Review: OtterBox iPhone 3G Defender Case ($25-$50)

Today I'd like to share with you my review of the iPhone 3G Defender Case, from OtterBox. According to OtterBox, the Defender offers "stylish and sophisticated protection in 3 layers."

1. A thin, clear membrane covering the touchscreen to prevent scratches and dings.
2. A hard polycarbonate skeleton that surrounds the device.
3. A silicone skin to absorb bumps and shock.

The silicone skin has a nice feel to it, and is thick enough that it does feel like it offers decent protection from minor bumps. For me, though, the biggest advantage it offers is that it gives you more grip, and makes the phone much less likely to fall out of a shirt pocket or to slip out of your hand. The skin features "plugs" which cover the docking port, vibrate switch, and headphone jack when not in use, and the home button and volume rocker switch can both be used through the case.

Underneath that, the polycarbonate skeleton (or shell) feels quite sturdy. While I wouldn't go running it over with a car or anything crazy like that, it does feel like it could stand up to a bit of pressure without breaking. It features clear plastic "windows" on the back for both the iPhone's camera lens and the Apple logo, as well as openings for the speaker, microphone, earpiece, and IR sensor (all but the IR sensor have a "mesh" on the interior of the openings, presumably to keep out dust).

Topping it all off is the thin membrane covering the touch screen. This, unfortunately, is the Defender's weak spot, feature-wise. The idea of having a protective cover over the touchscreen is wonderful, but it is wrought with problems. Once the iPhone is inside the fully assembled case and in use, I noticed an "oil slick" effect on the screen, caused by the thin membrane sticking to the iPhone's screen. The slick would move around slightly as I used the phone in the case, and was quite distracting. Searching the web and the manufacturer's site, I found that this was not an uncommon occurrence, and had many suggested fixes. Unfortunately for me, however, none of them seemed to work. I finally ended up removing the membrane from my case, leaving the screen unprotected. It is worth noting that OtterBox is aware of the issue and is working on a solution that will then be incorporated into cases manufactured in the future.

In addition to these layers of protection, the OtterBox iPhone 3G Defender case also comes with a polycarbonate belt clip holster which can double as a desktop/tabletop viewing stand for watching videos, slideshows, etc. While I don't find myself using it often, it does seem to be quite sturdy and seems to hold the phone in place very securely.

All-in-all, the OtterBox iPhone 3G Defender Case is quite good, and I will continue to use it, sans-membrane, until a better case comes along. If OtterBox is successful in solving the "oil slick" issue, I hope they offer some sort of trade-in program for early adopters.