Well, I got my hands on the Lifeproof NUUD Case the other
day and gave it a good hard test over the
I had been curious since its release to
know if this case would finally turn my phone into the new
reliable digital survival tool. Some people online have reported it
doesn’t work, and yet large organizations like the University of
Colorado can’t seem to get enough of them for their employees in field use.
Review of the Lifeproof Nuud Case | Field Test Results
I purchased my NuuD case from my local Recreational Equipment Inc. (REI)
store, and the first thing I did when I got home was test it in the
sink. The company says that they water test ALL their cases at the
factory, but the instructions advise you to place the case under water
for 30 minutes to double check before putting your phone inside. Can’t say I blame them, they even provide a blue plastic fake iPhone to test in it.
Test Before You Use
The case’s rubber edges seal around the iPhone screen
when properly installed, so that the glass of the iPhone essentially
becomes the waterproof case’s glass. So if you have a smashed-up screen
already, don’t count on it being waterproof. They also advise re-testing
after repeated use, so that you can check to make sure the seals have
not been damaged in your pocket from weeks of abuse.
Here’s the thing: IT DID leak a bit
during my first test of the case when I followed the instructions for
water testing. It leaked a very tiny amount right in the same place I
had read online that others had complained about: the phone’s ear
speaker. The mesh screen that covers that part had a little moisture
come through. Not whole drops, really, just a little condensation stuck
to the inside of the mesh that could damage the ear speaker over long
exposure. People have reported online that, when this happened, the
phone was still in working condition, but that they had to get the $19
ear speaker inside the phone repaired.
My guess is the people online didn’t
check their case first like I did, or they could have got a new one from
Lifeproof under their 1-year warranty that protects against manufacture
defects.
The
area circled in red shows you the moisture in the center of the mesh
leaking through. The droplet along the outer edge of the case are just
drops from outside that rest on the o-ring’s outer edge, not a leak.
Lifeproof’s Guarantee: What Happened When I Called
I called Lifeproof, who was more then willing to send me a
new one under warranty right away as soon as I explained what I saw.
The man on the phone actually let it slip that it may have been a
case from a bad batch where the waterproof spray was incorrectly applied
to the screen. He also suggested, since I purchased from an REI store,
to just return to the store for an exchange (REI accepts manufacture
warranty returns). This way, I didn’t have to mail my faulty case to
them and wait for new one in the mail under warranty. I was in and out
of REI with a new case in 10 minutes. I got home with my new case and
retested it, with no issue of visible water this time by the mesh.
I was still a little worried about the
screen, so as a “just to be on the safe side” step, I took some silicone
water repelling spray I normally use on my boots and covered the case’s
O-rings to protect them, leaving only the face plate and mesh speaker
areas showing. This will probably void the Lifeproof warranty, but I
like the added safety, and now water just beads right off the case.
I hit the beach towards sundown with
my phone in my pocket. I climbed down the rock jetties and threw some
surf perch on the hooks; perch I had caught earlier in the day while
waiting for REI to open its doors for the exchange. Not a bad use of
time, if you ask me.
I cast out and waited on the rocks for
about an hour before the reel started screaming and taking line off,
with enough force I figured it had to be a Guitarfish, bat ray, or my
ever hopeful Leopard Shark. So of course, while grabbing the pole and
balancing on the jagged sharp rocks, I tried to fish out my phone to be
ready to capture my prize on video.
You know what came next: My phone was on
its way mid air before it hit a few rocks on the way down, then landed
in a frothy bath of ocean water. I watched it settle to the ground about
four feet below the surface as I set the hook into the fish and began
tightening the line. The bright green case stood there glaring up at me
from the murky brown sand below. I prayed the case would do its job,
because I’ll admit right here I’d rather lose the janky rod I was using
than the phone, but I wanted to test that darn case!
I got a good amount of line reeled in, then I jumped down
under the water to grab the phone before the waves took it out more, all
while holding the reel above my head (still screaming as the fish took
another rush out to open ocean). I put the phone back into my pocket and
then waded up to the beach shore, dripping from my shoulders down, and
still fighting to drag the fish up onto the beach.
I finally landed a very nice Guitarfish, 42-inches
measured at full length on the sand. I had a crowd around me by then, so
I field dressed him fast. I headed home as seagulls, pelicans, and
crabs made off with the entrails so that nothing was wasted. My phone
was still in my dripping wet pockets, as I struggled to the Jeep with my
fishing gear in one hand, and three-plus feet of pure meat in the
other. Several people stared at me in awe, surprised something that big
was swimming around their feet in the same beach. Makes me laugh how
little people know about the wild they love to play in.
Field Test Results
The phone had survived it all, with just
two little dings in the case’s plastic edges from the rocks. I went home
and I remembered I needed take a photo of this sucker as proof for this
post. So before I cut him into steaks, I grabbed my phone (that would
have been destroyed otherwise that day), still in its Lifeproof case,
and snapped the photo below. It made for many fish tacos that night with
my family, and I shared some meat with the neighbors to boot.
A
nice shot of the tail end of a Guitarfish, a member of the Shark &
Ray family, ready to be made into fillets. Photo all thanks to
Lifeproof.
Quick Note:
Touchscreen phones won’t work with water
on them, as many function based off static or heat touch from a finger.
The water will stop them from sensing your fingers. This can make it
tricky to use in wet conditions, so ideally you want your phone’s camera
rolling BEFORE it gets wet. Additionally, you can usually set it so the
phone’s volume button controls the camera: open the camera feature and
set the + sound button to operate photos and video, that way the iPhone
won’t need to be operated via the touch screen.
Also, the company Lifeproof does have a $10 protection
plan that will fully replace any device that was water damaged while in
the case, which is valid for 1 year from date of purchase. HOWEVER, this
protection MUST be purchased with the phone case at the time of
purchase, and it MUST be bought from a certified Verizon store or
Lifeproof’s website. I found out by purchasing my phone case from REI
locally that I did not qualify to sign up for the water protection plan.
I guess that’s one of the the downfalls of sourcing locally.
I would suggest checking out the Lifeproof Life Jacket too if around
water like I was all day testing this case. It’s just what it sounds
like: a perfect flotation device for your phone. I was lucky the water
my phone fell in wasn’t deeper, or the Iphone could have gone beyond the
6ft depth the case is rated to go. Had I taken this case out on my
kayak to my favorite spot off the coast of Malibu for some kelp bed
fishing, I have no doubt in my mind that phone would have gone 60 feet
below to sleep with the fishes.
It might not be bulletproof, and it could
certainly leak if you aren’t careful and don’t test it first, but this
is one tough case. It gives you miles of protection from environmental
hazards that normally would kill a phone in seconds. From now on, my
phone lives in Lifeproof.
Stay safe (and dry…and above water) out there!
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