LifeProof iPhone Case - Update

I do have more product reviews from Outdoor Retailer coming. Promise.

But first, I wanted to give an update on my LifeProof case.

Just the other day, I noticed something on my case.

There was a small tear in the upper right corner of the front cover! No idea how that happened, or why. As soon as I saw the tear, I called the customer service number for LifeProof, and spoke to a very helpful and friendly service rep, Rebecca. She asked me to email the pictures to her, and by the next day (today) I had an email confirming shipment of a replacement front cover.

According to their CEO, Gary (I sent him an email with the pictures also), this is an unusual failure, and not common at all.

This hasn't changed my opinion of the LifeProof case, in fact, it has only improved it. You can have a fantastic product, but if your customer support is lackluster, it will negatively affect people's perception.

p.s. I need to give a shout-out to my good friend, David. He is starting year 7 of his podcast, The FredCast, and his first podcast of the year has an interview from Outdoor Reatiler with the product manager of LifeProof. Chapeau!, David! Here's to many more years of quality podcasting!

Product Review: LifeProof iPhone case

As I mentioned before, I received several emails from companies and PR firms asking to set up appointments at Outdoor Retailer.

One of them in particular caught my attention. It was from a company that wanted to show me their new iPhone case and bike mount. Since I had just recently crossed over to the dark side by abandoning my Android for a shiny new iPhone 4, I was intrigued.

I didn’t check out the company before my appointment at the show – which was possibly a bad idea – but it actually turned out to be a good thing. What I expected was more or less a mounting system for my bike. What they showed me was quite a bit more.

LifeProof is more than just a case for your phone, it is a waterproof, sandproof, snowproof, and shockproof case that completely protects your phone. To prove to me how the case works, Gary Rayner, the founder and CEO put my phone into a new LifeProof case, turned on the video camera, walked over to a fishbowl, and dropped my phone in!

Here’s the video.

Needless to say, I was immediately horrified that my 2 month old phone was peacefully resting at the bottom of a fishbowl. But there it sat, still recording. I fished it out and dried it off while Gary told me about the features of the case.
 The LifeProof case is rated waterproof up to depths of 2 meters (about 6.6 feet), can withstand drops on to concrete from 2 meters, and is fully sealed against mud, sand, grit, dust, rain and snow. While providing you full access to all of the controls and functions of your phone, and only adding a minimal increase to the size of your phone.

I've had the case on my phone for a couple of weeks now, and it's completely unobtrusive. the case adds only a small amount to the overall dimensions of the iPhone.

The only negative I have is the screen. I haven’t had any problems with the touch screen in the case, but I am one of those people who can’t stand finger or ear prints on their phone. The screen on the case seems to be a huge magnet for prints. Changing the screen protector on future cases to a matte, or semi-gloss would take care of problems like that.

Thanks to a rather mild winter, I have been able to get out for a couple of rides and I was able to give the bike mount a good testing. The phone snaps right into the mount, and you there is a slide lock on the catch to prevent accidental removal. Taking the phone out of the case is a simple one-handed procedure. Again, all of the phone's functions are available while it is in the mount - there is even a hole on the mount so you can use the camera. The mount uses a gimbal head so your phone can be rotated or adjusted quickly and easily. 

While in the mount, the phone was securely held, and my GPS apps, such as Strava and MapMyRide were readily accessible. I even took a quick picture of myself. 

The only drawback, is that the case is not ANT+ compatible, so apps like Wahoo Fitness or iBike that require an ANT+ transmitter to be plugged into the accessory port will not work. 

The case, which will fit the iPhone 4/4S retails for $79.99, and can be purchased either online, or through Best Buy. The bike/bar mount retails for $39.99. There is also an armband mount for running, and a mount that is compatible with the GoPro mounting systems, such as their helmet mount and chest mount.

Is it worth it? I think so. Its nice to know that your phone is protected from accidental spills and drops, plus the convenience of the mounts makes it nice for rides - especially when you stop and don't want to leave it on the bike. Also, showing off by dropping your phone in a glass of water really doesn't get old.

Go to http://www.lifeproof.com/ for additional information.

Stock images from the LifeProof site of the front and back of the case. As you can see, it doesn't add that much to the overall dimensions of the phone.

Stock images of the bike/bar mount.

Bike/bar mount.

CEO, Gary Rayner, modeling the GoPro adapter mount with the GoPro chest harness.

Helmet mount.

Mounted on my bike, both with and without the phone.

Self-portrait on a recent ride.

First Ride of the Year

Early last week I got a text from my good friend, Greg asking if I wanted to ride on Saturday if the weather was good.

As you can see in the photo collage below, the weather was fantastic. We grabbed our friend, Scott, and took off for a planned 30+ mile ride.

Well, a couple of flats shortened our distance, but it still was great to get out so early in the year. Apparently we weren't the only ones with the same idea. While we were sitting at an intersection, a club group of about 20 guys comes up behind us. Pretty good to get thay many out on a club ride in February.

I also took out a couple of items that I recieved at Outdoor Retailer for a test ride: Smith Optics PivLock V2 glasses, and a LifeProof bike mount. Full reviews on both products are coming soon. But, let me quickly say that both worked great! I love the glasses, and the mount securely and conveniently held my phone.

If this is what 6 more weeks of winter looks like, I won't complain.