Otterbox Commuter for Galaxy S III case review

The Otterbox Commuter is, time and time again, our go-to case for all manner of rough-and-tumble smartphone covers. It tends to find a perfect middle ground between highly protective and manageably lightweight, and while some users may find its bulk excessive, its hard shell and included screen protector has continually saved our phones over the years.

Naturally, for Samsung’s newest and most important flagship, the Galaxy S III, Otterbox has a suite of cases available at launch. We’re looking at the Commuter case in black, but for $34.95 it is available in a variety of dual-tone shades that can be seen over at Otterbox’s website.

The Commuter for the Galaxy S III shares much of the same design language that has made the line distinctive over the years. Combining a soft rubber inside layer with a hard polycarbonate outer shell, the case is optimized for impact by absorbing shocks and protecting against scratches.

All the ports are covered with a rubber flap and are locked in place by small rivets that align with the outer piece. It’s a system that, years later, is still divisive; we prefer cases without such amenities, though we understand its presence cuts down on water and dust intake.

Like the best cases on the market, the Otterbox Commuter protects the Galaxy S III’s screen by protruding just enough to be useful without being intrusive. The phone’s buttons — power on the right, volume on the left — are made much easier to activate by the cases’s rubber insert, and the camera lens is protected by 3mms of polycarbonate.

The case comes with a plastic screen protector in the box, as well as a cloth for cleaning.

We’ll be doing a roundup of a number of Galaxy S III cases in the coming weeks, so stay tuned. So far, the Otterbox Commuter is impressively well-constructed, portable and, at $34.95, inexpensive. You can pick up the case from most electronic retailers around Canada.