I wanted the OtterBox Resurgence Battery Case (retail $99.95) for long days at conferences, press events or outings with the kids. But I quickly grew addicted to the power boost and the Resurgence has been an everyday case.
OtterBox claims the charge in their case will give you about 70-80 percent additional battery power. I tested their model for the iPhone 5/5s and there is a handy slideshow below with a number of claims by OtterBox, but the bottom line is that my iPhone could go all day on a single charge. Only after dinner did I have to plug in and recharge both the case and the iPhone.
I found the case more convenient than either of the portable battery chargers I’d been using, as no additional wires or gadgets were required.
I was also surprised at how effective the Resurgence case was in protecting the phone.
I dropped my 5s at least three times, including once in a parking lot. Twice, the Resurgence case separated slightly into its two component parts (see video) but in each case, the phone itself was unharmed and as soon as I snapped the case back together, it also worked fine.
Two drawbacks: I had a hard time getting the 5s to sync to my Macbook Pro when it was in the case. It charged just fine when connected to the MacBook but I kept getting a sync error message. When I took it out of the case, I had no sync problems. The MacBook also identified the Resurgence case as something different from the iPhone. My software is an older operating system, OS X 10.6.8, and that may have been part of the problem.
The second drawback was that the case was difficult to remove. Installing it over the phone was easy. Unsnapping the case to remove the two parts took some fiddling and the use of sharp fingernails. Those who lack those fingernails may have more difficulty.
Along with the Resurgence case, I also tested out the OtterBox Alpha Glass Fortified Screen Protector for iPhones 5/5s/5c. OtterBox promises flawless clarity, reactive touch, anti-shatter and scratch protection and precision application.
I found these mostly true. If the directions are followed, applying the Alpha Glass to your smartphone is relatively simple. There were no problems in using the touch screen with it. However, there was a difference in clarity. Slight but enough to annoy. Not as annoying, however, as having to replace yet another shattered screen. I’d highly recommend this for those with kids who have a propensity, like my eldest daughter, to cracking and shattering their smartphone touchscreens on a regular basis. (We’ve replaced three phones just this year.)
I didn’t test the anti-shatter protection, not wanting to accidentally smash my phone but I can vouch for the scratch protection. The Alpha Glass is $29.95 but it is available at a 40 percent discount when purchased together with a Resurgence case.
Altogether, the Resurgence is a solid case, does its job nicely, and even comes in several colors. It doesn’t look as if they have one yet for the iPhone 6 on their site but I would expect that to be available soon.
