so I finally finished fumbling through otterbox's sea of cases for the newest iPhones and I did that to figure out the question which one of these cases is going to be best to protect my very expensive pocket computer because there is one case that you shouldn't get one case that seems new but is old and one case that really just needs to go away all right this is going to be fun first up the symmetries this model has seen several iterations over the last few years and for my opinion OtterBox has made it a shell of its former self the Symmetry offers The Usual Suspects in terms of materials you got a polycarbonate back and then a tpe edge now this new design is slightly different than what I prefer the Symmetry to be this is a symmetry with a pop socket on it you'll notice that the edge the polycarbonate goes over the corner and then you've got the front lip with the tpe this was a better design than this but what really sets the Symmetry apart is really the floating button design these buttons perfect add to the fact that OtterBox has a ton of different designs and colors for the Symmetry you can basically get whatever you want to suit your you know style but this product isn't without its cons because the bottom of this case feels incredibly sharp and despite having a tpe edge the back of the case is very smooth and so it actually feels really really slick which means this thing's going to be like a air hockey puck and magsafe accessories might come off a little easier now if you're wondering what the difference between a symmetry and a symmetry plus it's really just the antimicrobial coating so you know your phone is less gross all right let's talk about another Staple in terms of Otterbox cases the OtterBox Commuter now unlike the Symmetry this commuter hasn't really changed in years which isn't a good thing it's still a two-piece case you've got your TPU sleeve that your iPhone sits in and then everything is wrapped with a polycarbonate shell it's got some good grips on the back I like how the TPU sleeve kind of pokes through the polycarbonate shell that just makes this part a lot easier to hold on to in your hand it's got a port cover for those who are worried about you know stuff getting to your iPhone's Port but the buttons on this case aren't floating like the Symmetry and so they're actually really stiff I know I've gotten spoiled with the floating buttons of case designs lately so you know this thing these buttons just I just they just don't cut it problem of this case that has existed for years are these incredibly loose edges basically Dustin this is like District 9 for dust and debris like you're going to find weird stuff in there after a few months the top corners 50 of the corners pop off really easily the ones on the bottom do what they're supposed to do iPhone I honestly feel like the oddbox commuter is the sibling that everybody forgets exists because it took OtterBox more than two years to get magsafe into this product so you've been warned do not get this case it is not worth it I am curious though have you guys used the commuter let me know in the comments section below alright let's talk about the OtterBox core now this is one of otterbox's newer cases and I actually really like this product the core has a polycarbonate shell and then it's wrapped with some rubber stuff no one understand the features of this product is that well it's made from recycled cases so I'm guessing all these colored pieces are the ghost of past OtterBox cases regardless it gives the core a nice texture to it I really do like how like the asymmetrical feel of this product now from a protection standpoint the corners of this case are only 2.4 millimeters thick OtterBox thinnest cases at two the otterbox's thickest case is at about three and so this thing's smack dab in the middle in terms of protection the buttons in this case don't float and so they're a little stiff and they're a little sticky from my perspective and the recycled material will show scuffing a little quicker than other cases for my perspective now visually the seams are not that noticeable you can't really see them but they are definitely there when you're running your fingers over the edges of the case they're very noticeable and it's kind of annoying I know I'm being very picky in this instance but you know I'm a reviewer not an influencer know someone who would love the core share this video with them let's talk about the Anew next now I've come across my fair share of cases with lanyard attachment points this Anew not only has one it has two and a third one right here this is a weird location for it now that you knew if my memory serves me right didn't used to look like this it looked more like this and before that it was this the only thing consistent is the sticker on the inside of the case for the magsafe of course I will admit though that the Anew their new design with the colored eye insets right here for the maxif area this looks pretty cool I haven't fully installed it now in terms of handling this case is very average it's very similar to the OtterBox Symmetry it's got a very slick back and it's got rubbery edges so the rubbery edges make it a little easier to pick up off a flat surface we'll say but you put on the back and this thing slides around like an air hockey puck which isn't a good thing if you've got butter fingers because the edge isn't grippy enough that it's gonna save your phone from doing that now this thing is worth 50 freaking dollars and is it worth the price tag that apple and OtterBox want you to pay no the Anew is basically the lumens long-lost cousin I think these cases are very similar we'll talk about this in a few minutes because we're going to talk about the figura next now I'll be honest with you it's kind of a toss-up between the figure and the core in terms of looks like I really do like kind of how this case kind of has this like thing going on in the back of it now this case is also fifty dollars and it is the least protective case out of otterbox's entire lineup the case edges for this product sits at two millimeters so Defender is about three plus this thing two so make sure you don't drop your iPhone a lot if you're planning on getting this product the entire product is coated with like the soft rubber finish so it feels really nice and unlike the other cases it's not going to slide around as easily the buttons in this case float so they're very very nice to use and again it's such a simple product looks really great if you're looking for a thin case this is worth checking out if it's on sale now before we talk about the dumpster fire known as the Lumen hit the like button if you're enjoying this content your support basically helps us well just do more of these case reviews for the different brands for your iPhones was that Monty oh yeah he's been working on a Weekly Newsletter so do check out that link in the description section below it's going to be just more Monty during the week but on to this dumpster fire of a case the Lumen is another 50 case that's Apple's gonna apple and OtterBox is trying to rob you with now when it comes to Pros one of the nice things about this product is the design I do like the gradient look it's very very neat looking the colored edges do hide fingerprints