OtterBox Armor Series Waterproof Case for iPhone 5 - Retail Packaging - Neon (Discontinued by Manufacturer)

This case certainly lives up to it's hype. It's rugged and well sealed with o-ring gaskets and heavy metal latches. I haven't dropped it in any shallow lakes yet (don't forget maximum depth is 6.5 feet) or ran over it with my SUV, but if that happens I will keep you posted.The case is nicely constructed and fit my iPhone 5 perfectly and snugly. In fact, I felt like I was putting my phone into a time capsule. Installation was quick and easy, but the manufacturer recommends a 30 minute water submersion test (without the phone installed) before you use the case. (The instructional video for this test is located on the Otterbox.com website within the section for the Armor series case.) All of the case buttons operated the corresponding phone buttons without any problems, the touch screen reaction was normal and the camera, flash and other ports lined up perfectly.However, there are a few cons. This case will turn your slim, sleek modern iPhone into a Shrek-like handful. You end up with a phone that looks more like some sort of military or industrial device. It's great if you have bigger hands, but maybe not so good if you have smaller hands. Also, you will not see any of the chic iPhone styling such as the precision ground chamfered edge, matched aluminum back plate and highly polished Apple logo, as the only thing left visible is the screen and the camera lens and flash. I personally like the military/industrial styling of this case, but this is a completely subjective feature.Another con is the way the bottom ports operate. They are very tight and when you open a port to insert the headphone jack or the charging cord, the port doesn't swing out of the way, but instead springs back and presses against the jack or the charger. It's more noticeable with the headphone port than the charging port. I would think over time this would put a lot of strain on the jacks and the sockets and IMO that can't be a good thing.Another con (and this is a big con) is the sound quality. While in call volume and speaker volume (and clarity) are fine, the outgoing call volume and quality is horrible. After installing the case, I immediately began getting complaints from people I called that the call was muffled, tinny and echoed terribly. I called my home answering machine to verify this and yes, surprisingly the sound was horrible. It was along the long lines of something produced by two Dixie cups and a string, only not as intelligible. I did a few experiments and found if you slightly open the bottom headphone port cover during calls, the outgoing call quality and volume improves dramatically and sounds normal. Of course if you do that, the case will no longer be water or dust proof. I also found if you hold the phone like a microphone and speak directly into the bottom ports, the call quality improved without unsealing the ports, but the only people I see hold phones like that are cast members of the Real Housewives of New Jersey and Atlanta and possibly Justin Beiber, so that's not going to do a lot for your image.Does that seem like an inconvenience or defeat the purpose of the case? I'm still thinking about that one. I don't make a lot of calls as I use the phone more for connectivity, data and music. Also, what calls I do make probably wont be in the rain or standing in a boat over a shallow lake or in a dusty environment. I purchased the case mainly to protect my phone while I am mountain biking, running and generally being a klutz and dropping it down my driveway or off of an elliptical machine at Planet Fitness. Perhaps unsealing one port to make a call (or possibly using a Bluetooth device) to improve the call quality isn't that big of a deal, but I would have expected the product function to meet the advertising hype that describes the special membrane technology that supposedly allows sound to flow through. The company certainly doesn't say that you may have to unseal a port to get superior call quality. (I submitted a product inquiry through their website and I will update once I receive a response.)Another con is the lack of any type of holster or belt clip currently offered by Otterbox for the Armor series cases. If you use this case you are going to have put your phone in your pocket, bag, backpack or purse to store it. An optional wrist strap is included, but it seems awkward and superfluous and seriously, who uses a wrist strap on anything? You might as well just wear a beanie and Buster Brown shoes and say goodbye to your swag. Obviously, the case is not compatible with docking stations or most car mounts either. Although, I do have a Bracketron universal clamp type mount in my Jeep and this case works well with this mount.If you are hard on your phones and want to protect your $500+ investment from everyday dangers and abuse and don't mind a few functional inconveniences and industrial styling despite the premium price, then this may be the case for you. If you are looking for something more stylish, wearable and doesn't muffle calls, keep looking.Pros:Rugged, well sealed, well fitted, installs easily, fits large hands, military/industrial styling, impressive manufacturer's specs and warranty/guaranteeCons:Premium price, may not fit small hands, military/industrial styling, horrible outgoing call quality, no storage / transport accessories, unsealing ports to improve call quality defeats product purpose, Port Plugs designUPDATE 1Spoke with the Otterbox tech support people and they confirmed that "some" muffling is to be expected with a case that is 100% sealed. Although their portrayal of the sound quality wasn't as bad as my experience with this product. I've learned to live with this issue and I just simply pop open the bottom port when making a call and that seems to work. If I forget, I am instantly reminded because everyone complains and says "what's going on, you sound like you are inside a box" or something to that effect.UPDATE 2The charging port plug membrane is also ridiculously easy to damage with the end of your charging cord. The charging port and the adjacent speaker are covered by the same plug. The speaker is covered by a water proof seal membrane. The recess for the charging port is separated from the seal membrane by only a few millimeters. One misplaced jab with your charging cord will puncture the waterproof seal. IMO, Otterbox needs to redesign the port plugs of this case.UPDATE 3I have dropped this case several times while exiting my vehicle (a Jeep Wrangler). I can confirm the case protected the phone and suffered no visible damage from contacting the asphalt surface of my driveway. In fact, it seemed to bounce and deflect the drop with no problem.I have also dropped the case in my dog's water dish. The phone remained dry, however, since it's been my habit to open the port plugs due to call quality , it may have been damaged, but the plugs were closed. If you open these plugs for calls, make it your habit to immediately close them!Warranty Update: Sept 2013I had to file a warranty claim due to the performance of the gasket on the headphone port plug. The plug is hinged and will return to near the close position at all times when opened. This puts tension on the headphone plug itself and with constant movement during activity (such as exercise), the headphone cord snags the plug and rubs the foam gasket on the surface of the plug. The foam gasket was ripped off on my case and in turn tore the water sealing membrane as well. Otterbox replaced the case under warranty and the warranty submission process on their website was quick and easy. I had a new case within a week.

