- Slick, highly protective case for Apple iPhone 3G/3GS models
- Combines rugged elements from the Defender Series with the thin silicone skin from the Impact Series
- Smooth outer layer allows case to slide easily into your pocket or purse
- Exposed silicone corners dissipate impact away from your device with added bump and shock protection
- Backed by 1-year warranty; not tested or recommended for water protection
Product Description
iPhone 3G/3GS Commuter Case (Black)Amazon.com Product Description
With a silicone layer and hard polycarbonate exterior, the OtterBox Commuter Series case for the Apple iPhone 3G/3GS offers the best of OtterBox protective cases. It blends elements from the rugged Defender Series line with the silicone, skin-like Impact Series line to create a slick case designed for stylish, lightweight travel.
The OtterBox Commuter case for iPhone 3G/3GS. |
The exposed silicone corners dissipate impact away from the device for additional bump and shock protection and the smooth outer layer allows the case to easily slide into your pocket or purse. All buttons are fully functional through the case and the audio jack and charge port are accessible through silicone plugs. The Commuter case provides added protection against bump and shock with its 3 layers of protection:
Note that it does not offer protection against water. Features & Specifications
What’s in the Box |
OtterBox Commuter Case for iPhone 3G, 3GS
I have the Defender as well, and the Commuter gives a nice, in-between product between the Impact and the Defender. My review will really focus on the Defender vs the Commuter:
The Defender has a polycarb frame surrounded by silicon, plugs the docking port, headphone port, and volume and sleep button. It also covers the screen with a clear protective layer. This is a very protective case, while not waterproof it’s pretty much impervious to everything else. However, this protection adds heft to the phone, and the raised edges can make it difficult to get to the letters on the edges of the screen.
The Commuter has a silicon wrap that is protected by a polycarb frame around it. The screen protection is provided by a screen protector that is applied to the surface, with a slot for the speaker and a cutout for the home button. There is a plug around the headphone jack as well as the docking port. The volume and sleep buttons are protected, but the mute switch is open. However, the slim form is maintained, and there is no problem getting to the edges of the keyboard.
When I had the Defender case on my phone, I had a hard time dropping it into my pocket and retrieving it because of the additional heft. No such problem with the Commuter. With the polycarb frame around the silicon, it also kept the phone from “sticking” to the sides of my pockets, which the Defender tended to do.
The Commuter will be a nice compromise for those that don’t want the additional heft of the Defender case, yet want the Otterbox type of protection for their iPhones.
Rating: 4 / 5
I purchased the Otterbox Commuter Case after owning a Speck Toughskin for my iPhone 3G. The Toughskin was too bulky and kept peeling the corner of my screen shield up. I found the Commuter to be very smooth and slim. It gives the iPhone a sleek look and feels good in your hand. The rubber is somewhat flimsy and I didn’t feel it would give me enough protection for the money. I am a flight attendant and am constantly on the go. I have dropped my iPhone several times with a cheap plastic case and really needed to get it protected. A friend had purchased the Otterbox Defender and after comparing it to my Commuter, I decided to return the Commuter and purchase the Defender. The Defender adds more bulk but is very tough. Once it’s on, it’s on. It looks like it is a part of the iPhone. So if you are looking for a basic cover for your iPhone, and aren’t on the go-go-go, then I would get the Commuter. If you are on the go and constantly using your iPhone while doing that, I would purchase the Defender.
Rating: 3 / 5
I needed a new case for my iPhone 3G, and Otterbox has a pretty strong reputation, so I decided to give the new Commuter Case a try. All in all, I’m fairly pleased.
It’s got a thin rubber shell that surrounds the outer edge and back of the phone. It’s thicker on the four corners to provide extra drop protection. A rigid plastic case wraps around the rubber and comes up over the four edges but not the corners. This holds the rubber tightly in place and makes it easy to slip the phone in and out of a pocket. The plastic is slightly textured but is generally smooth enough to let the phone slip around on a leather car seat. A cutout in both covers exposes the Apple logo on the back on the phone.
