Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I bought this case after much deliberation and research. I'm the kinda person who's luck is if a single drop of rain falls from the sky, it will end up going into a sensitive spot of my phone like a homing missile. I previously purchased an OtterBox Defender for my phone and really liked it. But the wide open camera port drove me nuts. I then tried out a knock-off Lunatik Taktik Extreme case. I loved everything about it...except for the fact it was aluminum and when traveling rural areas where I live, the aluminum turned my signal into a turd. I considered a genuine Taktik, but $125 was a bit steep. So I turned my attention toward the LifeProof Fre or OtterBox Preserver. The flimsy front screen protector of the Fre pushed me to the Preserver. First, for all the crybabies saying the mute switch doesn't work, try opening the case, making sure the switch is up and not muted, then insert that side of the phone in first. Then,realize it is basically a rocker switch. Pulling upward pushes the mute switch down. Pushing down moves the mute switch up. Simple. Works like a charm. It's stiff, but better IMO than accidentally muting your phone in your pocket. The fingerprint ID works (so far) flawlessly for me. Not a single retry. Press lightly on the membrane covering the home button (not hard enough to wake the phone) until it clings to the home button. My only issue here is minor, but the membrane seal sticks up slightly into the viewable screen area. They should have flattened that spot. Minor, but notable nonetheless. The case once assembled feels super sturdy and doesn't add much to the weight of the phone. Make sure you have everything clean on the screen and protector before you snap it together. It's a snug fit. Your phone is surrounded inside around the edges with small rubber bumpers and the back is your usual but effective foam padding. It will absorb impact. The ports at the bottom to access the headphone jack and charging port are nice and tight. No worries they will accidentally pop open. Sound quality is very good, especially considering it is all passing through waterproof membranes. Aside from sound being slightly muffled as expected, the only audio "oddity" I have noticed so far is the default text notification tone sounds slightly off. Almost tinny for lack of a better description. Call quality is good, though you may experience an echo effect if your volume is all the way up. This is due to vibration in the case from the noise canceling microphones. Turn the volume down a hair if you experience this. It's not a knock against the case though. A case made to be waterproof WILL have some drawbacks compared to using the phone "naked." It's a worthwhile trade off. All in all, I'm quite pleased with this case and would recommend it to anyone who needs and/or wants the protection and peace of mind it brings to know your phone is safe.