The LifeProof NÜÜD iPhone case provides screenless technology that delivers perfect clarity and touch response with your iPhone’s touchscreen. It’s WaterProof, DirtProof, SnowProof and DropProof, so your phone defies the elements in any environment. It features integrated gaskets that form a waterproof seal around the edge of your phone’s screen while leaving the display open for your direct touch. The lightning port has an access door that seals tightly shut to prevent water intrusion, and the home button has a sealed membrane cover which provides fingerprint access. We tested the NÜÜD case for the iPhone 7 Plus, which comes in five colors and retails for $99.99.
Features
The front and back of the cases’ shells click firmly together to provide waterproof, dirtproof and dropproff protection. The back shell of the case is clear which reveals the phone’s finish and color.
The inside of the front of the case has a waterproof rubber gasket/o-rings that runs all the way around both the outer and inner edge to help seal the front screen. The Home/Touch ID sensor button and top speaker/microphone utilize a gasketed plastic membrane for protection, yet they still provide fingerprint and sound interfacing capabilities.
The top and bottom of the case feature integrated and sealed volume up/down, ring/silent switch and side on/off buttons that interface directly to the phone.
The back of the case has soft rubber gaskets that interface to the speakers for both protection and sound interfacing, and the shell itself resonates to provide additional sound reinforcement. Also, the back of the case has a sealed door for the lightning port and a rubber gasket for the cameras and flash unit, along with a small membrane for the groupings speaker.
The home button utilizes a gasketed plastic membrane for waterproof protection and their technology still offers excellent fingerprint interfacing.
The cases’ lightning port has a small door with a rubber gasket that provides a tight waterproof seal, and it clicks securely closed. I didn’t have any issues connecting the iPhones lightning cord, and nothing interfered when inserting and removing things.
Impressions
It was nice to have the screen open, aka nude, without any screen cover causing interfacing and tactile issues, which I don’t like. The naked screen does leave it unprotected and more vulnerable than other waterproof designs with integrated covers, but I was happy to have openness along with the waterproof capabilities. The unfettered access to your screen is excellent, though due to the recessed viewable screen area, swiping your finger across the screen is constrained, though I never found it a big issue, it just means you can’t swipe from the very edge of the iPhone. The fingerprint interaction with the home button worked most of the time, but on rare occasions, it didn’t want to work, though retrying or just resorting to the password quickly resolved things.
The case is moderately thick at 14 mm/.57 inches which are primarily due to the gasket system for waterproofness and protection and the interior elevation of the back of the phone in the case. The thickest part of the case happens at the bottom where it flares upwards slightly over the Home button section and lightning port door. I didn’t find any issues with sticking it in my pockets, and it quickly slid where it needed to go, though the 7 Plus is a still a massive beast. The outer edge of the case utilizes a soft rubber bumper which is mostly there for protection but also offers excellent grip-ability so that it doesn’t slip out of your hands during use. The back of the case is clear and smooth which does mean it can easily slide around, but even with its glossy finish, I haven’t had any scratching issues as yet.
Getting the phone back apart after squeezing the case together was a bit difficult, but at least you knew it was protecting your phone from the abuse. The kit comes with a small plastic pry tool that makes it much easier to open the case, and with practice, I could quickly do it. The lightning port door sealed correctly and clicked securely closed, and it was simple to plug the iPhone cord in without any interference issues.
The case is supposed to be waterproof and submersible to 2 meters for one hour, and although I didn’t test the ‘deep in the water’ capabilities, it got plenty wet in rain and snow storms without any issues. The two o-ring sealing design has an inner gasket that covers the viewable screen and an outer one on the edge that goes over the rest of the glass, and between the two of them, they prevent any ingress of water to other parts of the phone. They also work in synergy with the gaskets and membranes around the home button, speakers, and lightning port for complete waterproofness. It’s drop-rated to 6 ft or 2 meters, but I can only vouch for dropping it from waist high or around 40 inches without incident, meaning no phone, case damage or separation.
The interfacing functionality of the iPhones volume up/down, ring/silent switch and side on/off buttons through the case were a bit stiff, but they did work, and though the new mute switch was sometimes difficult to operate due to its small size. The camera and flash worked just fine, and I didn’t have any issues with there functionality. The earpiece speaker and call quality were more than adequate, though not on par with a nacked phone. The main speakers were somewhat subdued and bass heavy, and even though the back of the case provides sound reinforcement, it only offered decent dynamics and clarity.
Bottom Line
The NÜÜD is a moderately slim iPhone case that is rugged and abuse proof and can provide some serious protection from drops, dirt, water, and snow, while still offering full access to the buttons, touchscreen, camera, and phone. I accidentally dropped the phone from 3-4 feet in the air several times, and it indeed offered significant protection, but I didn’t test the extreme waterproofness (immersion for 1 hour at a 2m depth.) I got the unit into some heavy rain and snow storms, and plenty of dirt and mud have tossed at it, and it has been none the worse from the abuse. The speaker and microphone covers work surprisingly well, while still retaining their water and dirt protection qualities, and the back of the case helps with sound reinforcement. The camera and flash worked the same as sans case, and although the side buttons all worked admirably, though they were slightly stiff on their actuation.
I have thoroughly enjoyed the NÜÜD’s unfettered access to the touchscreen screen while still having the rugged protection and waterproofness from its design. The waterproof membrane over the iPhone Touch ID sensor provided functional fingerprint access, though, on rare occasions, it can be finicky.
For further information refer to lifeproof.com
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