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LifeProof Fre Review
My Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars
Price: $79.99 direct from LifeProof
My first thought when I was asked if I wanted to review a phone case was 'no way'. I've never been a fan of having a case on my device, even if it meant a few extra scratches along the way. But when I took a closer look at the LifeProof cases, I was a lot more interested. Total resilience to water, dirt, snow and drops makes it a pretty appealing product for someone who spends a lot of time in the outdoors such as myself, so I decided to give it a try.
My test unit was for the Galaxy S3 but it is also available for iPhone and now the S4.
I was very impressed by the build quality of the case and how easy it is for the user to self-inspect and test it to make sure it's waterproof capabilities are not compromised. Each case is serial numbered and tested at the factory.
One of two openable ports on the case, the charging port and the headphone port.
Amazingly, the camera, speakers and mic all work great when the case is on. Audio quality did not suffer at all on phone calls.
I decided to test my case out. Testing is as simple as putting together the empty case and submerging.
And now with my phone in the case.
Works like a charm!
I used the Fre for much of November as I was running around the state doing hikes for a work project and so I had a few opportunities to put it to the test. It performed flawlessly. The only time it cramped my style was when I needed to pull the battery out of my phone because it had locked up.
Any good gear review should highlight the good and bad of a product, so here goes the bad. It's a case! No matter how low profile they make it, it's more bulk on your phone and so a lot of people won't like that. I made a point to take my Fre on and off over the couple months I used it so I could feel the difference in my pocket and see whether I liked it or if I was just used to it. In the end, it really didn't bother me like I thought it would and the pros when in the backcountry far outweighed having a little extra bulk on my phone. LifeProof has a similar model called the Nuud that is still waterproof but has no plastic over the screen which I think I'll try next. Aside from that, I really found nothing I didn't like about the LifeProof Fre.
The plastic over the screen on the Fre performed well. I didn't notice any significant reduction in usability of my device. Using touch controls with water on the screen proved a little challenging as the screen would sometimes register water as a touch, but I'm not sure there's any way around that.
Conclusion: The LifeProof Fre has completely changed my opinion on phone cases. I just traded in my Galaxy S3 for an iPhone 5S and I'm already missing having it. I just spent 3 days backpacking the Boulder Mail Trail and I used my phone as a GPS unit throughout the trip. I couldn't stop thinking how much I needed to pickup another LifeProof case, especially as I was hopping through Death Hollow trying not to take a slip into the deep, cold water. The LifeProof Fre has converted me from a vehement case-hater to someone who will never hit the backcountry without one again.
Pros:
Completely Waterproof
Shockproof
Dustproof
Snowproof
Relatively low-profile/minimalist
Cons:
Not cheap, but you get what you pay for
It's a case!
Rating:
My Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars
Price: $79.99 direct from LifeProof
More info on LifeProof's website.
NOTE: The LifeProof Fre case was provided to me at no charge by the manufacturer for the purpose of this review, but my opinion is entirely my own and not influenced by any third parties.
My Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars
Price: $79.99 direct from LifeProof
My first thought when I was asked if I wanted to review a phone case was 'no way'. I've never been a fan of having a case on my device, even if it meant a few extra scratches along the way. But when I took a closer look at the LifeProof cases, I was a lot more interested. Total resilience to water, dirt, snow and drops makes it a pretty appealing product for someone who spends a lot of time in the outdoors such as myself, so I decided to give it a try.
My test unit was for the Galaxy S3 but it is also available for iPhone and now the S4.
I was very impressed by the build quality of the case and how easy it is for the user to self-inspect and test it to make sure it's waterproof capabilities are not compromised. Each case is serial numbered and tested at the factory.
One of two openable ports on the case, the charging port and the headphone port.
Amazingly, the camera, speakers and mic all work great when the case is on. Audio quality did not suffer at all on phone calls.
I decided to test my case out. Testing is as simple as putting together the empty case and submerging.
And now with my phone in the case.
Works like a charm!
I used the Fre for much of November as I was running around the state doing hikes for a work project and so I had a few opportunities to put it to the test. It performed flawlessly. The only time it cramped my style was when I needed to pull the battery out of my phone because it had locked up.
Any good gear review should highlight the good and bad of a product, so here goes the bad. It's a case! No matter how low profile they make it, it's more bulk on your phone and so a lot of people won't like that. I made a point to take my Fre on and off over the couple months I used it so I could feel the difference in my pocket and see whether I liked it or if I was just used to it. In the end, it really didn't bother me like I thought it would and the pros when in the backcountry far outweighed having a little extra bulk on my phone. LifeProof has a similar model called the Nuud that is still waterproof but has no plastic over the screen which I think I'll try next. Aside from that, I really found nothing I didn't like about the LifeProof Fre.
The plastic over the screen on the Fre performed well. I didn't notice any significant reduction in usability of my device. Using touch controls with water on the screen proved a little challenging as the screen would sometimes register water as a touch, but I'm not sure there's any way around that.
Conclusion: The LifeProof Fre has completely changed my opinion on phone cases. I just traded in my Galaxy S3 for an iPhone 5S and I'm already missing having it. I just spent 3 days backpacking the Boulder Mail Trail and I used my phone as a GPS unit throughout the trip. I couldn't stop thinking how much I needed to pickup another LifeProof case, especially as I was hopping through Death Hollow trying not to take a slip into the deep, cold water. The LifeProof Fre has converted me from a vehement case-hater to someone who will never hit the backcountry without one again.
Pros:
Completely Waterproof
Shockproof
Dustproof
Snowproof
Relatively low-profile/minimalist
Cons:
Not cheap, but you get what you pay for
It's a case!
Rating:
My Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars
Price: $79.99 direct from LifeProof
More info on LifeProof's website.
NOTE: The LifeProof Fre case was provided to me at no charge by the manufacturer for the purpose of this review, but my opinion is entirely my own and not influenced by any third parties.
