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LifeProof Fr iP5 case
- Thread starter mrbunglez
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Finally got my white version in today from BB. It's one of the first batches because it has the clear strip in the back of the case. I was using an Otterbox Defender and I love that the Lifeproof is not as bulky, lighter and looks much better than the Otterbox in my opinion, BUT I am having the same issues as everyone else. The screen protector is horrible. It's fuzzy and screen sensitivity is not nearly as good as it was on the Defender. The sound quality is also greatly reduced and muffled. I don't recall it being that bad on my iP4 version and it was certainly better on the Defender I was using. Not sure what to do. Thinking I may return it, stay with my Defender and give Lifeproof a few months to see if they make improvements. I really want to try a Taktik but not sure if I want to pay that much for a case or wait on them. Looks like their iP4/4S version is just now shipping.
would you like to be the FULL PRICED guinea pig for lifeproof....mwahahahahahhah.
$22 shipped on amazon for defender + 2yr Squaretrade accidental = FTMFW
http://amzn.com/B00974L60S
$22 shipped on amazon for defender + 2yr Squaretrade accidental = FTMFW
http://amzn.com/B00974L60S
As an Amazon Associate, MacRumors earns a commission from qualifying purchases made through links in this post.
I just wanted to add my thoughts to this thread. I had used the Lifeproof iPhone 4/4S case for nearly a year before I purchased my iPhone 5, and I've had a Gen 1 Fre case for my iPhone 5 for about a week and a Gen 2 case for two days now.
First, speaking as someone who has used a Lifeproof case for quite a while now, I think you need to go into this realizing that there will be some compromises to get a waterproof case. If you don't need (or want) a waterproof case, then you may want to look elsewhere.
That said though, I love the waterproof-ness case. Occasionally I get stuck waiting in the rain and I love that I can take out my phone and use it without worrying about it. I need to be on call periodically for my job and during the summer I spend a lot of time swimming. I love that I can put my phone near the edge of the pool or even take it into the pool with me when I'm swimming and need to make sure I don't miss a call. It can be fun, especially with kids, to take pictures in and under the water too. If my phone gets dirty I can just rinse it under water. I'm sure there's more, but that's what I can think of right now. For me, I'm happy to put up with a few compromises to get these benefits, but I realize they're not for everyone.
As far as the compromises go, here are my thoughts:
Pillow effect. First, I think there might be a bit of confusion with this term. With the original iPhone 4/4S case it was possible to get air trapped in the case that would cause the whole screen cover to expand out slightly away from the screen... like a pillow. Because the case was sealed and there was lightly more air pressure in the case this could make using the touchscreen a bit difficult. They made some changes with later versions of the 4/4S case to reduce/eliminate this problem. I haven't see this problem at all with the Fre case.
However, there definitely is an issue where the foam near the earpiece at the top of the phone (and to a lesser extent, the little spacer under the home button at the bottom of the screen) will force the screen cover away from the surface of the phone at the top (and bottom) of the phone. This isn't technically 'pillow effect', but it is definitely an issue. The iPhone 4/4S case experienced this as well, however, it was much less pronounced. Because of the taller screen the ear piece and the home button are closer to the screen on the iPhone 5. Additionally, Lifeproof seems to have used a different solution for the earpiece for the iPhone 5 and this seems to require a bit more depth, which just makes the problem worse. The slight separation at the bottom of the screen doesn't really bother me at all... possibly because I used the iPhone 4/4S case for some time and I probably got used to it, however, I do get a bit annoyed with the separation at the top of the screen. This makes it more of an effort to slide down the notification bar, or tap the top banner. I can live with it and I'll probably get used to it with time, but I'm hoping Lifeproof might come up with a better solution for this. It's worth noting that the Gen 2 case might have a *slightly* smaller gap at the top of the screen, but only slightly. I spent a bit of time trying to compare the two pieces of foam as well as the way the gap looked when the phone was installed and I believe that the Gen 2 case is slightly better, but only slightly. It's also possible that I'm just imagining things.
