Get Ultimate iPhone 4 Protection With OtterBox Defender [Review]

If you’re a rugged, outdoorsy type — or just really careless — you’ve undoubtedly been looking for the toughest case ever for the iPhone 4.

OtterBox has been the go-to company for this sort of iPhone protection. And while it’s taken them some time to come up with something for the iPhone 4, the company has finally released something in its tough-as-nails Defender line.

OtterBox offers three levels of case protection. There’s the Impact, which is designed for everyday casual protection; the Commuter, for people who are looking for a little more; and the bulk-be-damned Defender series, for those who want the absolute most protection money can buy.

How does it measure up?

The Defender is a very substantial, multi-layered case. At the heart of it is a thick plastic and textured silicone case. There are the usual holes for all of the iPhone’s microphones and speakers. It has a membrane to cover the screen and a protected opening on the back to proudly display the Apple logo. There is also a cutaway for the camera lens and flash. The Defender also comes with a rather large and very sturdy plastic clip-in holster that can be oriented to any angle you choose. You can also orient your device face down to give the screen more protection while you’re not using it. The holster doubles as a stand to view media. This will be a very useful feature to use to stave off insanity while you’re stranded in the woods waiting for the rescue crews to find you.

The Defender is designed for protection against bump, shock, dust and dropping. I wearingly did several drop tests with my own iPhone 4 onto a wooden floor and my asphalt driveway from heights as high as my head. Neither the iPhone or the case suffered any damage. I felt totally confident riding my bike around the city streets with my iPhone riding along in the hip holster.

Of course, the Defender doesn’t make your iPhone invincible. It does not protect against water and the screen is only covered by a thin membrane if it’s not flipped face down in the holster.

It’s also huge.

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It looks much more elegant than I was expecting it to be — but it is a very bulky item, especially with the holster attached. Sans holster, it did fit in my jeans pocket but I could always feel it there pressing against my leg. What I could not feel was the vibration of my phone receiving a call or text message. There’s just too much silicone there.

One other downside is the screen-protection membrane. You can always see where it’s touching the screen and occasionally made the screen appear to be a bit wavy. See the shot above.

As you would expect, this is not a cheap case at $49.95. If you’re like me, and use your iPhone running and on a bicycle on a regular basis, it may be worth it to you. However, for the average user, this is not a case you’ll want on your phone every day and is something that you’ll just break out for special occasions. If you want something that’s very sturdy and still easy to use every day, the OtterBox Commuter or Impact may be a better choice.

32 comments »

About the author

Bryan J. Ball is a stand-up comic, writer and longtime self-confessed Apple fanboy. When he began using Apple computers the major argument was amber versus green and Oregon Trail was the number one RPG. He has written for 'BentRider Online, Wired.com, Adventure Cyclist, and Momentum Magazine amongst others. You can find him on Twitter and Facebook.

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Posted in Cases, iPhone & iPod Accessories, iPhone 4, Reviews |

