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Mobile Technology

The Survivor – Griffin's military grade iPhone 4 case

By Ben Coxworth
February 23, 2011
The Survivor – Griffin's military grade iPhone 4 case
The Survivor Extreme Duty Case is designed to protect the iPhone 4 and iPod touch, and is built to meet or exceed military endurance standards
The Survivor Extreme Duty Case is designed to protect the iPhone 4 and iPod touch, and is built to meet or exceed military endurance standards
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The Survivor Extreme Duty Case is designed to protect the iPhone 4 and iPod touch, and is built to meet or exceed military endurance standards
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The Survivor Extreme Duty Case is designed to protect the iPhone 4 and iPod touch, and is built to meet or exceed military endurance standards
The Survivor Extreme Duty Case is designed to protect the iPhone 4 and iPod touch, and is built to meet or exceed military endurance standards
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The Survivor Extreme Duty Case is designed to protect the iPhone 4 and iPod touch, and is built to meet or exceed military endurance standards
The Survivor Extreme Duty Case is designed to protect the iPhone 4 and iPod touch, and is built to meet or exceed military endurance standards
3/4
The Survivor Extreme Duty Case is designed to protect the iPhone 4 and iPod touch, and is built to meet or exceed military endurance standards
The Survivor Extreme Duty Case is designed to protect the iPhone 4 and iPod touch, and is built to meet or exceed military endurance standards
4/4
The Survivor Extreme Duty Case is designed to protect the iPhone 4 and iPod touch, and is built to meet or exceed military endurance standards
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Put the words "military grade" in front of just about anything, and people – especially guys – will want to buy it. Military grade Post-It Notes, military grade burritos, military grade tube socks, it's all good ... whatever the product, those two words imply that it has been designed to put up with more crap and abuse than its wimpy civilian-grade counterparts. So, when it comes to protecting your precious data-laden iPhone 4, what grade of case do you want? Griffin Technology is assuming your answer to that question is "military," which is what it reportedly offers in the form of its Survivor Extreme Duty Case.

Griffin states that the Survivor has been designed to meet or exceed the endurance standards set by both the US and UK departments of defense. Its shatter-resistant polycarbonate frame and shock-absorbing silicone bumpers allow it to survive drops from up to six feet (1.8 meters) onto a flat concrete surface. A transparent display shield and hinged plugs on all the port and control openings (including the camera lens) keep water, sand, dust and presumably little bits of things that have been blow up from getting inside.

Its clip, when not attached to your belt – or holster – swivels around to act as a stand, propping the phone up in landscape format on flat surfaces.

The Survivor is the first case in Griffin's new Armored collection, and is available via the Griffin or Verizon Wireless websites, or in Verizon's retail stores. There are two versions, one for iPhone 4 and one for the fourth-generation iPod touch, both of which sell for US$49.99. Color choices include black, white, olive, and pink ... military grade pink, we assume.

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Tags

Mobile TechnologyiPod touchProtectionVerizon WirelessGriffiniPhone 4
11 comments
Ben Coxworth
Ben Coxworth
Based out of Edmonton, Canada, Ben Coxworth has been writing for New Atlas since 2009 and is presently Managing Editor for North America. An experienced freelance writer, he previously obtained an English BA from the University of Saskatchewan, then spent over 20 years working in various markets as a television reporter, producer and news videographer. Ben is particularly interested in scientific innovation, human-powered transportation, and the marine environment.

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11 comments
Dan79
this is fantastic... our armed forces have a phone that can stand the tough conditions. The problem.... a lot of the battle zones do not have coverage, and if they did, the poor antenna in an iphone will let you down.......
Yes i have an iphone too, so dont think i am bashing you. it is a great phone, as long as you dont want to receive or make phone calls.
Griffin
I wonder how this compares to an Otter Box? I have an iPhone,too. The speaker phone is horrible as is the standard speaker. Fine in a totally silent background but useless in a noisy background. Lots of ATT dropped calls- Maybe Verizon is actually better. I agree- great little handheld computer/camera,etc.- I would not think of keeping it for just the phone.
Back to this product- no cammo? Olive just ain\'t the same... Seriously, I like the stand/clip idea.
waltinseattle
If \'the real military case maker\', which is to say PelicanCase, had executed this one, it would have had a front hatch/lid/cover so the screen could be protected! And it would have come in basic black, o.d., coyote and of course this seasons faves: digital woodland and digital desert!
Just sayin\'
Facebook User
Awesome- military grade makes something sell better? Time to finish developing our \"Military Grade\" hydrogen generators....
John in Brisbane
I had a military grade hangover a few weeks ago. And I saw some military-grade tailgating idiots yesterday lol.
Agree with above - the lack of a cover for the screen makes the rest of the padding a waste of time. Out hiking and have a minor fall? Only a small amount of body weight on that unprotected screen and your phone is cactus. Should be in the backpack anyway! I just saw for $39 Aussie a nice case with a 1800 milliamphour battery built in! Basically doubles your phone battery life - nice. That one had no \"ruggedisation\" but it was not being pitched that way.
Damon Zwicker
There is a cover over the screen and the touch screen still works brilliantly! This product is Grade A military approved piece of Awesomeness!
Marc-André Stinson
I've got that case now for my iPhone 4S and it fits. Why do I have one? OK, I did not get it for the normal day to day use. But it does make sense if you dont use your phone only at home oder in the office. If you work on a building site, work as an EMT and so on. Or if your hobby isn't quite like watching TV, it is good to know your iPhone, worth a used car, is save with you.
Chris Maresca
If you are looking at this case, you should really check out the LifeProof case (http://www.lifeproof.com). It is mil-spec MIL-STD-810F-516.5 (2 meter drop onto concrete) & IP-68 (dust & water proof) rated, usable to 6ft underwater and only adds 1.3mm to your overall iPhone thickness. You can even do underwater photos, video & sound. Way better and smaller than pretty much any other ruggedized case.
I\'ve got one and it\'s only downside is that you have to use a special headphone jack adapter if you use something other than the stock Apple earbuds. Not an issue for me as I use a set of bluetooth stereo headphones....
S-Ann Anderson
How do I use the clip as a stand?
Roger Harmon
The clip has a catch on top that locks the belt clip out away from the holster, creating a kick stand. I have had this case since my pre-order 4 S arrived. It was less then $30 on Amazon. The only problem is the detents to keep the phone at the postion desired have already worn out, so the phone swivels freely. Not a big deal, but the clip doesn\'t meet MIL SPEC IMHO. Otherwise you have to remember to uncover the flap that protects the camera before taking a picture. It has a raised tab on the flap that fits into a slot on the case to keep it out of the way. I am going to contact Griffin about a new clip.
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