Otterbox Preserver Series Waterproof Case iPhone 5/5S - Retail Packaging - Pistachio - Grey/Glow Green

I have been looking for a case to put my iPhone 5s in that is waterproof and I looked at lifeproofs but i decided to get the Otterbox Preserver instead and I am glade that I did because this is one nice case.Construction- The case is made out of plastic but it could take on heck of a beating. The edges of the case is plastic but is coated with a little bit of rubber which is nice because it provides some grip while you are using your phone.Sound- A lot of people have said bad things about the sound and in my option it is not that bad at all. Yes when playing music or talking on the phone to someone it does sound different but its not as bad as I thought it was going to be. The thing that I noticed is that the should gets worse with the louder the volume is turned up so if you like playing your music loud it will should different and some what muffled. To me though I don't mind it because this is a waterproof case and even the Lifeproofs are going to do that.Waterproof- Before you put your iPhone in this case the instructions say to assemble the case and submerge the case in water for 30 minutes to make sure that it doesn't leak. I did that to mine and sure enough the inside of the case was still dry so it is waterproof.Touch I.D. and the Screen protector- As far as the touch I.D. goes I could not be happier, the plastic piece that goes over the home button sticks to the home button and it has worked every time that I have used it so far. Now for the screen protector, when I first put by iPhone in this case I left my Zagg extreme on my iPhone and it did fit in the case however it was very hard to use the screen and it was very difficult to use. So I took the Zagg extreme off my iPhone and now it works awesome, I was worried that the plastic screen protector wouldn't be very good but it works great and there is little or no gap between the plastic screen protector on the otter case and the actual iPhone screen.Camera- Both the back and front facing cameras still work Great and take the same high quality pictures with the otter case on as it did without the case. The two-tone flash also works great just like if it were not in the case.The mute switch- A lot of people have complained about the mute switch in my opinion it is very hard to use but once you get used to it is not so bad. That's why only gave the OtterBox 4/5 stars because of the mute switch.Putting and taking off case- My favorite part about this case is that it is so easy to take on and off, it disassembles into two pieces and is very easy to take on and off your iPhone. It is much easier than other cases that I've had in the past.Headphone jack and lightning charger- As far as using headphones go with this case so far I have no complaints. The Apple headphones work just fine as well as my Zagg ZR SIX headphones which have an L held shaped jack. I was also able to use a Zagg lightning charger as well as the Apple one. The Zagg lightening charger had a slightly bigger end then the Apple one and I was still able to use the Zagg charger just fine just fine.Buttons- The two volume buttons and the lock button both work pretty good they are a little stuff but I think once you use the case more they definitely will become easier to use but they do not require A lot of force to push in my opinion.Overall if you are somebody who is looking for a very protective case and is also waterproof then I would highly recommend getting this case. It is very durable, the screen protector on it it's the best I've seen so far and the touch ID works flawlessly.

There is so much good about this case, but alas, it falls short in a few critical areas, keeping it from the coveted 5 star rating. I debated for a long time whether to go with this or the lifeproof fre, eventually deciding on the preserver after reading and watching countless reviews. Here's how I break it down:DESIGNExcellent. The green accent over the gray with white back really looks killer. It doesn't have the bulky chunky appearance of other otterbox products.SOUNDMarginal. In my mind, this is the biggest flaw of the phone, and especially since you use it every day, it'll be something you're reminded of time and again. This really needs to be broken down two sub sections: sound volume and sound quality.VOLUMEThe speaker phone volume is not bad. It's about as loud as the bare phone. The earpiece volume is markedly muted. It's definitely harder to hear the caller, and you'll have to crank it all the way up the max to hold a conversation.SOUND QUALITYThe speaker phone is pretty good up to about 75% volume. After that you get a loud buzzing that distorts the sound. It's still usable though. The earpiece sound is very muffled and sounds like you're missing the higher frequencies. There's also a tinny buzzing that's there regardless of volume level. It's something you just have to get used to. Yes yes, this IS a waterproof case after all, and you should expect some sound distortion, right? Well, by all reports, the lifeproof has better sound, so why couldn't otterbox incorporate that technology into the preserver, especially since they now own lifeproof? Beats me.SCREEN PROTECTORVery good. Great responsiveness. The only knock against it is there is an ever so slight gap between the screen protector and the screen. Comparing to friends lifeproof fre cases, the effect is much less pronounced in the preserver.TOUCH ID COMPATABILITYExcellent! I have as much success or better than the bare phone. The only reason I can think of that it would be better is that the plastic border around the home button helps you locate your finger more accurately. My only complaint here is that the membrane seems very thin and very flexible. I imagine it wouldn't take much trauma to rip it, thereby breaking the waterproof seal. But only time will tell.FORMGood. Make no mistake, this case adds significant bulk to your phone, and much more so than the lifeproof. Otterbox tried to hide the bulk by building a recess into the back cover, but the edges of this case are very thick. It will definitely feel bigger in your pocket. This case also adds significant length to the long dimension of your phone to accommodate the plug flaps at the bottom. This means one handed operation may be a bit more difficult for the dainty-handed.CAMERA AND FLASH FUNCTIONALITYExcellent. Haven't noticed any difference yet.USABILITYVery good. The day to day usability is quite good. The volume and power buttons have a very solid feel to them. Unfortunately, the mute switch rocker is VERY stiff and quite difficult to operate, as others have noted. And I don't think it's a matter of installation technique. Moving on, the flaps covering the charging port and headphone jack are just stiff enough to reassure me that it's waterproof, yet not so stiff it's unusable.WATERPROOFNESSI'm too scared to thoroughly test this. But I did take it into the shower with me briefly, and no water. All I can say is it darn well better be waterproof or otterbox is going to HEAR about it.In summary, this case has many merits that outweigh the deficiencies. The sound issue is slightly annoying, but not to the point where it's unusable. Is it the perfect case? No. But I think I made the right choice. Maybe in the future otterbox will figure out how to combine the good from the preserver and the lifeproof fre to make a Frankenstein super case. Here's hoping....

This item arrived on time and was exactly as ordered.

People find it hard to hear you when talking.

Looks great, feels solid. Waterproof test worked. Easy to use. Lanyard is useful. I've been using it about a week & like it. The charging cable port piece is stiff so it does put pressure on the charging cable...this may start to affect it eventually.The sound is quite "tinny" through the waterproof membrane, but I rarely use my cell for actual phone calls, mostly just texting. If you talk on your phone a lot you may want to take this into consideration. Also the earpiece is muffled during calls & the other people on the calls have complained I sound muffled. The screen cover hovers just slightly above the actual screen, not totally flush with it, so using the touch screen is more difficult.I previously had a Commuter that I loved. Overall a total bargain!

though i cannot get the hold button to work

Would I buy it at retail price? No. Overall a rugged case, keeps my device safe and is actually waterproof to 6 feet (fell in a bucket of water at work and I didn't realize it until I went looking for my phone).Main issues I have with this case, touch ID is very hit or miss. The plastic I believe is too thick and also the plastic near the touch ID cover is very intrusive and makes it hard to get your thumb over the sensor properly. Second issue is the green rubber around the edges picks up dirt off your hands. I should have ordered the black one, but I digress. It's a nice case for good peace of mind.

Very happy