Otterbox Resurgence Power Case for iPhone 5/5s Review

There’s one name that instantly jumps out in our minds when we think about ruggedized smartphone cases. Not surprisingly, Otterbox cases are known for their legendary protection, so there’s no wonder why they continue to be the trailblazers in the space. Stepping out of their traditional mold, they’re coming out with a totally new case line that aims to rejuvenate the iPhone – while still providing the usual level of impeccable protection. Enter the Otterbox Resurgence Power Case for the iPhone 5/5s, which not only meets military standard 810G-516.6 for drop protection, but it also happens to pack along a rechargeable 2000 mAh battery.

We’ve seen the evolution of Otterbox’s line of cases, starting with the brick-like designs of its Defender series, all the way to the newer and more stylish designs from its Symmetry series. With this latest endeavor in the Resurgence, Otterbox doesn’t try to differentiate its offering from all of the rest in the power case segment. In fact, it looks like all the rest of them – an ordinary rugged plastic chassis with a subtle soft matte finished surface. Thankfully, though, Otterbox offers the Resurgence case in 4 different colors to give potential buyers some sort of choice.

Essentially, the case has two main components, the main back compartment and a snap-on bumper. Putting it on and taking it off is a breeze, since there’s a notch towards the bottom edge that allows us to easily take apart the bumper frame. Sliding the iPhone 5/5s into the case, making sure to get the Lightning cable to line up to its slot, everything is solidly held together. A staple for Otterbox cases, the Resurgence case continues the trend of delivering protection against drops – so that’s one thing less to worry about if you accidentally drop your phone. Luckily, there’s a lip surrounding the bumper frame to elevate the display so it doesn’t come into contact with a surface.

Like everyone before who has made an iPhone battery case, the Otterbox Resurgence case adds some bulk to the phone. It’s not something substantial like Otterbox’s Defender cases, but nonetheless, the streamlined figure of the iPhone 5/5s is gone once it’s fitted inside. Nearly all of the phone’s ports and buttons are easily accessible, with the exception of the headphone jack, which is severely recessed due to the case and requires an adapter to access. On the bottom right corner of the case is a button with 4-LEDs built into it to indicate the battery’s charge level. Pressing it once lights up the corresponding LEDs, while long pressing initiates the charging process.

In our experience, the Resurgence case is able to bring a completely drained iPhone 5s back to the 80% charged mark – well short of that 100% level. Despite that, we do appreciate that the case relies on a microUSB port for charging, which allows us to simultaneously charge the battery as well as the iPhone itself. Furthermore, we should point out that Otterbox incorporates a feature that shuts off the case once the iPhone reaches 100% (as long as you start charging long before the iPhone is drained) to preserve the battery. Pricing is for the Resurgence case is set at $99.95, which is pretty steep, but not all that uncommon for an Otterbox case. If you’re looking for a battery case that offers superior drop protection, then this is right up your alley.