Review by C. WILLIAMS for Otterbox Defender Case for iPhone 4 (Black)
Rating:
I waited anxiously for Otterbox to release this case and ordered mine within minutes of receiving the “Defender Released” e-mail. I received the case on Friday and I must admit, it did not disappoint.

First impressions: The case is of great quality and a lot of detail went into making it compatible with all the OEM “accessories”. The holster is among the best I’ve seen for a phone of this size and works perfectly with the case.

After carrying it for two days (and this is already my 3rd iPhone 4 case – I am rough on my phones): The case is without a doubt the most durable I’ve seen for the iPhone 4 and lives up to the reputation that Otterbox has built over the years.

Cons: The case does add considerable bulk to the phone and may not be perfect for pocket carriers. It does include a holster which works great and can rotate for vertical or parallel carrying of the phone.

Miscellaneous: I have no complaints really, but I am left to wonder if the silicone “flaps” that cover the earphone and USB plug-ins could have been a little more user-friendly. Sometimes they are frustrating to get back into their proper “closed” position.

Edited one month after using: I am still extremely happy with the case. I have dropped my phones a few times already and though the case is starting to show signs the abuse I have provided it the phone still looks pristine! I opened up the case this morning to clean the phone etc and to my surprise there wasn’t much to clean. With cases I’ve owned in the past I would have a forest of lint, dust etc. that would trap itself between the case and the phone. The Otterbox has minimized that debris!

I am uploading several photos showing the difference between a “bare” iPhone 4 and an iPhone 4 in the Defender case so everyone can get an idea of how much “protection” and in turn “bulk” this case adds to the phone.

Edited to add: Amazon removed my pictures when the placed the phone back in a “pre-order” status, I will re-upload them again once they allow. I’m not sure why they state “pre-order” when it should state “Back-ordered, will deliver in xx to xx weeks”, but I digress.

Review by S. M. Ota for Otterbox Defender Case for iPhone 4 (Black)
Rating:
I pre-order the Otterbox Defender case and it is my first case from Otterbox; I love it. I have tried the Incipio Silicrylic Gel/Shell Combo, Griffin Reveal and the AGF Ballistic Rugged Shell but prefer the Otterbox over all of the others.

(A) INCIPIO SILICRYLIC – The Incipio is nice and provides a soft silicone core which feels very nice to the touch. It also comes with a hard acrylic shell which fits nicely over the silicone core. It is a great case but the Silicrylic does not come with screen protection and I experienced some reflection and flashback problems when taking pictures with the LED flash due to the hole size and tapering. The case itself is a little bit slippery but goes in-and-out of your pocket nicely

(B) GRIFFIN REVEAL – The Griffin Reveal is very basic. It is basically an Apple bumper with a polycarbonate backing. Again, no screen protection and had flashback issues. When I tried using my Invisible Shield with the Griffin, the edges kept peeling back due to the rubbers sides of the case not completely covering the edges of the screen protector. If you have the Invisible Shield, you may not want to use this case

(C) AGF BALLISTIC – The AGF Ballistic Rugged Shell provides the most protection of the 4 cases. It has built-in screen protection, an internal plastic shell with inner and outer rubber shock absorption and an additional, removable, outer silicone protective shell (case will work without the outer shell). It is HUGE but you can probably do anything you want with it and the drop would not impact the iPhone 4, nestled safely inside. I haven’t tried the LED flash so I don’t know if there are any flashback problems. The case is great for people who don’t care about the extra size and want the ultimate protection for their iPhone.

(E) OTTERBOX DEFENDER – The Otterbox case is extraordinarily designed. It comes with built-in screen protection which does not stick to the face of the iPhone (I took off my Invisible Shield, which does not work well with this case due to the clear protective membrane sticking to the Invisible Shield). It has a high impact polycarbonate shell and a silicone outer layer. The case is fairly bulky and doubles the size of the iPhone but I love it. There is very, very minimal flashback from the LED flash. It has protective silicone plugs over the entire case leaving only the speaker and mic open (for obvious reasons). The various silicone plugs are attached to the case so you won’t need to worry about losing them. They are easy to open when accessing the headphone port, 30-pin connector and the mute switch. It also comes with a holster clip for your belt. The only problem with this case is that it is not easy to take on-and-off the iPhone because the phone is so well protected inside. Also, due to the thickness of the case, it may not dock on some of your previous purchased accessories. However, if you want a superior designed case providing extraordinary protection with a very nice feel and without the bulk of the AGF Ballistic case then the Otterbox is for you. I give it 5 stars.

Review by A. Schieck for Otterbox Defender Case for iPhone 4 (Black)
Rating:
I loved the original otterbox defender case for my 3G so I figured I’d love the one for my iPhone 4. It came in the mail today and when I opened the package I saw the case is a complete let down. The iPhone 4 is thinner…or should I say was. I figured it’d stay a little thinner than my old iphone in its case however put the 2 otterboxes next to each other and they are the same size. When I dropped my 3G I felt it was protected by a strong otterbox case. That’s not the case with my iPhone 4. The case seems like a cheap piece of plastic, the port covers are a joke compared to the 3G series defender cases. It still has the protective screen which is good but not worth the [...] considering the screen is much for durable than the 3G series iPhones. I could’ve kept my zagg screen cover and Apple bumper case and felt my phone was just as safe while saving [...]. This case was a big let down