Regret: A Review of Lifeproof’s iPhone 4 Case
Who hasn’t thought of wanting to capture life underwater?
Anytime I’ve ever been swimming in the ocean or even in a pool, I’ve thought of wanting to take pictures to capture things we rarely see. So when I started seeing people on Instagram posting pictures of life underwater using a Lifeproof case, I was flabbergasted. I mean, I wouldn’t have to buy some expensive underwater camera, I would be able to use my already very useful iPhone camera wrapped neatly inside of a Lifeproof case. I was sold. It didn’t take much to sell me though, I’ll admit. I looked at it online, the $79.99 price tag did seem a bit steep to me though. But I figured, why not? Lots of users on Instagram seemed to be raving about it. Fast forward a couple of months of me talking about it to my wife incessantly, and my birthday finally came on August 7th. My wife picked it up at a local Best Buy for around $85. I was excited, she was excited. It was a good birthday. I couldn’t wait to finally get into our apartments pool to use the case. I pulled my iPhone out of my already favorite Mophie case with the backup battery inside, and put it inside of my new Lifeproof case. The case seemed cheap though. It was a flimsy plastic, with a cheap rubber washer inside to insure the waterproofness it was claiming. Either way, I was still excited. I wouldn’t have the luxury of my backup battery anymore of my Mophie case, which I tend to click on everyday with the amount of Instagraming I do. But, this Lifeproof case was going to open up all sorts of new doors for my photography! I was willing to sacrifice.
I snapped it together, looked up at my wife and she said, “Oh, wait! You need to test it first! The guy at Best Buy told me to make sure I told you to test it before you put your phone in the water. Because I guess, a lot of people hadn’t tested it before they put it in the water and the case leaked and ruined their phone. And apparently the Lifeproof people won’t pay for a new one.” Well, ok, good to know. I popped it off, snapped it back together and threw it into my sink. Filled it with water, checked it out, and no leaks. Phew! Ok, with the test done, I was off to the pool.
It was late, the sun was already down, but my wife and I had fun nonetheless. The iPhone acted the way it always does in low-light, but the Lifeproof case was flawless. I was impressed. I was not however, impressed with the case once back inside. The clear plastic in front of the screen was loose in front of the screen which allowed for space between their plastic shield, and the iPhone itself. Which meant editing these new pictures with the Lifeproof case was going to be a no-go. You know just as well as I do, some editing apps require very small movements of your finger to accomplish the edit necessary. So, no big deal, right? I would just use the Lifeproof whenever I would shoot underwater. My wife was disappointed and I was a bit too that it wouldn’t just be my new permanent iPhone case, but whatever.
So I popped off the case, and put back on my Mophie case and edited my pictures with ease.
I was bothered with most of my pictures shot that night, but that was just due to the low-light situation, not the Lifeproof case. So we went back out the following afternoon and I shot a ton of shots. A little advice though, get some goggles. I had to shoot, re-shoot, and re-shoot again with my lovely model wife simply because I couldn’t see what I was shooting. All in all though, I ended up with a good handful of pictures that I was very satisfied with. People on Instagram seemed to like them too. One user however informed me that while the Lifeproof case was cool, she told me that the Lifeproof case was only intended to be opened & closed up to 50 times.
Huh?! Really?! This $85 price tag was starting to seem more and more ridiculous to me. First, the cheap plastic, and now, I could only open and close it 50 times. I’d already opened and closed it a good handful times. Lame. Oh, well. Still, I was satisfied with my Lifeproof case.
Until today.
I’ve been planning my next shoot for about a week now. I wanted to shoot my wife underwater with a dress on. I’d seen other do it, but I had my own spin on it that I wanted to do. I finally got some free time today and went shopping with the wifey. We looked all over for the exact dress I was looking for. Spent a couple hours actually. Sheesh! And yes, I finally even bought the goggles I needed. We came home, I tested the case again to make sure it was watertight, thankfully it was.
Watertight Lifeproof case? Check.
Wifey with new dress on? Check.
Goggles so I can finally see? Check and mate.
I was ready!
We hopped in the water in the pool and I managed to get about 5 pictures taken while underwater. I stood up out of the water to check my shots, everything looked… cloudy. I turned the case around only to see that the small piece of clear plastic in front of the camera lens was completely fogged up. I was sure that the case was still waterproof, but, it worried me. So I hopped out of the pool and popped off the case to check for leaks. And that’s when it happened, the cheap, flimsy plastic broke. Just tore right down the middle.
