OtterBox Armor Series Waterproof Case for iPhone 5 - Retail Packaging - Neon

OtterBox Armor Series Waterproof Case for iPhone 5 - Retail Packaging - Neon..

Grab Now OtterBox Armor Series Waterproof Case for iPhone 5 - Retail Packaging - Neon By OtterBox

Most helpful customer reviews

272 of 302 people found the following review helpful.
So far, It's Okay [Edit: it is great]
By Kate
First and foremost, I'm going to talk about the size of this thing. It's a lot thicker than their Defender Series and heavier. If you wanted something slim-fitting, this is not right for you.

That is not the reason, however, why I rated this 3 stars. The instructions are a little unclear on where someone would put the small string piece. It also says to test your case out without your phone in it. When I did the test, it sadly started leaking at the right top corner in less than a minute. (NOTE: make sure to dry off the case really good if water gets in because it will fog the screen up on the inside.) I called Otterbox (purchased it directly from them) and they are willing to send me a replacement which is on the way here as I type this. I'm only giving them a second chance because I loved their Defender Series and the people working there were super nice and helpful. The sound quality is great for me. No one noticed a sound difference from calls in my switch from Defender to Armor cases. By chance, I discovered something else that is not good about this case. The front camera looks foggy and whited out, but the back camera is normal. The metal pieces seem a little flimsy because I can move mine back and forth. Now, this is my experience with my case. My case could be just a defective one so I'll update when I get my new one in.

Defender series vs Armor Series
If you are looking for a case that is more appealing to the eye, go with the Defender series. Armor series is very bulky and the colors are limited and a little dull (I have the arctic color.). Armor series will give you the better protection though because the phone will not bounce around in the case; it has a pretty tight fit. The pricing is better for the Defender Series as well; if you handle your case pretty good, save the 20$ and keep it away from water. Both are equal in the sensitivity of the screen.

Now until the next update, it is not worth the money. Stick with whatever case you have now.

EDIT: The replacement case just came in and I must say that it is indeed water proof and everything as it says it is. The front camera works fine now and the metal hinges don't move anymore. I also would like to add that I kept my other case while I was waiting for the new one to come in and I've noticed some more things. Your phone WILL BE PROTECTED no matter what. I dropped it on the hard concrete many times while getting out my truck and the phone was completely unscathed as well as the case. The phone didn't even dent or scratch up. I also would like to say that the size of the case really isn't a big deal. I got over it after day 1 of having it. If you like the defender series, you will love this one as well. A lot of people also like the case; especially the people with LifeProof cases. The materials used is way more durable than whatever LifeProof uses. I definitely recommended it to everyone. If you can afford it, get this case.

287 of 332 people found the following review helpful.
Maybe The Next One Will Be Better
By Wade Beeman
Please view my video review here:
[...]
I bought this case because I work construction, a backpacker and I am around dust and rain all the time. I need a case that can handle the rugged elements that I am in and still allow the case to function properly. I have to say that the case functions like they advertise but that doesn't mean much. I have had it for a week and I am wanting to return it. There are more cons to this case then there are positive sides. Here is what I have observed.

1. MAIN PORT SOUND QUALITY The most important negative to this phone is the sound quality out of the earpiece. Every time I get a call I try and turn it up because its so muffled and it sounds like the other person is in a bathroom. I end up talking really loud to try and make up for what I can't hear. The person on the other end always say I am yelling. When I take the phone out of the case the call quality is great and even too loud at times. Speakerphone works great but when you don't want everyone hearing your conversations, you can't even hear the conversation yourself.

2. HOME BUTTON The sleep button on the top of the phone works great unlike some cases out there but the home button on this phone is darn near impossible to push. I end up pushing it like 3 times every time I try and push it. You have to mash it really hard in order to get any response from your phone.

3. CAMERA LENS DESIGN The case wasn't designed to the specs of the camera very well. If you look at the camera and LED flash they don't even sit where they are on the case. they are off a couple of millimeters. Somethings not quite right with that.

4. SCREEN PROTECTOR The screen drives me crazy. The screen on the case doesn't quite sit flat on the screen. When I am touching the screen in the middle it works no problem. When i try and touch something on the side of the screen have to push really hard and try 2 or 3 times to get it to push. This makes typing pretty hard.

5. HEADPHONE AND CHARGER PORTS The headphone and charger port weren't designed very well either. When I have my charger plugged it the flap of the charging port puts unnecessary pressure on the cable. I feel that within a couple fo months the charger is going to start wearing away. I think that is magnified for the headphones. after 3 times of using the headphones I am not going to do that anymore with this case on.

6. NOOKS AND CRANNYS OF CASE Again I said I work construction and this case collects so so much dust in all its nooks and crannies. There is a space between the top and bottom of the case where they connect with the rubber seal. This space just constantly fills with junk and looks trashy all the time. The camera lens and flash are recessed and have little cracks around them. I have to keep cleaning them out to get a clear picture. I don't like the way this case collects all the dust and junk.

I really like otterbox and before I had this case I have owned 2 or 3 different otterbox cases for my different phones. I don't know what went wrong with this case. I really hope that otterbox improves this case. I am taking this case backpacking in a week. If I don't like it after that trip I will return it and go back to my commuter case. Maybe there will be a generation 2 of this case and it will be a lot different. No hard feelings Otterbox.

91 of 110 people found the following review helpful.
Cases are like jackets... you need more than one.
By John Rawlins
Hi,
I've had this case for about a week now and I'm pleased with it. Over the years I've had a lot of cases for my iPhones (Otterbox Commuter, Otterbox Defender, H20 Audio, Pelican, Amphibian, Speck, PowerMat, and many more). It's occurred to me that cases are like jackets. There is no single one that's great for everything. This case reminds me of my North Face Double-X Parka down jacket. The Double-X is bulky, not particularly stylish (unless maybe you're a gear-head) and hard to get into the pockets but under harsh conditions it is exactly what you want. The Armor case is pretty much the same story.

I would generally not recommend this case for an every day walking around case. However judging it against the other waterproof cases I've tried it is the best. Below are some additional notes for you.

Pro's:
- Construction is good quality. I was disappointed in the Otterbox Commuter and Defender cases for the iPhone 4. The iPhone 3 models were much better. This Armor case is better than the Otterbox iPhone 4 cases.
- It's not a bitch to get the phone in and out of the case. You just open the latches and pop it in and out. This is important since I don't want to use the Armor all the time. With the H20 Audio case I literally worried about breaking the phone in half every time I used it. The Amphibian case was a lot more trouble too.
- All the controls are accessible. This is not true with the Pelican or H20 Audio. It's not as easy to access them as a typical everyday case but it is possible.
- For a waterproof case it's actually not too bulky. The other three I've used have all been as large or larger.

Cons:
- Price. This baby is expensive
- Weight. The Amphibian case for my iPhone 4 is considerably lighter.
- The sound quality is a bit muffled/muted but it's usable. Headphones or a Blu-tooth are good options when making a lot of phone calls.

So if you're climbing Mt. Hood consider the Armor case, and a perhaps a Double-X Parka too. ;)

Best regards,
John

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