The Otterbox Defender Series for the iPhone 4 is serious about protection. It is made up of three layers ‘Hi-impact polycarbonate’ shell is the first layer, this holds your iPhone 4. The second layer is a ‘impact absorbing silicone’ which wraps around the shell and the third layer is a screen protector. You can actually purchase this case in multiple colors red, blue, violet ect and you can have a two tone colored case with a white shell and violet silicone.
The shell clips together for easy appliance of your iPhone. The bottom piece of the shell has a really nice felt inner lining, preventing your iPhone from being damaged even within the case. The silicone which is what you will feel when using your iPhone 4 within the case is fantastic. The textured back feels nice and comfortable in the hand plus it also helps grip when lying on surfaces.
The functionality of your iPhone within is also exceptional. I love the fact the Otterbox Defender has it’s own silicone buttons for the volume rockers, sleep and wake button and the home button. They are so satisfying to use but are also very accessible. The mute switch, 30 pin dock connector and audio jack are underneath a flaps in the silicone preventing dirt and muck from touching them. The Facetime camera on the front and the rear camera have cut outs within the hard shell however the screen protector goes over each preventing them from getting dirty.
The screen protector when in use has some major benefits over other screen protectors such as it not bubbling and once your fingers have made contact for a few hours you just get used to it, the interaction with your iPhone is identical to that with the raw screen. The only bad point I noticed was the crystallised glare on light images through the protector.
Lets talk protection, this thing excels in protection! Otterbox even went to the trouble to cut out a whole in the back for your Apple logo and they covered it in transparent plastic so it doesn’t get damaged. If you drop your iPhone within this case there is no need to panic, big drops to small ones this really has you covered. The shockproof element of the case is also fantastic as it hits the floor it releases a lot of the impact. All the hard work and effort that has gone into making such robust case with the triple layers really pays off.
Overall this is bar none the most protective case I have tried yet for the iPhone 4. The Otterbox Defender feels great in the hand, is functionally exceptional and it also comes with a stand in the box.
