The Otterbox for iPhone 3G Defender
OtterBox makes tough stuff. If you have an electronic device you want protected, then OtterBox is the place to go. They feature cases for iPods, Blackberrys, Motorola, Laptops, etc. Their cases range from waterproof to shock protection to environment impermeable.
When Apple released the iPhone 3G with the curved back, they made previous hard cases for the 1st generation iPhone obsolete. To provide optimal protection for the new iPhone 3G, OtterBox has released the Otterbox for iPhone 3G Defender.
Due to the large screen surface area, both versions of the iPhone are prone to catastrophe. Many cases protect the external housing, but due to the nature of the screen, leave that area exposed to danger. The Otterbox for iPhone 3G Defender is one of the few cases that provide full coverage protection for the iPhone. They took their original iPhone Defender case and updated it for the iPhone 3G.
The Otterbox for iPhone 3G Defender comes in a predominantly yellow colored cardboard box. On the front is the Otterbox logo and mascot with a picture of the iPhone 3G Defender case a short description of the case. One side of the packaging lists the features of the case and the contents of the box of the other side. Finally, the back of the box shows some action shots of where OtterBox products can be useful.
Inside the box one finds the Otterbox for iPhone 3G Defender, a ClipStand holster, the instruction sheet, an Otterbox sticker and an advertisement.
The Otterbox for iPhone 3G Defender is comprised of a black Polycarbonate case and has a black Silicone skin, there is a thin clear membrane that covers the screen.
The 3G Defeneder case with silicone skin measures 4.87" x 2.77" x .8" and weighs in at 1.9 ounces.
The ClipStand holster is also composed of black Polycarbonate and has a belt clip that rotates 360 degrees. Besides acting as a holster, it can work as a stand for watching media on your iPhone 3G.
Specifications:
The Otterbox for iPhone 3G Defender
The OtterBox for iPhone 3G Defender Series follows in the Defender Series tradition by offering stylish and sophisticated protection. First, a thin, clear membrane covers your Touch Screen to help prevent scratches and dings. Second is a hard, strong Polycarbonate skeleton that surrounds your device. Wrapped around all of this is a Silicone skin that absorbs bump and shock, protecting against the accidental drop. Included with the case is a ClipStand holster. This case will not fit the 1st Generation iPhone. If you have the 1st Generation iPhone and would like a case, click here.
Compatibility/Features:
This OtterBox for iPhone 3G Defender Series was designed to accommodate the 8GB and 16GB iPhone 3G models ONLY. Included with the case is a ClipStand holster for carrying AND viewing convenience! Please note: This case does NOT work with the first generation iPhone OR the iPod Touch.
Features:
* 3 LAYERS OF PROTECTION!
* First, a clear Polycarbonate sheet with high performance hard coating that offers chemical and abrasion protection
* Second, a hi-impact Polycarbonate skeleton
* Lastly, a Silicone skin to absorb bump and shock
Weight (case only): 1.9 oz.
Dimensions: 4.87" x 2.77" x .8"
Notes: Case NOT fully protected against water. Will provide some added protection against drop, bump and dust. NOT intended for protection against water intrusion.
Price: $49.95
Installation of the Otterbox for iPhone 3G Defender involves removing the Silicone Skin from the hard shell.
Separate the Polycarbonate case by prying the three clips (two on the side and one on the top) apart.
Once the shell is opened, remove the protective film from the inside of the front screen membrane. Next, slide the iPhone 3G into the upper portion of the shell and then clip the back of the shell to the front.
Next, wrap the Silicon Skin onto the case. There are fixation points on the front, back and side of the shell.
Viola, your iPhone is now protected from most forms of punishment! The Otterbox for iPhone 3G Defender fits easily into the holster and has tabs to lock the case into the ClipStand.
The Otterbox for iPhone 3G Defender provides dust and dirt protection via flip up silicon tabs that cover the dock connector, the headphone jack and the mute switch.
