Otterbox Defender for ipod touch review

Thank you very much for this.
I was waiting for a review on it and iLounge hasn't posted one yet.

I have a couple questions:

While you have nothing but good things to say about the screen protector this point is what has kept me from jumping on board. These pics:
http://tinyurl.com/2bkgo4
http://tinyurl.com/27hzdk
Make the cover look translucent and opaque rather than clear.

I really have concerns about how a clouded view of the screen would detract from the Touch.
If I want to see a movie or even the text on a webpage I want it to be as clear as possible. Furthermore if the cover rests above the surface of the screen does it not also further distort the viewability?

I like the Defender for its protection in case of a drop, but if my concerns turn out to be true how hard would it be to pop out the included screen protection for a 3rd party's clear screen overlay?

*Second question:*
Is the inside of the case where the Touch comes into contact with it lined with anything?
Some cases leave imprints or scratch iPods so I was hoping there was some level of soft protection in this case given the premium price.

Scott Bass wrote:
Hi, I can promise you that the screen does not look that way....your pictures almost look like the user did not peel off the protective film.

They are off iLounge but they have not yet posted a review. So I have no idea if there was film on it at the time the photos were taken though I would find it odd if they did not remove it given the number of products they see.

Is there any chance you could post photos of yours showing a better look at the screen once inside the Defender?

Scott Bass wrote:
I have actually seen very few pics taken of the touch with screen on that look like they do in person.

Malware Sportsgrip
http://tinyurl.com/ys3evw

Griffen iClear
http://tinyurl.com/ypxatc

Switcheasy CapsuleTouch
http://tinyurl.com/yvdspb

All have surface protection films. All those pics are the same source as the Defender pic i linked above.

So you can see why I have my concerns. Based on the photos it seems like a tradeoff between drop protection and screen protection with all the cases. I hate that its coming down to a compromise no matter which case a person chooses. So if and when you get home to your camera photos of the screen in the Defender would be key given the lack of info and pictures out there.

From your review: "I really can not see anyone being disappointed that gets one of these."

Well, I'm extremely sad to say you're now hearing about someone who is disappointed... me.

I absolutely love the protection. Hands down, it is the best for that (well, except for OtterBox's even more protective option). But the "membrane" over the touch screen is driving me nuts, and I think my OtterBox will be for sale soon because of it.

The gap between the membrane and the screen is probably only a millimeter, but because it's pulled so tight, it makes using the touch screen much more difficult. It's not much of a problem when typing in the middle of the screen, but as you get near to the edge, it's much more difficult to contact the screen (sometimes you have to press really hard). Sorry to say, OtterBox, but one of the nicest things about the Touch is the touchscreen. My OtterBox is putting a huge damper on the enjoyment of actually using it.

Note: my wife and I each have an iPod Touch and we each have an OtterBox, so I know it's not just mine. Though we got ours early, and perhaps this is something they may adjust in the future (or perhaps already).

If OtterBox fixes that problem, I too would give it a 10 out of 10. Until then, I think it's going on eBay.

Scott Bass wrote:
I think that you should return yours to otterbox because mine is not stretched that tight and is working fine

I probably would have already, but like I said, my wife's is like that also. I really wouldn't have a problem with it if it was consistent with the middle. Some of the spots along the edges are almost unusable sometimes. Buttons like the one to access multiple web pages down in the corner while using safari is quite hard to use. And on the keyboard, the last two letters up against the edge are pretty tough as well. I wish they would have designed it so the membrane laid flat on the glass.

ekonarske wrote:
I absolutely love the protection. Hands down, it is the best for that (well, except for OtterBox's even more protective option). But the "membrane" over the touch screen is driving me nuts, and I think my OtterBox will be for sale soon because of it.

Yeah, when he said it wasn't flat over the screen it made me wonder what the effect would be.
I don't question the Defender is the most protective case on the market now but even from the photos I have seen the screen protection is suspect.

The screen film it has is clearly thicker than most cases but the company's claim the its "impact resistant" made me chuckle. It can resist scratches and maybe not puncture but if you drop the Touch and the screen hits the corner of a table that film is not going to be any more protective than any other one out there. The film may not dent but the force of any direct impact will transfer to the glass and shatter it. Who cares if the membrane isn't damaged if the screen can be regaurdless.

*But my questions still stand:*

Is the film crystal clear or is it slightly opaque?

Would it really be hard to pry it off and replace with something like this http://tinyurl.com/yqgsqc ?

ekonarske, any chance you could post pics?

The other cases I have seen may be more aesthetically designed but I don't doubt one drop in a clear plastic case (like an iClear) would cause damage that the Defender would otherwise be able to prevent.

Langdon wrote:
Is the film crystal clear or is it slightly opaque?

Yes it is crystal clear. I saw those pictures just after I got mine, or I would have wondered the same thing. When I got my OtterBox, it had a peel-off protector on the inside that needed to be removed before use. They clearly hadn't removed it in that picture (pardon the pun).

To be honest, the membrane may be marginally thicker than comes with most other cases, but I can't imagine how it could protect against impacts any better than any other. It's not the thickness that's making it hard to press. It's the fact that it's not up against the glass, and it's bonded to the case as tight as a drum head that makes it difficult to use. As for scratches, I think they're all a bit unnecessary--the glass is far tougher than the thin plastic on any of them. As for impact resistance, that's a serious stretch.

I've actually considered cutting the screen protector out because the case is wonderful otherwise.

Scott Bass wrote:
I really would at least try another one.

If it was as simple as running to a store and swapping it out I probably would. As it is, I got it from a reseller (not OtterBox directly), so I'm sure there'd be shipping involved, and I'd be without a case for a while. I just ordered a SwitchEasy CapsuleTouch. Maybe once I get that, I'll see if I can swap the Otter for another. I already know the CapsuleTouch isn't as protective, so maybe that will be enough to make me stick with the Otter no matter what, but here's another possibility that looks like it has some of the protective features of the Otter without the things I don't like. It's called the ShowCase from Contour Designs. These are pictures of the iPhone version, but I hear the Touch version is roughly the same: http://www.contourcase.com/showcase/showcaseiphone/

ekonarske:
I agree totally! I'm junking my Defender because of this. Totally worthless (though maybe cutting out the screen protector might help).

I spoke to an Otterbox rep and she dug up one. She claimed to have few problems than I did, but admitted she had to turn her fingers sideways to use the popup keyboard keys towards the edges (e.g., "P"). Clearly, they didn't "fix" anything.

I can barely activate the Power slider, the space bar is barely responsive even with quite a bit of pressure, and any keys in the corners... forget it. Already bought a Marware Sportgrip to replace it.