Home > Consumer Reviews > Otterbox Defender Case for iPhone 3G, 3G S (Yellow, Black)

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 :-)

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 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!

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.

This case is solid and I have no doubt it will protect the iPhone against most potential disasters.

My only quibble is with the watermarking or oil slick between the protective plastic and the iPhone display - why this has not been addressed by the manufacturer yet is beyond me and saying "Oh just wipe your body oils across the display" is NOT addressing the problem - neither is puffing it with baby powder, the unofficial fix.

At the very least, manufacturer needs to test and then include a stick-on screen protector because as it is, if you buy this case cover, you will possibly need to add another few bucks for the screen protection.

What a shame - if the manufacturer would actually stand up and address this issue head on, this item would be a "must have" for any iPhone users on the go.

Edited to add that I've managed to drop my iPhone at least three times since I wrote this review - sometimes on concrete. The shell has protected it perfectly and although I noticed some distortion of the case at the bottom, where the speaker outlet is, I can't complain because it was the cheap case that sustained the damage and not the iPhone inside. Still happy with this product, even if I still need to get around to fixing the watermark for about the fifth time.

Edited to add that after five months, the belt clip disintegrated. I'm going to remove the protective cover as well and just chance it for now. Started out promisingly but all in all, not really worthwhile as the belt clip wasn't mistreated and came apart as I removed the phone innocuously.