Broken iPhone 4

I’ve been using the Otterbox Defender case for about 6 months now. Overall I’m very happy with the protection of the case. I’ve dropped my iPhone more times than I can count and every time the Otterbox Defender case has done just what the name promises.

My biggest complaint about the Defender case is that dirt and debris get inside the case and stay under the built-in screen cover and the back of the case. While the Defender has kept my iPhone from cracked screens and dings, my iPhone 4′s front screen and back cover glass are now permanently pitted from the dirt that collects inside the case.

If I would have known about this… defect?… of the Otterbox Defender, I would have installed a back cover and screen cover on my iPhone to protect it.

Overall though, I am very satisfied with the Otterbox Defender Case. It has definitely saved my iPhone 4′s glass several times.

I think my next case will be a truly water proof “Lifeproof Case“. You can even take under water movies with your iPhone! Although from the pictures it doesn’t look like it offers as much physical protection as the Otterbox Defender series case,  think it will be worth it for me considering I have completely submerged my iPhone in water once, and spilled liquid on it on multiple occasions. So far the Otterbox has done a good enough job in this arena, but I just can’t resist a waterproof case.

So, if you haven’t read my first post, people call me Sippy Cup because I always spill and drop stuff, including my new iPhone 4 the first day I had it. So my new iPhone 4 was broken (more like shattered) and I was sad.

I took my iPhone into an Apple store to see what the Genius Bar could do for me. Well, they basically told me I could buy a new iPhone 4 for $600, or purchase the applecare plan for $69 and then have it replaced for $199. Neither option sounded good to me so I just left.

A couple weeks later I was at a mall to get some Clear 4G aircards for work and my friend suggested we try the Apple store in that mall. I really didn’t have much hope, but went anyway. This time I actually made an appointment at the Genius Bar instead of just walking up to someone between customers.

My friend mentioned to the guy who made the appointment for us that my brother in law had also broken his brand new iPhone 4 and the Apple Store he went to replaced it free of charge (true story).

So we wait around, look at the iPads, docking stations and all the other cool stuff there. They finally call my name so I go up to the Genius Bar and the guy says, “So, we’re swapping out an iPhone 4 today.”

I was a little dumbfounded, as was my friend. We weren’t sure if he meant for free or for $199 + $69 for applecare, so we just kept our mouths shut. He proceeds to take my sim card out, goes to the back, comes out with a new iPhone 4 still in the box, gives me the new phone and hands me a piece of paper to sign with a big fat charge of $0.00!

I was shocked to say the least. Maybe ecstatic would be a better word to describe it. So I walked out with my beautifully intact iPhone 4 (gripping it very tightly and cautiously since I still only had a crummy silicone slip on case for it).

Here’s my beautiful new iPhone 4!

Now, I’m not sure exactly what the difference was between my first and second visit to an Apple store was. I can only guess that it was a combination of actually making an appointment and my friend mentioning that my brother in law had his replaced free. We have a theory that Apple has an unspoken policy about cracked/shattered iPhone 4′s where they just replace it to save face.

It certainly made me a loyal Apple customer.

Now back to my nickname (Sippy Cup); I have come to accept it and I’ve learned from my original iPhone 4 experience, so as soon as I got back to a computer I ordered myself an Otterbox Defender Series iPhone 4 Case. It does make the phone a little bulkier, but its an awesome case and adds a massive amount of protection to your iPhone. Here’s a picture of the disassembled Otterbox Defender Case:

The top right piece is the back of the case with a layer of felt on the inside to avoid scratching your iPhone. The piece on the bottom right is the front of the OtterBox, and if you look for the glare you can see that this case comes with a built in screen protector.

Once your have your iPhone tucked safely away inside the case, there is a silicone cover (in the left of the picture) that slips over the case, adding extra shock absorption and protection. Once the silicone slip is on your iPhone 4 is about as close to water proof as possible. It still has to have the mics and speakers exposed, but everything else is sealed in.

For areas of the iPhone that you will need to access (headphone jack, charging port, mute switch) there is a rubber “door.” You can pull them open whenever needed, but when they’re closed they seal very tightly.

Anyway, here’s a picture of my iPhone 4 in the OtterBox Defender case:

The only complaint I have about the iPhone 4 OtterBox Defender case is that it comes up about 1/4 of an inch higher than the camera lenses which makes cleaning difficult. But for the amount of protection that you get with an Otterbox, as well as the quality of the case, I really can’t complain.

Hopefully my experiences will help someone out there either avoid a shattered heart – I mean iPhone 4 – or get a new replacement for their already broken iphone 4 for free!

So if you don’t have a good case, get an OtterBox! And if you have a broken iPhone 4 already, don’t hesitate to go to an Apple store and try to get a free replacement. Doesn’t hurt to try different stores either.

If you get your iPhone 4 replaced at no charge, drop me a comment, I’d love to hear your story!

-Sippy Cup