Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

UPDATE 12/4/19: To answer my own question, yes, after only 10 weeks of use the clear case has begun to turn noticeably YELLOW on the flexible upper part, specifically the portion where my fingers are most likely to contact. NOT IMPRESSED OTTERBOX! Lowering my review to 1 star. --------------- I just purchased an OtterBox SYMMETRY CLEAR Case for my new iPhone 11 Pro directly from the Otterbox website for $39.95 (before tax, with free shipping and a $10 discount for signing up for their mailing list). This compares to the $36 I paid for the X/XS version of this case on Amazon two years ago (so the price has significantly jumped, unless you take advantage of the $10 discount). So far, other than the larger camera hole, the 11 Pro version appears to be identical to the X/XS model, except that the side buttons are noticeably easier to push (may or may not be a good thing), and it seems to be MUCH harder to remove the case (thankfully the 11 Pro is not prone to bending). Based on my prior experiences described below, I can't fully recommend the Otterbox Symmetry Clear iPhone cases at this time. Note, this refers specifically to the ***CLEAR*** models, since the opaque versions may not suffer from the same apparently faulty materials. Admittedly, my X/XS case did a great job protecting the edges and front & rear glass of my iPhone X and iPhone XS, while displaying a fairly attractive low profile. On both the 11 Pro and X/XS cases, the tactile upper half of the case's edge also greatly helps prevent accidental drops, although the flat rear plastic face itself is somewhat slippery. Note: the front glass of the phone is not covered by a screen protector, but the edges of the case are raised from the glass by 1-2 millimeters, so the screen is protected when dropping on FLAT surfaces, but not necessarily on uneven surfaces that directly impact the screen. The same is true of the camera bump on the rear. However, the rear glass other than the camera bump is fully covered. I used a single case I purchased, first for an iPhone X and then an iPhone XS (each for a one year period), and there was not a single scratch or dent on either when they were traded in, although admittedly I'm not super prone to drops and I keep my phones by themselves in my front pocket without any keys etc. I did see some fine hairline cracks forming in the hard plastic lower half of the X/XS case, but nothing that obviously affects the function of the case. So far, I see no reason that the new 11 Pro case will not perform just as well. But the real reason we want a clear case is to enjoy the beauty of our new device. Unfortunately, these cases fall short in this regard of two fronts: 1) The fairly trivial reason is that you just have to admit that even a clear cases doesn't really allow the beauty of an iPhone to shine through. You see a clear case, with a slightly hazy impression of the phone behind it. So frankly, you might as well get a case that is beautiful by itself because who knows what model phone it actually hides. You are able to see the Apple logo quite clearly, and presumably the color is visible (I always get the dark grey or black models, so I've no experience with the more exotic phone colors). But that beautiful frosted glass back is lost behind the clear case. 2) More importantly, and the major reason I've temporarily given this 11 Pro case a middling 3-point rating, is that within 3-4 months of using the prior X/XS model I found that the upper, more flexible half of the plastic material (towards the screen side of the phone) started to turn noticeably YELLOW, and eventually YELLOW-BROWN (as you can see from my photo of a 2 year-old X/XS case placed to the left of my brand new 11 Pro case). Either there is something inherently faulty about this soft plastic layer that progressively changes color, or its exposure to the oils your fingers produce causes it to turn yellow. You will see many other reviews for the X/XS version that say the same thing (several from as recently as August and September 2019), so it's not just me. In fact, by my count, 59/178 reviews posted for the X/XS case so far in 2019 mention yellowing. That's 33%! And, no, I didn't try to get a refund. If the whole reason you are looking to buy a clear case is to display the beauty of your new phone, having the case turn yellow after only several months of use is a major downer (particularly at this price point). It remains to be seen if the Pro 11 model suffers this same defect, but as I said, it looks identical. I'm giving Otterbox one more chance in the hope that they've finally fixed this defect, and I will update my review in 3-4 months. I'll expect a refund this time Otterbox, if it turns out you haven't learned from all the negative reviews and requests for returns! No scratches on my 11 Pro case yet after 4 days, but based on my X/XS experience, these cases also accumulate fine scratches on the rear surface, but I didn't find them particularly noticeable or disturbing. Also, I eventually observed fine hairline cracks in the hard case around the edges, presumably from the pressure of the phone on the case (It is a pretty tight fit), or from my occasionally dropping it. Dust also has a tendency to gradually accumulate under the rear panel, presumably entering through the holes for the speakers and Lightening port. By the way, you can save $10 by signing up for their email list on their website and purchasing it there.