The silicon skin permanently covers the volume, home button and power switch, there is a filter opening for the earpiece above the screen.
The backside of the Otterbox for iPhone 3G Defender features an opening for the camera and a larger second opening for the Apple logo to be displayed. Below this larger opening is the Otterbox logo embossed in the case.
The bottom of the case has two more filtered areas which cover the speakers adjacent to the dock connector.
For all intents and purposes the iPhone 3G is sealed from the outside environment; although, it is safe from minor splashes, Otterbox does stress the Defender is NOT intended for protection against water intrusion.
One of the issues that plagued the original iPhone Defender case was the inability to access the mute switch, this has been remedied with the flip up silicon tab covering it.
Holstering the iPhone 3G into the ClipStand with the phone facing forward allows each access and removal; Unfortunately, it is a little too easy to knock the iPhone 3G Defender out of the ClipStand as my daughter easily demonstrated when I picked her up.
However, if you wish to have the iPhone 3G sitting with the face into the holster, then the removal of the iPhone 3G Defender is more difficult. In fact, the holster does not allow the case to slide out unless the two side tabs on the holster are pulled apart. I wish there was a happy medium for keeping the iPhone housed in the ClipStand.
The flip down silicon allows syncing with a cable, but would require the iPhone 3G to be removed from the case if you were using a dock for syncing.
Another quibble I have with the case is that it does mute the volume of the phone, for instance the ringer is definitely lower in volume than when the iPhone 3G sits naked.
Conclusion:
If you like to have a sleek form factor for your iPhone 3G, then this is not the case for you. With the Otterbox for iPhone 3G Defender in place, the svelte iPhone 3G takes on the form of an older PDA. This sacrifice in style does provide excellent protection from the environment and most particulate matter. Whether you want to lose the aesthetic of the iPhone 3G is a matter of personal preference.
I personally like the security that the Otterbox for iPhone 3G Defender provides my iPhone 3G, knowing it can withstand the occasional fall or splash is very comforting.
Pros:
-Terrific Protection for iPhone 3G
-Comfortable silicon grip
-Includes Holster
-Three Layers of protection
Cons:
-Bulky
-Muffled iPhone sound secondary to the case
Grades:
Overall: 
Design: 
Performance: 
Love the Otterbox for my 3G. Had the same problem with the holster. THANKS for the suggestion to put it in face down. Whenever I am out and about, I will use it that way!!
It is such a great case, I can throw it across the room and it wont get one scratch, Dent or any damage due to the inside or out side of the case and Iphone 3G
This case makes me one happy camper
Great case. Hate sound quality can’t hear the phone
Best protection of any iPhone 3G case on the market. I accidentally dropped my iPhone on to hard cement from about 5 ft, and no damage to either the phone or the case. To avoid the watermark effect when using the touchscreen, use an anti-glare film (Power Support works great). Also, you can use the Sendstation dock extender to make this case compatible with universal docks. However, you will need to (carefully!) file down the ‘hips’ of the dock extender with coarse-grit sandpaper to get it to fit the case. The case does slightly mute the volume of the phone, and sometimes creates a barely noticeable echo effect. You can somewhat solve this by opening the silicone tab which covers the dock connector.
Only caveat: Don’t trust the holster, even with the phone’s screen facing inward. Your phone may fall out if you’re doing anything more active than walking. However, the case is surprisingly slim (about as wide as a Palm Treo 700p), and will fit in most jacket or pants pockets.
I HAD THE IPHONE IN AN OTTERBOX ON MY LAP AND i WAS CROSSING THE STRRET IN MY POWER WHEELCHAIR. i HIT A BUMP AND THE IPHONE FELL TO THE STREET AND I DROVE OVER IT WITH MY POWER WHEELCHAIR WHICH WAYS 250 LBS IN ADDITION TO MY WEIGHT. gUESS WHAT? iT WORKED PERFECTLY. nOW i WILL NOT UPGRADE TO THE IPHONE 3 GS UNTIL i KNOW FOR SURE THE OTTERBOX FIGHTS. nO OTTERBOX FIGHT NO NEW UPDATED IPHONE. i WILL WAIT UNTIL A NEW ONE COMES OUT.
