Review: Otter Box Impact Series Case for HTC EVO

If you own a smart device other than Apple's, you will know that it's pretty hard to find accessories for them.  Things get harder to find when it comes to devices that are one off design for selected manufacturers, for instance, all of the HTC phones.  Well, if you happen to own the best HTC Android smartphone today (IMHO), then your HTC EVO 4G is in luck.  OTTER BOX just released it's Impact series case for the EVO and in short, it works and fits very nicely (and I like it!)

Otter Box is famous for it's high quality and durability in cases (see a handful of my reviews on various Apple products here).  That same ruggedness is now available to protect your top dog 4G smartphone. The Impact series case is a one piece silicon sleeve, albeit one thick silicon case offering ample protection.  In Otter Box's own description, it's toughness is rated level 2 out of 4, those looking for ultimate levels of protection should look into their level 4 case, the DEFENDER series (see my reviews).

I was surprised at how much I liked the Impact case for the EVO, it fits the device perfectly, as if the case and EVO have fused together the instant they met.  The cutouts are precise and the texture (especially) on the backside looks amazing, even better than stock. Since the EVO has a smooth/high gloss finish, using the case provides addition grip with it's rubbery finish which also decreased the devices tendency to slide off surfaces on an incline.  The case also offers extra padding around the front of the phone to make sure that gorgeous LCD will not make contact with the flat surface thus avoid unnecessary scratch; this is on top of throwing in a free LCD protector laminate film.

All Otter Box cases tend to add some thickness or heft to the devices but it didn't feel this way with the EVO.  Prior to trying out this Impact Series case (MSRP: $19.99), the EVO was used naked in it's default state, now this EVO will always be rocking inside the Otter Box Impact Series case.

Bottom line: One of the best cases with a good balance of pricing, fit and performance, its a little nugget of protection for your top of line Android device....  If you weren't sure, just go get it, you'll love it!

Review: Otterbox Defender Case for iPhone 4

If you are looking for the ultimate protection for your iPhone 4, Otterbox Defender case is probably your best bet.  Anyone who's unfamiliar with Otterbox products just needs to know one thing, Otterbox cases are TOUGH!  See some of the previous reviews here and here.

Back to the iPhone 4 Defender case, this $49 proposition from Otterbox will definitely protect your beloved Apple gadgetry.  Inside the box, you'll find 4 pieces of hardware (yes, four!) for protection.  The very inner components are two-piece hard cases with felt lining and LCD screen protection that snuggly holds your iPhone in place.  You'll then top off the hardcase with a rubber casing that holds everything together.  At this point, you pretty much have the actual case/protection ready.  Otterbox tossed in an extra belt clip hardware to allow you to snap (or dock) your iPhone into place.

Suiting up your iPhone 4 into the Defender case will remind you of the movie scene where Robert Downey Jr. suits up into Iron Man Mark-III for the first time. You've got a very precise assembly along with a cool see through window which reveals the Apple Logo.  All the cut outs are precise and there are rubber flaps protect just about every ports there is to the phone.  There will be no doubt in your mind that your iPhone is going to be pretty safe nested inside the Defender.

Otterbox cases are known for its toughness but not for its compact size and this Defender case for iPhone 4 is no different.  Its got heft and some weight to it.  It kinda reminds me of the Panasonic Toughbooks whereby if you see it, you'll respect it for its toughness.  If you are interested in solid protection but wants to keep the bulk to a minimum, Otterbox does carry a couple of their smaller cases such as the Commuter and Impact Series.

Review: Pelican i1015, toughest iPhone Case of all!

Mirror mirror on the wall, who in the land is the baddest, toughestt, biggest iPhone protector of all? Pelican i1015, is the baddest, toughest and biggest iPhone case of all.

I've reviewed a good number of iPhone cases on this blog, as far as for true protection, the Otterbox series have been the name of the game. But I think I've hit the motherload of all protection. The Pelican i1015 is a new case for your precious iPhone (also works with iPod Toch) and can withstand just about anything you can throw at it (or throw it at). To tell you how tough this case is, Pelican didn't even bother with packaging. The case comes by itself along with an aluminum carabiner clip attached, I think their marketing folks are brilliant for making two points at once: 1). it's a tough son-of-a-gun and 2). going green!

Lets get to the features: The i1015 case is virtually indestructible; it is crush proof, water resistant, shock and dust proof. Pelican warns you not to submerge the case in water. Pelican engineers has really put a serious case together for the most active iPhone/iPod user.

My first impression with the Pelican is amazement; this case is huge. It is sort of ironic to see such a huge case that turns your slick iPhone/iPod about 8 times its size. In Pelican's defense, they did toss in a compartment for headphone cord management. With your iPhone in this case, it reminds me of Zack Morris's 80's mobile and you can forget about fitting it in your pocket. One thing to point out is this is not intended to be used like a case for communication. The case has no external control to anything (volume, power button, touchscreen, data port or speaker); it was designed as a listening case (while shut) or to be used opened up (kinda reminds me of portable video game cases). There is a headphone jack for you to connect your headphones to it but unfortunately it doesn't support the microphone from your headphones. I think Pelican should have enabled that feature to make using the phone a bit more friendly.

Mr. Obvious will tell you that this case is definitely not for your average joes. Its really meant for professional grade outdoor activities. For those unfamiliar with Pelican, these guys are famous for their super tough storage solutions. This Pelican i1015 case certainly lives up to their name.

