OtterBox 77-24002 Commuter Series Hybrid Case for Samsung Galaxy Note 2 - Retail Packaging - Glacier

SHORTER VERSION:Pros:1. Strong, ridgid, stays put; fits device form perfectly2. Relatively easy to put on device3. Port covers stay shut like they should4. Rubber button-extensions work well (improved design: the buttons no longer have to be matched through the holes of the polycarbonate part of the case)5. Stylus is still easily accessible6. Corugated/Ridged design in back of polycarbonate for grip (see also: Cons)7. Nice touch: Black plastic ring around the inner edge of the hole for the camera helps prevent light reflection that may otherwise washout photos8. Nice touch: Ridge around loudspeaker hole is slightly raised to prevent muting the sound when lying back-downCons:A. Nail-biters will have a hard time with the headphone port cover (less so with the USB port cover)B. Adds a fair bit of bulk to the already-large phone (though not as much as a Defender)C. Case may actually be _more_ slippery than the device itself (if, like me, your hands are normally quite dry)D. Stiffer silicone (than previous OBCs) provides less deformity, but may provide less shock/drop protectionE. USB port hole is too small for some devices (namely the Samsung MHL adapter)F. Silicone inner edge may bump larger thumbs into contacting the digitizer (touchscreen) while pressing Home buttonLONGER VERSION:I'm basically going to expand on each of the points above, in order.1. I've had a few OtterBox and Trident Aegis cases in the past for my devices, and they've been steadily improving in terms of their rigidity and ability to stay in place on the device. I had an OB Commuter on my Evo 4G that had a fairly flimsy silicone sleeve - the charging port cover would randomly fall open and such. The Trident Aegis I had on my Epic 4G Touch was better; the charging port stayed shut properly, and the silicone sleeve had enough suppleness to absorb a decent impact. This OtterBox Commuter is even more rigid - there's no threat of the port covers coming open on their own at all. My only concern is that the silicone may be too stiff to properly absorb an impact. On the plus side, the silicone sleeve is formed perfectly - there's no extra space anywhere between it and the device.2. My OBC for my Evo and the TA for my Epic Touch both popped on the devices relatively easily as long as you had a system down. For this particular OBC, you don't need a system - put the device in the sleeve, and the shell over the sleeve. Done. Because the silicone buttons are "exposed" and don't need to be aligned with a hole in the polycarbonate shell, it's much easier to put the case together on the device, but without it freely popping off.3. See #1.4. The silicone buttons are a bit stiff - you kinda have to work at them to press the buttons until you get used to it. But I don't view this as a bad thing. The stiffness keeps them properly aligned with the keys on the devices, and prevents your pocket from having fun with your phone.5. Plenty of space is left around the stylus area so as to not make it difficult to remove. Even a nail-biter (like myself) can still get in and easily remove the stylus.6. The corrugated grip on the back is a nice touch. The plastic shell is pretty slippery on its own, so this feature is a must-have. The darn phone would be like holding a slab of ice otherwise.7. People complained about the white version of the iPhone 4 taking too long to be released. The reason it took them so long, was that they were trying to find a way to keep the white around the rear camera from affecting the performance of it, since the white reflected more light into the lens. To avoid that being an issue with this case, the inner edge of the plastic surrounding the rear camera of the device has been colored black. Though this probably isn't the first case to have that extra bit of thought put in, it's still a nice touch.8. You'll notice there's a slight ridge around the speaker port, but not the camera port. As far as I can tell, this is to help prevent whatever surface your phone is resting on from muting the sound. Again, another nice touch.Cons:A. Shorter nails will still be able to open the charging port cover relatively easily, provided you DO have a little nail edge left (I've known some people that obliterate their finger nails and would never be able to open it). The headphone port cover will provide those with shorter nails a more difficult time of opening it.B. The phone is already pretty large for most people. When I first held it, I thought it was huge. A day later, this case showed up and I put it on the device. Every so often, I take it off so I can see what the phone is like without it. The phone feels almost tiny at that point, which is a weird feeling (holding my Epic Touch, a 4.6" screen, feels like holding a baby's toy at this point). The OBC case will make an already huge phone even larger, but again, it's something you'll get used to so long as you have relatively large hands. If you buy gloves that are at _least_ Large, you'll be okay with the phone and should be with the device itself. If you buy your gloves in XL (as I do), you'll do fine with the phone and case.C. I'm not a lotion-user, and I work in retail. My hands are normally really dry, and the plastic shell of this case does not get along well with them. It really can be quite slippery. One way to change that: paint the plastic part. I used a metallic blue Testors-brand spray enamel paint on the plastic shell of my Trident Aegis case for my Epic 4G Touch. Used it like that for at least nine months without it wearing off at all, and it improved the feel of that case. I intend to do the same with this one once the weather warms up (I live in Minnesota). Bonus: Get this white one if you want to change the color of your case. My Trident case was black, and while you could see the blue, it wasn't as vibrant as it should've been.D. Basically, see #1 of the Pros list explanation.E. I purchased two accessories for use with my Galaxy Note II - the Samsung MHL Adapter, and the Samsung USB Host Adapter. I also have a variety of chargers around the apartment (probably four or five different ones, with different plug styles and shapes). All of my chargers fit without a problem, and the USB Host Adapter fits, but the MHL one does not. If you're planning to use the MHL adapter with the device, be ready to take off this case each time you do.F. The silicone sleeve maintains the same ridge around the inner edge on the front of the device. I've found, in some situations, this ridge kind of pushes my thumb in further towards the touch surface of the screen when I'm trying to press the home key. This occasionally results in unintended input on the screen. Doesn't happen all the time for me, but often enough that I've taken note of it, and you might, too.