Cheap. Just straight up cheap.
The unfortunate part about this is, I was planning on writing a raving review of the Lifeproof case only a handful of hours ago. But now, my review is going to be a bit different.
Don’t buy it. Don’t waste your money. And a waste is truly what it is.
An $80 price tag for a case that may or may not work right out of the box, is a waste in my mind. And don’t forget, you can only open and close it up to 50 times. Although in my case, it was under 10 times. And to make it worse, it’s a case that I would never use as my every day case. 24 hours ago I would have said it was worth the money, today though, no, it’s not worth the money. And as it turns out, those “expensive underwater cameras” I was talking about, aren’t really that expensive.
For about another $40 on Amazon.com you can pick an actual real underwater camera, which is exactly what I’ll be buying next. You can take it or leave it, but putting your very expensive iPhone in the water with the chance that it would be forever ruined and forcing you to buy a brand new one, is not safe in a Lifeproof.
It’s a pretty big gamble actually, and it’s not worth it. It’s cheap plastic, and that’s all it is.
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I have been in awe of all the underwater shots I have seen on Instagram, your included. I have to say I have been tempted to buy one but it was the price that put me off. Now I have read your review, I will probably not bother and maybe invest in some new lenses for my phone instead! I like my phone dry
All that being said, I would still love to see the outcome of the photo of your wife in a dress! Sounds like it would have been amazing!
Well, I recieved a lifeproof case for Christmas, and was completely awed. I was taking a bubble bath and was on my phone And dropped it. Needless to say I thought my brand new iPhone 4S was ruined. I slowly raised it up from the water and it was working fine! I am very satisfied with this case and it is also drop proof. I
Have proably dropped it 100s of times and I don’t even have the smallest scratch on my iPhone!
Thanks lifeproof!
I’m on vacation right now and my lifeprrof case worked great for about a day and a half. Now I have no phone- it wont turn on, it wont charge. I cant call home or check emails, all my photos from are gone. Piece o crap=lifeproof
Getting ready for a trip to Belize and I was literally going to buy a Lifeproof case after work. Gonna skip that now and just plastic baggy it.
Yeah, wasn’t terribly impressed with the “shock proofing” on the case either. A 16th of an inch of rubber does not equal shock proof.
I’ve no affiliation with life proof but love the case, have used it every Saturday at sailing and even used it for 4 days sailing from Sydney to Hobart in Australia. It even gets used at work when it’s raining, the case is thin plastic but give it a bit of respect and it serves you well, I’ve had it now about 10 months and love it.
Before Lifeproof case, I’ve came across Photojojo’s The iPhone Scuba Suit (a.k.a. The driSuit Endurance) first. More info, http://photojojo.com/store/awesomeness/iphone-scuba-suit/ with cheaper price tag.
Oh man, that’s a bummer. I LOVE your underwater shots, and I too was considering Lifeproof. Seems I’ll be holding out for a while longer…
Thanks Ryan!
Hello,
Same here in France. I asked a frech Iger to review it for me in my blog. He raved about it but clearly stared that focusing was impossible. Another friend (@katzuyoshi) mentionned that his wife got her IP ruined : Some sand got into the flimsy zipper and water got in. This is such a shame. The case was released in a hurry without any consideration for the users. Anyway, your underwater shots are terrific and I hope you could get your Iphone fixed!
Just got one of these its water proof but….. The phone only works on speaker phone or withe the bluetooth headset or in the car with bluetooth
Not like just a phone am I going mad?
I have had mine for a few months now and trust it even though the clear shield has popped out of the rubber bumper a couple time. She’s still waterproof. With using the phone when someone calls, you have to open the bottom door on the case, otherwise people will say they cannot hear you.
I have problems with my calls as well and when I play music it sounds awful. It’s like it’s vibrating the sounds.
I’ve never had a problem with making or taking phone calls with my lifeproof case, and I’ve never had to open the bottom door on a call. I have had the same problem with the rubber bumper (I’m on my second LP case now, sent the first one back under warranty because there were entire chunks of the rubber coming off.) and I’m wondering if the white case is flimsier than the black one (which my sister has and has never had a problem with) or if my keeping it in the back pocket of my snug jeans is causing the rubber to warp.