Rainbow effect. It looks like Lifeproof put some sort of an antiglare type coating on the inside of the screen, likely to try to fix the rainbow effect issue. This definitely helps, but I'm not sure it's totally eliminated the problem. When the phone is off, especially if you look at an angle you can definitely see a bit of rainbow effect. However, when the phone is on and you're looking straight down at the phone it all but totally disappears. With the iPhone 4/4S case you could fix the rainbow effect by putting a very light dusting of corn starch or baby powder on the phone screen before you installed it in the case and so far I haven't felt the need to do that with the Fre case, since you can't see an issue with the phone on. I may still try at some point. I didn't really notice any difference here between the Gen 1 and Gen 2 cases.
However, the coating on the inside of the screen does come with a bit of a downside. It adds a bit of 'visual texture' to the screen, especially with bright screens. If you take the phone out of the case and look at a white screen (an empty tab in safari is a great way to get a mostly white screen) you can see that the screen looks solid white. When you put it in the case you can see that it gains a bit of 'texture'... a while bunch of tiny moire effect patterns. It hasn't bothered me too much, but I still don't like it. Honestly, I think I'd rather have an uncoated screen and use a bit of corn starch to fix the rainbow effect. As above, I didn't really notice a difference here between Gen 1 and Gen 2 either.
I haven't really had any issue with sound quality or rattling, however, I should note that I really don't use the speaker phone or the speaker on the phone very often. For the most part I use a bluetooth headset for phone calls or a jambox for listing to music. I do occasionally use the phone itself for phone calls and I haven't really had any trouble there, but with the Gen 1 case I would get a little feedback occasionally. I haven't heard that at all with the Gen 2 case yet, but it's only been 2 days now, so I'm not quite ready to call it cured.
The other thing that hasn't really been mentioned here, but probably deserves a mention is that the charge port opening is considerably larger than the lightning connector. With the iPhone 4/4S case the port was pretty much exactly the size of the original apple 30 pin connector. This meant that most 3rd party connectors simply wouldn't fit. With the Fre case it seems like they've added a bit of extra space here, so that shouldn't be a problem now.
The last thing I wanted to mention is that I see a lot of people complain about the cheap feel of the case. I think part of that comes from the fact that this case is crazy light and people tend to equate weight with quality. Because the case just consists of a couple very thin and very light pieces of plastic it does feel a bit cheap as you first take it out of the box. However, it does appear to be made from reasonably high quality plastic and once you get it installed on the phone it looses the flimsy feel and doesn't seem like a cheap case at all.
I think that's about all I can think of right now. In summary, if you're coming from a 4/4S case, then you're probably used to most of the downsides and you should be happy with the Fre case. If you're new to Lifeproof then it might take a little time to get used to it, but hopefully the benefits outweigh the small inconveniences. If you don't need or want a waterproof case, then honestly, I would suggest looking elsewhere for a case.
First, speaking as someone who has used a Lifeproof case for quite a while now, I think you need to go into this realizing that there will be some compromises to get a waterproof case. If you don't need (or want) a waterproof case, then you may want to look elsewhere.
That said though, I love the waterproof-ness case. Occasionally I get stuck waiting in the rain and I love that I can take out my phone and use it without worrying about it. I need to be on call periodically for my job and during the summer I spend a lot of time swimming. I love that I can put my phone near the edge of the pool or even take it into the pool with me when I'm swimming and need to make sure I don't miss a call. It can be fun, especially with kids, to take pictures in and under the water too. If my phone gets dirty I can just rinse it under water. I'm sure there's more, but that's what I can think of right now. For me, I'm happy to put up with a few compromises to get these benefits, but I realize they're not for everyone.
