Over the years, OtterBox has built a reputation for creating phone cases with great protection. Currently, OtterBox offers two types of cases for the HTC One: HTC One Defender Series case and the HTC One Commuter Series case. The one I will be reviewing today is the Commuter Series case in the glacier color. Let’s find out if this case lives up to the OtterBox name.
Price: $37.99 from MobileFun
Design
The HTC One Commuter Series is available in five different color schemes – black, glacier (white/gray), steel blue (black/teal), lilac (black/purple), and punked (black/lime green). The case is dual-layered, consisting of a hard exterior polycarbonate shell with a silicone inner layer. For the glacier one that I am reviewing, the hard exterior shell is white and has the OtterBox logo engraved on it while the inner, silicon layer is gray.
The case has cutouts for the power button, microphone, flash, camera, headphone jack, and micro-USB port. However, the headphone jack and micro-USB port have a silicone cover that can easily be opened and closed. The only function that does not have a cutout is the volume rocker. The cover for the rocker works fine, but feels stiff when you want to adjust the volume.
Unlike the HTC One Defender Series, the provided screen protector is not attached to the case. In fact, you can forgo the provided screen protector if you want to. This option is extremely useful if you don’t like using screen protectors or if you would rather use a different screen protector from a different company.
Protection
Putting the HTC One in the case is a very simple task. The phone goes inside the silicone layer first and then the hard exterior shell snaps on around it. When putting the exterior case on, I sometimes noticed that the cover for the headphone jack and micro-USB port would get in the way and had to be adjusted accordingly. Other than that, the phone fits perfectly in the case.
As with most cases nowadays, the front has raised edges which will prevent your phone screen from being scratched if you lay it face down. Also, since the edges are made out of silicone, your phone will not slide around on a flat surface.
The case protects your phone in two ways. The silicone layer absorbs bumps and shocks while the polycarbonate outer shell protects your device from impact. However, I would like to point out that the outer shell feels slippery when holding your device in your hand. The concern with this is that it might actually make it easier for you to drop your phone.
Use
One of the drawbacks about the OtterBox for the HTC One cases is that it adds bulk to your phone. The case itself weighs 1.56 oz, which doesn’t sound like much but you can feel the difference when you hold it in your hand. The approximate dimension of the case is 5.65in x 2.97in x 0.60in. The result of this is that if you like to talk on the phone for a long time and do not use a Bluetooth headset, your hand will get tired quickly.
When using your HTC One, you have full access to all of the buttons and sensors. Since all of the microphones are fully exposed, your phone calls should still reach full clarity. The covers for the headphone jack and micro-USB port is a nice touch which offers extra protection to these two functions.
Final Verdict
The HTC One OtterBox Commuter Series case is an awesome case that offers great protection. There isn’t much to gripe about other than the exterior shell being slippery. Since the case is available in five different stylish colors, you have the option of picking a color scheme that you truly like or at least could live with.
I’m sorry to inform you, the Commuter case is crap. I bought my HTC One in July thru Rogers along with the case, thinking that this product was going to protect my phone. You have no idea how I would love to tell you truly how I feel about your product, but I know I need to be polite. Anyways, as you are probably aware, the case cover for the battery jack damaged the insert so I can’t recharge my phone, along with the case holding condensation. Seriously! The advertisement states to meet our active lives, not likely. Before purchasing this case I asked if this would work for my active life. I am a military member, and very active. My phone is not only to be contacted by family and friends, it is used for work if there is a call out for work along with access to my music. Just to let you know, I’ve only owned my phone for 5 months. Again I am military, with a family and these phones are not cheap. So, how to solve this, I would like a new phone.
Thank you
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