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I am not sure what this reviewer is talking about. i have the lifeproof case and love it to pieces! it offers the underwater protection plus drop mud and dirt protection i have been looking for for so long. i reccomend it without hesitation. IT WILL WORK AS ADVERTISED. GUARANTEED. AND IT WILL NOT BREAK ON YOU. EVER.
Are you sure ur not lifeproof corporate? Because as good as it is its hard to stand by a thin case that comes off in a matter of three. As being as strong as they claim.
A LOT OF FAKES! Lifeproof case did it for me ( snowboarding and biking). I’m not really »water« person, so don’t have experiences how it works a few feet under water. But as I say, for hard conditions in snow, rain and mud it is top product. I think the biggest problem with this product are fakes.
While in process of buying it, I did some price research and find this page with original/fake videos and price comparing:
http://waterproofphonecase.buy-online-worldwide.com/where-can-i-buy-lifeproof-case/
I hope it will help some of you. It is sad to see that some people do have problems with Lifeproof. Luckily for me, I’m still on positive side for this one.
I thought that the Lifeproof case I just bought a week ago that has a “ripple” between the clear screen guard and the phone was just a one-off fluke. I noticed today a bit of moisture between the screen and the cover appearing as well. I have contacted the Lifeproof distributor here in Australia seeking a replacement, but I am glad I read about your experience and knowing that I’m not the only one with the problem as you described. I am now very hesitant on taking this anywhere near any water let alone using it in the water. Thanks for letting us know!
lol…….no
It’s not the manufacturers intention for you to use the phone as an underwater camera. Genius.
I agree.
That ’50 times’ statement is absurd.
Bought 4 of those for me and friends of mine. All got torn, broke, cracked, leaked etc. within 6-7 months.
I do believe it’s a good camera-waterproofing solution, but it’s a shame it doesn’t stand any impacts at all as promised.
And the worst part is that plastic door at the bottom. breaks an cracks quite easily.
The only good thing i can say is, they have great costumer service. Yet, I’m not going to buy any other case by that brand.
Also, would not recommend anyone to even consider it.
I’ve just got one 4 iPhone 5 and people say I keep cuttin in and out and the end button won’t work not real happy with it
I gasped when I saw that Tomer above thought that they had great customer service. I have a case and have been only using it for water / beach shots and it’s been fine – not awesome, just fine. But at Christmas time, we lost the O-Ring and live in Australia, meaning you can’t get spare parts shipped here for some inexplicable reason. I have been trying FOR SIX WEEKS to get someone for customer service to reply to our numerous requests for help, as yet to no avail. It’s an okay product, but I would never, ever recommend it because of the dismal after-sales service for anyone living outside the USA.
Hey. I have a question about the Lifeproof case. Is the camera able to focus underwater? And does the touchscreen work underwater at all?
Not really. The touch screen works, but the focusing part will not work as well as will outside of the water.
The Life Proof case has been great for me, especially around my 5 grandchildren. Pool shots are awesome and we went to the Fl Keys got great underwater shots. Have had the same case for 1 1/2 years with no problems. Looking to get another one soon. Love it.
If u blow like ur gonna blow up a balloon for bout 5 seconds on the small hole on the front of the case on the left side of the charging port, u will fix the problem if people not hearing u. And u won’t have to drop the charging door to talk either. U may need to do this periodically.
I have an OtterBox Armor case and it looks way more serious in protection than the lifeproof, this design is waterproof, dust proof, drop proof and crush proof. It incorporates reinforced plastic with rubber and the O-ring seals on this case are a lot more durable than the lifeproof, I think the lifeproof case protects your phone the same way as a bicycle helmet, one hit and that’s it. Only 20 dollars more and your phone can take more of a beating than any lifeproof case.
