The CommuterThe Basic Commuter is a fairly sturdy case. Granted it is nothing like the Defender, but it is also not as bulky as the Defender either. It is nice combination between protection and style. The Commuter is in reality little more than a gel "wrap" combined with a protective plastic shell that clips around the gel case.
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In order to offer a more complete product Otterbox also threw in a screen protector. This is pretty much a standard item and clings to the front of your iPhone through static. You do have some preparation before you attach this. You will need to make sure that the glass front is completely free of oils and dust. Otterbox has also included a cleaning cloth and a hard plastic card to help you get a nice smooth install.
When we installed ours we found that the protector is just a hair off in size. We found that we could not get a completely flat fit and no matter how many times we tried to put the included screen protector on it would end up bubbling up at one corner or the other. As such we recommend that you trim the corners at the bottom very slightly to avoid this issue.
Once this is installed you can wrap the gel around your iPhone and then clip on the plastic cover. The cover is actually pretty nice. It has a decent look to it and also performs an important function. The outer gel case keeps dirt, dust and lint out of the ports and openings in the phone. If you have owned an iPhone for a while you have probably had an issue with lint and dust getting in the headphone port and causing the sound to mute as the phone thinks something is plugged in.
Commuter TLThe Commuter TL is a little different; the plastic backing does not wrap around the phone but clips over the back from top to bottom. It is also translucent instead of black. This makes the TL a little more attractive [it was the one my wife wanted the most too]. Otherwise it is very similar to the Commuter and ships with the same items in the box. The commuter TL offers the same level of dust and dirt protection as the Commuter but not the same level of impact protection.
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AestheticsBoth the Commuter and Commuter TL are nice looking enclosures for your iPhone 3G or 3G S. They do not fit the older iPhones at all [My daughter tried to no avail]. The Commuter itself is eye catching with a sturdy look to it; while I was using it I had quite a few questions on what it was and where to buy one. On the other end the Commuter TL has sleek look and is not as bulky as the commuter. As Otterbox has announced color packs [different colored gel cases] for the TL you have even more options to add color to your iPhone.
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