MacMost Now 15: iPhone Case Reviews

Gary Rosenzweig looks at the iSkin Revo and the Otterbox Defender, two iPhone cases that work well to protect your iPhone.

Video Transcript: Hi, this is Gary Rosenzweig with MacMost Now.  You may remember a couple of weeks ago in episode 8, I talked about some iPhone cases and why I didn't like them.  Well, some viewers suggested some cases that I may like.  So, let's take a look at two new cases:  The iSkin Revo and the Otterbox Defender.
The first case here is the iSkin Revo.  You can see that it's a rubber cover that fits over very tightly around the iPhone and covers it on all sides.  It has an available slot for the screen, which you cover with a protector that you apply onto the screen.  It allows access to all the buttons.  It's got a small cover for the headphone jack and it actually has a separate piece that covers the dock.  It has openings for the speakers here.  And it has sort of an indentation for where you can press that button and also the buttons on the side and you can reach through it and press the switch.  And it's got an opening for the camera.
So it protects it from basic falls and scratches and things like that with the rubber case and the screen protector.  And it also comes with this extra screen protector -- it's a separate piece and it fits over the phone like that.  And when you're using it, you take it off and you can put it behind, there, so you don't just leave it somewhere.
The second part is the holster, which is a belt clip that keeps the phone horizontal and you can turn it, basically, 90 degrees in either direction.  So it can be at a slight angle or if it gets pushed by something it won't just snap off your belt.  It's a very sturdy belt clip that snaps on very firmly and has a large extra piece here that actually keeps it on your belt at the bottom.
So what I like about this case is that it's good-looking, it fits very tightly to the phone so it doesn't add much extra space.  I also like the fact that it completely protects the screen so you can actually wear it on your belt face out knowing that an impact, a light impact, at least, will not break the screen.  I also like that the belt clip is very sturdy and it is horizontal, which fits easier on my belt, having a horizontal belt clip.  So it does fit the bill of everything I need in an iPhone case.
A couple things I don't like about it is this protective screen, since it's not attached...sure, I can put it back here, but I'm probably going to eventually end up leaving it somewhere and perhaps losing it.  This bottom piece, I'm definitely going to -- as a matter of fact, I already did leave it somewhere.  I was without it for a day.  So, I don't like that too much.  And I also rather it would fit somehow a little bit better into this case, or maybe it be completely covered.  I put it in backwards so that the screen faces in.  But I'd rather have it click somehow in place.  But, other than that, it's a pretty good case.
The iSkin Revo can be found at iSkin.com and it's $40 for the actual protective case and then the belt clip is another $25.  I wasn't able to find the belt clip anywhere but the iSkin site, but I found that the case you might be able to find it a little bit cheaper at major e-commerce sites like Amazon.
This is the Otterbox Defender.  Now the Otterbox Defender, the main case, is two parts.  It's a plastic case that snaps around the iPhone and then, after that, you put the rubber case over that and it basically fills in all gaps.  So it's kind of waterproof -- waterproof as in like a rainstorm, not waterproof as in like going swimming.  It even has a cover here for the top of the iPhone where the earphone buds go in and also for the bottom where the dock goes in.  These things easily snap off, but they're attached as part of the rubber casing.
The whole thing is basically kind of a little more shock proof as it's completely encased.  It has a screen in front of it but the screen isn't super thick and it allows you to actually use the iPhone, like that, while leaving the screen on.  So the entire thing is kind of encased in everything and you can get to some of the buttons by pressing the edges of the case.  
Then there's the belt clip and the belt clip is a vertical belt clip, but it sits high up on the belt -- or rather low up on the belt, I should say.  In other words, it drops down below your waistline.  Let me put the phone in.  And you can put the phone in either front or it can be reversed to better protect the screen, which is how I do it.  The belt clip also swings all the way around, 360 degrees, so I suppose you could wear it angled so it's easier on your waist or if it gets caught on something, it will actually spin all the way around.
So you can find the Otterbox Defender for about $50.  The things I like about it are that it's probably the safest iPhone case.  I mean, with the plastic shell and the rubber casing around it, I feel this thing could drop from quite a height and still survive.  And I also like the fact that it's somewhat waterproof so, for instance, if I'm shoveling snow this winter and I happen to drop it, I don't have to worry about the water getting into the headphone jack or something, for instance.  
So I like that and I also like the fact that it's pretty sturdy and I like that it sits low on the belt.  So if you want more information about the Otterbox Defender, you can go to otterbox.com.
I want to take a moment to thank Daniel for his recommendation of the Otterbox and also to thank Kirk for his recommendation of the iSkin.  They watched the video I did two weeks ago and they recommended these as solutions and so I was able to review them.  It's suggestions like that that will make this show that much better. 
If you have a suggestion for something or you'd like to ask a question or see me talk about a certain topic, you can always email me at questions (-at-) macmost.com.  So until next time, this is Gary Rosenzweig with MacMost Now.
And I've got one last thing.  A special message from everybody here at MacMost:
MacMost group:  Happy Holidays!  Merry Christmas!  Happy Hanukah! Happy Solstice!  Happy Kwanza!  And a Happy New Year!   Happy, Happy, Happy!

Comments: One Response to “MacMost Now 15: iPhone Case Reviews”

Daniel

16 years ago

Hi Gary;
I'm glad the Otterbox iPhone case got a good review. It continues to be the best investment I've made for my iPhone.
If the viewers or readers are wondering, the two white dots you saw at the bottom of the case are filter screens over the mic and speaker for protection. You can find the full specs at the website.

Merry Christmas To All The Great Folks At MacMost!
Thanks for a wonderful year of reviews, tips and fun. :-)

Comments Closed.

MacMost Now 15: iPhone Case Reviews

Comments: One Response to “MacMost Now 15: iPhone Case Reviews”

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