The case comes with a fairly standard looking clear plastic overlay to cover the screen. Cutouts in the overlay expose the speaker and the main push button. I already have an overlay on my phone which I’m pleased with, so I left it in place rather than use the one from Otterbox. The packet also includes a lint removal cloth and a rigid card for pushing out air bubbles.
The power and volume buttons are covered by raised areas of the rubber case. I found the buttons easy to find and use through the covering. The camera lens, mute switch, microphone, and playback speaker are fully exposed by cutouts in both cases. The data and headset ports are covered by flaps in the rubber case that can be pressed into place or pulled back to expose the port. This is the only weak-seeming portion of the case. I worry that repeated use of the flaps will eventually cause the port covers to rip off. Only time will tell on my concerns, though; they may hold up better than I expect.
This isn’t the armored shell of the Otterbox Defender or Speck Tough Skin. On the other hand, the phone still fits in your pants pocket and has its screen fully exposed. I haven’t tried bouncing it off the sidewalk to see how good the shock absorption is, but it definitely feels better protected than it did in my previous el cheapo rubber case I got at the AT&T store.
Bottom line, I’m well pleased and think you could do a lot worse case-wise.
Rating: 4 / 5
As soon as I purchased an iPhone, I knew I had to get something to protect it from my clumsiness, and after looking around at a friends Defender (and realizing how BIG of a case it was) I wanted something smaller, but still able to handle punishment. So far, the Commuter has fit the bill.
The Commuter consists of 3 parts, a screen protector (applied with an applicator to ‘try’ to smooth out the bubbles), a silicon sleeve to protect the sides and back from drops and impacts, and frame / metal wrap to keep the silicon sleeve in place.
Overall, the pieces and parts work well to protect the phone from scratches, dings, and most importantly (for me) drops. I’ve dropped the phone several times now on hardwood floors (just my lack of coordination) pulling it out of my pocket (3ft) and have seen no signs of damage to the phone. The screen protector is doing its job, and doesn’t seem to easily scratch (the phone sometimes rides around in my pocket with keys, and still looks perfect). Additionally, since most of the ports are well protected, small splashes haven’t seemed to hurt it at all, even though it doesn’t claim waterproof abilities.
Another nice thing about this case is that it adds very little in the way of size. The iPhone is a fairly good sized phone to begin with, but this case is a very small addition and the protection is well worth it. The buttons are all easy to press with the case on, and the speakers still provide close to the same sound (from what I can tell).
The only reason I’ve given this a 4 instead of a 5 is because sometimes the case tries to slip from the edges occasionally, and the covers for the ports can sometimes be a pain to get back into place. Overall though, I can’t complain and have been very happy with its level of protection and small size.
Rating: 4 / 5
This case is hands down the best iPhone case on the market for individuals who aren’t in a very active line of work (firefighter, police officer, construction worker, etc.). This case provides SUPERB drop protection and dissipates the shock from any fall with its silicon liner and hard plastic shell. Also, unlike many other cases I have tried this case does NOT damage your phone in any way. In fact, this case goes out of its way to protect your phone including all of the buttons! One of the best features of this case is that with the exception of the home button and the silent switch every button is covered by the silicon liner and is easy to activate. I have spent countless hours researching and testing cases and without a doubt this case will more than do the job for an average iPhone user.
Pros:
-Covers all buttons with silicon protector.
-Does not damage iPhone at all when applied.
-Only addes .2 inches to the thickness of the iPhone compared to the huge increase with the Otterbox Defender.
-Hard shell is non-stick making it easy to remove from a pocket without lint or dirt.
-Flaps cover the headphones and data ports keeping the clear of debris.
Cons:
-To use the data port in a dock (such as an XM XVSAP1V1 SkyDock with Built-In XM Tuner for iPhone and iPod Touch (Black)) an iExtend Dock Extender for iPod and iPhone (Black) is required.
Rating: 5 / 5