This is an in-depth review of the Otterbox Commuter case in black color. I did not get a free case, nor did I get solicited or paid to do this review. I'm doing this review to let people know that this case is very, very well designed and should be given high consideration for those wanting a case for their LTEvo.
In a nutshell: slim phone gets a slim case without sacrificing protection at all. This thing fits snugly and feels very secure to hold. Lots of little details where you can tell Otterbox really thought about what was best. A huge improvement from the Evo 3D version as well as the original Evo case. Onto the pictures.
Here's a comparison of Otterbox Commuter cases for the entire Evo line. Note that the texture on the LTevo hard shell is rougher than the previous iterations. Although the hard plastic and silicone are the same color, the texture contrast gives the LTEvo case almost a two-tone look. I like the rough texture, and it feels good in the hand. All ports are covered securely, and there's no fear that the silicone flaps will ever tear, unlike the original Evo case. The camera and kickstand holes are well aligned, unlike the original Evo case where the camera doesn't quite line up with the hole. The Evo 3D case could have been great, but Otterbox messed up on the size of the phone; it was a very loose fit.
Thanks to LTEvo's thin profile, the case is correspondingly thin. Here you can see how thick the original Evo was, and the gradual transition to a thinner case. I think the current Defender is pleasing so many people because it's as thin as the older phones were with the Commuter. But the Commuter on LTEvo feels VERY thin, especially taking into account the high level of padding in the Commuter.
Kickstand opening is large, and the case does not impede you from accessing the kickstand. Camera opening and bezel wraps neatly around the camera and flash LED. To me, the case merges very well with the materials and color of the phone.
The hole around the speaker has two small nubs that allows the back surface of the phone to be slightly elevated when placed on a flat surface, allowing the sound to fully escape from the hole. A very smart design, and the phone sounds great from my own tests.
Front view. Like all previous iterations, the front face of the case is all silicone. When you flip the phone over and the front side is facing down, it grips a flat surface very well. Very hard to accidentally knock it off a table, for example. The screen glass is well-recessed to prevent scratches.
Top edge of the phone. Power button feels good - easy to press but hard to accidentally press. Cutout for the microphone is perfectly placed. Flap for the headphone jack is secure and flush with the hard shell. Looks good.
The dedicated camera shutter button has a bit of texture on it. Because of this, Otterbox made the button almost flush with the rest of the edge, and you can still easily feel where the button is. More importantly, it's easier to press the button compared with the Evo 3D case. I found that the 3vo's shutter button was too hard to press while keeping the phone stable, and I was tempted to cut the silicone off completely. I took a few test shots with the LTEvo in the Commuter case and found that the dedicated shutter was still allowing me to take sharp photos, even in very low light conditions. Part of the credit obviously goes to the new camera and software, of course. The volume buttons feel fine.
I was glad to see that the screen protector that came with the Otterbox had a cutout that accounted for both the light sensor and proximity sensor, especially after reading in these forums people who had malfunctioning proximity sensors due to screen protectors that overlaid the sensor. You won't have any issues here due to the screen protector.
I've used the included Otterbox screen protectors for the original Evo, the original iPad, and the Evo 3D. I can say that it is a perfectly clear protector that won't degrade image quality at all. It also feels like glass to the touch. The downsides are that it attracts finger oils easily and that the material scratches easily. We're talking about the very thin scratches that you can only see via reflection. As you can see in the above picture, I haven't applied the screen protector because I wanted to try out the Steinheil oleophobic protector that will be released on June 18. I would say that if it doesn't have the proper cutout for the proximity sensor, then I'm sticking with the Otterbox screen protector.
Conclusion: The Otterbox Commuter case for LTEvo is thin, well-designed, looks great, and protects your phone very well. Unlike the Evo models before it, I could not find anything to complain about this time around. And I was pleasantly surprised to see some thought put into some of the functional design aspects, like the nubs next to the speaker hole, the large opening around the kickstand for easier access, textured and low-profile dedicated shutter button, and proper cutout for the light and proximity sensors. Highly recommended.
via otterbox.com
. So I got the Defender and I gotta say I'm impressed after not liking the Defender for the OG. Had my OG in a Ballistic SG case and besides being a little taller (obviously) the Defender on the LTEVO is actually thinner then the OG Ballistic SG case and is very close width wise. I can comfortably put it in my pocket and it feels no different then my previous phone. Granted, I wear form fitting shorts about as often as I accessorize myself with pink
