I know that there are already many threads regarding this topic, but no one seems to address what I'm specifically looking for. Before I even go there, I clearly think that the screen protector on the Nüüd is horrible (not the worst, but clearly not the best). I find using Control Center and typing/tapping the edges of the screen is relatively easy on the Frē. Is it harder to type and use Control Center on the Nüüd than on the Frē? And how much thicker is the Nüüd than the Frē? I've already received so many defective Frē cases from LifeProof through their warranty claim that I'm considering asking them to send me the Nüüd instead, if that's even possible. I just want to know if I'm making the right choice or not.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
LifeProof Nüüd or Fr
- Thread starter hungx
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
I'm not quite sure what you are looking for. You said that you think the screen protector on the Nuud is horrible, but the Nuud doesn't need a screen protector... that's the whole point of the Nuud case. It does come with an optional screen protector, but if you think it's so bad then you can simply not apply it.
I've used both the Nuud case for the iPhone 5 and the one for the 5S. One of the changes that they made with the 5S version is that the bezel is more angled so it's easier to launch the control panel with the 5S Nuud case than with the 5 Nuud case. In either case the control panel is definitely more difficult to launch than with the Fre case, however, in my opinion it's still easy enough to launch and I don't have much trouble with it.
When I first got the Nuud case I noticed that it was a bit more difficult to type near the edges of the screen, but that only bothered me for a day or two until I got used to it and now I don't really feel like it's an issue.
The Nuud and Fre cases are pretty much exactly the same size... the same belt clip and other holders work for both cases.
I've used both the Nuud case for the iPhone 5 and the one for the 5S. One of the changes that they made with the 5S version is that the bezel is more angled so it's easier to launch the control panel with the 5S Nuud case than with the 5 Nuud case. In either case the control panel is definitely more difficult to launch than with the Fre case, however, in my opinion it's still easy enough to launch and I don't have much trouble with it.
When I first got the Nuud case I noticed that it was a bit more difficult to type near the edges of the screen, but that only bothered me for a day or two until I got used to it and now I don't really feel like it's an issue.
The Nuud and Fre cases are pretty much exactly the same size... the same belt clip and other holders work for both cases.
I just wanted to bring up the known pros and cons of the Nuud vs the Fre. I was trying to find out if the raised bezels bordering the screen interfere with day-to-day use. I've found cases with raised bezels particularly hard to use in the past and am wondering if the Nuud also has this problem. The reason I am asking is that I need to send in my defective Fre for a warranty claim and am considering asking them to send me the Nuud instead. I already had to replace the Fre five times for various reasons (the first one had a microphone issue, the second one had a wavy screen (one portion of the screen protector was unusually higher than the rest so I had to tap harder on the raised part), the third one failed the water test, the fourth one also had a wavy screen, and the Touch ID membrane on the fifth one (replacement from Lifeproof) discolored within a day of use).
fre has a lot of problems, the screen protector layer isn't as good as otterboxes too.
go for nuud anytime.
raised bezels are narrow enough to not impede any swiping action.
go for nuud anytime.
raised bezels are narrow enough to not impede any swiping action.
I wanted to bring it up first so no one would tell me the other pros/cons of the Nuud vs the Fre, which I already read about in the other thread. I was looking for an answer to my question regarding the bezels.
A little bump here.
Quite literally. There is a bump on the front cover. I have just spent an afternoon testíng the Frë for the iPhone 5 (but on my iPhone 5s, meaning that everything works except Touch ID).
Overall the Frë case works as expected. Sound from the phone's speakers is very muffled. Not a deal breaker, as I use headphones most of the time when I listen to music. Phone calls, on the other hand, work great when using the proper phone. The callers hear me perfectly, and I hear them equally great. Siri works superb. No issues there.
However, I use some great Etymotic hf3 with the integrated remote. The remote does not work when connected to the Frë case via the Lifeproof adapter (which is required in order to connect most headphones out there except the standard Apple ones). This means I cannot use the remote to control the music player, nor can I use the remote for phone calls. Sitting on a bike, answering an incoming phone call when using my hf3 headphones with this remote, would thereby become rather troublesome...
For the heck of it, I did the same test with a pair of standard Apple headphones (with remote). Same result when connecting via the Lifeproof adapter. When not using the adapter (connecting the Apple headphones directly to the phone) works just fine (but it defies the idea of a waterproof case, and either way, the Etymotic headphones won't fit when attempting to attach directly... the adapter is the only way).
Is this lack of access to remotes a flaw with the entire Lifeproof range of cases (Frë and Nüüd alike) when used via the provided Lifeproof adapter, or could it just be my test unit that was not quite right?
Another issue with the Frë case: There is a strange bump just to the left of the receiver/front microphone above the screen. All the promotional photos that Lifeproof shows off, won't reveal this issue. But it is there and it is very visible. It is annoying. Rainbow effects appear too, but that seems to be a common issue.
Therefore... I am thinking of getting the Nüüd for the iPhone 5s instead. Direct access to the screen means crisp clear images and naturally there will be no odd bumps (or rainbow effects). But will I still face the same issue with the Nüüd when it comes to headphone access? I would really like my quality headphones to work with the remote, both for making/receiving phone calls, and for listening to music. I'm not going to downgrade to Apples headphones just to have remote access (or risk water damage as the case would be when not using the headphone adapter).
