Maurice Ali
Joined: 14 Nov 2003
Posts: 7914
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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 Posted: Sun Nov 17, 2013 11:43 am Post subject: Otterbox Defender Case For The Note 3! |
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Otterbox Defender Case For The Note 3!
By Maurice Ali
The case in original packaging!
When I wrote our first review of the Samsung Note 3 I was one of the first to get the phone in Canada way back on October 4. I did get a gel case for the phone when I bought it. Little did I realize that I would have to wait a month and a half for a really protective case from Otterbox. Many loyal fans of the cases whined to Otterbox about the delay in releasing the case. But now that I have a case I my hands I understand why. I think the delay was that they had to spend time tweaking the case with an actual Note 3 and make sure it worked and that took a few weeks.
The case and the holster!
Usually the Otterbox cases have a rubber sleeve and a hard plastic cover that goes on top of the rubber. In this case we have a plastic exoskeleton that fits around the back with a thin sheet of rubber and a top that snaps onto the back part of the inner plastic case. That top part is unusual because the screen protector is glued onto the frame. This is not static film just a cover that fitted over the existing screen protector on my phone and it works with no bubbles - neat!
The front of the case holstered!
The two bits of plastic exoskeleton snap together and form a base that this hard rubber cover slips onto. It is an exoskeleton because it works with the rubber cover to secure the flaps and seal up the phone. I have some concerns about the strength of the case with drops as those snaps look fragile, but time will tell. In a way this case is too complicated than it needs to be. But whatever, perhaps the more traditional ways of doing it still could crack that big screen. The only way to know would have to be to ask Otterbox itself. In any case, when you put this case on it is on for good. Yes you can take it off but it is so involved that you won't bother. The case also comes with a holster that is truly massive compared to the other phone cases I have. That holster looks like a really indestructible rock crusher as it is so big and massive. They say you can use it for desktop viewing and I note that the holster does hold the case both ways and has a clasp that rotates to allow you to angel the phone for viewing.
The back of the case holstered!
But the big question is how big is the big phone with this massive case over it. Surprisingly it still slips in the pants pocket just fine. That phone was so thin to begin with that the case brings it in line with the other phones sans protective case. With the case you do now notice the size but it still is not a deal breaker. The deal breaker would be not fitting into all your pockets. But it does and so I am keeping this and we shall see how real world falls affect that fragile inner skeleton of the Otterbox Note 3 case. This is the most complicated case I have ever seen. It really does meet the description of "protection system" having completely endlosed the phone including screen. Very interesting construction, but like I said time will tell, and that construction had to be the reason for the delay in releasing this product. |
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