HKbstr63
Just finished placing my order on the website! Thanks, Bryan! This has been on my radar for quite a while and appreciate the much anticipated review! My neighbor has a Defender for his 3GS and has served him well when he’s out in the field. The protective screen touch issue is a small tradeoff for the rugged protection this case has to offer, and I like how the holster doubles as a stand as I use my iPhone4 for my dedicated alarm clock!! Sweet!!!
EB
I just wanted to point out they announced it before the 4 shipped, they sent us mockups of it the day the iPhone 4 shipped, and they had it in my hands about 3 weeks after the iPhone 4 shipped. To say this:
“And while it’s taken them some time to come up with something for the iPhone 4, the company has finally released something in its tough-as-nails Defender line.”
FINALLY? They need to have it in their hands to make sure it fits. They need to tool up and produce and package and ship. 3 weeks warrants a FINALLY? Come on, give them some credit. they brought it out very fast, and we should not have expected it any faster. If anything, I thought we would not be seeing it until September/October timeframe!
Robert1014
I had the Otterbox Defender for my iPhone 3G, (until I switched to a Speck Candyshell). It’s a terrific case! I don’t know yet if I’ll get the Defender for iPhone 4…I’m thinking I might want to stay with a slimmer profile…at least for now. I’m presently using a Belkin GripVue, but I’m also looking to find the new Speck Candyshells for iPhone 4, (they’re impossible to find at present).
Anyway, one simple way to eliminate the “waterspot” that appears under the Defender’s screen protection membrane is to swipe the iPhone’s screen with your hand before placing it in the case. The oil from your hand, oddly enough, will prevent the “waterspot” from appearing.
Try it…you’ll like it!
Jason
Good article. I have had my defender on my iPhone 4 since 8/12/10. I does feel very protected. The side feel a bot slick to me though, One great thing though is that I have absolutely no watermark from the screen protector. The touch screen is as responsive as the naked phone. I haven’t tried the belt clip yet, but so far, I am very happy with the defender.
Damon
I have an Otterbox Defender case for my iPhone 3gs. I love it and can’t say enough good things about it. I am sorry but I just can’t wrap my head around this holster though. The older design of the 3g/3gs holster is more versital and therefore more convenient. The “media stand” position is not unique to this holster over the 3Gs model other than it used the clip as a “stand” instead of just proping the phone up from behind. So other than holding the phone off the surface a bit…there is no advantage to the 3gs holster. To do this in the 3gs defender you only had to rotate the clip to be aligned in parallel fashion with the holster and then lock it open. You could then stand the phone horizontally like the “media stand” or even stand it up vertically so your softphone display’s right and points right at your face when you put it on your desk or a table. After all you can’t view the softphone correctly if it is in the “Media Stand” position. I use my 3gs defender this way all the time and get many comments regarding how nice and convenient it is. This can be done on the 3GS case because the clip is offset on the holster. The 4G case’s clip is centered and will prevent this. Not to mention I feel the 3gs holster is better looking.
“Sans holster, it did fit in my jeans pocket but I could always feel it there pressing against my leg. What I could not feel was the vibration of my phone receiving a call or text message.”
I cary my 3Gs in my front right pants pocket with the holster on and the clip locked on the outside of my pocket pretty much exclusively. I do alot of heavy construction and home renovation and don’t carry my phone on my hip unless I am going to a business meeting or something. Hip wear isn’t really heavy construction worker friendly. In the pocket by my hip it is actually very comfortable and allows for a full range of motion and is better protected from dirt…especialy when I am working in a hole. Again it is the offset orientation of the clip to the holster on the 3gs Defender that allows this. The phone sits just peeking out of my front pocket without droping in and pressing against my leg. I get it out quickly since I don’t have to go digging for it. This would not be possible with the 4g defender since the clip is centered on the holster and would hold the phone too far out of your pocket to be stable and will have a tendency to pop out of the pocket when you squat.
I wish I could post pictures here to show the way’s you can stand or carry the 3gs defender that you can’t with the 4g defender. If someone would like pics…try asking on the board. Perhaps I could post them on my site and post a link here.
I for one, hope otterbox will offer a holster with an offset clip. I can’t wear it on my hip or will get beat up quick…not the phone mind you…just the case. Funny, I could really use the best protection….it just dosen’t exist on my hip.
Please Otterbox! Don’t make me drop this uncomfortably in my front pocket and keep it facing the ceiling when I put it on the table when not watching media!
Oh…and still need the baby powder to get rid of the water stain! The otterbox website says that was resolved.
Garner
The water spots usually only happen if you have some secondary screen protection, such as a Zagg, in addition to the Otterbox. I haven’t seen an instance where it happens without it. You may be one, however.
http://www.bentrideronline.com Bryan J. Ball
Nothing secondary. Just a naked iPhone inside the case in the photo.
SN352
I just purchased this exact product in red at a Best Buy. I hated the otterbox series and thought it makes iPhones look terrible. But I have to give some credit to otterbox for making the defender cases look much more attractive when they first came out for the 1st generation iPhone. If you compare the defender cases back then to the one for the i4 now you’ll see a huge difference. They really tried to slim the cases down without sacrificing protection and because of this I finally bought a defender for my new i4. I’ve had an iPhone since the 3G models came out. It feels great and it’s nice to know I will never have to buy another case for my i4 for as long as I have my phone. Worth every penny for giving you great protection for your $400+ (retail price) phone. Whats $50 when your phone is worth that much.
Justin
I had one for the 3g and oil slicks or water marks, whatever you wanna call it were horrible. Had to do the baby powder trick. For my iP4, I removed my screen protector and gave it a real good wipe down with a microfiber and it’s perfect. No bubbles, sticking, oil slick or anything. Been using it all day now and running my finger all over the screen every once in a while just to try to make it happen and it won’t. I’m very impressed.
