Griffin Survivor Case for iPhone 4/4S - Olive

First, I owned a Griffin case for iPhone 3GS previously. That was the most bulletproof phone case I have ever seen, so I was excited to order one for my son's iPhone 4. Let me preface this by saying that my son has gone through 2 Otterbox cases, and in on his 3rd rubber cover for the Otterbox. When I took the new Griffin case out of the box, I could tell right away that it was more robust than the Otterbox. Bulkier? Maybe, a little, but not by much. That doesn't matter to me. This bit of plastic and rubber is all that's between a 14 year boy and $500 phone, so strength is my #1 priority. He's only had it a week, so I cannot attest to the long term durability, but I can say that the rubber seems to be alot sturdier. I will update at a future date, but if you are considering an Otterbox case, I would say this is not only a viable alternative, but maybe even a better one. Time will tell. One thing that I noticed that doesn't really matter to me, but may to some, is that the clip seems a bit flimsy for such a strong case. My son doesn't use a clip, so as I said, I'm not concerned with that, but it is something to keep in mind if you use a clip.

Case is great protection for iphone, screen protector has bubbles underneath which cannot be removed and its a bit of a pain to hold little flap open to take pics. The phone is so well protected now it hardly makes a noise when it falls to the ground because belt clip has broken. This means you can walk around for a few minutes on the job site before realizing your phone is missing. Belt clip is faulty. After one week it broke clear off when it pressed against my seat as i was entering my vehicle. Contacted seller for a replacement. Replacement broke the first day, same situation. If this thing is built to military specs shouldn't the belt clip not break as you are leaving for a leisurely afternoon drive to buy milk?

Overall, I really like this case. "Military duty" might be stretching it a bit, but it is very durable and offers good protection.What I liked: The style - there is a hard plastic shell that directly encapsulates the phone with an outer shell made of a material similar to foam rubber with a nice texture. I also liked the selection of colors, in particular the olive drab that I purchased. It is precisely engineered so that all the flaps and buttons work exactly like they should.What I didn't like: This case causes an echo heard on the other end of the call (not by you) however, after some research I discovered a fix (open the flap that covers the headphone jack). The screen cover doesn't seem to be as durable or resilient as other alternatives, not that I have had any major issues, just some very minor scuffing/scratching form normal use. Another drawback is that it makes the phone pretty bulky, and I noticed I'm continually pressing the voice control button accidentally and can her it beeping/talking in my pocket - it does come with a belt clip, but I don't care for wearing my phone like that so I don't use it. The button for turning the ringer off is difficult to switch (possibly just because of big fingers and short fingernails. Finally, the flap that covers the camera lens needs to be held open manually when using the camera, which can be a little awkward.I know that seems like a lot more cons than pros to warrant 4 stars, but most of the cons are very minor or don't really affect how I personally use my phone (I don't take many pictures) - the major issue I have is accidentally hitting that voice control and hearing the phone in my pocket.

First of all, not every case is going to be perfect. And if you're in the military part time and in construction full time like I am, there's no such thing as the perfect solution. I'm happy with my case and it does what I want it to do which is to reduce risk of breaking my new iPhone 4s.Pros:1. Full function of all buttons2. Great screen response for navigation (even with a screen protector on phone itself)3. Excellent design by incorporating full inner hardshell with protective screen and outer rubber impact bumper to create a dust/water resistant seal (NOT WATER PROOF!).4. No noticable reduction in volume during calls5. Excellent snug fitCons:1. Bulky, especially with the corner bumpers and side mid bumpers.2. Clip holster seems sturdy, but I don't like just two contact hook-like points in the top/bottom to hold it in place (I use a 5.11 Strobe/GPS Pouch and that works for me).3. Rubber door to back lense can be a little awkward to handle if you want to take pictures.4. Rubber pull back tabs that allow access to phone ports can be easily ripped off so be careful.5. Recessed screen can make texting awkward for large fingers, especially at the outer edge of the keyboards.Overall, I am satisfied and would recommend this product to other military buddies if they are not happy with the Otterbox brands.

the cover is ill fitting. You will accidentally have things going off all day. the clip to phone match is very hard to get aligned right. Siri will be asking you what you want all day. the clip is cheap and will break quickly, mine lasted a week. the cover over the face of the phone is cheap and will be scratched very soon. also the hard plastic case protrudes over the screen of your phone, so much so that you cannot text or hit anything in the corners of your screen. the camera cover needs to be held up out of place if you want to take a picture, so your camera becomes a two handed operation. buy an otterbox! it is better in all areas.