Hi Alesha—sorry to hear the case has not met your expectations. The best suggestion would be to contact our customer service department at 888-695-8820 or customer.service@otterbox.com for additional suggestions and/or solutions. We understand our cases aren’t for everyone but possibly another iPhone 3G/3GS model would work, Impact™ or Commuter™ Series (http://www.otterbox.com/iphone-cases/iphone-3g-3gs/).

Thanks, OtterBox

I cannot stand this case. the screen bothers me so much and the already low quality camera the iphone has is made worse by the screen over the camera hole.

WHY isnt it explained to you when you buy this expensive case that it will ruin the wuality of your pictures and make youe iphone screen difficult to look at??? I paid more money for QUALITY and it is seriously lacking.

WTF. I hate this case. 50 dollars, down the tube. no, I am not smearing baby powder or soapy water or NASTY oil from my skin on my precious iphone. WTF kind of solution is that to your serious defect in your product????

I also had the same "oil spill" issue that many others have reported. I tried the oily palm method and it didn't work well for me. I did not want to apply baby powder over and over again on my phone nor did I want to keep taking it out of the case to do that.
What I did was go to Best Buy. Get a 5 pack of Surface Shields "Anti-Glare" screen protectors for the phone. They are cheaper than the single one they also sell. Make sure you get the Anti Glare ones in the black cardboard pack. Clean your screen really well and apply the Surface Shield. Then clean the inside of the case screen (I use eyeglass lens cleaner). Put the phone in once you are finished and you will never have a problem with the oil spot look. The Anti-Glare screen protector has just enough of a textured surface that the Polycarbonite case screen will not stick to it at all. Screen is doubly protected and I have noticed absolutely no issues with using the screen with the double shield on their.

iPhone 3G Defender Series:
ok, i have to renig on my last post - baby powder only seemed to be a TEMPORARY fix for the "oil spills" ! every other day i had to doit again wether the "oil spills" show up again, or more then often, powder started showing up on/in-between the screens (cover and iPhone) even though i wiped it away very well. (plus the plastic screen had DENTS and LUMPS around the edges/sides - i was highly upset about that - it was NEVER flat/flush with my screen) so...

i completely REMOVED the otterbox Screen-Protector (since i already have one on my iPhone) and i could NOT be any HAPPIER !!!
(the "white" dust/sand protector will/can STAY on over the earspeaker too :) plus the very lil glue/syl is still there aound the edges and seals to my clear screen-protector anyway (i believe its pretty sealed)

(it voids the warranty, but its WELL worth doing it)

im FINALLY happy with my OtterBox Deffender Series Case !

ps. another good tip: after removing the otterbox screen, you can stick it to the iPhone Screen using the soapy water approach listed above/below and THEN put the iPhone inside the case.. this way.. the screen is flat/flush without the dents/lumps along the sides which is deffinately causing the air-space/oil-spills ! hope this helps !!!!

Glad David could help you out! Happy OtterBoxing!

Be sure to share OtterBox adventures on Planet OtterBox (www.planetotterbox.com)!

THANKS DAVID, the BABY POWDER worked perfectly for the iPhone defender series case/screen "oil spill" - took me about 3 times of adding powder and wiping the screens down, but it worked. "it was better then the idea of puting water/moisture inside the case :)" thanks again !!!!

Thanks so much Matthew! We appreciate your support.

There are some different solutions that customers have come up with for the bubbles, but the one that really seems to work the best is before you put your iPhone in the case, rub your palm across the screen. It's the natural oils of the skin that keep the plastic from sticking to the screen of the iPhone. You want your hands to be clean but you don't want to wash your hands just before doing it. You can also try wiping it along your cheek to pick up the oils from your face. It sounds strange, but this seems to work the best!

This case is without a doubt, the CASE OF ALL CASES! My wife has a Nokia N82 and is pretty bummed that Otterbox doesn't make a case for her phone :-(

The only issue I've had are the 'air/grease bubbles' that everyone has seemed to encouter. I purchased a crystal film like a few comments have suggested and unfortunately it didn't work. Does anyone know if the water and soap mixture would work on top of the cyrstal film? I'm a little weary about dabbing some soap and water on my phone, but would be willing to try if someone had any luck with it on top of the film.

Thanks for the suggestion David!

I just got my Defender in for my 3g and I gotta say I love it. For some reason, I just couldn't find the correct formula to the soap and water to end the oil spill problem. I thought about it another way. I took my microfiber towel and slightly, very very slightly dusted it with baby powder. I then wiped down the screen, and the cover, and WALA, no oil spill.

May want to pass on the baby powder if the soap and water isn't working for some.

Thank you to everyone for the recent comments in regards to our Armor™ Series. Again, after doing market research and comparing sales from the original iPhone Armor™ Series it did not make sense to continue the series for the iPhone 3G. The original iPhone Armor™ unfortunately wasn’t a popular case. People felt it was too bulky and that they didn’t need such extreme protection. We marketed it in the same, successful ways as our other Armor™ lines, however even those working in extreme industries or in the outdoors for example just didn’t like the case. Many customers actually ended up returning the case!!!