Catherine the 3Gs does fit in the Defender Case. I just upgraded from 3G to 3Gs and am using the defender. I love this case but I did not like the protective clear face film they used. I peeled mine off and placed a Zagg Invisi-Shield front on the iphone. Works great because the front part of the shell comes in contact with the invisi-shield and creates its own seal.
I dont have any real gripes about the case but if I had to pick some….
1. Only clips in holster face first. Makes the stand feature of the holster clip kind of stupid.
2. If you want to use docking you will have to remove the case.
3. A little more effort is needed to access the touch screen near edges of case trim.
If someone knows a secret to making this clip into the holster face out please let me know.
Just got this case in the mail, and thought it was my civic duty to actually tell people what I thought of it. I have been using the Invisible Shield full body cover on my Iphone 3G, which was a bit taxing to apply but provided the scratch protection I was looking for without weighing down the phone. However, after a recent run in with an errant rain drop down my headphone jack hole, I thought I needed something more.
*The packaging on the Otter box is actually easy to get open and required no power cutting tools.
* The case feels solid, and sturdy in the hand.
*All openings are covered against intrusion by dirt, and splashes (Like raindrops) NOT WATER PROOF!!
* Installed the phone in under a minute.
* The case will only securely clip into the belt holster face first, if you face it out it will fall out very easily. However if your just watching movies at a table, its not an issue, but definitely dont cary it face out in the holster, it will fall out.
I would give this case 9.7 out of a 10 its pretty nice.
This case offers the best protection available. Looks good, feels good in the hand. Added bulk is not an issue. As with most silicone cases, it tends to pick up dust and lint but nothing that a quick wipe down with a microfiber cloth can’t fix. Definitely use an anti-glare screen protector on your phone to eliminate the “watermark” issue. The holster and case are designed for the phone to be held face-in as evidenced by the location of the dimples in the sides of the case that correspond to the nubs on the holster, which are more to the rear. Otterbox would have to design it to be used either face-in or face-out so that the holster would grip the phone the same either way. Face-out is not an option with this latest iteration of the case and holster – maybe for the next model? My only concern is that the hardshell’s nubs that hold the silicone jacket in place directly transmit the shock of any any bumps (dropping onto a hard surface – like a table) to the phone itself and negate the little bit of shock absorption provided by the layer of silicone. This is now my favorite case, followed closely bythe PowerSupport silicone jacket and holster.
This is a great case. Very durable. Do a you tube search and you can find a guy that threw his out of a 2nd story window and when he retrived it the Iphone was in perfect condition. It really is up for anything.
Three things to be aware of, however.
1) the dreaded oil slick. At first, this didn’t bother me greatly but as time wore on I became more and more annoyed. I discovered that if you put an anti-glare screen protector (pack of 2 available at Apple Stores for $15) then the problem is solved. No more oilslick and no more “rubbing the face of the phone on a greasy hand or face” (as recommended on the otterbox website.) Perfect. My $50 case is now $65.
2) you cannot dock this phone while in the case. Solution – buy a dock extender. The only company I have located to date that sells this is Sendstation — SendStation Dock Extender. They are charging $30 for the extension. Amazon.com sells this product on behalf of an outside seller. Be prepared to modify it, however. As is, the extender does not fit into the slot at the bottom of the case. If you have access to a Dremel or similar tool, the sides of the extended can be ground down so that it will fit. Took all of 5 minutes for me to do this and I have no skills with power tools. Thankfully, the underlying plastic is black as well, so you can’t really tell that you modified it unless you look closely at the fact that the modified area is not as glossy as the rest of the part.