Bruce
Just got THE CALL that my IPhone 4 is in and I will pick it up tonight. I’ve been debating whether to get the Defender or wait for the release of the Impact series. I was at Walmart about an hour ago, looking at cases that I could use until the Impact becomes available, and the girl working the cell phone accessories comes up to me and tells me they just got a shipment of 4 black Defender series IPhone 4 cases and did I want to take a look at one. She said she wasn’t going to put them out just yet because they’d sell out in 30 minutes. I looked it over, was impressed with it’s much smaller size as compared to the 3GS Defender. Needless to say, the local Walmart now only has 3 in stock!!!! And it was only $44.95. I’ll provide a review after I use it for a couple of days.
Gregg
I went to best buy and the associate allowed me to unpackaged and “try on” a black defender case, and I was sold at first, but then I noticed the hole for headphone jack was in the wrong spot!! It is perfectly centered overtop the tiny hole approximately 1/4″ to the side of earphone jack. We checked all the colors on the shelf, and they were all the same. Seems like a design error to me, anyone have a better explanation? Can’t see spending $50 for a case I can’t plug my earphones into without uncovering that section……..
Chris
Gregg,
The is the secondary microphone that is being uncovered. the flap needs to be lifted to access the headphones. That saying, I love this case. Now I don’t worry about dropping the phone. Sure 50 bucks for a case is expensive, but not as much as replacing a phone
Robert F.
My wife and i have had our iphone 3Gs’s in the Otterbox Defender case’s sense we got them last July and we a put them through hell ad back and our phone are good as new.
And a quick and easy way to git rid of the water marks it to put an anti glare screen protector on your iphone before you put it in the case. It works like a charm TRY IT!!!!
scott
ive been an otterbox user since the iphone 3g came out and would not ever go without a defender series, the only problem i have with tthe 3g/3gs model i have had to put a anti glare screen protector on , to prevent watermarks from the defender screen protecter and after time eventually just remove the screen protector from the otterbox and just use the anti-glare , the dust level have gone down since than and i love it 10X better!
as for the iphone 4 otterbox defender series like i said i am a firm believer of the otterbox and my phone has been in the otterbox since before it was even activated, i like that you dont have a watermark issue like the 3g/3gs series, but i noticed dust in the case is a bigger issue with the industry that i am in.
a major problem i am noticing with everyone that has an otterbox defender case for the iphone 4 has a defective area where the back of the case on the bottom tends to not go in the track and the rubber stands or pops out where it should not be , this is frustrating because this is letting more dust in the case and as well as poor craftsmanship it seems as if the rubber is .001-.003 to thick around this area and is not laying how it is supposed to , another problem or an overlooked issue they didnt put into aspect is the charging cover , i open and close this flap 5-10x daily at times its more of a process to get it to stay shut or stay closed when sealing on the go as to the 3g,3gs you just press and whala!
it seems as if you miss putting the otterbox in the holster and when you go to take it out you have to reform it to be back together often.
the best yet is the belt clip very durable better hold thank you for this fix i have had so many 3g&3gs’s that have fell out and a friend of mine knocked his out the clip into the toilet i rigged the waterdamaged phone so he could exchange it without a charge lol!
one of my biggest dislikes is the lego buttons for the volume they could have designed this any way they wanted and it tolls toyish the other day my kid was trying to connect his legos to the volume buttons on the otterbox woah!
hopefully i will not have to go removing the screen protector on the otterbox after time and go to the anti glare screen protector as for i am big on not wanting to see scratches or oily fingermarks when i am using my device!
Maribeth
Just Got my otter-box defender for iphone for in the mail. I live in Costa Rica because I’m a student here and I needed something rugged to protect it. I am also a professional at ruining phones. I was waiting until it came to the at&t store to buy it because my dad works there and gets 50% off of accessories. So I can’t complain that we only had to pay $25 for the case. So far I love it and it seems like a good protector. My parents both have the otter-box defender on their iphone 3gs and have that weird watery looking thing. I don’t have that issue at all! I cleaned the phone and the case thoroughly and wiped them with a lint free cloth before putting it together. My only complaint is the iphone jack – hole – thing being in the wrong spot! I mean, really?! They took long enough to come out with the case, because they wanted it to fit right, but they missed that somehow? Is everyones like that? Good thing that flap lifts or i wouldn’t be able to put my headphones in the whole. Anyway, I just can’t comprehend how a mistake like that gets past them . . . on a $50 item. . . can we get refunds???
Bryan J. Ball
The headphone hole is NOT in the wrong place. That is the hole of the noise canceling mic. The headphone jack is under a protective cover you have to pull back.
Mike
I like the defender case, however, I do have one complaint. The flap where charge the phone is annoying and there is a HUGE 1″ gap just posterior to the charging area that is next to impossible to seal and stick once sealed.
LvBngaGeek
The issue I ran into was trying to dock my iPhone 4 with the OtterBox Defender case on. The 30-pin hole becomes so tight and narrow that the only way I could dock was to remove the case (which is a pain). I finally found a dock extender a gadgetboost.com online http://www.gadgetboost.com/products/DockExtender-Boost-iPhone-iPad-iPod-Dock-Extender.html – made all the difference in the world. phew
Tattedina
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John Christopher
I purchased one of this cases and I am very happy with it. The case is indeed bulky but I am willing to use it due to the protection I get from it. A thinner case might keep the original look but will not protect your iphone once it falls on the floor.
Meag
i saw that one of the problems with the OtterBox was the screen protecter. i put my OtterBox on over another screen protecter and have no problems with the screen looking wavy or having air bubbles. i didnt even have to smooth it out or anything. and the touch screen still works perfectly with technically 2 screen protecters over it.