As far as the compromises go, here are my thoughts:
Pillow effect. First, I think there might be a bit of confusion with this term. With the original iPhone 4/4S case it was possible to get air trapped in the case that would cause the whole screen cover to expand out slightly away from the screen... like a pillow. Because the case was sealed and there was lightly more air pressure in the case this could make using the touchscreen a bit difficult. They made some changes with later versions of the 4/4S case to reduce/eliminate this problem. I haven't see this problem at all with the Fre case.
However, there definitely is an issue where the foam near the earpiece at the top of the phone (and to a lesser extent, the little spacer under the home button at the bottom of the screen) will force the screen cover away from the surface of the phone at the top (and bottom) of the phone. This isn't technically 'pillow effect', but it is definitely an issue. The iPhone 4/4S case experienced this as well, however, it was much less pronounced. Because of the taller screen the ear piece and the home button are closer to the screen on the iPhone 5. Additionally, Lifeproof seems to have used a different solution for the earpiece for the iPhone 5 and this seems to require a bit more depth, which just makes the problem worse. The slight separation at the bottom of the screen doesn't really bother me at all... possibly because I used the iPhone 4/4S case for some time and I probably got used to it, however, I do get a bit annoyed with the separation at the top of the screen. This makes it more of an effort to slide down the notification bar, or tap the top banner. I can live with it and I'll probably get used to it with time, but I'm hoping Lifeproof might come up with a better solution for this. It's worth noting that the Gen 2 case might have a *slightly* smaller gap at the top of the screen, but only slightly. I spent a bit of time trying to compare the two pieces of foam as well as the way the gap looked when the phone was installed and I believe that the Gen 2 case is slightly better, but only slightly. It's also possible that I'm just imagining things.
Rainbow effect. It looks like Lifeproof put some sort of an antiglare type coating on the inside of the screen, likely to try to fix the rainbow effect issue. This definitely helps, but I'm not sure it's totally eliminated the problem. When the phone is off, especially if you look at an angle you can definitely see a bit of rainbow effect. However, when the phone is on and you're looking straight down at the phone it all but totally disappears. With the iPhone 4/4S case you could fix the rainbow effect by putting a very light dusting of corn starch or baby powder on the phone screen before you installed it in the case and so far I haven't felt the need to do that with the Fre case, since you can't see an issue with the phone on. I may still try at some point. I didn't really notice any difference here between the Gen 1 and Gen 2 cases.
However, the coating on the inside of the screen does come with a bit of a downside. It adds a bit of 'visual texture' to the screen, especially with bright screens. If you take the phone out of the case and look at a white screen (an empty tab in safari is a great way to get a mostly white screen) you can see that the screen looks solid white. When you put it in the case you can see that it gains a bit of 'texture'... a while bunch of tiny moire effect patterns. It hasn't bothered me too much, but I still don't like it. Honestly, I think I'd rather have an uncoated screen and use a bit of corn starch to fix the rainbow effect. As above, I didn't really notice a difference here between Gen 1 and Gen 2 either.
I haven't really had any issue with sound quality or rattling, however, I should note that I really don't use the speaker phone or the speaker on the phone very often. For the most part I use a bluetooth headset for phone calls or a jambox for listing to music. I do occasionally use the phone itself for phone calls and I haven't really had any trouble there, but with the Gen 1 case I would get a little feedback occasionally. I haven't heard that at all with the Gen 2 case yet, but it's only been 2 days now, so I'm not quite ready to call it cured.
The other thing that hasn't really been mentioned here, but probably deserves a mention is that the charge port opening is considerably larger than the lightning connector. With the iPhone 4/4S case the port was pretty much exactly the size of the original apple 30 pin connector. This meant that most 3rd party connectors simply wouldn't fit. With the Fre case it seems like they've added a bit of extra space here, so that shouldn't be a problem now.
