Ok, so Seidio did the smart thing and beat Otterbox to the punch. The Seidio Rugged for DX is available and now I don't know what to do. I do know I want the level of protection they both seem to offer. I do not have experience with either product, personally, and can only speculate by looking at pictures of the products and reviews of previous models.
These are the differences I think may be true:
1. The Seidio Rugged is bulkier than the Defender, but also seems... well, more rugged. Both are bulky cases so not an issue to me.
2. The Defender, I think, has an attached screen protector while the Rugged's screen protector is seperate. I think this may mean you could use any protector with the Rugged, which is a bonus as I like my Invisible Shield. If anyone knows about this, I'd like to hear from you.
3. Both cases seem to have great port coverage, although, the Rugged also includes a camera lens cover. The Defender seems to have no camera protection, unless it uses a clear screen. Either way, I like the flap cover on the Rugged even if it might be slightly annoying.
4. The Defender offers coverage for the external menu buttons (both have coverage for the camera button and volume rocker) while the Rugged, surprisingly, leaves them naked. I wonder why. I guess you'll still be able to see them lit up while using the Rugged.
5. The Defender has a hardshell interior covered by a silicon exterior. Two parts. The Rugged has three: a thin silicon interior (the Surface which is it's own model), a thicker silicon cover to go over that, and a hard shell plastic skeleton to keep it all together (looks like some nice corner protection).
I think I am persuading myself towards the Rugged as it seems to offer the best protection. I am also finding myself a little more drawn to its look, though the Defender seems more sleek, if "sleek" is a word we can use while describing these behemoths! Also, the Rugged has a really big advantage: it's available!
So, what do you think? I know I'm not the only one out there waiting for one of these cases and I know there are fans on both sides of the fence.
These are the differences I think may be true:
1. The Seidio Rugged is bulkier than the Defender, but also seems... well, more rugged. Both are bulky cases so not an issue to me.
2. The Defender, I think, has an attached screen protector while the Rugged's screen protector is seperate. I think this may mean you could use any protector with the Rugged, which is a bonus as I like my Invisible Shield. If anyone knows about this, I'd like to hear from you.
3. Both cases seem to have great port coverage, although, the Rugged also includes a camera lens cover. The Defender seems to have no camera protection, unless it uses a clear screen. Either way, I like the flap cover on the Rugged even if it might be slightly annoying.
4. The Defender offers coverage for the external menu buttons (both have coverage for the camera button and volume rocker) while the Rugged, surprisingly, leaves them naked. I wonder why. I guess you'll still be able to see them lit up while using the Rugged.
5. The Defender has a hardshell interior covered by a silicon exterior. Two parts. The Rugged has three: a thin silicon interior (the Surface which is it's own model), a thicker silicon cover to go over that, and a hard shell plastic skeleton to keep it all together (looks like some nice corner protection).
I think I am persuading myself towards the Rugged as it seems to offer the best protection. I am also finding myself a little more drawn to its look, though the Defender seems more sleek, if "sleek" is a word we can use while describing these behemoths! Also, the Rugged has a really big advantage: it's available!
So, what do you think? I know I'm not the only one out there waiting for one of these cases and I know there are fans on both sides of the fence.
