Miscelleneous by stefan @ 2012-04-26
The Commuter Series Case from Otterbox for the Samsung Galaxy S II phone offers good protection, without adding a lot of additional weight or making it too bulky. The product is composed from two layers, one silicone and the other one a high quality polycarbonate. Otterbox also includes inside the package a protective screen, along with the usual soft wipe and squeegee.
At first I would like to thank Otterbox for offering me a sample of their Samsung Galaxy S II Commuter Series Case for testing and reviewing.
We've Got Technology Covered!
"Known as an innovator of protective solutions for the leading global handheld manufacturers, wireless carriers and distributors, we've got technology covered!
Starting with something as simple as a box, OtterBox was created in 1998 and built upon fundamentals of hard work, creativity and perseverance. Our cases are dedicated to all the klutzy, spontaneous, chaotic, graceless individuals who have broken a device or valuable due to their active lifestyle and like our customers, we've been there too!
The "innovative spirit" of founder and CEO Curt Richardson has promoted the development of our product lines from waterproof boxes into four lines of device-specific cases for today's hottest technologies.
Similar to an otter's fur, our original line of cases is waterproof. So to incorporate that element with the fun and playful disposition of the animal our CEO and his wife came up with the name OtterBox while brainstorming company names during a drive to Denver, Colo.
Like the animal that is our namesake, we're a fun, creative bunch that likes to work hard and play hard too. We have in-house sales, customer service, accounting, engineering, public relations, marketing, web design, graphics, supply chain, human resources and our own warehouse.
OtterBox is located in one of the greatest cities in America - Fort Collins, Colo. Ranked #1 in 2006 and #2 in 2008 on Money Magazine's "Best Places to Live" list, Fort Collins has easy access to the Rocky Mountains for biking, hiking, running, camping, kayaking, boating, skiing, snowboarding and other activities. Many of us use our cases every day, in the office, outdoors and around town and serve as excellent "guinea pigs" for new product testing.
Throughout the years, we've listened to customer feedback and attribute the evolution of our products to consumers who've challenged us to take the idea of a protective case to the next level.
At OtterBox, it's not one person changing the world of cases, it's a team!"
OtterBox SAM4-I9100 accommodates Samsung Galaxy S II
SCREEN PROTECTION: Self-adhering clear protective film
(cleaning cloth and installation card included)
INNER LAYER: Durable silicone absorbs bump and shock
OUTER LAYER: Polycarbonate shell protects from impact
Access to all side button features
Silicone plugs allow access to all ports
Open access to camera
COLORS: Black
WEIGHT: 1.21 oz / 34.47 g
DIMENSIONS: 5.14 in x 2.91 in x 0.58 in (130.68 mm x 73.92 mm x 14.80 mm)
The Commuter Series case from Otterbox is shipped inside a medium-sized cardboard enclosure, with a window on the frontal side, so we could see the materials it is made of, without the need to open the cardboard box:
On the back side we can see a drawing which explains the product features and components:
After the removal of the case from inside the box, we can see the printed instructions:
The rest of the case accessories are held inside a smaller cardboard enclosure
Here we can find a soft wipe cloth, one “installation card” for air bubble removal, a small leaflet with the four instruction steps and the screen itself:
As we have seen when reviewing the Trident Case iPad 2 Kraken Series, the case from Otterbox is composed from two parts: the first layer is made from soft silicone and fully protects the phone, including the frontal bezel and the second layer is made from a high-quality polycarbonate, which protects the phone from impacts:
The second layer has the necessary cut-outs on the laterals, but also on the top and bottom:
The silicone layer has plugs for both audio jack and Data/Charge ports:
The silicone layer can be installed in a snap onto the phone body, but it will stay fixed really well only after we secure it with the second layer:
The top side of the screen is also protected and we have cut-outs for the light sensors, frontal camera and the speaker:
The screen frame is protected very well by the silicone layer, preventing contact of the screen with any surface we may put it on:
The silicone covers can be removed really easy to unveil the respective ports:
Audio Jack
Data/Charge Port USB
Both volume rocker and On/Off buttons are fully covered by the case and still remain easy to press:
On the back of the case we can also find a cut-out for the speaker:
Here is also the cut-out for the camera lens:
The Commuter Series case for the Samsung Galaxy S II mobile phone is composed from quality materials as we have also seen on previously tested products from them. The first silicone layer plugs are used for providing coverage for ports and also cover the frontal screen bezel completely, to avoid scratches during normal usage. The second layer is made from a high-quality polycarbonate and thanks to it, the phone case no longer sticks to the insides of our pocket and is very easy to remove.
Otterbox also includes inside the package a single protective film for the screen, along with a small soft wipe along with the squeegee.
During testing, we did not experience the “echo” effect some users talked about in some forums and the phone did not become overly “fat” after the case has been installed.
If we have something that we would like to note is the fact the case is only available on black and it would have been nice to have other colors available too.
The Samsung Galaxy S II Commuter Series Case from Otterbox is available at the online websites for about 25 Euros.
I would like to thank again to Otterbox for making this review possible!