I love this case! The silicone is so pleasant to hold, and the case has easily weathered a few fumbles already.
Same as the 3GS Defender, this case is not airtight, waterproof, or otherwise completely sealed. Grit, hair, dust, and liquids can get in and scratch the screen, so I recommend taking the case apart and cleaning it and the phone every 90 days or so.
Unlike the 3GS Defender, the 4/4S hybrid Defender follows the form of the original phone much more closely *and* has a stiffer silicone exterior so I almost don't notice that my phone is now twice as thick. The cutouts are very well placed, and the new silicone mixture means the home button and power button are not nearly so mushy-feeling to press. Also, the textured back side of the silicone case lets my phone rest more firmly on smooth surfaces, and is actually very pleasant to the touch. The whole case feels like a perfectly fit glove, with all the right bits covered, and all the right bits uncovered; the phone is held very solidly in place, and does not shift or wiggle at all, so far as I can tell.
The new mostly-plastic front (as opposed to mostly silicone) has pros and cons: the silicone just barely hangs on to the barest edge of the phone, but Otterbox engineered them to stick far more solidly than the 3GS, even with less coverage. Also, they removed the tiny sliver of silicone that gradually stretched and distorted underneath the 3GS' front sensors (worse than it sounds).
The new headphone jack has a much larger anchor than the 3GS (which almost tore off after only 9 months or so of casual use), so it is much less likely to tear off entirely. If you have your headphones in most of the time, the 4/4S jack cover twists the thin plastic edge so when your headphones aren't in, the cover barely closes, and then the top lip doesn't even connect to the plastic inner case for a few minutes while it slowly reshapes. This will probably become a permanent deformity in a few more months for me, but I do leave in my headphones for maybe 20 out of 24 hours. The connector cover has similar issues, but I use the connector far less often, and the silicone has a much larger anchor over the bottom of the case.
The 3GS Defender allowed me to effectively mute my phone by covering the hole over the bottom speaker, but the same maneuver with the 4/4S Defender is just about totally ineffective. This has pros and cons -- sometimes I had to hold the phone very awkwardly to avoid "muting" it, but it was also much quicker to lower the volume to talk to someone for just a few seconds without pausing or fiddling with the phone itself.
The plastic inner shell seems much more solid and tightly fit to itself than the 3GS Defender, but where the 3GS nearly perfectly aligned to the screen, the 4/4S requires me to press firmly (sometimes quite hard) on the edges and corners to register a touch, where the 3GS needed only a light tap. I'm sure a folded piece of paper would fix that when I open my case next for cleaning. [Note: This is a problem on both sides -- the Apple logo has its own mini-protector that seems to be the same material as in front, and it also is clearly not touching the logo most of the time, unless it is pressed down. The plastic on the inner case is very tightly shut, with no wiggle room left to press the halves more closely together, so I'm assuming this is intentional, or manufacturing error. Caveat emptor.]
The 4/4S integrated screen protector solved one of my most hated problems with the 3GS Defender: greasy spots! I doubt grease was actually involved, but unless I used a small amount of baby powder lightly dusted over the screen, the 3GS screen protector would stick to the phone and look like a greasy mud puddle, especially in bright light or sunlight. Now I don't have to choose between baby powder dust on my screen or greasy distortion lines on my screen! The 4/4S screen protector is completely free of this problem, and my phone's screen has never been more clear! (Also, holy crap, retina displays look AMAZING.)
The 4/4S NAILED the belt clip this time around. I broke parts on my original 3GS' clip so many times that I had to cannibalize working parts from both my clip *and* my wife's clip, so the thing was a horrible pink-and-black Frankenstein's monster after two years. Also, the plastic from the 3GS' actual case was wearing thin, so the phone was starting to slip out of the case more easily than it should. I probably would have needed a new 3GS Defender for year three. The 4/4S, on the other hand, is perfect: the clips to hold the phone in place are more rugged, deeper, and better integrated into clip; the clip now cradles the side of the phone, so it is far more stable in its usual sideways position on my belt; the actual part of the clip that keeps the whole shebang from slipping off (that little tail bit that loops under and is opposite the hinge) is now reinforced so I should have no problems with that falling off entirely like I did with the 3GS; even the position that the clip is angled at is more firmly held, so it doesn't rotate at will from a light brush (like while putting on a coat). Now the clip does limit the number of positions that leave my phone useful, as I don't have an integrated iPhone remote/microphone on my headphones. The case can hide the volume buttons entirely, and the headphone jack when opened can make the phone a bit harder to insert properly. Also, since the phone now sits sideways, I have to be more precise in seating the phone first, and usually have to look down to make sure I've aligned it correctly before snapping it in place. Small sacrifices, though, compared to how much more stable the whole thing is now -- I can run full out without having to clutch at my belt to keep my phone from popping out onto the highway (true story!).
