Otterbox case for the HTC EVO 4G LTE.

[novox77]

I can also confirm that after cutting off the silicone flap covering the charge port, the Commuter fits snugly into the car dock. I suspect the Defender will be too large to fit.

Here's a tip on getting a perfectly neat cut. Figure out where on the flap you are going to cut. I did mine at the thin part where it's designed to bend when you open the flap. Get some thick paper, magazine, or anything you don't mind scoring with a blade and put it between the silicone cover and a hard surface. Place the silicone cover face down on your scoring surface and bend the flap out so the neck is exposed for the guillotine. Use a sharp blade out of a utility knife (boxcutter) and place the blade gently on the part you plan to cut. when the blade is well aligned, firmly press straight down. While still pressing firmly down, use your free hand to peel the flap off. I found that it was already cut all the way through when i peeled off the flap.

My resulting cut is perfectly straight and clean, and you can't see any silicone coming out of the charge port hole.

 

[3vodroid]

So I got my night sky otterbox today! It fits awesome and feels great.. Seems like they changed the rubber too.. But does anyone else notice that it makes the buttons esp the power and camera feel very stiff?? I was going to skin alittle rubber off the bumper so it has alittle more play.. But I'll give it a day or so for the rubber to loosen up

 

[3vodroid]

Also.. The defender surprisingly doesn't add TOO much bulk.. It's pretty nice.. The way it snaps into the holster is taking alittle getting used too.. But so far besides the issue in my above post I really like it... And the blue is sweet

 

[Deleted User]

Also.. The defender surprisingly doesn't add TOO much bulk.. It's pretty nice.. The way it snaps into the holster is taking alittle getting used too.. But so far besides the issue in my above post I really like it... And the blue is sweet

Have anything to take pictures with it in phone in case and post ? Pix on otterbox site too.. Sterile hehe

 

[EarlyMon]

Mine seemed to soften a bit after a few days, and also, they may be more sensitive if hit them dead center rather than an edge of a button.

 

[Lord Vader]

You just sold me on the commuter.

So what's your opinion of it compared to the Defender? I have the latter but am just wondering how the Commuter is.

 

[JimMelbFL]

Relishing the Otter Defender and Commuter reviews guys and ladies. Thanks.
I'm on pins and needles with a butt naked EVO LTE and already dropped it one time on the carpet from my PC desk - its slick and skis right off books and stuff so be careful if you sit it on anything that has even a slight slope to it from the horizontal. About had a cardiac when that happened - just found out the Sprint salesperson didn't activate my Total Equipment Protection option that he took over the phone order. So you can imagine how paranoid I am right now to having to pay retail without sales upgrade credits to replace this expensive device!

Right now I am leaning toward the Commuter - but need to know - does it have a holster or belt swivel sort of attachment? I don't see it in the photos or the description text? I like the idea of keeping as close to the original form factor (THIN) as possible and the defender does look like an overkill worse than trying to be intimate with a lover while wearing body armor on every part of one's body. :rofl:

I have the Sprint car dock for navigation - one of my principal reasons for getting the phone in the first place since the update map CD/DVD racket at Porsche for the organic nav system are outrageously expensive and always a year behind reality. It's imperative that my EVO LTE fits in the dock. I have heard that the commuter has an issue with the cover to the micro USB charging port but it can easily be removed. How about the Defender - does it fit at all? I am doubtful.

Thanks for all the good dialog.

 

[3vodroid]

On the kickstand

Side view

Front

Back
Pics taken on a toshiba thrive... Enjoy!

 

[Deleted User]

Do your pictures make the dark blue portions appear lighter than it actually is?

Mine are literally sitting at the small FedEx facility down the street. Wonder if I can pick them up.

Thanks for the pix!

 

[3vodroid]

Do your pictures make the dark blue portions appear lighter than it actually is?

Mine are literally sitting at the small FedEx facility down the street. Wonder if I can pick them up.

Thanks for the pix!

Yeah just a tad lighter I would say

 

[EarlyMon]

My black Defender has vertical ridges on the back where it says Otterbox. Will try to get a snap up later, no promises.

I doubt that a Defender will ever be dockable.

