Review: Otterbox HTC EVO 3D Impact Series Case
Otterbox offers three types of cases for the HTC EVO 3D, two of which we've previously reviewed here at G&E. The most hard core of the trio is the Defender Series, the slim(ish) and sexy one is the Commuter Series, and the one we're here to talk about today is the squishy little brother, the Impact Series.
The downside of the Impact Series' silicone is the texture. As you can see in the pictures and like we mentioned in our review of the Impact Series for the HTC EVO 4G, this baby is a lint magnet. Being a dude, I’m the pocket-carries-my-life type, and this case likes to stick to everything . . . well, almost.
It's actually not that grippy in the hand, and something about the type of silicone actually makes it gently slide down my palm. Basically if I hold the phone at about a 45-degree angle with a light grip, it will slowly slide down my hand. It's even more noticeable when I take the case off and the naked phone sticks slightly better.
Granted, in my 10+ days of use, I've never dropped the phone with the case on. But I do feel safe that if I did, those thick padded edges would go a long way to preventing a cracked screen.
For every other surface though, the grip provided by the Impact Series case is great. I've actually been able to put the phone on the 60-degree downward slope of my sink (don't try at home, folks!) and the bugger didn't budge a bit.
This is pretty great for all the times you need the EVO to stick to a dashboard/sink/battle-mech, but it's not so great when you want to bring it in and out of your pocket, which is almost a two-handed affair. It can be pretty frustrating when I'm scrambling to answer a call.
My favorite part of the case has to be the tactile feedback of the power and volume buttons. If you ever get your fingers on them, I dare you to tell me it doesn't feel exactly like the squishy rubber Start/Select buttons on an NES controller. I love it!
I say all of this as someone who generally prefers to flaunt my electronics in the buff. Even after having drop-destroyed two previous phones (including my beloved EVO 4G!), cases generally aren't for me.
In a different world where I put foil on my stove and plastic sleeves over my dinner chairs, I'd go for this case. If the lint and sticky pocket issues don't bother you, then it's hard to go wrong with the Otterbox Impact Series case for your EVO 3D, especially for only $19.95.