I have owned my iPhone 5 since May of 2013, when I bought it new. It has lived in cases its entire life and still has zero scratches on it. I figured, if I was going to spend so much on a phone (my first *real* smartphone), I had better make the investment last. I am clumsy by nature, and drop my phone... a lot. I also work on helicopters, and tend to drop my phone off of them with alarming regularity. Nothing else, just my phone. I think it has a death wish... but I digress. Originally I had it in a frogskin treadz case with a screen protector, which helped with the drops but at the same time was rather thin, and was also tough to put into and pull out of my pockets due to the tacky nature of the rubber compound. I kept this for a few weeks before deciding to upgrade to (what I thought at the time was) the top of the line: the Otterbox defender. I promptly decided that I hated that case. It was far too bulky, and the built-in "screen protector" felt cheap, nothing at all like the quality of the stand-alone screen protectors I had tried before, and it was difficult to type with. After searching for a bit longer, I went with the Lifeproof Fre case. I had found my soulmate... or cellmate. Not county lockup cellmate, mind you, just the soulmate for my cell phone. Regardless, that case saved my phone from countless drops, and many a spilled beer or two. It was wonderful. But then something unexpected happened... it began to come apart towards the end of a year. Our beautiful time together had ended, and I was sad and worried about the fate of my now not-quit-fully-protected iPhone. So, I did what any creature of habit would do... and bought another Lifeproof Fre. Same story, and this time the same outcome: the case lasted a year, or really a bit less than a year. The plastic began to crack, the charge port cover literally ripped off, the rubber around the face of the case began to peel, and the screen protector began to seperate at the bottom allowing dirt and grime to enter the case from this area. Rather than commit myself to yet another $80 per year of Lifeproof dependency, I began a search for a new case yet again. Which leads me to the subject of this long and rambling review-slash-life-story: the OtterBox Armor.Holy. Crap. New cellmate? Yup.This thing is a tank. Bulky is a good description, although at the same time it is deceptively svelte. It slides in and out of my pockets with ease due to the hard and decidedly not-tacky rubber and plastic construction, although it is thicker than I have grown accustomed to. Well-built would be another good description, and an understatement. This thing literally locks together with metal latches. It is like a bank vault, if bank vaults were made out of rubber and plastic. It is easy to use, as well. The screen protector is clear, and it does not muddy my tactile inputs whatsoever while the physical buttons give just the right amount of feedback when pressed. The one thing that could be easier is the ringer/mute switch. It is easy to put on ring, but you really have to want to put it on mute or vibrate to do so, and hold your mouth just so. I always leave my phone on vibrate, so it is not of much consequence to me, but it might be to you.Honestly, I debated on whether or not to give this four or five stars due to the bulk of the case (it is an Otterbox, after all) and in the end I opted for a five-star rating. Why? Well, you can get this for twenty bucks. And for this price... you really ought to. I just recently purchased a second one juuuuust in case (no pun intended), as I am obviously tough on phone cases. I cannot give a better tribute than that, I have put my money where my mouth-slash-typing-fingers is/are. Twice. Not because the first one broke, but because if it does break I want another one--pronto.And Otterbox, if you are reading this: what in the FREAKING HECK were you thinking to discontinue this beast? You need to promptly re-start production on this, or I will hold my breath until you do. And that will be on you. Can you live with that? I didn't think so.