 

[ryder4321]

My black Defender has vertical ridges on the back where it says Otterbox. Will try to get a snap up later, no promises.

I doubt that a Defender will ever be dockable.

I've been looking for a dock for the defender as well. I did find slipgripcarmounts have dedicated mounts for the defender on the eltevo. Seems interesting but haven't pulled the trigger yet.

 

[JimMelbFL]

I had an order in late this week with Amazon for a Otter Defender and other goodies but they informed me that it didn't ship due to some problem between them and my credit card company. So I was annoyed that neither the CC company nor Amazon could seem to tell me what was wrong so I cancelled the order. So today, I just happened to be driving past Best Buy so I mosied in just to see what they had in store for cases. None of the BBuy stores apparently have the Commuter yet - but they did have the Defender for $50. Expensive compared to mail order but I just had a nagging premonition that I HAD to get some protective clothes on my nekked Evo LTE ASAP.

I knew that the Defender probably would not fit into my Sprint Accessories Car mount but went for it anyway. I immediately confirmed that it does NOT fit even with the spacer insert removed. I though if I took off the outer soft-bumper shell portion that it might just slide in. Well, close but "no joy" so to speak (sigh, the curse of bigger-boy otters where size does matter in contrarian ways )...

My initial idea at point of sale was to use the 30 day guarantee from Best Buy just to get my EVO LTE immediately clothed, go home and order the Commuter and then return the Defender when the Commuter arrived. But I started thinking that's pretty low-class and how they'd probably reshelf it and someone would get stuck with a "used" otter laugh: suppressing an evil thought). My adherence to the golden-rule would just not let me do that. The store salesman did tell me that the Commuter does NOT have a belt mount holster. So now I'm thinking I perhaps should just have two different models of these - Get a Commuter for average every day slimline use that will fit into the car nav mount and use the Defender for more rugged usage like when on the boat or in the wilds/islands etc. Not sure which case offers best protection from moisture caused by rain and light water splash from hitting bow waves while boating etc. But that's another important thing to consider if one is very active with their EVOs...

At the bottom:
I was hoping to make this all as simple and as cost-effective as possible with a one-protector-does-all solution. But since I am already invested in the car mount I guess a 2 model solution and swapping out shells is going to have to be the way of life for me. The dash/windshield mount is a very convenient place to securely hold and dock/power-charge the phone when driving even when not using it actively for nav - better than having it slide all over the console or passenger seat...

 

[Deleted User]

If you have an AC vent to give up in your car...

Think this is what I have.

http://reviews.walmart.com/1336/15676029/iwave-ia305-universal-car-vent-mount-holder-for-gps-and-ipod-iphone-reviews/reviews.htm

Horrible reviews but because it isn't super easy to take out. Sure feels cheap, but I have had for over a year.. And it hasn't broke yet..

Keeps phone nice and cool lol and easily sounds from portrait to landscape.

Held my Defender encased EVO 4G no problems for over a year.

Dirt cheap at your local Walmart.

Was going to get official mount, but this actually sits closer to my face and the power outlet. Other downside is power plugs right into phone, potentially putting pressure on charging port.

 

[IOWA]

Bah, Otterbox didn't make the truck, so delivery is going to have to be Monday. Boo.

 

[EarlyMon]

So, I've got this depth gauge (sort of like a finely calibrated ruler with a slider) and thought it would be fun to post dimensions for the Defender. I used this because I found that trying to read thru a regular ruler with the various curves and because the specs in the pdf on the Otter site are just wrong (no, .68" is not 37.36mm, and it's not .68"). The width measurement was made by standing it on the button side and measuring to the center point, opposite. Height was measured to the top of the power button.

thickness - 45/64" or .703" or 17.86mm
width - 3 5/64" or 3.08" or 78.12mm
height - 5 42/64" or 5.66" or 143.67mm

So, approximations are -

So - 5.66 x 3.08 x .7"

Or - 144 x 78 x 18 mm

I've written Otter asking them to correct it, btw.

Edit - as a convenience, here's their PDF -

View attachment htc2-evo-4g-lte-info.pdf

Here's the beauty shot showing the ribs on back of mine -



It really doesn't have those black and gray stripes, it's all the same color black. I expect that the gray stripes were caused by light interference pattern when they tried to take and process the picture.