Five weeks ago I bought this case for my Note 2 from Amazon after I had had my phone for a month with a slim notebook type cover (which offered NO Protection, but which slipped easily into my pocket).I bought the case because of my previous, very positive experience I had had with OtterBox cases for my previous cell phones.The reason that I did not get an OtterBox case to start with was because I was concerned that with the OtterBox case I might not be able to slip the phone/case into and out of my pockets easily. However, much to my surprise I found that I could very easily slip the phone (with OtterbBox commuter case) into and out of my man's shirt pocket with ease and that it did not "stick" to the shirt material going into and out of my pockets. Also, it did NOT just "fall out" when I would lean over at my job. My previous OtterBox cases were more along the "Defender" line and had very "sticky" outer rubber material which made it very difficult to get the phone into and out of any pocket no mater what size the pocket. The outer cover of the Commuter Case is a harder plastic and has good ribbing on it to enable it to be held without slipping out of the hand.I have now had 4 episodes (in 4 weeks of owning the OtterBox case) where my phone fell out of my hand, got knocked off of a table or "thrown" across the room (by my 5 year old grandson) and the phone has received absolutely no marks or malfunctions.The craftsmansip and "fit" of this phone case is excellent. I was concerned that the opening for the S-Pen (stylus) might make it too difficult to get the pen into and out of its slot, but this has not been the case with this case. I am a fingernail biter and it is sometimes difficult to grasp things like the stylus head and pull them free of their docking. But, the OtterBox Commuter Case has a very wide opening for the S-Pen and I have no difficulty removing or replacing the S-Pen Stylus. The other covers and ports are well protected by covers which are easy to open and to close. The bottom port for the charger cable does not interfere with my plugging in the USB charger cable.The "lip" around the screen/bezel is at least 3 to 4 mm deep and is all silicon type rubber so that the screen is very well protected from impact.The lip of the case around the camera lens is about 3 mm all the way around and serves well to protect the camera lens.Finally, from an esthetic point of view the "Glacier" color case is very "beautiful" with the off white parts matching my off white bezel and the slim gray parts acting as a contrasting frame surrounding the off white of the bezel. In fact, the Glacier color scheme makes the phone very visible without being gaudy(like a red or fluorescent) or black and dull like a rubber car tire.I feel the price is very good for the quality materials and the craftsmanship of this OtterBox Commuter Case. And, lets be honest... Why would I be willing to buy a lesser case for say $10 or $15 less when I am protecting a sophisticated hand held computer/phone which retails for about $650 if you buy it outright from a retailer like Best Buy.Don't skimp on the protection that you put around your phone, because it only takes one drop to mess it up.William WeddleVirginia

Product is durable and protects the phone nicely. The look is a little old fashioned and dull, but it does the job.

The item I received is authentic and good quality. I've used this sturdy case for a couple of weeks and it seems like it will hold up pretty well for the remaining life span of my Note 2 phone. I wish the actual color was exactly as depicted in the product image. I've used this case for over a year now and it's held up really well.

*I've owned 4 cases for this phone, the Otterbox defender, the Love Mei, and some other cheap piece of junk I bought for 5 bucks off amazon. This case is next to the Defender is the best*Got a deal on this for 23$ shipped, they originally were about 50$ price has dropped as the phone has aged.PROS1) Snug fit, you will not find a better fitting case for the note 2, even the Otterbox defender isn't as snug. It is a PERFECT fit,2) Premium quality. I put my Ottender defender through 1.5 years of intense abuse and misery and my phone looks brand new going into this new commuter case.3) Not as bulky as the defender but comparable protection.4) It looks nice, but function is not compromised for looks.5) Just an overall stellar phone case, pretty much perfect, sound quality is not compromised by the case, nor is the touchscreen sensitivity or sensors.CONS1) Challenging to put the screen protector on, it would be nice if they included an extra in there it is after all a little piece of plastic, I screwed mine up (and I was very careful). Its very hard to not have any air bubbles in there.2) I prefer the grippy rubber backing of the defender line this one can slide around the surface if what you put it on if its angled.3) The rubber flaps that cover the ports are very stick and take some breaking in but I suppose this is why the device has such a snug fit so it really isn't a con.4) The color. Wouldnt be my first choice of color because the white will gain more noticeable wear than the black version but this one was on sale.

It shattered my phone while was still within the cover. I will never buy any otterbox product from ahead !!!

Excellent item