It was only a three foot drop. Maybe even a little less. I gasped in horror as I watched my phone slip out of my hands and fall screen first onto the tile. I heard the sound of glass cracking, as if a stained window had fallen a house or two down the road. I picked my phone up and held my breath as I slowly flipped it over—perhaps it was not that bad. My heart sunk as I saw my new phone’s screen, now cracked and shattered, light up.
Something like that has happened to all of us. Even little drops have the tendency nowadays to shatter phone screens as if someone stomped on them. Unfortunately for all of us, screen cracks under warranty cannot be repaired. Instead, one must pay around one hundred and fifty dollars to buy a new phone.
I did just that with my Samsung Galaxy S3. I could not take using my phone with a shattered screen, as when I used the touchpad I could literally feel the cracks. So I sent it in and got a replacement within a week. I was determined to not break my (second) new phone. I purchased an Otterbox to protect it.
In simplest terms, an Otterbox consists of two plastic sheets and a rubber casing. To put it on your phone simply clip the two plastic sheets onto the phone and stretch the rubber casing around the plastic. It is that easy!
Since I have put the Otterbox on my phone I have not taken it off (with the exception of cleaning leaving a little moisture buildup behind the plastic that needs to be wiped off every now and then). Although my new S3 has been through worse falls and tumbles, it is still in perfect shape! I can safely say that the Otterbox really does protect your phone from screen first, back first, crooked, and top/side first falls from heights over three feet.
The downside to this product, however, is the weight and bulk it adds to your phone. Simply put the Otterbox will lengthen your phone by about a fourth of an inch and double its thickness (all relevant to the phone the case is built for). It is this extra bulkiness that protects the phone, but also hinders use and can make carrying a hassle. Of course the Otterbox comes with a pant carry clip, but I find the clip to be overly bulky. The only real solution to this is to cram the phone into your jean pocket and get used to it.
If you need a slim phone then the Otterbox is not for you. However, if you need a long-lasting, durable phone case and are able to sacrifice a phone’s slim design, then the Otterbox is the perfect solution for your phone. The Otterbox costs around forty dollars, but the high price is totally justified by this product’s ability to protect your phone from the wear, tear, and accidents your life may throw at it.
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