Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I bought this case directly from Lifeproof in mid-November 2014 because Amazon did not stock it until after December 5, 2014 or so. I bought the belt clip about six months later when it became available. I decided to condense my prior evaluations into a simpler "pro" and "con" format with some comments and a summary. Pros: Thin, good screen clarity, mostly functional buttons (except the initial cases mute button - more on that shortly), waterproof, shock resistant, fingerprint reader cover that works better than one on the Otterbox Defender. "Free" shipping. I paid $79.99 for this case and now it's down to $60. When you see a price drop like this it means that demand is waning. Cons: High price even at $60. Biggest issue for me is the screw-in easy to lose/forget "extension cable" required for most headphones and ear buds. Lifeproof made this choice to retain a waterproof case seal. You can't plug most ear buds into this case without the extension cord except for a pair of Bose ear buds I have that just happen to fit without the Fre cable. The sound mute button was useless on my first case but after the button finally came off after messing with it constantly to get it to work, Lifeproof honored their 1 year warranty and sent me a new case. The mute button on the new case works fine. If you bought the Apple branded converter for the iPhone 4s to the lightning power tip, it won't work with this case unless you remove the phone from the case (a total pain). The case has a tendency to separate when used with the Lifeproof belt clip and I noticed some damage to the case from the Lifeproof belt clip on the side of the Fre case after a few months of use. Wish list for Lifeproof: I wish Lifeproof would make the headphone pigtail cable about 2-3 inches long and self-contained in either the belt clip or the case itself so it's always available. I wish the belt clip had a backer plate like the OtterBox belt clip. The three points of contact design with the open back of the current case leaves the back of the phone exposed and to prone to getting knocked out of the case. The phone mostly commonly pops off the belt holder when I'm getting out of the car and I've fished it out from between the seat and console at least 15 times. A little known fact is that the iPhone 6 Fre case WILL fit in the OtterBox Defender belt clip for the iPhone 6 - it doesn't feel 100% secure but I had been rolling with that setup for about 6 months with not a single drop as long as you insert the Fre case into the Defender belt clip with the volume buttons facing down towards the ground. Summary - Slim design and basically a decent case but it's over priced with a quirky mute button and annoying extension cable for headphones and a belt clip that does not hold the phone securely. If you require a waterproof phone case, this case is worth the premium but if you keep the phone in your pocket or carry it in a bag or purse, keep looking for a lower priced alternative or go back to Otterbox which is what I did this past week after I grew weary of the phone falling out of the open back belt Lifeproof belt clip. It's two stars because it's over priced, quirky, the belt clip design makes it prone to falling out and required headphone cable is annoying. PS - I greatly appreciate the "manufacturers comment" from 9 months ago telling me about the "new color options" and that they would provide updates on product improvements. A bright color would help me find the phone after it falls out of the belt clip. I have seen ONE improvement made by Lifeproof in their case - the mute button cover. Lifeproof FINALLY quit censoring reviews on their own website. I suspect that was due to the real world reviews from Amazon. Bottom line is that if a waterproof case is a must for you, this is a good case but for me, it has too many shortcomings and quirks that do not justify the price point.