What the pictures and numbers don't tell you is that the back is nicely curved, so while it has definite heft, it doesn't feel blocky.

 

[PattiCakeUS]

On the kickstand

Side view

Front

Back
Pics taken on a toshiba thrive... Enjoy!

Wow that case is amazing, it defies gravity!!!

 

[PattiCakeUS]

If anyone is interested in a slightly ghetto car mount, this is what I used for my Shift and it still works for this phone (actually works better because they moved the volume buttons on this phone). Downside is it goes into your cd player (I usually just listen to the radio so that's not an issue for me) but it's easy to remove if you want to listen to cd's.
Mountek nGroove CD Slot Mount: Universal Smartphone Car Mount for Apple iPhone 3G/3GS/4/4S, Samsung, Motorola, HTC, Blackberry [Inserts into CD/DVD Slot or Grooves in Dash] : HTC

 

[ren857]

If anyone is interested in a slightly ghetto car mount, this is what I used for my Shift and it still works for this phone (actually works better because they moved the volume buttons on this phone). Downside is it goes into your cd player (I usually just listen to the radio so that's not an issue for me) but it's easy to remove if you want to listen to cd's.
Mountek nGroove CD Slot Mount: Universal Smartphone Car Mount for Apple iPhone 3G/3GS/4/4S, Samsung, Motorola, HTC, Blackberry [Inserts into CD/DVD Slot or Grooves in Dash] : HTC

That's not ghetto. It's a good use of space, IMO.

 

[PattiCakeUS]

That's not ghetto. It's a good use of space, IMO.

Yeah, I was thinking I probably shouldn't have called it that. It's a lovely generic mount and it works for me.

I loved my old ProClip mount that hooked into a dashboard vent - when I had my Treo and then later my Hero - but it didn't work for the Shift because of where the USB charger port was on that phone. I could use it again now with this phone but it still wouldn't work very well horizontally when I'm using GPS. Guess I'll stick with my generic mount for the foreseeable future.

 

[Complex757]

I got my Commuter today. Really nice case. I like the fact that it shows you how thin of a phone it is. With the Defender screen protector, I forgot how nice the display is.

 

[novox77]

Yeah, before owning the phone (and Commuter), I didn't really care for thinness. Especially at the expense of removable battery. But I have to admit, every time I pick up the phone in the commuter case, I can't help but smile when I feel how slim it is.

I think for some features, it really is "you don't know what you're missing." Screen size is another one of those features. I'm pretty sure a lot of people on a 3.5" screen would no doubt appreciate a larger screen if they spent some time with one. But if they haven't, the 3.5" is just fine because they are used to it.

Of course, there's no such thing as one-size-fits-all, and those heavy users who need multiple batteries do suffer from a non-removable battery, but I think HTC made the right decision in terms of meeting the wants or needs of their entire customer base.

 

[Deleted User]

Just got my Night Sky Defender. It is awesome.

The rubber around the hard plastic is much much firmer. It is so very much more snug. No way will this thing come off by itself.

Feels much more put together and thought out, as mentioned before.

Leaps and bounds above OG EVO Defender.

I need to compare bottom left edge of mine with my son's. Looks like there is a slight manufacturing defect and there is a gap.

But as I said the rubber encasing is very very tight.

Does add thickness, but eh, actually feels better in my hands. Def thinner than OF EVO case.

And yes, the dark blue is much darker than what was posted earlier. I like!

Tampa Bay Rays colors! Woot!

 

[ren857]

So I went and got the Blue defender case and I must say that I like it as much as the commuter case. It is a bit thicker but it's more grippier in my hand as opposed to the commuter. It just feels better compared to the commuter. Also, the covers for the ports are more solid. The commuter's port covers were more squishy.

I'm ashamed to say that I have dropped my phone more than once on a hard surface. I am so glad that I had the otterbox case on it.

However, the screen protector is an oil magnet compared to a "naked" screen. That's the only drawback.

 

[IOWA]

Got my commuter. Very snug and a great fit. Makes it feel better in the hand IMO.