Otterbox Commuter S5, Fake or Real?

[SponZ11]

Hi, I recently bought a Otterbox Commuter for the Galaxy s5, and I have noticed a few things that are a bit off, firstly, the otterbox logo on the back is not centred properly, as it is a little bit to the right. I also noticed there is no serial number on it.

 

[belodion]

That sounds like a fake.

 

[Mike Lee2]

Yup sounds like a knock off to me also! . Did you get it cheap? And were did you buy it? If it was me I would still use it no body is gonna know the difference anyway, unless you tell them. . If you paid retail price for it then I would ask for a refund, but if you paid cheap for it I wouldn't let it bother me. That's how I feel about the situation
Merry Christmas

 

[SponZ11]

I had bought the case for 35 dollars AUD. I bought it at a small phone case store in the middle of a shopping centre. I mainly bought it to protect the phone, is it still going to protect it? or is it not going to offer any protection.

 

[CozyPlanes]

I think it wont protect. Even if it does, you really should get a refund.

 

[Mycrossover]

Forgeries are rampant. I had another Otterbox model on my S5 for a long time that was undoubtly a forgery. It is just a few pieces of plastic and rubber with no hidden high tech features. If it fits correctly with no issues, use it. I had the OB Defender and it was hard to push the buttons through the case and the rubber warped after a while. I went to the now discontinued UAG (Urban Armor Gear) case. They gave each color a different model name. UAG still had a few pieces in stock, even though the were no longer in the catalog. If you can get one directly from them or on eBay grab it. It is tested to take a 4 ft fall, the buttons work well through the case and it is slim and great looking. Being discontinued your discount options are limited. I paid $35 directly to UAG and waited a couple of weeks for it to come from their factory in Hong Kong

 

[SponZ11]

Thanks everyone for the replies! I think I might just use my phone without a case, are galaxy S5 phones pretty strong ?

 

[nahoku]

are galaxy S5 phones pretty strong ?

Yes they are... until you drop them. You'd be better off using a fake case than no case at all. Return it to the shop for exchange.

 

[Mycrossover]

If you want maximum protection, add a glass screen protector. The plastic ones get all scratched up.. I think I paid 6 bucks at the local flea market.

 

[Mycrossover]

Thanks everyone for the replies! I think I might just use my phone without a case, are galaxy S5 phones pretty strong ?

That is a bad idea. They are not drop proof. I cannot speak about other cases but my S5 has survived several drops in the UAG case. I cannot prove that it would have survived without it but I am not rich enough to run comparison tests, and they advertise that it meets some mil spec for 46 4ft drops. Compare the price of a case, even an expensive one, to the cost of replacing the phone.

 

[Rukbat]

You bought the case for less than half the best price I can find it in the US (they may be a few dollars under the USD40 [AUD56] price, but only a few) - that alone says it's a knock-off. But it probably will protect the phone just as well, or almost as well, as the original. (Otterbox isn't showing an S5 case any more, but some stores may have a few, and Otterbox will sell you one if they have one left.)

As for the real case, I've done things to my phone that shouldn't be done to trash, and there's not a mark on it - or on the plastic cover for the screen. An Otterbox (I have the Defender, but the Commuter is just as strong) is worth the money.

 

[Mycrossover]

You bought the case for less than half the best price I can find it in the US (they may be a few dollars under the USD40 [AUD56] price, but only a few) - that alone says it's a knock-off. But it probably will protect the phone just as well, or almost as well, as the original. (Otterbox isn't showing an S5 case any more, but some stores may have a few, and Otterbox will sell you one if they have one left.)

As for the real case, I've done things to my phone that shouldn't be done to trash, and there's not a mark on it - or on the plastic cover for the screen. An Otterbox (I have the Defender, but the Commuter is just as strong) is worth the money.

I had the defender on my S5 and my wife has one on her S4. I am so much happier with the UAG. There is no comparison. It is tougher, fits much better, is just a single piece fused from different elastic materials, the buttons work far better, it hasn't warped and it is far slimmer. The hard plastic doesn't have broken tabs from when I needed to remove the case, unlike both Defenders. The defenders have an integral plastic screen that you are stuck with. A separate glass screen is the way to go. If You ever replace it, see if you can find an also discontinued UAG. There is only one model for the S5 but for some stupid reason each color got a different model name.