Basically, this case fixed nearly all the awkward points and design flaws that the 3GS case had, and added tons of smartly-placed refinements. There are a few niggles to be had, but they are really very minor considering that I'm a huge klutz who would have destroyed my iPhones dozens of times over from butterfingers, had I not had these amazing Defender cases. Now I love my Otterbox nearly as much as my 4S: my case finally feels like it's part of my phone, not just there to protect it.
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This item: OTTERBOX DEFENDER SERIES Case & Holster for Apple iPhone 4/4S Retail Packaging - Black
$13.99
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This Item  OTTERBOX DEFENDER SERIES Case & Holster for Apple iPhone 4/4S Retail Packaging - Black | Recommendations  |  |  |  |  | |
| Price | $13.99 | $28.46 | $6.40 | $29.95 | $5.04 | -6% $29.95 Typical: $31.88 |
| Delivery | Get it as soon as Wednesday, Jun 25 | Get it as soon as Wednesday, Jun 25 | Get it as soon as Wednesday, Jun 25 | Get it as soon as Wednesday, Jun 25 | Get it as soon as Wednesday, Jun 25 | Get it as soon as Wednesday, Jun 25 |
| Customer Ratings | ||||||
| Sold By | alwayz-on-sale | alwayz-on-sale | alwayz-on-sale | Seller1ON1 | thePruneDanish | BEYOND YOUR HOME |
| compatible phones | Apple iPhone 4, iPhone 4S | iPhone 12 Pro Max, Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max, 12 Pro Max | iPhone 12 Mini | iPhone 13 | iphone SE, iphone 8, iphone 7 | iPhone SE 3rd Gen (2022), iPhone SE 2nd Gen (2020), iPhone 8 |
| material | Neoprene, Silicone | Polycarbonate (PC), Synthetic Rubber | Plastic | Polycarbonate (PC), Synthetic rubber slipcover, Polycarbonate holster | Polycarbonate (PC) | — |
Product information
| Product Dimensions | 8 x 2 x 4 inches |
|---|---|
| Item Weight | 2.82 ounces |
| ASIN | B005SUHRH6 |
| Item model number | 77-18581 |
| Customer Reviews |
4.6 out of 5 stars |
| Best Sellers Rank |
|
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | Yes |
| Special features | kickstand, durable, scratch resistant |
| Other display features | Wireless |
| Form Factor | Bumper |
| Color | Black |
| Whats in the box | Case with holster |
| Department | Electronics |
| Manufacturer | Otter Products, LLC |
| Date First Available | October 6, 2011 |
Warranty & Support
Product Warranty: For warranty information about this product, please click here
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Great case, without the screen
I'm a die-hard Otterbox fan, I've had their cases on all of my phones. The Defender is sturdy, and I really like that the texturized silicone is on the OUTside of this case, as it makes it a lot easier to hold on to, unlike previous cases that have the slick outer plastic. I'm a little suspect that the actual case I got is a knockoff, as it looked a little "off", but it fits like an Otterbox, and feels like one so I'm just going to go with it. Pros: *texturized rubber outer casing - easy to grip *incredibly sturdy, phone fits very snugly in case *back of casing has a recessed, beveled opening for the camera so your shots stay clear and bright *opening that displays apple logo on back has a built in protective screen *charging and headphone ports have flaps that seal down on to them. NOTE - the headphone jack cover is FINE, that opening is not meant for the jack, but for the microphone that is on top of the phone. Simmer down pot roast, Otterbox did it right! *all buttons/functions easy to access Cons: *comes with a protective screen built in on the front side of the case. There is *just* enough room between it and the actual screen to cause a bit of a delay/hangup in typing. Honestly, I took it off, and that was easy to do. Just use a normal screen protector on your phone before putting it in the case. *a little difficult to figure out how to install/disassemble case at first. Read the directions, be patient (i.e. everything I didn't do). Once it's in there, you're not going to want to take it out for a while, but why would you? *They need more color choices, maybe let people mix and match the silicone and hard plastic options...but that's just a personal thing. Overall, I love this case, and every other Otterbox I have ever bought. I feel comfortable handing my phone to my 3 year old, or tossing it in my purse. I originally bought a "cute" Tech Candy case for my iPhone 4s, and I should have just gotten this in the first place. There is no comparison!
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- Reviewed in the United States on May 17, 2013
- Reviewed in the United States on February 16, 2012
