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Lifeproof Fre vs Lifeproof Nuud vs Otterbox Armor Series
- Thread starter Rlumyou56
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Its going to be the Lifeproofs' due to their thinner design and optional belt clip, which the armor currently does not have, but Otterbox just announced today that they are making one.
As far as the Fre or the Nuud, the nuud isn't officially out yet so no one really has them to give a good review. I know I have the Fre and I am definitely getting the nuud because I HATE the screen on the Fre, but I LOVE the overall design of the Lifeproof case. The Nuud is identical to the Fre as far as design goes, other than it removes the built in screen, and the back is clear.
As far as the Fre or the Nuud, the nuud isn't officially out yet so no one really has them to give a good review. I know I have the Fre and I am definitely getting the nuud because I HATE the screen on the Fre, but I LOVE the overall design of the Lifeproof case. The Nuud is identical to the Fre as far as design goes, other than it removes the built in screen, and the back is clear.
Go with the Nüüd. Your not carrying a brick around like the armor and you don't have a wavy screen blocking you from what you need to do like the Fre. The Nüüd is the only one that actually shows the phone your using from the back of the case and it doesn't only show the apple logo which is nice. Just my opinion.
What about scratches that may happen to the Nuud case revealing the screen, also where did you see the otterbox announcement?
Nuud comes with a standard screen protector so you are fine there.
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http://www.otterbox.com/iPhone-Armor-Series-Holster/apl10-holster,default,pd.html?dwvar_apl10-holster_color=20&start=2&q=holster
Actually its out! Looks HORRIBLE, but its at least an option
http://www.otterbox.com/iPhone-Armor-Series-Holster/apl10-holster,default,pd.html?dwvar_apl10-holster_color=20&start=2&q=holster
Actually its out! Looks HORRIBLE, but its at least an option
They both provide the same water proof protection. A hermetically sealed baggie would be the safer choice.
Since the Nuud depends on two seals versus the Fre's one, the odds of getting a bad seal are going to be higher with the Nuud.
So, with 1 seal the odds of a leak are 1 in 1,000,000 and with 2 seals it's 1 in 2,000,000, i.e., irrelevant.
Lifeproof Fre vs Lifeproof Nuud vs Otterbox Armor Series
If that is what you believe, you've clearly not used many waterproof enclosures. Look, I'm not bashing the Nuud. It looks decent, and for many uses it is likely superior. But if the phone will be in water a lot, the Fre is a safer option.
If that is what you believe, you've clearly not used many waterproof enclosures. Look, I'm not bashing the Nuud. It looks decent, and for many uses it is likely superior. But if the phone will be in water a lot, the Fre is a safer option.
It's the other way around, you have twice the chance of a faulty seal therefore 1 in 500,000.
I've never used the Armor case, so I can't really speak to that one, but I will say that from what I've seen it's quite ugly and crazy huge. It may offer somewhat better shock protection than the lifeproof case, but it's too much of a trade off for me. I wouldn't want something that big (or ugly)
As for the two lifeproof cases, though, I have used the Fre since the day it was first available and I just picked up a Nuud case yesterday.
They both are fairly similar, of course, with the big difference of nothing covering the screen in the Nuud case. If you want a waterproof case, then you're going to need to make some compromises, but in my opinion, the Nuud case is far less of a compromise than the Fre.
The big concern with the lifeproof cases (and I would guess other waterproof cases) is the sound quality. Obviously the sound needs to travel through a waterproof membrane to keep the case waterproof and that membrane can introduce some distortion and muffling. Personally, I use a bluetooth headset 95% of the time when I'm on the phone and a bluetooth speaker when I want to listen to music. I rarely actually listen to anything right from the phone. If you listen to music on the phone a lot, or use the phone to talk to people, then this might be more of a concern to you. From what I can see, there have been some improvements in this area in the Nuud case. I played around with it a bit and to me it sounds a little better. I also had a few phone conversations without using my bluetooth headset and people didn't complain about my voice quality. It also seems like this can be kind of hit or miss depending on the individual case you get, so if you do have problems here it might be worth exchanging it for another one.
The other advantage that the lifeproof cases have over the other waterproof cases is that the mute switch is actually usable without opening a port in the phone... I believe most or all of the other water proof cases require you to open a port, then stick your finger in to adjust the mute switch. Not only does this mean that there's one more place that water could leak in, but it also means that you can't mute or unmute your phone when it's wet. Additionally, the lifeproof case comes with a waterproof headphone adapter, so you can use (waterproof) headphones while you're running in the rain or even swimming. Again, I believe most or all of the other waterproof cases require you to open a port to access the headphone jack and the case is not waterproof while that's open.
Finally, as far as the screen goes, in my opinion the screen protector on the Fre case was a pretty big compromise. They used some sort of an anti glare coating on the screen which actually affects the screen quality more than I would have guessed. I was quite surprised at how good the screen looked when I put the Nuud case on. Additionally, the screen protector doesn't always sit totally flat against the screen, so it can make it a bit of a pain to use the phone. This isn't to say that the screen looks terrible or is totally unusable with the Fre case... I used a Fre case for 8 months and was quite happy with it, but it still is a bit of a trade off to get a protected device.
As others have said, the screen is less protected in the Nuud case. If you spend a lot of time on the beach with sand or otherwise might get abrasive dust on your phone, then you might be better off with the Fre case. But, if that's not a concern to you, then I believe the Nuud case is the best waterproof case on the market right now.
Should also consider the Griffin Survivor + Catalyst. I've been using it for over a month and love it. Excellent sound quality. I've used LifeProof for close to 2 years and love their cases, but this griffin case is another great choice. Mute switch is activated by rotating a small knob 1/4 turn. Headphone plug is attached to the case and there is also a lanyard slot ( lanyard inuded ) the new LP nüüd is once again missing a lanyard slot 
the new LP nüüd is once again missing a lanyard slot
It is and it isn't... the headphone plug is now attached to the lanyard slot, but it looks like it would be reasonably straightforward to remove the headphone plug attachment thingie and use a lanyard instead. Of course, then you have to worry about a loose headphone plug, but you do have options.
Here's my .02. I wanted a waterproof case to use on the beach, boat, and poolside. I wanted it to be easy to put on and remove as I have other cases I use for normal use. Although it is quite bulky, Otterbox Armor has been the best choice for me. Incoming and outgoing calls are very clear, it's easy/feasible to load my phone infinite times, and it's truly waterproof. Touchscreen works fine without rainbowing although touches must be firm to register. Works with my Power Support crystal SP just fine. Perfect for my needs and better than a Ziploc or Aquapak. Expensive but discounted on Amazon. Perfect beach case. Also, on/off and mute buttons as well as camera work just fine.
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I used a lifeproof fre with my iphone 5 for over 2 years and loved it. so when I got my iphone 6, I immediately purchased a new lifeproof fre for it. first thing, neither of my after market power cords will fit into the port on lifeproof case. bummer! they worked fine with the iphone 5 case. keep this in mind. looks like I am back to apple gear only with this case
they worked fine with the iphone 5 case. keep this in mind. looks like I am back to apple gear only with this case
I only use Apple manufactured chargers anyways because they are the best quality, IMO. I've had several after markets short out and break within a few weeks of use. I just got the Fre for my i6 the other day and it's miles better than the previous verisons of the case. I also have some Bose ear buds that fit without needing the adapter which is sweet.
my apple charger cable wore out within a few months i like the belkin cable much more rugged thhan the apple cable but i cant use it with lifeproof fre for my iphone 6