OtterBox Defender Case for iPhone 3G, 3G S - White (Discontinued by Manufacturer)

I work in a private gymnastics gym as a coach. Everything I own and bring to the gym gets thrown, dropped, beaten, spilled upon, chalked up and just generally abused by at least one of one hundred kids almost daily.So when I got my iPhone I knew I needed something to protect it before I was looking to pay a huge repair bill.Enter this case.First off the shipping took longer than I expected. Most items I order from Amazon get to my house in ~2 days as there is an amazon distribution center less than three hours from my house. This took a full week. I'm not complaining but I thought it was odd.Once I received the case I pulled it out of its packaging. I expected the case to weigh more than it did. I thought I would be adding serious weight to my phone. Something I was okay with. But it was surprisingly lightweight, I was slightly disappointed. I follow the directions and put the case on and went about my day.It slid in and out of my pocket with ease, something I was only marginally concerned about. My number one goal for the case was protection, ease of use is secondary, so the rubber clinging to my fabric wasn't really a concern, and as it turns out a non-issue. It just doesn't happen.Once I get to the gym, the kids see my phone. They say it looks like a bumble bee. Some like it, some dont. I think it looks supa dupa fly.We have weights in the gym that we use for strength and conditioning and the kids were using them last night. I had sat my phone down on a mat and walked away to spot something. Its tough to keep things in your pocket and spot at the same time, so my phone is often left laying.About half an hour after I left my phone I went back to get it and to my horror one of the kids had dropped a weight (45 lbs) on my phone. I'm glad they avoided dropping it on their toes, but really? My iPhone was the only good place to let it fall? On the right side of the screen there was a huge crease about two inches long and the hard plastic case's beveled edge is dented.I immediately took off the case to see how much my week old iPhone was damaged.Not. A. Scratch.In the future I'm probably not going to leave my phone by the weights but knowing this happened gives me peace of mind.I always read the bad reviews first so I'll try to cover some of the things negative I read.Number 1. The oily screen issue. Not on mine. Not even a little. IDK if they changed their product or what but there's no residue between the plastic protector and the screen.Number 2. The holster. My first issue with people complaining about it falling off of their belt is this; what kind of pretensions loser are you that you can't slide it in your pocket or purse? Personally I will never, never use the clip but for those that will (I'm currently rolling my eyes) if you turn the phone around so that the screen is facing your body it will fit quite snuggly. I snapped mine in and I was surprised at how much force I had to use to get it off the holster. It makes more sense to have the screen face you, as it adds a layer of protection against bumping into things.Number 3. "It's chunky" I saw this a few times and it does add a bit of girth but I like it. I'm a large man and the phone fits my hand better now than it did without the case. I feel like I'm grabbing something, rather than feeling like I was reaching for something dainty like I did with the phone. It might not be your cup of tea but I like the feel. I mean I dont feel like I'm picking up a paperback novel but it is thicker.Number 4. "It makes the screen less responsive" Less responsive than it already was? Nope. I simply have not noticed it, at all.Number 5. "It hurts my fingers" One reviewer said that pressing the button and scraping the edges with their fingers made them sore. Seriously? If this product hurts your fingers you should probably at some point in the next month do some manual labor. I mean, you know, just to see what its like. That way you'll kind of know what your asking "the help" to do. Maybe you could get your butler to press the button for you, I dont know.So thats my review of this case. I'm a big fan so far. It is heavy duty enough for my needs, it looks good, it feels good. $30 was totally worth it for the protection given.

update Jan 1, 2013Have (unfortunately) dropped my phone more times than I would think possible, on all types of hard surfaces: parking lots, sidewalks, store floors...It has landed on every side and corner. Each time I am relieved to find that the Otterbox Defender has protected my phone without fail. (Mine is white and is still white, despite being stuffed in coat pockets, pants pockets, shopping bags and purses. At times, it collects dust but I just brush it off.) My daughter has the black with pink and it still looks great also. I no longer use the holster. Love my Otterbox Defender. I have recommended it often to friends and would buy it again.original post:The decision to purchase the iPhone 3GS (my first smartphone) was major for me. My trusty Nokia was five years old and had been dropped almost daily it seemed - on the street, on the sidewalk, in the store - yet still going strong! (and with just a regular not-thick-but-not-thin case to protect it)I knew that the iPhone was a delicate flower and would never survive those kinds of falls.Thanks to research the Otterbox Defender was discovered. Eureka - there could be hope! Then an AT&T store associate demonstrated his by tossing his phone onto the (carpeted) floor and tossing it across the room. (reviews say the other OB models don't provide the same level of protection.)It is now months later since my first smartphone purchase. No matter how careful I've tried to be, sure enough the iPhone has been dropped numerous times. The Otterbox is just one of those products that thankfully really works.I sometimes use the holster. There have been times the Otterboxed iPhone has fallen out of the holster, but I believe 98% of those times was when I had not completely closed the bottom 'flap' again after charging, which does not allow the Otterbox to snap securely into the holster (it seems like it does snap in, but if the flap is not completely pushed back in the Otterbox will not have a secure, snug fit in the holster.)I like my all-white Otterbox Defender (easy to find in a dark handbag or on a desk) - and I just think it's pretty...retains the white iPhone look, in a way. My 20-year-old daughter's is pink with black trim. It's even more attractive than in the photos. We both like it even more than expected and she receives numerous compliments on it.Does this case add thickness and a bit of bulk to the sleek, thin and streamlined iPhone? Yes. But I find them still attractive in the Otterboxes. And although I don't expect to drop the iPhone countless times over the years and continue to work, so far so good. It has been SUCH a relief to pick my iPhone up after a hard drop to the parking lot and see it still working. Wonderful protection.I chose to order from the amazon vendor that ships in the retail boxes (as opposed to the ones that ship unboxed in a clear plastic bag... I think it is called bulk packaging. It arrived more quickly than anticipated (it had said it might take 10 days) and in perfect condition. Love amazon and the Otterbox Defender.

Bought this as part of a Christmas present. Was extremely disappointed that it arrived with the box quite damaged. I obviously haven't had the time to use the product yet, but it's really discouraging to get something that's supposed to be a gift and have it arrive in horrible condition. I'm going to have to tape the bottom of the box closed, which is going to make it look like I bought this at some bargain basement clear-out store-- which I didn't!! Ugh.

This Otterbox is fabulous. I had an Iphone 3GS for over 2 years and when I took it out the box it was as if the phone was still new. It fitted perfectly and remained a perfect fit for the duration of the time I owned it. The box and phone survived many a fall to the floor and the case still looked great. Loved the black and yellow combination. The box is rugged, great to look and feels great in the hand. Highly recommend this case.The phone and case are now the prize possession of a friend's teenage son and it's still going strong after four years.Word of warning. Do not assume all Otterbox cases are of this quality. I had one for my HTC One X and it was such rubbish it went in the bin after just 8 months and it put me off their products.

I had the dubious honor of testing the ruggedness of the case when my phone fell from a 3rd Floor window onto concrete. Almost no damage at all (slight crack in rear of iphone)now, in fairness, if I wasn't using my phone on a belt clip it probably wouldn't have fallen in the first place, and the sixze of the defender makes it impractical to keep in a pocket, but still, this is amazing.I promptly bought another defender, and I'm quite happy to let my 4yr old use the old 3gs for games, safe in the knowledge that barring an attempt to take the phone swimming it will last for years!

Not stylish

It's a good item but a bit bulky in the sense that it no longer fits in my dock. I had to buy an extension to make it fit. But I know my phone is safe in this case and that's what matters.