Le 5 stelle sono pienamente meritate per il semplice fatto che questa cover mantiene le promesse fatte.è davvero robusta (basta tenerla in mano per capire che trasforma l'iphone in un'arma contundente!) e impermeabile, ho fatto il test di impermeabilità appena arrivata la cover (come consigliato da Otterbox) e nella mezz'ora in cui è rimasta a fondo nel lavandino non è entrata nemmeno una goccia d'acqua!!Dimenticavo che è anche anti-polvere perché perchè gli sportelli di gomma bloccano qualunque granello di sabbia/polvere tenti di sabotarvi il vostro povero telefono!N:B:l'unica cosa che Otterbox sbaglia, sta nel non specificare è che il vostro iphone dev'essere privato da pellicole protettive (tipo quelle in vetro temperato) o qualunque altra cosa ne modifichi lo spessore al momento del montaggio della cover, altrimenti perderete la tenuta stagna che lo protegge dall'acqua.Nonostante sia un ottimo prodotto (visto poi il prezzo di soli 30€) ne consiglio l'acquisto solo e solamente a persone che fanno lavori o sport particolarmente "movimentati" in quanto il vostro iphone diventerà una specie di "mattone antiproiettile" che inevitabilmente avrà dei lati negtivi:- dimensioni scomodissime sia per quando lo tenete in tasca che durante l'utilizzo (a meno che non siate dei gorilla di montagna).- scarsa sensibilità del touch screen (specie negli angoli e nelle swippate dal alto verso il basso e viceversa).- se come me, avete un 5s, scordatevi il comodissimo Touch ID.Per quanto mi riguarda, userò una cover "normale" per l'uso quotidiano mentre questa mi tornerà utile quando vado in moto o in vacanza...o durante un'apocalisse zombie!

This is a very tough case and perfect for me as a clumsy oaf.The screen is still responsive despite having a glass screen protector and this over it. I cannot comment on water resistance as I tend to avoid any such situation. Dust wise, again, I avoid it but the case seems to do its job. For me it is more about protection from impacts and drops and that is what this case excels at.It has started to degrade a bit but no protection is meant to last forever.Would highly recommend, if you can still get it.

This case is bomb proof. It was a great idea, but the production run doesn't seem to have been tested.Good:- Bomb proof design!- latches that lock the phone in are metal and they provide a pressure seal. NICE!- the rubber seals for the charger and headphone jack are removable so you can take them off and save their life for when you are out in a boat or somewhere total submersion is anticipated.- has a wrist strap that I tried out and I actually find it handy. Would be good for clipping the phone to my PFD when boatingBad:- screen protector is not snug, so occasionally you have to press harder or press several times- The charger hole is exactly the size of an Apple charger. This is problematic for the aftermarket chargers we all use. I had to drill it our just a little to accommodate my duracel chargers which makes the water seal no longer trustworthy for total submersion

Yes it is a sturdy case. However, I live in a place where it can get cold and because the case as pieces of metal, my phone shuts down unexpectedly quicker than my old full rubber Otter cover. Today at 5 C (41F) it happened and winter is not even started (it can get down to -35C - or -31F). So, pick your battles.

Bulky, so it feels heavy and not a comfortable hold for talking on the phone. But that shouldn't be a problem because lots of people are using bigger phones and people don't actually talk much on the phone anymore. The screen touch response is better than I expected given it's thick. This is not a case for everyday usage because of its size, but it's well worth it to use when going outdoors for camping or hiking or biking. Don't use it when boating, or else it'll be a perfectly good phone sitting at bottom of the lake.