Review: Otterbox E71 Defender Series

review | Techie Kid | October 12, 2009 12:23 am

Otterbox has a reputation for providing protection for iPhones, Blackberries and other mobile devices. One of their lines of protective casings is the Defender series. Luckily, the guys from Otterbox sent us samples of their Impact, Commuter and Defender cases for Nokia E71.

This first case we reviewed is the OtterBox Defender™ Series for Nokia E71. The E71 Defender is a stylish and durable protective casing. Unlike any normal protective case, the Defender offers a more effective protection by providing three layers of protection to your device.

First Layer of Protection

Nokia E71 Defender Series

The photos above show the first layer of protection used in the Nokia E71 Defender Series. This layer is a hard plastic shell which safely braces your device. Aside from the hard plastic shell, it also has a plastic skin for your keypads. This plastic skin protects the keypads from dirt and water. The LCD screen and the back camera are also protected with a transparent acrylic/plastic. With the defender series, there’s no need for an additional screen protector for protecting the display.

Second Layer of Protection

Nokia E71 Defender Series

The second layer of protection for the Defender series is the outer rubber cover. The purpose of this rubberized protective case is to protect the device from bumps, drop and shock. It also holds the first layer plastic intact within the entire case. All external buttons are also covered by this rubberized case without any negative change in their performance.

Last Layer of Protection

Nokia E71 Defender Series

The last protection that the Defender uses is the belt clip holster which also acts as an external case for the whole device. The proper way of using the belt clip holster that would be to have the Nokia E71 face the holster, thus, protecting your screen.

I love the belt clip since it also protects my phone from getting snatched. The reason why it took me some time to review this product is because a few weeks ago, my first Nokia E71 got snatched in the train.

Conclusion

After using the Defender and getting used to it, it can be concluded that the OtterBox Defender™ Series for Nokia E71 is a good solution for protecting your Nokia E71. It provides protection better than what Capdase or any protective case brands normally offer. Though it’s a bit pricey at $49.95, its a fair amount considering that the case gives your device maximum protection from bumps, drops, and shock. The only performance issue I experienced after using the Defender case for a couple of weeks is that the navi keys (upper keys of the keypads) are too close to the plastic. I had difficulty in pressing those buttons because my fingers are too big to press the them and the plastic plays as an obstruction.