Google Pixel 8 Pro Defender Series Case - Baby Blue Jeans, Rugged & Durable, with Port Protection, Includes Holster Clip Kickstand

We all have used cases, so the use is nothing new, the Otter Box has been to standard for rugged durability for some time, best case for your expensive phone. Just know that this case does add a bit of extra bulk to the phone and may not fit in all phone mounts.

I have used this case for about 4 months now. Here are my takes on the case and what I wish they would improve upon. For one, I wish the square catch which keeps this phone holstered was a bit more resistant. As it stand now, it doesn't take a whole lot of force to remove the phone from the holster because of the low interference fit. My Pixel 7 Pro used the OtterBox case, too, and it was a LOT tighter fit than this case provides. There's been several scenarios where I had to move the phone from hanging off my jeans pocket to the inner pocket of my fleece jacket in order to provide more security: In a crowded trade show. Running. Carrying things where I might accidentally wack the phone against something, causing it to fall out of the holster and to the ground. Drop+ Tested This is straight from OtterBox's website: "The + in DROP+ represents the extra tests our engineers perform in addition to MIL-STD to deliver the device defense you need. Top-secret tests are performed in the OtterBox Prototype Innovate Test (P.I.T.) Lab to make sure your device is protected from the unexpected." Take the "top-secret tests are performed in the OtterBox Prototype Innovate Test" with a grain of salt. This is frankly a BS statement. Standards have to be specified and made public knowledge. Otherwise, it's just a case of he said, she said, which won't stand up to scrutiny. This being said, OtterBox does claim this case meets and exceeds MIL-STD-810G 516.6 drop tests. I just won't believe anything beyond this, with their claims that "top-secret tests are performed..." If you cannot duplicate the tests with a specification, then you cannot scrutinize the process to improve upon it. Then, you never tested it. I have dropped my phone from a height of two feet, completely by accident. I thought it was holstered, when it wasn't. It fell on commercial carpet (read: thin), in an office environment. The phone seemed to have survived the fall, meaning the case did its job. Most other case companies do not drop-test their cases. Even if they do, they do not specify to which standard they drop-tested. Drop-testing is a rigorous, repeatable process. There are special test rigs that hold the object a certain way so that it's dropped the same each time from a specified height. The point of impact is the same each time. Putting the Phone Into the Case The case in essence comes in 4 pieces: -The rubberized case (actually, more plastic than rubber...more on this later) -Two halves of a plastic shell that surrounds the edges of the phone. This goes into the rubber case. -The holster When I first tried to separate the two halves of the plastic shell, it took around 15 minutes. The reason is that during the manufacturing process, the factory did not fully separate the two halves of the plastic shell. This meant that one point of the shell was still in essence "glued" to the other half of the shell. It took a while to carefully remove this blob, just in case I broke the plastic shell in the process of breaking the blob of plastic. Holsters Only in One Position Unfortunately, the case only goes into the holster in one position, which is upright and face down. You cannot put it face up, with the display showing. You cannot put it upside down so as to make it more comfortable because that's how your hands and arms work. You can pivot the clip 180 deg so that in essence you holster the phone upside down and face down. Unfortunately, when you do this, the thumb break is no longer where your right thumb will be. Perhaps this is useful if you holster the phone on your left side and use your left hand. Then you can use your left thumb in this way to break the phone's tension from the holster. Insufficient Camera Protection The lip around the camera could be thicker and higher, bringing the camera area further away from whatever surface you rest your phone when it's face up. The lip around the display side seems high enough that it will protect your phone from a facedown drop against a flat surface that is free of rocks and other protrusions. Grip and Color Fastness I had used OtterBox, even back when they made cases for the iPhone 3. Back then, the material was more grippy and rubbery. Nowadays, Otterbox seems to have gone to a hardened rubberized plastic material. It feels more plastic than rubber. I also think this material colorizes faster, as I only had this case for 4 months and am already noticing it's turning brownish. It's a tiny amount of brown around the ridges on the outside perimeter of the back of the case. It's similar to oxidization and deterioration one sees when plastic is exposed to UV light for a long time. I don't spend much time outside where the case can bake in the sun. I don't know if it's cased by my hands though I would expect more of the case to turn brown than just the ridges if its caused by my hands.

Very durable and I am still using it on my phone since I made this purchase over a year ago. Makes the phone a lot bulkier though if that is a concern. The small USB C port covering finally broke after about a year of use. I do not use the belt clip covering so I cannot speak on how well it works.

Great case it's an OtterBox what can I say.

Overall I like the case. I have dropped my phone many times and have not damaged it yet. However I will say that there are 2 shortcomings I have noticed with it. Firstly, the little "plug" that covers the charging port wore out and fell off after a month or two. This shouldn't be a big problem because my understanding is the Pixel itself is waterproof, and that has seemed to be true. Secondly, a minor fitting issue. The rubber outer shell stays on fine, however the top corners do not seat fully. It doesn't cause any issues but it is a very mild annoyance. Overall I think it is a good case though.

Still using this product. Great color, durable, perfect fit, not too bulky, not too expensive and functions and protects as it should.

If money is not a consideration, then there is no case better than the Otterbox Defender. It is my go-to case and the first one I purchase every time I get a new phone. It may not be literally bulletproof, but it's the closest I've found in a case yet. The dozens of lower price knockoffs are testament to its value. Drawbacks? Well, it adds enough bulk to larger phones to make it so they won't slip into phone pockets. My fall/spring coats are a vest and a windbreaker, each of which has a phone pocket over the left breast. My Pixel 8 Pro fits into either when caseless or when fitted with a slim case, like the standard Google one, but with the Defender, neither pocket is large enough. Also, the dust flap over the USB-C port can be annoying if you plug in to charge, but wireless charging works just fine, so I usually don't worry about the flap. To my mind, though, those drawbacks aren't enough to lose a star, not when the case feels so good in the hand and provides meaningful drop protection. Perfect? No, but as close as a case is likely to get.

Let me start off by saying I did something REALLY DUMB, and this case saved my phone. I was cleaning out my car and gathered a big handful of trash (stuff kids leave in the backseat), but also had my phone in the other hand. I placed my phone on the hood of my car so I could open the lid to the can. Somehow managed to forget all about the phone and drove off. I was able to find it about a block from my house later that afternoon on the side of the road (we live in the boonies). Not only did the phone still work, but the screen didn't have a single crack. I know the case had to have hit the asphalt, because it now has several scratched on 3 of the corners, but it did it's job protecting the phone. 10/10 would definitely recommend and will be buying this type of case again if I upgrade to a different phone in the future.