3) the covering over the speakers and earpiece will mute sound so much that you will not hear the phone ring unless you are in a quiet environment and you will constantly ask callers to repeat themselves. The only solution I have found for this is to poke a very small hole in the coverings. Obviously, the case is no longer as dust proof or semi-water proof, but at least I can hear the phone ring – which after all is important as my Iphone is first and foremost a phone. Prior to punching the holes I had the ringer volume and settings all set to max levels. Now, they are reasonable at mid way and I can hear the ipod functions and ringers in less than silent enviroments.
So – in sum, my $50 case now cost $105, but it is still WAY cheaper than buying a new phone if (or should I say when) I drop my phone. Worth the cost and the fixes in the long run.
I just bought this case for 28.15 with free s/h and with the anti glare 2for5 33 bucks baby! I end up destroying all my phones at some point but I don’t think Im going to be worried about that anymore. I could not be more happy with this purchase and take my advice, go on eBay and find a us seller 28.15!!!!
The Defender case is great–throw the holster away until they redesign it. I purchased this case after watching a demonstration from an AT&T store rep. He threw the phone on the ground, beat it on the desk, and showed me the teeth marks from where his dog bit it. All in all, it was a great demonstation as to the durability of the case, and me being a sucker–I bought one. In use, the case is truly a “defender”, having protected my iPhone from drops off a ladder onto concrete, a drop in the car wash bucket (quickly removed and dried), and being ran over by a hand-truck dolly carrying a refrigerator. As others have mentioned, the holster sucks. The 3 drops I list were a direct result of the poorly designed locking mechanism of the holster. The holster requires the phone to sit “face in” and appears to snap into place. This, however, is deceptive as the phone (because of the angle) is difficult to remove with your hand–but easy for anything to snag it and knock it out. When the phone does fall out–it is virtually silent as the case cushions the impact so well that you may not even notice you have dropped it (that is how I ran it over with a hand truck).
I actually like the bulk and the grip of the case. The plain iPhone was too small in my hands and its smooth surface was difficult to get a good grip on. Without a case, I was always worried about dropping and damaging the phone! I tried a few other “cheapy” silicone cases and found some that had a pleasing grip, but they also seemed to glue themselves to every bit of dirt, and the inside of my pocket. I found myself continously readjusting the cheapy cases as they do not stay positioned correctly for very long. The silicone used on the Otterbox has the optimum grip feel without everything sticking to it and the overall size fits in my hand perfectly. Also, the case stays on perfectly.
The Pros: Too many to mention–absolutely rock-solid protection. Well designed (case). All buttons protected and easy to manipulate. The skin material is durable, shock absorbing–and most importantly, it just “feels right”.
The Cons: Holster is a bust; do yourself a favor and just cary the phone in your pocket or purse.
Oil bubbly screen: forget about the manufacturer’s fix, or the baby powder solution–just break down and buy Apple’s antiglare protector and get rid of the bubbles under the screen.
Docking: If you desire to dock your Defender cased phone, as I see it, you have two solutions: If you already have a docking station for the iPhone–you can try the extenders mentioned in other posts; if you do not have a docking station, you can buy an a dock specially made for the defender case installed. The company made2dock offers an exceptional looking billet aluminum dock for the exact same price as the dock extenders ($29.95). Just ordered this so no comments about its merits.
Car telephone adapters: If you have a vehicle (BMW, Mercedes, etc) that has a specific eject box for the iPhone, this case will not work.
You all know this is a great case.
The oil slick is the issue.
I do not want to buy a 14.00 screen protector to put under my 50.00 screen protector to get rid of an oil slick though.
Here is a fix you can also use. (And NO it is not dust your screen with baby powder)
Get some Anti Static monitor wipes. They sell them everywhere. Even the camera section of wally. Wipe your iphone then wipe the inside of your otterbox. LET IT DRY. then reassemble.