I WISH TO INFORM ALL OF YOU WATER ALWAYS WINS NO MATTER HOW EXPENSIVE A CASE IS. WATER WiII EVENTUALLY GET IN. EVEN MY OLYMPUS $450 UNDER WATER CAMERA WATER GOT IN, THAT WAS THEN END OF THE CAMERA. THEY DO NOT INFORM YOU THAT YOU HAVE TO CHANGE THE GASKETS ONCE A YEAR. WHETHER WATER GETS IN OR NOT? THIS IS ALSO TRUE WITH THE LIFEPROFF CASE THAT IS WHY YOU ONLY CAN OPEN CLOSE 50 TIMES. DO NOT PUT THE PHONE IN WATER AT ALL!!! WATER WILL SEEP IN EVENTUALLY! IT IS AN $80 SCAM. THE SECOND DAY I GOT CASE I DROPPED THE PHONE 5 FEET TO THE GROUND THE CASE HELD UP SO FAR?? THEY NEED MORE STUDYS, THEY CAME OUT WITH IT IN A HURRY! ITS ALL ABOUT THE MONEY!! BUSINESS!! MAKE MONEY$$$$$ NO WATER PLEASE!!!
In response to Chris… I am a BestBuy employee so I sell it and trained on it, I’ve owned one for 2 years now, and I am also well acquainted to advanced physics… Your Otterbox has all that “protection” due to it having bulky amounts of plastic around it. Lifeproof cases handle just as much damage by distributing the shockwaves to the thin casing on the back. In other words, 12 year olds with bubble wrap and ductape could make a phone case just like yours. Your Otterbox is not completely water proof only “sprinkle proof”. Otterboxes after a while of use look worn out and ugly while Lifeproof keeps it’s look. So in your words Lifeproof is a one time hit and its done? One puddle would ruin any Otterbox owners day… To all tech owners out there… take my advice…. Expensive gadgets require topline protection, Lifeproof answers the call.
In response to Nathaniel, I don’t think your familiar with the otterbox ARMOR it is indeed waterproof, it’s their new case. I believe you are thinking of the defender, which is not water proof and gets all ugly, not the armor.
I just got my first Iphone a month ago then bought a Lifeproof case for it afterwards, The lifeproof case stands up to it’s name, But I have found the inside of the back of my case has been scratching my phone.. not to thrilled.
PLEASE TAKE MY ADVICE NOTHING IS WATER PROOF!! I PURCHASED A $450 CAMERA WATER PROOF, WATER GOT. IN DO NOT GO UNDER WATER WITH YOUR PHONE!!!
Nice case, but I prefer the pong research case. I read that the cell phones emit a dangerous non-ionizing form of electromagnetic radiation; radiation which can be absorbed by the tissues and cells which come into close contact with the phone. That’s why I decided to do something that reduce iPhone radiation levels for protect to my family. I read about Pong Research cases, Pong technology is custom-designed for each mobile device and works to redirect radiation away from your head and body. I hesitated about it, anyway, I bought a case Pong because is the only technology proven in FCC-certified laboratories to reduce the exposure to mobile device radiation by up to 95% below the FCC limit without compromising the device’s ability to communicate.
I’m completely dissatisfied with my lifeproof case. I bought it a few months ago, it worked well and I was completely happy with it. That is until my phone screen shattered while still inside the case. It’s never happened to me before and I take pretty good care of it. I was studying and knocked it off of my desk, falling about 4 feet, onto carpet. Don’t buy this case, it’s a complete waste of money.
I just bought one of these lifeproof cases and I’m going to a water park this weekend! I did the water test and it work perfect! Sometimes they don’t work all these people with the problems must of just gotten defects. I think I will enjoy mine
I see Otterbox has a phone that’s “waterproof” now. I was wondering if anyone has tried that one? Either way, Apple has stated that no iPhone should ever be taken underwater, no matter what the case. These cases are better for a “just in case” situation–in case you drop it in a sink full of water or (heaven forbid!) a toilet.
I too purchased a lifeproof case and loved everything about it. Even did the water test and it worked great. Then I noticed the cameras flash was being obstructed by the case. What? I had purchased a knock off
. So disappointed in myself for falling for it! I have ordered a new one since directly from lifeproof. Can’t wait. Do watch the videos on how to tell a fake and also the blowing trick worked on my fake as well when people couldn’t hear me. It must work on the real thing.
what you are looking for is an OVERBOARD waterproof pocket/case, you can just put your iphone in there Mophie and all, works a bit like a ziplock bag but super trustworthy, i love it.
http://www.amazon.com/Overboard-Waterproof-iPhone-Touch-Droid/dp/B003VZGG9K/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1368753068&sr=8-1&keywords=waterproof+iphone+overboard