iPhone 5 Cases

[ThinkDifferent]

Hey guys, it's been quite a long time since I've posted here. For anyone that's still here when I was here, cheers.

Anyway, on to my point.

I am in need of an iPhone 5 case. I used both an Otterbox and a Lifeproof for my iPhone 4 and while I appreciated the extreme protection of the Otterbox, it's extremely bulky and doesn't slip well in a pocket. On the flip side, I like Lifeproof for the slim plastic outer shell but the headphone jack is extremely inconvenient.

I do NOT want a survivor, obviously, but I wanted to say that so noone suggests it.

I think right now I am in between the Ballistic Every1 Case and the Otterbox Defender. I would go ahead and buy the Every1 case but on the iLounge review it says light is diffused making the retina display not as amazing as it actually is. For the Otterbox review they say the plastic is extremely clear but does not talk about the actual screen when used with the case.

Can anyone here (or with iLounge who did the review of the Defender / Every1) offer some advice? I would appreciate it.

[kornchild2002]

I have used all three on an iPhone 5. My boss actually ordered 6 iPhone cases, tried them each out for a day, and then returned all but one. His opinion agreed with mine: the Ottoerbox Defender was the best. It seems to strike a cord between protection and style. I can chuck my iPhone 5 down the stairs and it will be fine but the case doesn't look like some military knock-off. The built-in screen protector is fine, I don't have any issues with mine and neither does he. It's clear, the screen is just as responsive with or without it, and it does a solid job of protecting the display. Some people have complained about a small gap between the built-in screen protector and the iPhone 5's display. If that happens, you can contact Otterbox and they will send you a complete replacement for free. All of the buttons on the iPhone 5 are easy to push in with the Defender. You still get the feedback you need from a button click whether it is adjusting the volume, hitting the home button, or the sleep button.

The Lifeproof case was annoying as it would actually filter out audio played through the built-in speaker, it made speakerphone almost damn near impossible, and it muffled audio through the earpiece. The Every1 has a thinner profile than the Defender but I don't like the way it looks (like a military knock-off), the home button is reshaped to a square and I find it a little more difficult to push in (and blindly find since I am searching for a circle), and the screen protector isn't as clear as the Defender's. The included beltclip also didn't seem to hold it as secure as with the Defender. That was an important aspect for my boss. He would sit down with his iPhone 5 in place and it would pop off with the Every1 yet stay secure with the Defender. I did like the included kickstand thing with the Every1 but that was, to me, the only aspect it had over the Defender.

He also tried the Survivor and I liked that one more than the Every1 case. I know you aren't interested in that case but I'm trying to put things into perspective. I hated the looks of the Survivor but it offers more protection than every other case out there (except the Lifeproof case when it comes to water). I could throw an iPhone 5 off of a 5 story building with a Survivor case and it would be fine. It was definitely the bulkiest of them all but it offered a lot of protection. The one aspect I really liked about it was its ability to cover up the back camera. My single complaint about my Defender is that lint gathers around the back opening for the camera and the lens gets smudged from time to time. The lens is pretty much unscratchable so I'm not worried about that but I have to wipe the area with my shirt before taking a picture. I wish there was a cover to prevent that from happening. It only occurs because I keep my iPhone in my pocket (which it fits nicely in and not a pain for me to get in and out).

[ThinkDifferent]

Thanks for the response. I did some more research and decided to try out the Ballistic. I figure since I got it for only $25 that if it doesn't work out it won't be a huge deal to get a Defender. I just really like the slim profile as opposed to the bulky Otterbox.

Thanks again.

[Shaunohhh]

I like the Urban Armor Gear case.

[Paul H. Green]

Bought the Element Case for my 5 -then bought an auto charger and to my surprise, because of the case, the charger witll not work!!!