Looking for some watertight protection for the summer pool and beach season? Check out these waterproof iPhone 4/4S and iPhone 5 cases. June 25, 2013 3:37 PM PDT Updated: June 25, 2013 6:37 PM PDT Lifeproof's new $79.99 Nuud case for the iPhone 5 leaves your screen exposed but still manages to be waterproof. It ships in July. (Click image to enlarge). (Credit: David Carnoy/CNET) Updated 6/25/13 with 3 new cases (Ballistic, Cascade Designs, and Lifeproof). Waterproof smartphone cases used to be bulky, ungainly contraptions, but they've been trimming down lately. That said, building a truly waterproof case is not easy (a waterproof case is defined as one that can be fully submerged underwater for at least 30 minutes). Often there are tradeoffs in creating a waterproof design, the biggest of which usually involves access to the headphone jack on your phone. They also tend to be pricey, usually costing more than $50. In boiling down the best of what's currently out there, I tried to provide a good mix of well-designed cases with a few more-affordable options that are a step up from a Ziplock bag. There still aren't a ton of great waterproof options, but ever since the Lifeproof cases became so popular, plenty of competitors have jumped into the ring. If you think I missed any or have used any of the cases in the roundup, feel free to post a comment. I'll be updating this list as more products arrive. Click on any image below to start the slideshow. (Products are listed in alphabetical order). Waterproof iPhone 5 and 4/4S cases (pictures) 1-2 of 15 Scroll Left Scroll Right
Looking for some watertight protection for the summer pool and beach season? Check out these waterproof iPhone 4/4S and iPhone 5 cases.
Lifeproof's new $79.99 Nuud case for the iPhone 5 leaves your screen exposed but still manages to be waterproof. It ships in July. (Click image to enlarge).
(Credit: David Carnoy/CNET)
Updated 6/25/13 with 3 new cases (Ballistic, Cascade Designs, and Lifeproof).
Waterproof smartphone cases used to be bulky, ungainly contraptions, but they've been trimming down lately.
That said, building a truly waterproof case is not easy (a waterproof case is defined as one that can be fully submerged underwater for at least 30 minutes). Often there are tradeoffs in creating a waterproof design, the biggest of which usually involves access to the headphone jack on your phone. They also tend to be pricey, usually costing more than $50.
In boiling down the best of what's currently out there, I tried to provide a good mix of well-designed cases with a few more-affordable options that are a step up from a Ziplock bag.
There still aren't a ton of great waterproof options, but ever since the Lifeproof cases became so popular, plenty of competitors have jumped into the ring. If you think I missed any or have used any of the cases in the roundup, feel free to post a comment. I'll be updating this list as more products arrive.
Click on any image below to start the slideshow. (Products are listed in alphabetical order).
