The OtterBox Defender Realtree Camo series make me wish even more that I had a dog, my rifle and some game to hunt.
It has been years since I last ventured into the wild to hunt rabbits, and elk. Back in those days I used to carry a big ass walkie talkie for communication that for some weird reason managed to pick up communication from the Italian army. It was heavy, consumed batteries like crazy and the few times I got to use it the sound was far from good. With an iPhone 4 or 4S life would have been so much better, and I could have used GPS mapping to plan my route. The best protection for a trip outdoors is the Drop Series from Gumdropcases, and the Defender Series from OtterBox. With the new cool design of the Defender Realtree Camo I lean completely towards the OtterBox for forest leisure.
I don’t usually update reviews, or write articles based on a product update. With the Realtree Camo I still feel I need to do something because it adds something the original Defender lacked. It adds fun, personality and most of all it adds the possibility to see more brand and style integration. OtterBox focuses on a core set of cases, and while this is great in some regards it also means that there isn’t that much variation. With about three to five different colour options for each series there isn’t much to choose from if you want your case to feel personal. With the Realtree Camo you get four new versions of the Defender series case. To me those most interesting are by far those with bright orange inner shells called Blaze. The inner hardcase is either orange or black. With the black hardcase there isn’t that much difference from the original black Defender series.
The back of the case has a really nice Realtree print that is both durable, and beautiful to look at. Two different artworks are available called either Max or AP. AP depicts forest, and Max is a close up of grass.
Something I see as a missed opportunity is that nothing has been done to the holster. It is the same black plastic holster that comes with all four versions of the Realtree Camo. A bright orange version, or a version clearly showcasing the Realtree inspiration would have been appreciated.
OtterBox has managed to enhance the Defender Series by infusing cool outdoor personality. With one of the most comprehensive protection solutions refined to fit better OtterBox manages to stay at the top of the maximum protection segment for yet one more iPhone generation.
Final Rating
Realtree Camo at OtterBox.com $50.96
