in perfect place until you want them to flap open.
The Otterbox also features an optional belt clip if you like to store your phone on your waist. The clip can also be used as a stand so you can watch videos or movies on your iPhone. By locking the belt clip into the open position, it creates a stand that will prop up the phone at a good viewing angle.
I loved using the Defender case. When it was on my phone I got the feeling it was indestructible. The only downside that I faced was the added bulk that the case gave and the fact that it was difficult to get the phone to fit into many iPod docks with the case on. It was still able to plug into the iPod connector with no difficulty. Overall it was a sacrifice I would be willing to take in order to protect not only my monetary investment in my phone, but also all of the information that is on it.