Review: Otterbox Defender iPod Touch 2G and 3G

Recently, I reviewed Otterbox's popular tough case Defender for my iPhone 3G. I wanted to see if the company's Defender case for an iPod Touch (3rd gen.) is just as tough. In short: Yes! The Defender case for iPod Touch is very similarly designed as the iPhone version. An outer rubber casing which covers up all the ports is holding a 2-pc. inner polycarbonate case together. A built-in screen protector adds more protection. This signature design is what makes the defender so sturdy and somewhat bulky which gives the iPod Touch a physical thickness equivalent to an iPhone in a regular case (see comparison pic.)

Trading off the added thickness is the incredible ruggedness from the Defender. I just haven't seen another case on the market which protects your precious iPod Touch to this degree. While Otterbox says it does not protect against water intrusion, I feel alot more comfortable leaving a beverage nearby then any other case I've owned. Although the case does leave a cutout near the top of the case for the auto-light sensor, Otterbox says auto brightness will not work with the 3rd gen. iPod Touch. The only thing I noticed about this case is the rubber casing feels a little slippery at times; its no deal breaker and the case provides adequate traction in my pockets to stay put. At MSRP of $29.95, the Defender case is probably the toughest protection one can buy for his/her iPod Touch 2G/3G.

Review: Otterbox Defender for iPhone 3G, 3GS

If you are searching for the toughest protection in the world for your precious iPhone 3G or 3GS, look no further than the Otterbox Defender series cases (also available for iPods, iPod Touch, BlackBerry, Samsung phones). This monster of a case is menacing just by looking at it! The case itself w/o the belt clip (included) is almost 1" in thickness (0.8" to be precise). Take a look at the comparison photo I took showcasing its bulk next to the Griffin Outfit case (left) I reviewed yesterday, this thing is not kidding around.

Construction: All that thickness didn't come without a reason; the case comes with in total three components with four pieces of parts. The inner hard-shell case is composed of two halves (front bezel and back casing) which provides a very strong foundation for your iPhone; it even includes a built in LCD protector that doesn't need to be applied separately. The outer rubberized case adds more protection and acts as a reinforcer to hold the inner casing together snugly as well as plug out just about every port on the phone. Finally there is a polycarbonate belt clip which tops the entire package off. The end result is a massive case that is ruggedized for a very active person.

User feedback: With your iPhone 3G or 3GS enclosed in the Otterbox Defender, it looks like it belongs right next to a Panasonic Toughbook riding inside a military spec Humvee. The sheer size of this case is impressive not to mention how solid your iPhone feels in your palm. For some reason, I don't feel like the ladies would be drawn to this case and for that matter, the added thickness may not chime well with urban/artistic types. If you are a hardcore traveler or take your iPhone outdoors in some tough terrains, I can see this case paying dividends.

Conclusion: Overall, the Otterbox Defender case is built with high quality engineering and is probably the toughest protection available to date. At $49 MSRP (Amazon $29), this case is here to serve the needs of people who demand the highest form of protection to their prized iPhone. If you want a solid case without going to this level of committment, checkout Otterbox's new Commuter series (my review here).

Review: Otterbox Commuter Series Cases for iPhone 3G/3GS

Otterbox, the name that is now synonymous with “tough”, “protection” and “defense” just released two more cases for your iPhone 3G or 3G[s]. I first read about Otterbox’s legendary protection when reading an editor over at TUAW describing how he protected is first gen. iPhone with the Defender series case. When I learned about the new Commuter series for the iPhone 3G (3GS), I knew I had to get in a review to find out for myself.

The commuter series cases (Commuter & Commuter TL) offer ample protection as expected; Otterbox uses a unique design where the case is composed of two parts, a soft-silicon inner that is enclosed within a hard case. This is a design approach that I’ve never seen before. The silicon layer offers really good protection for the iPhone from shifting around and making small scratch marks while the outer hard layer can be used to shield against harder impacts. Both cases has covers to protect the power, headphone ports as well as the power and volume switches. While this case does add a bit of thickness to your iPhone, its still within a reasonable thickness to carry in your pocket. Both cases are very similar in design with minor differences that I will get to in the preceding paragraphs by model.

Otterbox Commuter Case (MSRP: $34.95)
Available in an all black finish (a color pack of swappable color plates is soon available), you can tell this case means business. It draws its major difference from the Commuter TL case in that the back side where the Apple Logo is located, it is fully open. Also, the hard protection layer actually wraps around the sides to provide extra rigidity. I’d argue that this case is more structurally sound and will provide extra protection over the TL.






Otterbox Commuter TL Case (MSRP: $29.95)
The Commuter TL case offers seven colors to choose from and differentiates itself by using a frosted colored hard layer that only wraps around from the top to bottom of your iPhone. Because it doesn’t wrap around its sides, I find the extra exposed rubber/silicon layer to be more commuter friendly to which the phone might offer more traction to stay in my side pants pocket while sitting on a plane or train. Before testing, I thought I would prefer the non-TL case better as it would offer stronger protection, but I actually found myself drawn more to liking the Commuter TL case more.






In any case, if you are searching for a sturdy iPhone 3G or 3GS case, Otterbox is definitely a brand that you should consider since you'll feel good knowing that these Commuter series cases will protect your phone under all conditions.