Many may not know, there is an OtterBox Defender Series casing for HTC One. This is my part 2 of OtterBox casing review. The first part is on OtterBox Armor series for iPhone 4s. BTW, I am not going to drop or crush this casing as it is not meant for such handling. Instead, I will show you the finer details of this OtterBox casing.
The color of the casing I had for this review is lime green and blue (Punked). I actually quite like it. There are other colors too (White/Grey (Glacier), White/Pink (Blushed) and Black).
HTC One OtterBox Defender Series
Material:
- Polycarbonate inner shell fits around the device to protect against impact
- Built-in clear polycarbonate screen protector prevents scratches and dust intrusion
- Silicone slipcover wraps around inner shell to absorb drops
- Holster-style belt clip is included
Weight & Dimensions
- Approximate Weight: 4.49oz / 127g
- Approximate Dimensions (without holster): 5.73in x 3.07in x 0.68in / 145.5mm x 77.9mm x 17.3mm
- Approximate Dimensions (with holster): 5.92in x 3.43in x 1.45in / 150.5mm x 87.2mm x 36.8mm
Here are the different views of this casing.
Side View
The volume button is still accessible.
Top View
I love the fact that OtterBox has ensured that all the features of the phone can be reached. For example, the Power on/off button is actually a IR transmitter/receiver. And the fact that because you are always going to use this button, OtterBox did not cover it.
And here is a close up of the cover for the 3.5mm jack.
With the cover opened.
Bottom View
There is not much to see at the bottom view. The Micro USB port is covered. The opening next to the Micro USB port is the microphone.
Front View
The front is protected by a high strength screen protector built into the polycarbonate casing. Because HTC speakers are built to be facing the front, it is deliberately not covered by the protector.
On the lower part of the front side, you will see that the 2 soft keys and speakers are also not covered by the protector for easy access.
Back View
As mentioned earlier, OtterBox is very detailed. The noise cancellation microphone at the back of the HTC One is not covered.
The OtterBox Defender for HTC One comes in 3 parts: The inner shell, the rubber outer casing and a belt clip.
Rubber Outer Casing
Here is the rubber casing.
Inner Polycarbonate Casing
And here is the inner shell or casing.
Back View
Side views
Here is the back view again with the back of the inner shell taken out, exposing the HTC One. It really fit nicely.
Here is the back panel of the inner shell.
Here is the front panel of the inner shell.
Close ups.
Belt Clip
Here is the portion where it grips on to the casing.
And this is the portion from the casing where the belt clip will hold.
Overall, there is always 3 point of contact between the casing and the belt clip.
Summary
The OtterBox Defender Series casing for HTC One is very well made. It fits very nicely on the HTC One. The casing is also very detailed. Features of the HTC One are not covered by this casing.
With the casing, you feel that the HTC One is very well protected. The grip is very solid and with the 2 layers of protection (the polycarbonate shell and the rubberized outer casing), you know that the casing will hold even if you drop it from height.
Because of the unique features of the HTC One (front facing speakers, Infra-red, noise cancellation mic at the back), it also means that the casing has to be designed to cater for them.
For example, because the speakers are on the front, it is not protected by the high strength screen protector. Another is Power On/Off button. Because of its infra-red capability, it is also not covered like the volume button. On the back of the casing, the noise cancellation mic is exposed.
Another point I noted is the screen. I love the bright screen on the HTC One. However, with the high strength screen protector, it makes it more reflective and thus in some situations, the content on the screen cannot be seen properly.
Overall, I think this casing is not for anyone. If you need the extra strength in protection for your HTC One, this is for you. If you just need some protection against knocking and etc, you can check out the OtterBox Commuter Series.
PS: Although the OtterBox Defender Series casing may be bulky (as compared to the bare slim HTC One), it can still slip into my pocket (not business pants).
Thanks to OtterBox for loaning this Defender Series casing for review.
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