Yet Another "Which Case Thread" Commuter vs. Candyshell

[Zumino]

So, finally breaking down, retiring the 'feature phone' + iPod Touch that has served me well for many years.

Doing so before Verizon changes the unlimited data to 2gb Data caps.

Trying to decide which case to get, and as many have noted, there are a lot of options.

I'm less concerned with "sleek and slim" then I am with protection and "ease of use".

I want to make sure the phone is protected. I'm a geologist and between lab's taught, and field work, I tend to be kinda hard on things. That said, I'm also pretty aware of my surroundings so I've never scratched the current phone/ipod touch combo, so it doesn't need to be super levels of protection. But I want a decent level of protection.

I like the idea of the otterbox commuter, but I've heard a number of comments, particularly with regard to the headphone jack. I hate apple headphones, they're terribly uncomfortable, and I expect I'll use my phone as an ipod significantly more then as a phone, so if this is an issue it'll make the decision for me.

The Candyshell seems to be nice, but I hear/read stories of people getting old keyhole cutouts from Amazon/ebay, and would rather avoid that. I know I can order directly from Speck, but that's $35 (and it's out of stock at speck atm!) vs. $20 for a Commuter. I'm heading overseas shortly, and I would like to have the phone/case before I leave.

 

[h1r0ll3r]

Well, I'll throw in another case for you to ponder over as well Considering your options/needs, I'd recommend you take a look at the Acase Superleggera (stupid name for a case if you ask me) here on Amazon. It's very similar to the Commuter in that it's a two piece case. It works for ATT & VZ iPhones and it works great. And it's only $13.

As for the Commuter, I've heard several issues of the hard plastic overlay (near the ear speaker) tends to scratch or stick out causing some irritations with owners. Not sure if they've fixed that or not but I believe there were a couple threads about that issue on here before.

The Candyshell (I have this one) is a very nice case. As far as the keyhole issue goes, if you order directly from Speck, they'll send you one with the updated keyhole cut out. They also released another version of the Candyshell with an abnormally larger cut out for the rear camera. I think their stock of old keyhole cutout ones are gone or in the hands of other retailers. Big issues with this case is that the rubber material tends to flake after considerable use. Usually though Speck is really good about replacing your case in an issue like this. And once you get your phone in the case, it's hard as hell to get it out. The protection on this case is pretty good so you wouldn't have to worry about the occasional drop using this case.

Having used both the ones you mentioned, I'd still have to recommend you look at the Acase since it's cheaper and better built, IMO, than the Commuter is.

 

[JASApplications]

I personally prefer the Commuter.

 

[FooDog11]

I'm really liking the white Candyshell. Got it through Amazon for $11.67 plus shipping. Updated camera opening.

The Commuter was good in theory but terrible in practice, for me. As already mentioned, the outer shell was very uncomfortable against my ear, even after I sanded it down. I also hated the feel of the logo opening in the back, and the way the silicone inner layer sometimes pulled/stretched if I grabbed the phone from the side.