The last thing I wanted to mention is that I see a lot of people complain about the cheap feel of the case. I think part of that comes from the fact that this case is crazy light and people tend to equate weight with quality. Because the case just consists of a couple very thin and very light pieces of plastic it does feel a bit cheap as you first take it out of the box. However, it does appear to be made from reasonably high quality plastic and once you get it installed on the phone it looses the flimsy feel and doesn't seem like a cheap case at all.
I think that's about all I can think of right now. In summary, if you're coming from a 4/4S case, then you're probably used to most of the downsides and you should be happy with the Fre case. If you're new to Lifeproof then it might take a little time to get used to it, but hopefully the benefits outweigh the small inconveniences. If you don't need or want a waterproof case, then honestly, I would suggest looking elsewhere for a case.
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Well, I've got my hands on my friends iPhone 4s Lifeproof Gen 2 case and it is MUCH better than the iPhone 5 Fre Gen 2 case.
Pillowing on the iPhone 4s case is absolutely minimal if any at all at both the earpiece and home button. I can easily unlock his phone without any effort. The iPhone 5 Fre case is terrible, I have to really push down for it to work.
Absolutely no rainbow effect on the iPhone 4s case. iPhone 5 Fre case MAJOR rainbow effect.
Speakerphone? I don't even know where to begin. iPhone 4s doesn't rattle at all even at full volume. iPhone 5 rattles like crazy even at 1/8 of full volume.
The feel of the iPhone 4s case feels more rigid and less cheap feel to it. These are my thoughts.
Pillowing on the iPhone 4s case is absolutely minimal if any at all at both the earpiece and home button. I can easily unlock his phone without any effort. The iPhone 5 Fre case is terrible, I have to really push down for it to work.
Absolutely no rainbow effect on the iPhone 4s case. iPhone 5 Fre case MAJOR rainbow effect.
Speakerphone? I don't even know where to begin. iPhone 4s doesn't rattle at all even at full volume. iPhone 5 rattles like crazy even at 1/8 of full volume.
The feel of the iPhone 4s case feels more rigid and less cheap feel to it. These are my thoughts.
I totally agree.
These are pretty much my experiences too, although I thought the iPhone 5 case seemed a little more rigid and durable than the 4/4s version.
I loved my iPhone 4 LifeProof case. The headphone situation was annoying, but I was willing to deal with it to have the case be LifeProof. I didn't have any other issues with the iPhone 4 version.
I am not sure I can deal with the worse rainbow effect, the random high-pitched noises while on calls, and the speakerphone issues...
I might return this case for now and search for alternative short-term solutions (zip-lock? dry bag?). Maybe see if LifeProof makes some fixes in the coming months and try again later...
Was thinking the same. However I believe those issues are fixed in the version 2 of this case.
Okay; maybe I'll head back to Best Buy tonight and see if they have any Gen 2 cases......... Last try tho (I already exchanged it once).
It's been about 5 days and my lifeproof fre case has been broken in a little more.
I've used otter box defender cases and I got this case simply because it was lighter, thinner, and still certified (mil spec and ip68) for shock protection and water/particle proof. The case feels solid and I don't have a problem tossing or dropping my phone at all in either case but I love the fact that its waterproof and not a giant fat rubber case.
Otterbox doesn't have a waterproof case yet and are working on one called the armor series, but it's a giant hunk of metal. TakTik is designed to be very elegant looking for a big fat case and isn't waterproof either. In fact I don't think there is any other water/particle proof case with certification for shock protection too that can compare to lifeproof when it comes to bulk.
The rainbow effect is still there but significantly less noticeable. In the beginning the rainbow effect was large and splotchy like the surfaces were wet. Now they are small and spread out. I can't notice them anymore unless I am specifically looking for them on a black screen with a bright light off angle.
The extra padding at the top and near the home button still annoy me but the rest of the screen is flat and responsive. I am looking for the next revision (rev 3 or later) which I hope it's fixed with a thinner or better solution.
My headphone adapter is still broken and I'm waiting on a replacement in 2 weeks.
