My Love For Life Review

I ordered the Otterbox Defender iPhone Case on ebay for my sis' birthday after researching online for the best iPhone case. After reading several reviews and watching some on youtube, the Otterbox Defender iPhone case was the prime choice. It arrived after more than 3 weeks of waiting in a bubble padded envelope from the US via USPS First Class International shipping.


 Rear view of the bubble padded envelope.

I can easily open the sealed envelope flap with my bare hands by carefully lifting it slowly without damaging the envelope.

The content of the bubble padded envelope consisted of the Otterbox Defender with the order invoice.

Here is the clear clam shell packaging of the Otterbox Defender.

Rear view of the clam shell packaging.

Closeup on the info printed on the packaging card highlights the "3 Layers of Protection" that the Otterbox Defender provides.

Closeup on the Otterbox Defender case still in clam shell packaging.

The clam shell packaging is designed to be opened easily by gently pulling the two flaps apart.

Nice and clear pictorial instructions printed on the insides of the info card.

Overview of the clam shell packaging contents: the info card, the Otterbox Defender and the belt cradle.

Frontal closeup on the Otterbox Defender. In case you are wondering that is not an actual iPhone in the case but rather a realistic display card insert.

Rear closeup on the Otterbox Defender.

There are 2 main layers for the Otterbox Defender: the inner plastic layer and the outer silicon layer.

The inner plastic layer consists of two halves of hard plastic shell which can be separated by unsecuring the respective holding clips.

Now we have the silicon layer, the display card insert, the front side of the plastic shell and the rear side of the plastic shell all disassembled.

Next is to put in an actual iPhone which is positioned at the top for size reference.

First step is to gently and carefully position the iPhone face down into the front side plastic clam shell.

Then carefully place the rear half of the clam shell and gently securing the restraining clips.

This is what it looks like after placing the iPhone in the inner plastic shell. There is a clear layer of plastic protecting the iPhone screen which makes up the 3rd protective layer of the Otterbox Defender.

Last but not least, gently wrap the silicon layer onto the inner plastic shell layer.

Closeup on the speaker phone outlet.

Closeup on the home screen button.

The button is not restricted by the silicon layer at all, still as responsive to press as before with the additional protection.

Side view of the Otterbox Defender. If you look carefully there are 3 oval shaped plastic protrusions which act as the securing flaps of both the inner and outer layers of the Otterbox Defender.

Top side closeup of the Otterbox Defender.

You can easily lift open the protective flap and plug in your favorite headphones in your iPhone.

Closeup on the camera outlet. I must say the addition of the clear protective layer over the camera has not degraded the picture quality taken by the iPhone.

A clear outlet on the backside of the Otterbox Defender allows the iPhone's Apple logo to be shown quite prominently (with added protection of course).

The side ringing<>vibrate switch can easily be accessed by lifting open the protective silicon flap just like the headphones jack.

The side volume control buttons are covered up by the silicon layer but still usable nonetheless.

The bottom data connectivity port can be accessed by lifting the silicon flap.

The mic and speaker outlets however are left exposed for obvious reasons. For those of you who are using 3rd party data/charging cables be warned that if your jack has a bigger profile than that of a genuine Apple data/charging cable it will not fit into the Otterbox Defender. I guess they designed it with a really snug fit for Apple's data/charging cable.

Side by side comparison of the display insert card with the Otterbox Defender.

The last accessory I am going to take a look at is the belt holster.

There is a warning/instruction label sticker on the belt holster which instructs that the Otterbox Defender be placed face in when using the belt holster. I think that way you wont risk damaging your iPhone screen by bumping into anything accidentally.

Closeup on the rear side of the belt holster. It is made of plastic but I have heard reports that it is not as secure as it should be. People doing sprints at the airports trying to catch their flights last minute have reported that their Otterbox Defender belt holster fell on the floor. No damage is done to the iPhone however.

The belt holster's securing clip can be rotated 360 degrees to provide positioning flexibility.

Rear view of the Otterbox Defender fastened into the belt holster.

Side view of the Otterbox Defender fastened into the belt holster.

Personally I think you should not run or exert yourself when using the belt holster. Normal walking should not cause the belt holster to come undone.

I find that the iPhone Otterbox Defender is a good protective case. I have seen videoes of it being thrown against the wall and the iPhone is still unscathed inside. One downside is that it is not waterproof. Small drops of rain should be no issue but when the unit is dropped into water, it will get water damaged.

That said, I would still recommend the iPhone Otterbox Defender if you are looking for a reliable, non obtrusive protective case for your iPhone.

My Love For Life Household Review rating for Otterbox Defender iPhone Case: 4/5

My Love For Life Review