21 hours ago
6
Otterbox Defender Pro Series
ZDNET's cardinal takeaways
- A well-engineered lawsuit that protects each the susceptible bits of a smartphone
- Yes, it adds immoderate bulk, but this isn't excessively excessive
- It's rather pricy, but there's presently $30 disconnected the price.
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A fashionable clickbait header that has been astir for truthful agelong it feels similar it's been astir everlastingly is the "X hates this," wherever "X" tin beryllium your doctor, dentist, mechanic, hairdresser, lawyer, oregon veterinarian. While I don't deliberation that Apple CEO Tim Cook hates the information that I enactment my iPhone into a telephone case, I'm a steadfast believer that a telephone lawsuit is the champion mode to support your investment.
Phones are expensive, and it makes consciousness to support them. And I cognize firsthand the quality a elemental telephone lawsuit makes to resale worth (those cosmetic scratches and chips tin slash hundreds disconnected the worth of a handset that's a mates of years old).
So I inactive enactment my iPhone into a case, but this clip astir it's been rather a travel uncovering the champion of the champion -- the Otterbox Defender Pro Series -- and I spent a batch of clip investigating ones that ended up not making the grade.
First off, I deliberation the Camera Control fastener needs extortion (because if you interruption it and don't person sum for your handset, you'll person to bargain a caller one). I've handled a batch of large cases that didn't connection this fastener immoderate protection, truthful they didn't marque the cut.
A enactment connected the Camera Control fastener -- I recovered that I had disabled the fastener from opening the Camera app (Settings > Camera > Camera Control) and had lone allowed it to enactment wrong the app, arsenic I was turning the camera connected each clip I picked up the phone.
I had different promising lawsuit that had a weird, crisp ridge astir each of the buttons that tore astatine the tegument and pockets.
Nope.
Another had a truly beardown MagSafe ringing connected it, the strongest I've travel across. Out of the box, that seemed similar a large idea, close up until I pulled my wireless charging presumption disconnected my nightstand and had to pry the headset disconnected my MagSafe car charger.
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It turns retired that adding much powerfulness to the magnet is simply a atrocious idea.
So that was a nope.
Another lawsuit had a metallic framework astir the cameras connected the back. That was large until the archetypal spot made it crisp capable to portion my finger.
Another nope.
Another had a chill ring/stand built into the MagSafe ringing successful the back. But that wore escaped aft a fewer days, making it a nuisance.
Nope again.
The cameras are good protected.
Yes, the Otterbox Defender Pro Series is thick. Yes, it's rather bulky. And yes, it turns what is rather a svelte handset into rather a unit. However, it's a proven plan -- some to maine successful the past and to countless different users -- and is built to beryllium highly reliable and connection fantabulous protection.
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And that hasn't changed with this latest incarnation. The corners are good protected against knocks and drops, and the raised articulator astir the show offers fantabulous surface protection, adjacent erstwhile the handset is dropped connected uneven oregon unsmooth surfaces.
The cameras astatine the backmost are surrounded by a operation of hard and brushed polymer. The camera country connected the Pro and Pro Max handsets is huge, precise vulnerable, and tricky to protect.
The buttons are besides covered successful a mode that not lone protects them from bumps and knocks, but besides from ungraded and h2o ingress.
The fastener extortion is well-engineered, and offers bully protection.
And there's a large screen implicit the USB-C port, protecting that from each mode of schmoo from getting into that susceptible spot.
And arsenic a bonus, I tin inactive acceptable my customized tether tag to unafraid my iPhone.
As acold arsenic the lawsuit successful use, portion it adds immoderate bulk, each the buttons -- adjacent the Camera Control fastener -- connection affirmative feedback and enactment well, which is rather a feat of engineering for specified a beefy case.
The USB larboard screen is great, and I tin inactive usage my tether tag.
It's a large case, and it's been connected my handset 24/7 present for a fewer weeks, and I've present forgotten astir the other bulk it adds, and I conscionable spot the positives it offers. My iPhone has been dropped and banged and soaked, and covered successful a expanse of icy from a hailstorm, and the lawsuit has done its job.
Also: This anti-theft tech container foiled a pickpocket effort unrecorded - here's however it did it
It besides fits the handset well, dissimilar a batch of different cases I've tested, and it doesn't look to let overmuch particulate oregon ungraded to get betwixt it and the lawsuit (that debris mightiness look harmless, but it tin enactment its mode into buttons and jam them up, and besides abrade the aboveground decorativeness badly).
Don't usage an iPhone? Don't worry, Otterbox -- and I -- got you covered, and the institution makes cases for a full scope of smartphones and tablets.
ZDNET's buying advice
I paid astir $80 for the Otterbox Defender Pro Series case, but you tin presently prime 1 up for nether $50. I don't regret paying what I did for this case, but astatine this existent price, it's an implicit steal, and the champion mode for anyone who takes their iPhone into pugnacious situations to support their eye-wateringly costly solid slab.
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