I have the horrible speakerphone rattling which I fixed by taking a small path of tissue thin paper and folding it a few time and then using it to pad the back panel. I simply placed it in the case and closed with. No tape or anything. The paper folded was about 2mm thick (but compressible) and didn't affect closing the case at all. From the back side, it would be about a centimeter above the lifeproof logo in the middle. The size was a square centimeter. No more audio issues at all. Voice calls on speaker stopped cutting out too, probably because the monitored audio is closer to what it expects out of the speakerphone rather than buzzing.
I've used otter box defender cases and I got this case simply because it was lighter, thinner, and still certified (mil spec and ip68) for shock protection and water/particle proof. The case feels solid and I don't have a problem tossing or dropping my phone at all in either case but I love the fact that its waterproof and not a giant fat rubber case.
Otterbox doesn't have a waterproof case yet and are working on one called the armor series, but it's a giant hunk of metal. TakTik is designed to be very elegant looking for a big fat case and isn't waterproof either. In fact I don't think there is any other water/particle proof case with certification for shock protection too that can compare to lifeproof when it comes to bulk.
The rainbow effect is still there but significantly less noticeable. In the beginning the rainbow effect was large and splotchy like the surfaces were wet. Now they are small and spread out. I can't notice them anymore unless I am specifically looking for them on a black screen with a bright light off angle.
The extra padding at the top and near the home button still annoy me but the rest of the screen is flat and responsive. I am looking for the next revision (rev 3 or later) which I hope it's fixed with a thinner or better solution.
My headphone adapter is still broken and I'm waiting on a replacement in 2 weeks.
I have the horrible speakerphone rattling which I fixed by taking a small path of tissue thin paper and folding it a few time and then using it to pad the back panel. I simply placed it in the case and closed with. No tape or anything. The paper folded was about 2mm thick (but compressible) and didn't affect closing the case at all. From the back side, it would be about a centimeter above the lifeproof logo in the middle. The size was a square centimeter. No more audio issues at all. Voice calls on speaker stopped cutting out too, probably because the monitored audio is closer to what it expects out of the speakerphone rather than buzzing.
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about a week in now and unfortunately it hasn't broken in at all. Except for maybe the audio buzzing/feedback. That part is a little better but not by much. I also noticed that the home button has a lot of play on it (if you press it lightly). Rainbow effect is worse I think.
I did have Lifeproof finally get back to me and they're sending me a replacement case, although I don't know if that'll solve any of these issues. We shall see. I still want to give them a chance before I venture off into another case.
I did have Lifeproof finally get back to me and they're sending me a replacement case, although I don't know if that'll solve any of these issues. We shall see. I still want to give them a chance before I venture off into another case.
Got the Gen 2 version today and, man, it is WAY better. The screen cover sits more flush, the Newton rings aren't as bad, and no issues with phone calls or speakerphone.
I am glad LifeProof is still awesome!
I am glad LifeProof is still awesome!
So I was listening to a review show that talked about a waterproof, dust proof, IP68, and MIL Spec drop protection case for the Samsung Galaxy S III and it wasn't LifeProof! The company was "SEIDIO" and the case is called "OBEX".
Apparently, they are in development of an iPhone 5 version! It is marked at $80 and comes with a holster (unlike LifeProof). At quick glance of the screen shots and functionality of the Samsung GSIII, it looks not to be a big bulky case either while maintaining solid protection. This might be worth watching out for if LifeProof doesn't work out.
http://www.seidio.com/obex/
Apparently, they are in development of an iPhone 5 version! It is marked at $80 and comes with a holster (unlike LifeProof). At quick glance of the screen shots and functionality of the Samsung GSIII, it looks not to be a big bulky case either while maintaining solid protection. This might be worth watching out for if LifeProof doesn't work out.
http://www.seidio.com/obex/
That SEIDIO case definitely looks interesting. And I like how they did the earpiece and home button, which should keep the screen protector flat against the phone screen. Judging by the "apple hole" in the back, it looks like this case may be a bit bulkier than the Lifeproof one though.
