By Phil Poje | CEO, TechOrchard
Ever since the debut of the iPhone I have been asked, “What is the best way to protect my device?” Normally I give the generic “IT” answer: “Even if you found the perfect case, I would never recommend cliff diving with your device nor take it swimming.” At this point I usually get a chuckle quickly followed by a, “Right, but if you had to choose, which one would you recommend?” This question has lead me to write a review on the infamous OtterBox.
Throughout the past week I had the opportunity to test out the OtterBox on my iPad Mini, with it newly furnished upholstery of iOS 7, I might add. (Perhaps in our next article we can talk about iOS 7 Battery Issues!) There are two sides to picking out the right case: form and function. Or, is it function over form? I can’t remember back to my days in high school art class. Regardless, we all have fancied over the fact that Apple has made such an effort to make sure their products look and feel elegant in your hands. With that being said, historically one of Apple’s biggest criticisms has been over the fact that Apple is focused far too much on the form and not enough on function. Have no fear, the OtterBox is here! It has developed an amazing case to help Apple from the function perspective by protecting devices from drops, dings, scratches, scuffs and mild amounts of water (and I do mean mild).
Keep in mind I did not take the case through its paces of dropping the case with the iPad in it at 10 feet all the way to 100 feet, nor did I take it swimming to see if I could still operate the device underwater in my scuba gear. (I’ll have to direct you to Consumer Reports for that kind of review.) In the end, I did let my kids have at it! What could be a better test then that of small children having their way with the iPad, mind you surrounded by the loving protection of OtterBox.
The first key thing that I noticed was the weight of the iPad with OtterBox. Yet with that added weight comes the peace of mind of the type of protection that is offered. The second thing I noticed was that there was zero protection against water over the front- and rear-facing cameras as well as the speakers at the bottom of the iPad. In short, I would not recommend the swimming test, unless you also plan on making a trip to the Apple Store to get it repaired. As far as durability, I would definitely recommend the OtterBox. No, I don’t think it could win a fight with a sledge hammer, but as far as dropping or anything that would fall into the category of everyday use of the device, OtterBox would be a great fit for individuals at any construction company all the way to students in a one-to-one program at schools.
Other than the obvious downside of not swimming with the OtterBox, I have two issues. One was at times the touch on the iPad was unresponsive due to Otter’s protective screen over the iPad. The second issue had to deal with iOS 7 when Apple added Control Panel (a quick way to access the iPad’s volume, brightness or the new AirDrop on/off switch). With a quick swipe of the finger up from the bottom of the display, which was cumbersome at times, the functionality did not always work as it would without the OtterBox. Regardless of the small issues, overall I would give OtterBox a 7 out of 10 on form and a 9 out of 10 on function, or a solid 8 gold stars.
The follow-up question everyone asks is, “What color should I get: black, gray or red?” For that I always respond back jokingly, “I’m color blind.”
