OtterBox unveils slimmest case yet

OtterBox released its latest line of thin, sleek smartphone cases at the Consumer Electronics Show this week.

The OtterBox Symmetry Series is the culmination of more than a year of design, testing and innovation. It’s molded into a single piece for easy installation, and raised beveled edges helps keep the touch screens safe.

“OtterBox is committed to raising the bar in technology protection,´ said OtterBox CEO Brian Thomas in a statement. “Nearly 2,000 hours of research and design went into creating this new line.”

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The series will be available in a wide array of color and graphic options this spring for Apple iPhone 5 and 5s and Samsung Galaxy S 4.

OtterBox constantly evolves its products, OtterBox spokeswoman Kristen Tatti said. An internal synthetic rubber with a honeycomb core protects the device from drops and shock. The Symmetry Series, however, does not protect against water unlike its Armor Series, a $99.95 case that can survive underwater for 30 minutes at a depth of as much as 6.6 feet, as well as 10-foot drops and two tons of force.

OtterBox’s Defender series, a similarly protective case, remains the company’s best selling case. OtterBox has some other, slimmer cases, such as the Commuter and Reflex series.

Symmetry Series, however, is OtterBox’s slimmest yet and preserves sleek design features of smartphones.

“It’s giving people the best of both worlds” of protection and slenderness, Tatti said.

The new series marks a shift in value proposition from protection to fashion, said Michael Morgan, senior analyst for New York-based ABI Research. OtterBox had catered to consumers who would pay a premium for the best in case protection.

“This case seems to hit an interesting sweet spot,” he said. “It’s thin with colors, patterns and designs.”

In the future, case makers such as OtterBox will have to address design and fashion to attract consumers as smartphone manufacturers move toward making stronger phones, leading the value of protective cases to diminish. Kyocera Communications Inc., for example, is working on developing waterproof devices that won’t need waterproof cases.

“It reduces the need for the consumer to spend money to protect their device,” he said.

Tatti said OtterBox did consumer research, interviewing groups of people to determine what people wanted in a slim protective case.

“It’s a continuation of what OtterBox has always done, which is listen to what the customer needs and respond to that,” she said.

Symmetry Series will retail for $39.95 in solid colors and $44.95 for select graphic designs.