I'm excited to see how it looks when it comes out and even if I don't purchase one I'm happy to see that Lifeproof might get some competition. Competition is definitely good to spur innovation, so this should be good for everyone.
I'm excited to see how it looks when it comes out and even if I don't purchase one I'm happy to see that Lifeproof might get some competition. Competition is definitely good to spur innovation, so this should be good for everyone.
I read reviews on that obex case for the Samsung GS3 and everyone's complaining about the screen same as the LP case.
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There's another waterproof case coming out by Incipio called the Atlas that has a tempered glass front screen but looks like a blatant copy of LifeProof, glass screen does seem intriguing though. http://www.myvoicecomm.com/cell-phone-mobile-device-accessory/182008/
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There's another waterproof case coming out by Incipio called the Atlas that has a tempered glass front screen but looks like a blatant copy of LifeProof, glass screen does seem intriguing though. http://www.myvoicecomm.com/cell-phone-mobile-device-accessory/182008/
I returned my Gen 1 LP case to BB today and picked up another one. I haven't had a chance to open it to see if it's a Gen 2, but I am hoping it is and that it helps with the sound and vibration issues. If not, I'm just going to place a thin microfiber cloth between the back plate and the phone to see if that will help. The waterproof feature is not essential to me, but is a nice plus so I'm not concerned with compromising that. I just like the fact that the case covers the entire phone, keeps dust and dirt out and doesn't have any holes like the OB Defender and most other cases. I am still hoping they will improve the screen protector though. It's not nearly as clear on the iP5 version as it was on my iP4 version.
This is very interesting (glass screen - Yes, please!). I really like the looks of the Incipio cases and they appear to be well made. They should give Lifeproof some competition. The Seidio case doesn't look as interesting to me as the Incipio - looks a little bulky, but I did see the Samsung GS3 version of the Seidio OBEX in BB today while I was exchanging my case so hopefully the iP5 version isn't far behind. Unfortunately, the packaging covered the case itself so I wasn't able to tell much about it.
This is very interesting (glass screen - Yes, please!). I really like the looks of the Incipio cases and they appear to be well made. They should give Lifeproof some competition. The Seidio case doesn't look as interesting to me as the Incipio - looks a little bulky, but I did see the Samsung GS3 version of the Seidio OBEX in BB today while I was exchanging my case so hopefully the iP5 version isn't far behind. Unfortunately, the packaging covered the case itself so I wasn't able to tell much about it.
There is also hitcase coming to the iPhone 5 soon. Supposedly higher quality than lifeproof but more expensive.
My exchanged white case is a Gen 2 case with the white foam on the back plate and I actually can tell a difference from the one I had. I decided to try it without having to put a piece of microfiber cloth between the phone and the back plate and it's worked fine. The vibration from the back plate is gone and the screen protector sits against the screen at the ear piece and home button much better, which has greatly increased the screen sensitivity, especially toward the top of the screen. The pillowing around the ear piece was a very noticeable problem on the previous one I had. I can live with it at this point. I'll keep my eyes open for any additional modifications and if any changes are made, I'll be contacting LP for a replacement. It's still not perfect, but at least they seem to be improving it as they ship, albeit without any admission of issues on their part. Man, this has been a mess for them. Their Facebook page is full of complaints; so, proceeded with caution. If possible, I recommend purchasing from Best Buy so you don't have to wait on a refund or exchange if you're not satisfied. Just my thoughts.
I have a gen 2 (white pad on the back) as well. I had to put a piece of microfiber cloth near the bottom on the back because the audio was awful, sounds fine now. I only have a little bit of "pillowing" near the top left of the screen, right near where the back button, etc. usually is... just takes a little more of a press to get it to respond. The graininess/texture of the screen protector is a bit annoying too.