really well so unlike your typical glossy cases you won't really see them and the color of the case is reflected through the camera protective lip which is a really neat feature I find but when it comes to cons and maybe this is just specific to my case is that my sleep button there is no response to it like I push hard enough maybe I can press it but I don't think it's lined up properly but it's not the same for the volume buttons these ones feel very nice this one is downright terrible and at fifty dollars you would expect somebody to have figure that out the seams on the front of the case are very very noticeable you can almost see them right here in the video without me pointing them out really and the glossy edges if you drop it enough times we'll scuff up pretty easily now I generally think Apple has some pretty high standards when it comes to offering third-party products in their store but I think with these Otterbox cases Apple and OtterBox were like 18 bottles deep and OtterBox was like hey Apple Let Us sell you some of these crappy products in your store now I know this is a case Roundup but I do have to mention the screen protectors because OtterBox talks about their screen protectors a lot on their website they've got three the flex alpha glass and the Amplified glass most expensive mid and this one's actually pretty expensive as well but this is plastic these two are glass now in years past the Amplified glass was definitely the better product but in my last round of testing with the iPhone 14 versions um this alpha glass feet the amplify class and 507 categories that I tested against so if you're looking to save some cash get the Apple class it's pretty good if you want to know what the rankings for the other screen printers are well do check that video out all right let's talk about the life I mean the OtterBox free that's right OtterBox finally put the final nail in the LifeProof coffin so LifeProof is really no more but you think they would have done something different with this product no it's exactly like the old like proofreeze now if you're an adventure Seeker or someone who's around water a lot then you need a waterproof case not necessarily the free but you do need a waterproof case this thing is rated to a depth of uh 6.6 feet for an hour which is a far cry from the iPhone's rating of like 30 minutes at like 15 meters I think so you might be thinking why would I need this product if the iPhone is waterproof here's three reasons the first is that there's a lanyard point which means you can stick your iPhone to your body so when you're swimming you don't drop it and it sinks and you can't get to it second thing waterproofing on the iPhone is for accidents a waterproof case on your iPhone is for fun salt water and electronics do not mix and the final reason to get this case is that well this device by itself when wet becomes a wet bar soap you're gonna drop it that's why you need something to protect it now the problems that plague the LifeProof free still plague the OtterBox free as an everyday case it's basically wearing like super tight pants 24 7. touch screen sensitivity is reduced slightly so it makes it feel like you've got fat fingers all the time the screen has all these dots to reduce the rainbowing effect but in certain lights you can definitely still see the rainbowing the plastic screen protector collects grease really easily which means that selfies are going to be terrible if you don't keep this area clean and face ID also gets disabled if you uh make this part too greasy this case does pop off quite easily so you can easily remove your iPhone and use your daily driver case that offers better access not this one enough with the free let's talk about the grandfather of iPhone cases the defender honestly I think the defender is like a security blanket for a lot of people they constantly get new iPhones and they constantly go and get another Defender for it it really hasn't changed over the years it's still a two-piece design your iPhone goes in the back like this frame that goes on the top and you wrap it all up with this TPU sleeve and the best part still comes with a belt holster yeah yeah still has a port cover for those who lose sleep over getting stuff in their port and it still has the mutants which cover which I think is borderline kind of useless but you know that's me but let's get real this case has been around but it's definitely not perfect it will add a lot of both to your iPhone and yes this case is incredibly annoying to remove so if you are a person who has a case collection that likes to use different cases for different occasions this might not be the one for you because you kind of have to just pick at everything and it just gets annoying so that's the defender let's talk about the defender Pro XT now the defender Pro XD may sound like a newer product but in reality it's a old product with a new name the pro XT looks like a Defender smells like a Defender but instead of having three pieces to deal with you really only have two you have the outside frame and a little frame in the this thing so what case does that remind you of last time I saw a product like this from OtterBox it was called the OtterBox Pursuit and it was exactly the same as this if you're planning on getting this case the easiest way to install your iPhone in it is to not follow otterbox's instructions but to install the frame first you just force your iPhone into it because dealing with this Frame is an absolute pain in the butt now the pros for the defender Pro is that's the handling of this product is incredibly nice the original OtterBox Defenders had a really loose area around this volume button and you don't have that with this product they just have this grip strip and it feels really nice in my hand as a lanyard attachment point which is going to be handy for some people and unlike the other Defender is magsip compatible so you can take your favorite accessory and use it with a Defender case still has dust flaps on the bottom for your ports but they got rid of the mute switch one so I guess somebody figured out that's this thing the defender is kind of useless and annoying now all these features come at a really steep price this is a really expensive product for what it is and unlike the defender that comes with a holster the pro XT which you think is something with the pro name in it would have those extra things no it doesn't in fact I couldn't even find on otterbox's website if you could buy a third-party one now you could go and get a normal Defender one and kind of put it in but it's a little loose would you take that chance with this uh belt holster being this loose so what do you think would you splurge on a Defender Pro XT personally I would it's it's a very nice looking case it's a very tough looking case it's going to offer your iPhone if you don't swap cases you don't have to deal with the uninstall it's it's a very worthwhile product it gets I think at like 80 90 though so that's all we got for this round at questions comments leave them down there first I watch one of my videos make sure you hit the Subscribe button and hit the notification button so that every single time Monty shows up on the internet with his really creepy eyes you get to see it