Our unwavering goal has always been to listen to customer feedback and over the years it has helped make our cases even better. However, reality is that the costs to design, tool molds, produce, test, finalize and officially launch a 3G Armor™ case would not be financially feasible or profitable. Because a majority of the feedback was negative we obviously redirected our focus, a standard yet vital tactic used not only by OtterBox but other successful companies across the board. Your comments are always appreciated and very important to us, but please note lots of time, research and consideration is put into every product. We want our cases to be successful and for our customers to love them however, for this particular device we’ve opted not to make an Armor™ case for the iPhone 3G. Thank you for understanding. -OtterBox

Oh no! I would buy two Armors right away.. I need a rugged watertight case for the iPhone! I'd need to take it onboard the boat, hiking etc.
maybe you'd consider your decision..
I used the PDA Armor for years and was more than happy with that one! And the iPhone 1st gen armor looked so promising.
a pity.

Thank you to everyone for the recent comments, suggestions and questions. Here are answers to all the recent posts:

JRL: We appreciate the compliments! As for removing the screen protector, we want to advise everyone that altering the case voids the warranty. You can read more about the warranty in our knowledge base http://www.otterbox.com/knowledge_base/. Regarding the silicone, it is designed to retain its form, however if you frequently remove the device it may stretch a bit over time. If you have problems with the silicone please let our customer service department know so they can get you a replacement.

Drew: Answered on Sept. 5th, please see the post below. Thanks!

Dennis Mendiola: Thanks for the suggestion!

C: The clip is a swivel style and can be adjusted to any angle, vertical or horizontal.

Scott McClintock: We are making the iPhone 3G case in four colors. It’s available now in black and coming soon in white, yellow/black and pink (which benefits the Avon Breast Cancer Crusade). We haven’t considered a ruby (red) or sapphire (blue), but we will definitely gage the popularity of colors based on sales and determine if additional colors might be introduced in the future.

I got my Defender 3G when it first came out and have been using it ever since.

No case like it ever -- such an improvement in handling and protection of my iPhone. I love the heft and the thickness. It even fits in my tight jeans pockets!

@Nick and others:
I just carefully removed the Otterbox's screen protector. The PocketPC WriteSHIELD that I have on it works fine and is much clearer than the stock screen. Also, it's completely adhered to it, and it's not like the Otterbox one provides any impact protection. (I use the holster for that.)

I wish I had the skill to lay down a clean bead of silicone to create a water-resistant gasket between the exoskeleton and the screen, in the resulting space. That would be a neat upgrade for the Defender, for those of us who use an adherent screen protector.

The only thing I've noticed is that the rubber outer skin seems to "stretch" a lot when I'm pulling it out of the holster -- the area above the Home button and to the right of the speaker and prox sensor port is starting to warp and pull away from the exoskeleton's frame.

We'll see whether the process continues with time.

We need a ARMOR case for the 3g, I know there is a market for them. I would order 5 today if they were available.

hey guys...for those wanting to get rid of the oil spill on your defender case completely and permanently, just get the Power Support Anti-Glare Screen protector for the iphone 3g. it works perfectly. and it actually makes your iphone look great and classy. the touchscreen sensitivity is not compromised at all even with two layers of protection: from the otterbox defender and the power support anti glare. this also gives you the liberty of pulling out your iphone for docking or something like that and still retaining some form of protection. hope this helps!

Does the Iphone 3g case clip lock in a horizontal position or just a vertical while wearing it on your belt. Thanks!

Have you considered a ruby or sapphire color for the 3G defender series?

To remove the "oil spill" look on your iPhone 3G's screen, follow these simple directions:

1) Fill a glass with about 10oz of water.
2) Put ONE DROP of dish soap into the water and stir.
3) Dip the tip of your finger into the water solution and then rub just a LITTLE on the screen of your device.
4) Place your OtterBox onto the device and smooth out the bubbles by GENTLY rubbing a credit card over the top of the screen.

If you follow these directions, you should completely get rid of the "oil spill". Some people have said that simply rubbing your finger on the inside of the screen membrane works as well. Doing this and then smoothing out the screen with a credit card is another option.

Had mine a week now and love it. Only issue is the thin membrane overlaying the iPhone face clings to it creating areas with air bubbles.

Hey John,

I am looking at purchasing the defender case for my iPhone 3g. I already have a nice anti glair screen protector and I was wondering if it is possible to remove the plastic screen cover that comes with the defender case? Other than the screen protector cover that comes with the case, I love the product. Thanks, Nick

Just received my case. Outstanding protection. Now that I know how to get the phone out of the holster the products exceeds all my expectations. I am placing another order for my wife's phone today. Good job, GREAT PRODUCT!

Just got my case, i am a frist timer for otterbox. i can't seam to get the oil spill as they are call of the front can you help me

Just got mine yesterday - love the look and feel. Only issue is the protective skin touching the surface of the iPhone creating bubbles. It's not a deal breaker but it's distracting. Any tips?

Very cool product. Now you need to make a handlebar mount! This is not so people can talk on the phone while riding the bike, but so that cyclists can use the mapping feature, which is REALLY useful. This would basically allow us iPhone users to have the same functionality as the bike version of a Garmin GPS, only better!