Best iPhone 3G and 3G S Case

I’ve had an Apple iPhone 3G for about a year now. I was reluctant to give in to the whole iPhone hype for a long time but I qualified for the $200 deal and figured what the heck. The only reason I still own the iPhone (and haven’t destroyed it) is because I made the decision to protect it with an OtterBox Defender case.

I am extremely rough with phones due to my work environment and knew that I would need to find something that would protect my new iPhone 3G since I could not afford to replace it. I did a lot of research and finally settled on OtterBox. It turned out to be a great decision and has paid for itself many times over.

While working on top of a building in New York, I dropped my phone 1 ½ stories onto hard metal grating and it was completely unharmed. This is a big reason why I consider it to be the best iPhone 3G case.

Yes. The actual physical shape and design of the iPhone 3G S is no different than the iPhone 3G. It will fit just fine.

Screen function:

The screen response through the clear membrane is excellent. It actually makes the phone function much better when heavy moisture is present. While working, my hands often get very sweaty or wet. In the first few days of owning the phone I did not use a case. I was disappointed to find that the screen was very difficult to use if my hands were wet. There were multiple times when I couldn’t even answer a call. The clear membrane of the OtterBox Defender case eliminated that problem immediately!

The beveled edge which surrounds the screen area at first seemed to intrude on the outer limits of the keyboard function but once you get used to it it’s not a problem.

Some people complain of “watermarking” due to the membrane being in contact with the screen. It gives the effect of an oil slick but is still totally transparent. This has never bothered me much but one remedy is to lightly puff baby powder onto the iPhone screen before placing it in the case. The baby powder is applied so lightly that it is completely invisible but still solves the “watermarking” problem.

Holster:

The included holster is useful but does seem to have some design flaws.  It adds some bulk and does not hold the phone in as well as I would like when using it with the screen facing outward.  It does, however, double as a stand for use when viewing videos or browsing web pages.  

Wet conditions:

Another great thing about this case is that it allows me to use my phone in light to moderate rain with no worries of moisture intrusion. It is not waterproof but it’s much better than using a naked iPhone in the rain.

Warranty:

OtterBox offers a lifetime warranty on their products. I tested this feature out very recently. After almost a year of extremely rough abuse the case finally did start to show some signs of wear and tear. Mind you though, it was still fully functional and kept my phone protected despite its condition.

To be specific, the inner shell developed some cracks and the earphone and docking port flaps began to tear away. I have included pictures of the actual condition of the case at this point.

I went online, found an email address for OtterBox and proceeded to explain to them that, while I was very happy with the performance of my case, it had indeed broken. I received a quick and friendly response asking for the specific case model and a shipping address. A few days later I received a brand new case, no questions asked.

If you are a contractor, construction worker, or otherwise hell on cell phones then the OtterBox Defender case is the way to go. This is the best iPhone 3G case for rough environments.

If you have any questions I would be happy to answer them in the comments section.