that's what we were thinking..... use our pretty and sleeker cases for work, shopping, etc.... and buy and otterbox for cycling..... but of course i wanted to come here and ask those of you that have had iphones and "in the field" application what you've been using/doing!
sooooooooooo..... let me ask this aboutt he otterbox..... moisture RESISTANT..... what do you do if you're pretty sure it's going to rain while your out there? is the case enough then (to protect against rain vs just sweat)? or do you then need to protect it in a plastic bag? last weekend we ended up in drizzle and my old phone handled that just fine.... i never even though about it but the iphone.... not so sure i wouldn't have been freaking out!?!
mayflynn.... i
always take my phone with me when i go out on the bike.... i'm too paranoid not to!
(of course the phone does me no good when i'm riding in areas with no phone access...) i want to know if my bike breaks (it has) or some creep appears to be stalking me (they "have" but i think it was more paranoia than really being a creep!) or i need an excuse to turn around and go home early
so i call hubby and whine that i'm tired/sore/pick your word....
My experience out on bike or run training is that short of TOTAL immersion, the defender will keep your Iphone dry. I have had it out in drizzle to light rain and snow with no problems. I have never toughed it out in a cloud burst (I usually seek cover if there is a chance of lightning), so I can't say what a gulley washer would do to it. However, short of that, I think it will do the job.
I have also had my iphone fly off my bike (and my motorcycle!) at upwards of 30 mph, hit the pavement and go skeetering (word?) across the pavement with no effect using this case. No damage to the Iphone. The rubber on the case was a little scratched, but that is what it is there for. I wouldn't want this happening often, but I like the feeling of knowing that if it does, it won't kill the phone.
One last thing is Otterbox's customer service. It is outstanding. I ripped the rubber up near the headphone about 10 months after I got the 3g defender. I called Otterbox who immediately replaced the
entire case without question without any charge to me.
I don't normally sing the praises of a company's products, but I gotta hand it to otterbox. They make a great product that does exactly what it is advertised to do and support it completely.
The Defender is a HUGE case. Any pretense of aesthetics are out the window when you put it on your Iphone. Those great, sleek looks you bought your Iphone for? Gone. But, this case will protect your Iphone from almost every potential hazard. For an accident prone athlete like me, that is exactly what I am looking for. Looks be damned!
-Alex-
PS - One thing that I did forget to add and it might me a deal breaker for some. The connector port on the bottom of the defender case is VERY tight. It will fit the charging/connection dongle that came with the Iphone, but very few accessories will extend enough or are slim enough to make a tight connection or any connection at all. There are two solutions to this if you decide to get the case. The first is to get the outrageously priced Sendstation Dock Extender (
http://apsprostore.com/sendstation-dock-extender-white-p-984.html?currency=USD) and then use a dremel tool to shave the extender down to fit the opening on the Defender ( you will also need to widen the defender opening the same way). OR use a dremel tool to shave your accessory connectors to fit up through the defender opening. BTW...did I mention that this was a PITA? There is no easy fix for this unless otterbox redesigns the case or adds an accessory for the Defender. If you don't need any external accessories that use the port, then you are good to go. If you do, then please remember this before you buy!
