OtterBox Defender Series Case and Holster for Samsung Galaxy Note 2 - Glacier

ok so my wife and myself have the same phone. I originally bought the black case for myself before my wife upgraded her phone. this happened to be after my cell's screen smashed. I didn't want it to get further damaged the corner of the phone was smashed to pieces but only 1 crack went diagonally downward. so I put some superglue in the cracks to hold it together until I replaced it and bought the black otterbox so when I replaced it I would have a case for it.The black defender otterbox was nice. but luckly I still had a screen protecter for what ever was left on my phone still to keep from getting worse. the case DOES NOT PROTECT AGAINTS DUST!! not for the Galaxy Note 2 anyhow.Here's why (area 1 of 4)On the otterbox screen protector (1 of 3 pieces to the case and required for full assembly) there is a hole over the home button. why didn't they just concave the plastic for the button leaves me puzzled.(Area 2 of 4)There is no plug of rubber like there is for the headphone jack or charging port protecting the stylis. dust/ sand can get in front or behind your phone through that port.(Area 3 of 4)Normal phone speaker, notification LED, and front facing camera port have no protection either. again there is enough space to let sand/dust in. now to say put plastic over the camera or speaker could lower quality of front facing pictures or poorer speaker quality with sound waves vibrating the plastic. but if they had thought to put a simple sponge gasket surrounding the inside of the case pushing against the phone. it would have been much more beneficial.(Area 4 of 4)The rear facing camera has enough space under it to let dust and small particles of sand in.As for the differences in colors, I personally recommend you don't get black.. when my wife got her new phone before I replaced my broken one. and all the cleaning in between cause of the dust. I had to use a knife tip to spread the phone case apart to remove and maintain the case and phone. the sides of my case are now all chewed up and look as if the clips are going to brake. the rubber is very tough particularly when charging your phone. you'd be surprised how my pressure the charging port flap of rubber puts on the charger pressing it downward. And now come to think of it I just replaced my phone 2 weeks ago finally cause it wouldn't charge and when it did connect, it connected in "Dock Mode" which I do not have a dock at all nor had it done it before. maybe the board got damaged from the case I honestly don't know.Final bit of info. other then described above. its a great durable case I don't squirm when my phone drops to the floor at all. I recommend getting another color though. I have white and grey on my phone now so we could tell the difference between ours. and I can open it with what ever is left of my fingernails with absolute ease no tools required. I honestly believe the carbon they use during the manufacturing process for the color black hardens the plastic and rubber it to much. the white and grey seems perfect other then the dust issue. BE SURE TO PLACE A SCREEN PROTECTOR TO THE PHONE TO PROTECT THE GLASS WHILE USING THE OTTERBOX CASE SCREEN PROTECTOR.Hope any of this was helpful, great case few flaws. but id still highly recommend to any and all. just don't get black (which is cheapest ironically.. coincidence? I think not)EDIT 4 not 3 areas left open for debris, also a thought if they can make an iphone water proof, why cant they keep dust out of any other phone that's not capable of being water tight due to design..EDIT just realized the black has a smoother texture then the gray. The gray feels more grippy then the black. The black feels very smooth and slippery for rubber in comparison.