Anyone tested similar setups, any insight to share? Anything else that I should know before choosíng either the Frë or the Nüüd? Thanks for any helpful tips.
Quite literally. There is a bump on the front cover. I have just spent an afternoon testíng the Frë for the iPhone 5 (but on my iPhone 5s, meaning that everything works except Touch ID).
Overall the Frë case works as expected. Sound from the phone's speakers is very muffled. Not a deal breaker, as I use headphones most of the time when I listen to music. Phone calls, on the other hand, work great when using the proper phone. The callers hear me perfectly, and I hear them equally great. Siri works superb. No issues there.
However, I use some great Etymotic hf3 with the integrated remote. The remote does not work when connected to the Frë case via the Lifeproof adapter (which is required in order to connect most headphones out there except the standard Apple ones). This means I cannot use the remote to control the music player, nor can I use the remote for phone calls. Sitting on a bike, answering an incoming phone call when using my hf3 headphones with this remote, would thereby become rather troublesome...
For the heck of it, I did the same test with a pair of standard Apple headphones (with remote). Same result when connecting via the Lifeproof adapter. When not using the adapter (connecting the Apple headphones directly to the phone) works just fine (but it defies the idea of a waterproof case, and either way, the Etymotic headphones won't fit when attempting to attach directly... the adapter is the only way).
Is this lack of access to remotes a flaw with the entire Lifeproof range of cases (Frë and Nüüd alike) when used via the provided Lifeproof adapter, or could it just be my test unit that was not quite right?
Another issue with the Frë case: There is a strange bump just to the left of the receiver/front microphone above the screen. All the promotional photos that Lifeproof shows off, won't reveal this issue. But it is there and it is very visible. It is annoying. Rainbow effects appear too, but that seems to be a common issue.
Therefore... I am thinking of getting the Nüüd for the iPhone 5s instead. Direct access to the screen means crisp clear images and naturally there will be no odd bumps (or rainbow effects). But will I still face the same issue with the Nüüd when it comes to headphone access? I would really like my quality headphones to work with the remote, both for making/receiving phone calls, and for listening to music. I'm not going to downgrade to Apples headphones just to have remote access (or risk water damage as the case would be when not using the headphone adapter).
Anyone tested similar setups, any insight to share? Anything else that I should know before choosíng either the Frë or the Nüüd? Thanks for any helpful tips.
I have noticed with the nuud cases they have a more "plastic" look to them vs the fre cases. Just an observation.
Long time Fre user, hated it at first but the protection and piece of mind grew on me and now I can't stand not having my phone in the case! I tried a Nuud for a couple days and while the nekkid screen was nice the rest of the case was not. I couldn't stand the seemingly giant lip around the screen, for me that was the deal breaker.
I love that the fre has the full screen protection to protect against drops etc. I have no problem hearing people on the phone or them hearing me, although I do have to have the volume cranked up a ways but it's worth it for me and I don't talk on the phone every day. The speaker sounds ok, I use a bluetooth speaker at work/beach/ wherever so I don't really use the phone's speaker for music just for speaker phone once in a while and it works fine for that.
I think these cases do have quality control issues, maybe I just notice little things because I'm kind of odd about it. For instance my last Fre the charging port door didn't seem to snap close as well as others, it bothered me because I take my phone in the pool and ocean frequently and the last thing I want is that door to open because it didn't latch well enough.
Another problem I've had with them is the screen protector getting a bubble the entire width of the phone about an inch from the bottom. Not a huge deal but annoying when you're scrolling the screen and your finger gets tripped up on it every time.
I finally got a decent case after going through a couple of them, all of the problems are gone with this new one and I love it. Oh and another thing that's annoying is the Fre made for the 5s, the home button has a counter sunk clear piece of flimsy plastic to work with the touch id. Which would be great if I had a 5s but I don't. I like the old style where the home button is the same material as the rest of the screen and isn't countersunk with rough edges around it.
I love that the fre has the full screen protection to protect against drops etc. I have no problem hearing people on the phone or them hearing me, although I do have to have the volume cranked up a ways but it's worth it for me and I don't talk on the phone every day. The speaker sounds ok, I use a bluetooth speaker at work/beach/ wherever so I don't really use the phone's speaker for music just for speaker phone once in a while and it works fine for that.
I think these cases do have quality control issues, maybe I just notice little things because I'm kind of odd about it. For instance my last Fre the charging port door didn't seem to snap close as well as others, it bothered me because I take my phone in the pool and ocean frequently and the last thing I want is that door to open because it didn't latch well enough.
Another problem I've had with them is the screen protector getting a bubble the entire width of the phone about an inch from the bottom. Not a huge deal but annoying when you're scrolling the screen and your finger gets tripped up on it every time.
I finally got a decent case after going through a couple of them, all of the problems are gone with this new one and I love it. Oh and another thing that's annoying is the Fre made for the 5s, the home button has a counter sunk clear piece of flimsy plastic to work with the touch id. Which would be great if I had a 5s but I don't. I like the old style where the home button is the same material as the rest of the screen and isn't countersunk with rough edges around it.