As you can see, the Armor case had no problems protecting my iPhone while submerged under water. Just keep in mind that you can only keep the Armor case under water for 30 minutes at a time, at a depth no greater than 3 feet.
In further testing (which I didn't record for obvious reasons), I tried out the Waterproof Headphones and the Armor case in the shower. The headphones can either be used with the included neckband, or it can be removed and each earphone is only connected by the audio cable. I found the latter to be much more comfortable. The silicon ear plugs fit in my ears nicely and were pretty comfortable. When using the neckband, I found the headphones to be much less comfortable.
Audio quality was far from great. Music was extremely tinny during normal use and I was pretty disappointed, but I found that once I cupped my ear and let it fill with water (as to simulate an activity like swimming), the audio quality was much better.
If you have an iPhone and find yourself outdoors in the elements on a fairly regular basis, the OtterBox iPhone Armor Case could be extremely useful. The case is fully waterproof, dust proof, dirt proof and drop proof. The silicon housing on the case gives it a nice, solid feel and will further protect it from shock damage should you happen to drop your iPhone. The clear membrane covering the front of the case allows full access to the iPhone interface as normal, as does the covering over the camera on the back of the case.
With the case in place, you can use any regular style headphones, as the inset headphone jack on the iPhone itself is eliminated. You also have full control over the home button as well as the volume up / down buttons. The standby / power button was very difficult to depress - maybe this will loosen up over time.
As with most products, there are a few things that you should be aware of that are less than desirable. The case prevents access to the silent ringer switch and also, you can't charge or sync the phone when it is in the case. Due to the unique headphone system, you also can't make phone calls on the phone as you normally would. You are required to either use the wired headset, a wireless Bluetooth headset or speaker phone. Unfortunately, there is no belt clip or other mounting system built into the case, which really seems to limit your usage during certain activities. As mentioned earlier, you can only use the Armor case under water for 30 minutes as a time, at a depth no greater than 3 feet. This is because the vents used on the case will saturate with water after 30 minutes and may allow a small amount of water to leak into the case.
Moving on to the headphones, overall they are pretty stylish and get the job done. The four included ear plugs are nice, allowing you to hygienically use the headphones for two different users or you can customize one set by cutting the tips for a better fit / feel. I liked the fact that you could remove the neckband, as it wasn't very comfortable. The ear buds swivel, so you can better adjust them for comfort in your ears. Once in place, they stayed there and didn't seem to move any, which is a good thing.
The cable used on the headphones is a bit of a mixed bag. While it is nice to have a coiled cable (no tangled cables, expandability without extra slack, etc.), it was also a bit annoying to have the coil constantly "tugging" at the headphones while I had them plugged into the case at my side. Some slack here would have eliminated that pulling feeling, but I totally understand the reasoning behind it - you don't want much slack while you are active.
Sound quality of the headphones certainly wasn't anything to write home about... while the headphones were not under water. But, when submerged, they sounded a whole lot better. The headphones were designed so they would not be extremely loud, and for good reason. Since the ear plugs direct the sound straight into your ear canal, the last thing you want to do is turn on your audio device (not knowing it is at full volume) and instantly go deaf!
The key thing to remember here is that this is not an everyday case - it simply wasn't designed for that purpose. This is meant for those outdoor / sports enthusiasts that want to take their iPhone with them anywhere they go without worrying about damaging it.
As of writing, the OtterBox iPhone Armor Case retails for $69.95, the Waterproof Headphones sell for $24.95 or you can get the pair together for only $89.95.
OCIA.net has awarded the OtterBox iPhone Armor Case and Waterproof Headphones our Seal of Approval.