After having purchased a Note 2 for full price and breaking the screen about a month later and then dropping the replacement phone a month and a half after that, it was imperative that I secure a protective case for my phone since the insurance would not cover any more replacements. This phone is still pretty new and actual protective cases were hard to find. I actually had to search for 'otter box' and not 'Note 2 case' in order to have it come up as an option. I had initially ordered this item from an Amazon market place seller who sold out of them over the new year (they were very nice about it) and I had to cancel that order and re-order the item from Amazon, so I absolutely recommend buying directly from Amazon, if possible.The hard plastic inner case is nicely fitted to the phone, so it feels very solid with an unobtrusive clear pane over the screen with a small cut out for the home button. This plastic inner case covers about 98% of the phone, with openings for the front facing camera, the s-pen, the rear camera, speaker and two small openings for the top and bottom microphones. The case is well designed, securely fastened and fitted to the necessary ports and accessories which are all easily accessible. I do worry, however about this clear plastic window becoming scratched up fairly easily. This provokes another question, "Should it put a screen protector over it?" but then I imagine a Princess-and-the-Pea like accumulation of protective accessories and decide not to bother.After the top and bottom hard plastic inner case are snapped together, a silicone (I presume) skin is placed over the back and sides, fitting in to a groove around the front rim of the case. I believe that this is pretty common for the defender series, since I have a tablet version that is much the same. However, unlike the tablet version and a case owned by a friend, this rubberized material seems much firmer, with almost a soft-touch plastic feel rather than a stretchy silicone feel. I think this is superior, since when you try to pinch and stretch at a corner, the outer cover does not move very readily.The phone and inner case snap firmly into the plastic holster but I am not sure if it would not just pop out if dropped. Additionally, the plastic of the holster looks like it might be susceptible to cracking or breaking (not sure, just a hunch). The clip on the holster is 1.5 inches wide by 3 inches tall and is able to rotate 360 degrees with a firm ratcheting mechanism. The clip can also be held in a completely open position, which I presume acts like a stand. The phone can be put into the holster face-in to completely cover the screen or face-out. When the phone is face-out and the clippy-stand is deployed, it has a pretty good viewing angle and is fairly stable.If you bought this phone for it's thin profile and slender elegance, I think you will be pretty displeased with this case since it significantly adds to the bulk, increasing the width to a little over a half inch and beefing up the sides. It is a beast, no question. However, I can personally attest to the eel-like nature of this phone, having dropped it multiple times and cracked the screen twice, so for me, the added bulk is comforting and makes it easier to grip. Whereas this phone did fit (sort of) in pockets before, the addition of this case makes that a less appealing option. However, you do get the holster so if you don't mind being razzed by friends and family for your nerd-style perhaps that evens it out?Bottom line, although this significantly adds to the bulk of the phone, I feel pretty good for the first time about the security of this very expensive device.

As awesome as expected! Considered the OtterBox Commuter for the price, but the Defender has a built in screen protector and you need to purchase one separately with the Commuter. So value for the money I went with the OtterBox Defender. It fits the phone very snugly and is difficult to remove once installed. That is a good thing! I have never dropped my phone, but I feel confident it would survive unharmed now that I have this protection. Absolutely recommend this product. It is the best on the market, in my humble opinion.

PROS:1) Have used this for my note 2 for nearly 1 year, taking it camping, mountain climbing, have dropped it countless times at the gym I go to daily, not only does my phone still look brand new when I occasionally pull it out of the case, but the case has held up remarkably well, accruing few minor scratches.2) The rubber flaps that cover the headphone and USB ports are remarkably robust. I must have open and closed it a thousand times and there is no crease in the rubber, no noticeable wear.3) The rubberized exterior makes it feel great in your hand, and allows for good grip.4) Works great in conjunction with any thin screen protector5) Have dropped numerous times, (once into toilet!!!) NO ISSUES!!______________________________________________________________________________________________CONS1) Removing the case is difficult (which is perhaps why its so good). Removing the rubber layer is easy but seperating the screen cover from the backing is a pain in the A&!. I actually broke the frame of my screen protector (not on phone but the otterbox case itself) from replacing my battery regularly while on a camping trip, but once the case is all put together its a complete NON issue. Everything still fits nice and snug and in the place its supposed to be.2) Its hard to stand/ prop the phone up on landscape view on any hard surface (like wooden table) because of the belt clip attachments which are a hard non-grippy minor plastic protrusion out the sides.

Not too big (of course the cell is big) but it doesn't exaggerate the whole size. Premium fit. Might be a bit expensive when paid around 50$/60$ but worth it. I will buy it again if needed :)

The Defender is a sturdy case if you are looking for great protection for your phone. The screen works well and responds to the touch as if there was no screen. The only inconvenienced is that dirt gets trapped under the screen, and I have to pull the case apart to clean the screen periodically. The tabs on the cover are very difficult to pull apart.

Very good fit and finish with excellent protection.However, be prepared to remove the screen protector as it is not mated close enough to surface.There is a significant edge which rises above the level of the screen so it is unlikely that it will get damagedwithout the protector. The screen is easily peeled off from the inside rim prior to fitting the phone into the box... If you want to, get the inexpensive sheets to protect your screen and they will work better withthe pen and fingers... I have chosen not to, as I prefer the display to be clear and responsive. I don't feel that I need to put oneon with such a sturdy, raised rim. You could almost take shots on net with this on the phone...The buttons and plugs are well-fitting and sealed and the phone does not feel too clumsy in my hands (mind you, I havepretty big hands, so the ladies might find it a tad big, but that is the reality with this phone/phablet).