Tony
Did the exact same thing, with no issues at at all. Looks great, no touch screen issues either!

Debjdl2
I amd a big fan of the Otterbox having had a BlackBerry I used as a hockey puck a time or two accidently with no damage but last week I up graded to an IPhone 4 and of course put it in an Otterbox for protection but within a week I broke the plastic clip that holds it in my case so now it’s a big bulky phone I have to tote around…please start making replacement holsters soon because I dont believe I’ll be the only one to break this clip…it’s not too steady.
Sixxgirl58
I was having major difficulties with my iPhone screen being a bit bubbly and oily looking after I purchased an Otterbox Defender case and put it on my iPhone. This was very irritating, but of course did not affect the functionality of my phone. I read a review on Amazon where someone suggested applying a very small amount of baby powder to the inside and outside of the screen protector shield of the Otterbox and then wiping it clean with a damp paper towel. I was skeptical, but I figured that I would at least give it a shot. I removed the case and gave it a try. What do you know, it worked like a charm! I have absolutely NO oily looking spots or bubbles whatsoever! I hope that this tip helps someone else because I am very grateful to the person that thought of this.
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_FV4OE73RSEEHS2DDOZTSE7X5ZA Mark
plastic parts fit very well, silicon parts not so well, overall, not worth the cost in my opinion..
Stephanie Bargenquast
I’ve been using the Otterbox Defender for almost a month with no problems. I’ve had the screen issue with other cases, but not this one. They revised the case for the Verizon iPhone so I wonder if they addressed the issue with the update. The case has been a lifesaver more than once. My only gripe is the holster–it rides very high on the belt so unless you’re a beanpole, you’ll feel it. I started clipping it to my jeans pocket. I’m considering adding an anti-glare screen protector with a smaller case when I’m at home, though.
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_67UNKNJDH5SWJRGPFTNLGGSGA4 TINA
iVE GOT TO POST THIS CAUSE THIS IS SO TRUE.. IVE READ ALL THE COMMENTS AND I HAVE TO TELL YA i WAS NOT A FAN OF THE OTTER BOX.. BUT WHEN MY PHONE WAS DROPPED INTO A FULL BATH TUB AND SOKED TO DEATH IT SURVIVED!! I HAVE MANY CASES FOR THIS PHONE AND SOMETHING TOLD ME TO PUT IT BACK IN THE OTTER AND GOD BLESS THE OTTER BOX.. IM SOLD ON MY INVESTMENT..
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_67UNKNJDH5SWJRGPFTNLGGSGA4 TINA
iVE GOT TO POST THIS CAUSE THIS IS SO TRUE.. IVE READ ALL THE COMMENTS AND I HAVE TO TELL YA i WAS NOT A FAN OF THE OTTER BOX.. BUT WHEN MY PHONE WAS DROPPED INTO A FULL BATH TUB AND SOKED TO DEATH IT SURVIVED!! I HAVE MANY CASES FOR THIS PHONE AND SOMETHING TOLD ME TO PUT IT BACK IN THE OTTER AND GOD BLESS THE OTTER BOX.. IM SOLD ON MY INVESTMENT..
http://www.facebook.com/josealbertovillar Jose A. Villar
I own this case for my Iphone 4g and I’ve been very happy with it. Although bulky it does the job. I wonder if they will ever come out with an artsy leather case yet sturdy enough to take the hits. Love the outer design of the following sleeve I found on etsy.
http://www.facebook.com/josealbertovillar Jose A. Villar
I own this case for my Iphone 4g and I’ve been very happy with it. Although bulky it does the job. I wonder if they will ever come out with an artsy leather case yet sturdy enough to take the hits. Love the outer design of the following sleeve I found on etsy.
http://www.facebook.com/josealbertovillar Jose A. Villar
I own this case for my Iphone 4g and I’ve been very happy with it. Although bulky it does the job. I wonder if they will ever come out with an artsy leather case yet sturdy enough to take the hits. Love the outer design of the following sleeve I found on etsy.
Hank Snow
The plastic “clip” is the worst design I’ve ever seen. I still handle the phone with great care, along with the clip/case, and the clip broke for no reason at all. Also, it’s easy to misalign the case and the clip — you think it’s snug and it is not. The case is great — the clip sucks.