Case provides solid protection and a stylish design.
I can’t live without my iPhone. It is an extension of me. It is an invaluable tool for me at work. I use it more than I use my computer. It’s faster and more adept than my work computer. My emails come quicker, spreadsheets load faster, and all of my employees can reach me at a moment’s notice while I am away for anything. Outside of work, it keeps me connected to friends and family, as well as my social media and entertainment. That being said, the iPhone is still very fragile. While it has seen its fair share of spills, bumps, and general abuse, it usually comes out fine, but sometimes not so much. Anyone who has had an iPhone for a while knows the dread that comes directly after dropping your phone — especially when it lands face down. At that point, it becomes Schrodinger’s cat. You know it’s broken, but if you don’t look at it then it is fine. More times than not it is. But those few times it’s not, it can be devastating. We have all seen the people who walk around with shattered screens and dented up backs on their phones. I can’t live like that — cutting my fingers on splinters of glass or having an unusable phone. There are plenty of defender case options out there, but many are bulky and I still want my iPhone to show off the natural beauty. So I need a case that provides an ample amount of protection while still being stylish and not bulky.
OtterBox has always been a name synonymous with protection. I have had a few cases from their Defender line in the past and have always been pleased with the protection and piece of mind that they offer. While functional, they tended to be a bit on the bulkier side, but didn’t add a bunch of unnecessary weight and gave the option to customize the case colors. That was appreciated. But like all things, I got older and wanted a more stylish look.
OtterBox’s Strada series is everything I didn’t know I wanted. At a quick glance, it looked like several other cases on the market until I saw that it was a bit thinner. While the case is thinner, it still adds a few millimeters to the overall thickness of the iPhone without it becoming bulky. The back is actual premium leather, which looks amazing. The sad part is that previous OtterBox products I have used had a cut-out for the Apple logo. This one doesn’t and it doesn’t have a huge OtterBox logo on it as well. Keeping with the overall classy design, they put a small chrome logo on the right-hand side giving it just a little pop it needed to catch the eye. The front scared me at first. It’s open, unlike other previous OtterBox cases I have owned. But once I looked closer at the packaging (I get a little happy opening new things and overlook stuff), I saw that there is Alpha Glass enclosed.
Once I read through all of the enclosed materials, I followed the simple instructions to install the Alpha Glass. After it set for a while to achieve maximum cohesion it got even easier. Since the front of the Strada is open with a thin lip around it, all that I had to do was push the iPhone inside firmly until it seated all the way in. Both the volume and lock buttons are molded into the side of the case, but the silent switch is cut out. I thought this would be a problem at first, but it turns out it’s still quite accessible on the fly.
I’ve been using the case now for a few days with few issues. I find that it’s thin enough to still carry around in my pocket without it being a hassle when I take it in and out and I’ve been very happy with out the case protects against accidental falls. Being that I work in an active environment, it’s not unusal for the phone to be knocked off a counter or desk. Fortunately, Strada has done a great job of keeping my phone in working order when that happens.
One thing I do want to note is that OtterBox is currently only offering this case for the iPhone 7, iPhone 6/6s, and the iPhone 6/6s Plus and not the 7 Plus. I do have an iPhone 7 Plus, but opted to try the 6/6s Plus case on my phone since the biggest difference in the two models is the opening for the headphone jack. The case fits, but I would love to see a version that is specific to the iPhone 7 Plus. OtterBox has the case listed as ‘limited edition’ so I supposed it’s possible that they might discontinue the series before making that addition.
With easy installation at one piece for the case, solid protection, and a stylish design, I do believe I have found my forever case in the Strada.
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