Walla! no more slick! Crystal Clear!
shark@clover.net
I was a happy owner of the defender case for the iPhone 3g.
I recently dropped my phone from waist high. The phone
screen shattered. Now what do I do?
If you are having a problem with the screen sticking because of static then take your otter boxx defender case apart and take a dryer sheet and gently touch it to both the case screen and the screen of your device. The screen shouldn’t stick any more.
Does anyone sell a horizontal leather case for the iphone with the OTTER Defender case?
Most leather cases are too thin to carry the iphone with the Defender.
Have the otterbox and it was almost exactly what I needed since my profession is nature photography. Wish it was totally waterproof, but it is sealed pretty well and would probably survive a quick dip in water ( hope to not find out!) kept falling out of the case when I would run or climb so I got a black ‘O’ Ring that fits tightly around the box and case for the times I know I might be rough and lose it. Definitely won’t fall out with that on, but makes phone access a little slower. Only other complaint- if clipped on you belt the clip cuts into your skin and you need to tuck your shirt in to keep from getting abraisions
I am a private pilot and I use my 3Gs as my E6B (flight computer) and as an auxiliary: GPS, Back up radio receiver (yes there is an app for that) I can tune in most unicoms etc. Compass,Altimeter,artificial horizon,G-meter,timer, etc. I take my 3Gs wherever I go so I really needed a good case to protect it. My phone has survived two DUNKINGS in water. (I immediately dried it, removed the Otterbox and dried the phone too.) and several drops from hip high onto concrete, I could not be happier! Even though the box is not waterPROOF it does slow the water from soaking in immediately so if you are quick about getting it dry it just may survive a real dunking like mine did!
I’ve had my Otterbox Defender for some time now – and like many others, I’ve dropped and kicked it accidently. I too have to echo the pros and the only two cons I have are 1) the case does not secure the phone well and I haven’t found a work-around yet and 2) the only accessories that work without disassembling the case are the sync/charger that came with the phone and the car charger. Everything else either requires me to adjust my Otterbox (not) or the item. I just received my extender and will follow the trend set by others and modify it to use with the Otterbox so I’ll finally be able to use my solar battery!
Has anyone tested or tried the supposedly new redesigned holster at the otterbox website? It seems like it is a common problem of having our iPhones knocked out of the hoslter without us knowing it. I’ve had too many close calls of lost phones already Im just about to take matters in my own hands and redesign the holster myself with some improvisations. Other than the holster, the Defender is a good case for my iPhone 3Gs.
Let me know if you find anything around that is more suitable as a holster for my Defender.
This OtterBox Defender case is great for people like me who take pictures of almost everything. I’ve dropped my iPhone many times from taking so many pictures indoors and outdoors. A few times I also placed my iPhone on my lap in the car after a phone call. I would get out of the car forgetting that my iPhone was still on my lap and it would bounce onto the parking lot a few times and land several feet away. The Otterbox does a great job protecting my iPhone.. Even when it is in my bookbag with tons of other stuff, i dont have to worry about it getting smashed or cracked. The Otterbox is almost perfect for me. Yes, its a little bulky, but thats what happens when we get extra protection for our iPhone. People have a hard time switching the mute button on and off, but that’s not even the problem for me.
I have only one small problem. When i am taking a phone call on my iPhone, a lot of people tell me they cannot hear me too well when i am speaking to them. I thought it may have been my phone connection/server or the other person’s end, but its been more frequent since i got this case. I noticed the white coverings over the speakers to protect the dust. I think the white cover also muffles the voice/sound entering the mic. I am tempted to rip out these covers or poke pinholes in them. However, i do realize that i will forfeit protection from dust. Overall, all the control buttons are still easily accessible, the phone is completely protected from most impacts/falls, and dust. The OtterBox Defender is a great case for people who will sacrifice ‘compact’ for an extra bulkiness protection.