The HotDive H2 Pro is yet another dive phone case that uses the ‘housing + app’ approach that is most commonly used in the underwater smartphone housing market. Just because most manufacturers follow this approach, does not mean it is the best. Read on to find out why I am not a fan of this dive phone case and what I recommend instead.

Overview of the HotDive H2 Pro

HotDive is a Chinese manufacturer of diving equipment and with the Smartphone Case H2 Pro, they attempt to gain foothold in the growing market of smartphone underwater housings.

Their flagship dive case claims to be widely compatible with all phone models. The case is built from sturdy materials like aluminum and features a prominent shutter button as well as option and navigation buttons on the back. A large polycarbonate window shows the entire smartphone display. A dedicated app is needed to use this case and this app brings dive computer functionalities to your phone thanks to the built in depth sensor and a compass.

What stands out with the H2 Pro is an automatic vacuum pump, eliminating the need to carry a manual pump with you. The case also features an 800 lumens light that helps to bring back natural colors when taking photos and videos underwater.

However, my research of this phone housing turned out to be disappointing with a few serious shortcomings that I am pointing out below. The biggest pain point seems to be the app that HotDive provides, as I found nothing good about it in my research and instead most users recommend using another third party app.

I am linking to a great video review I found on YouTube by WaterTrek 360. This review covers most of what you can read in this article in video format. If you want to hear a second opinion on this dive phone case, watch the video too!

Pros and Cons

In a rush? Here is a short list of pros and cons for the HotDive H2 Pro.

Key Features, Benefits and Limitations

Robust Design and Very High Depth Rating

With a depth rating of up to 260 feet / 80 meters, this is one of the ‘deepest’ smartphone dive cases I came across. This is certainly sufficient for all diving activities in which you would want to use your smartphone underwater.

This depth rating is justified by the sturdy design and high quality materials used like aluminum that the frame is made from.

800 Lumens Light Included

Something I have not sees with any other dive phone case is the built in light that helps illuminate the scenery to bring back natural colors underwater. The specific light used in the H2 Pro is a American CREE LED with 130° illuminance and 5800-6500K light temperature with up to 800 Lumens

However, there are drawbacks. The light is likely draining the battery of the case and HotDive says that the operating time is 100 minutes with the light on and after this you first have to charge the case to use it again – that’s two to three dives.

Secondly, the light is positioned to the right side of the lens window. This means that the illumination is stronger on one side an will result in a shadow towards the left of the image.

Dive Computer Functionalities and Different Dive Modes

Thanks to a built in depth sensor and compass, the app displays depth and important metrics like dive time during the dive. What I found wonderful is that the developers thought of a freediving mode and not just a scuba diving mode.

Automatic Vacuum Pump

A time-saving feature is the automatic vacuum pump that pumps out remaining air from the case after it has been closed. Other manufacturers of dive phone cases have you pump out the air manually with a hand pump, so it is great to see that this can be achieved with an automatic pump.

Limitations

No Compatibility With Newer Models Having Lens Bumps

At first I thought the HotDive H2 Pro was very widely compatible as the manufacturer says the limiting factor would be the length and width of the smartphone. As long as the dimensions were below 6.6 in x 3.3 in / 168mm x 84mm, the phone would fit. However, after reviewing numerous sources I found that your phone is likely not to fit, if it features a lens bump – that is one or multiple camera lenses that visibly stick out at the back of your phone.

If your smartphone features such a lens bump, it will likely start scratching the anti-fog film of the housing or – worst case – not close properly. I measured it and my iPhone 15 Pro Max would not fit this case, due to the lens bump.

That’s a serious limitation as future smartphone models of all manufacturers will likely continue to feature this lens bump and they might even get bigger if manufacturers decide to use more advanced lenses.

I Keep Warning You About Apps…

On this blog I have mentioned many times that the need to install additional apps can impose many limitations to the ease of use of your dive phone case.

To use the HotDive H2 Pro case you will need to install an additional app. The HotDive app is the manufacturer’s own app that I have nothing good to say about. This app will only allow you to use the standard lens of your phone and blocks amazing features like the video stabilization that all newer smartphone models have.

On my iPhone 15 Pro Max this would mean shaky footage even though the phone is capable of stabilization as well as being blocked from using the wide angle lens and the zoom lens. Why do I have the best iPhone in terms of camera lenses if I cannot use them?

The HotDive App has also not been updated in the Apple App Store for more than a year. That is a long time when it comes to development cycles and makes me even more pessimistic about the recording settings supported by this app.

An alternative app called Deep Photo was proposed by other reviews I found online. While this app finally allows you to access key features of your smartphone camera like stabilization and different lenses it also requires a paid subscription.

I tried downloading this app to see its features but it was unavailable for me due to regional limitations. Therefore, I think it is fair to say that neither of these apps is a good solution.

Electronic Components and Battery

As with all other dive phone cases that have built-in electronic components, I also see them as a critical point of failure in the HotDive H2 Pro. Electronic parts are just far more likely to experience malfunction. Add to this that we are using this case in wet environments and you have a recipe for a short life span of your dive case.

The battery inside the case will need regular charging and if you forget to do that, you will not be able to use this case.

Accessories

Basic accessories like an expansion clamp, red filters, a wide angle lens and a grip tray are available on the manufacturer’s homepage. However, I was not blown away by the selection and I consider it the bare minimum I would wish for.

My Personal Experience with the HotDive H2 Pro Smartphone Case

I have not used this dive case myself and given the critical limitations I mentioned in this article, I will not get my hands on one of these. It just seems to have too many flaws to bother with.

For me the HotDive H2 Pro stands out as a prime example of why I do not like being forced to use an additional app on my smartphone inside a dive case. The app seems to have many flaws and regular updates are missing. When you buy a dive phone case that uses an additional app, you are relying on the manufacturer to provide and update this app. These are not technology companies but equipment manufacturers, so my trust in their abilities to develop great apps is limited.

Even though the H2 Pro boasts some great specs, I would not even be able to use it with my iPhone 15 Pro Max due to my phone having a lens bump. This shows me that the product was not thought through enough and is in need for an update, if it is to be taken serious in the smartphone housing market.

My recommendation for a great alternative to the H2 Pro is the DIVEVOLK SeaTouch 4 Max, which I consider to be the best dive phone case out there.

Online Reviews

The research of online reviews of the HotDive H2 Pro turned out to be more difficult as there are few product reviews available on the sites of popular retailers. I never include reviews from a manufacturer’s online shop, as those reviews are easy to manipulate. The average rating on Amazon is 2.9 stars comprised from 8 ratings for the HotDive H2 Pro.

Positive feedback mentions:

• LED light: The included light was mentioned as a nice feature of the case.
• Automatic vacuum pump: The vacuum pump was mentioned as a useful feature eliminating the need to use a hand pump.
• Appealing design: Reviewers mentioned the appealing design of the case in their reviews.

Negative aspects mentioned:

• Breaking parts: One review mentioned that parts of the housing started breaking and falling off after a few uses.
• Leakage: One user reported leakages that led to damages on his phone.

Pricing and Availability

The HotDive H2 Pro is priced at 349 USD on the manufacturer’s homepage, placing it in the medium range of underwater smartphone cases. Notably, Amazon is apparently selling off stock of this product as there are a mere two units available at a highly discounted price of 69 USD. You can find the link to the product on Amazon here, if you want to have a look at it yourself.

Final Thoughts and Conclusion

The HotDive H2 Pro smartphone case is a good attempt with flaws big enough for me to not be able to recommend it to anyone. While it boasts some features like the included light that I have not observed in other dive phone cases, the app seems to severely limit the functionalities of your camera. After all, you are getting a dive phone case to take photos and videos underwater. The added functionalities of a dive computer are therefore not enough to outweigh the limitations.

As always, I am closely following the development in the diving phone case market and will cover any updates to this product or newer models by the manufacturer as they become available.