Part I
Hey guys, recently I was contacted by Seidio and given a chance to review their Convert combo for the EVO 3D. They sent out the case last week, and I received it on Monday, June 27th. I've been playing around with it, and here are my findings.
Packaging:
It came in a little box delivered by Fedex. There was the case/holster in its packaging, a little card advertising some of their products, with a 10% off code for your next purchase on the back.
The plastic container contains a plastic sleeve with one ultraclear screen protector, a Seidio Surface case for the EVO 3D, a rubber case to wrap outside of the Surface case, a plastic skeleton to go outside of the rubber case, and finally the plastic belt clip/holster.
You can see the pictures below:
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Preliminary Feel:
Before putting any of the products on, the individual parts feel ok. I checked the packaging and each part to make sure there wasn’t anything looking out of the ordinary, to make sure I didn’t receive a defective unit and that nothing was damaged during shipping. So far so good!
You can see all the pieces of the case here.
The Phone:
First things first, here’s my brand new EVO 3D, without any case or screen protectors. You can see the size, the thickness compared to my USB and keycap, as well as what the screen looks like without any screen protector on. The USB is a Patriot XPorter, and the keycap is a standard key from my Deck Legend keyboard.
Note the 3vo does not lie perfectly flat by itself.
Screen Protector:
As stated previously, it’s the ultra-clear variant (don’t know if Seidio sells any other kind), and it covers the entire screen and the capacitive buttons. You can read the details in the picture below. The packet contained the screen protector, a microfiber cloth, and a little application card, which is just a small piece of cardboard with straight edges.
It took me about 5 minutes to apply the screen protector. I found it easiest to line up the upper edge with the top of the screen, and then slowly press down the screen protector by bending it. At somewhere past the midpoint of the screen, it’ll become hard to hold on to the screen protector without shifting it. At this point I simply let go and let it fall on the screen. If you’ve lined up the top right, it’ll fall on the screen perfectly, and there shouldn’t be any air bubbles. Then use the application card to scrape out any air bubbles if necessary.
The screen protector itself works very well. I cannot tell the difference between before and after putting it on with the screen on or off. This is indoors though, I haven’t gotten a chance to look at it outdoors and see if it does remove some of the glare. I took 3 pictures of the phone w/o the screen protector, and 3 pictures of the phone with it on and you can see them below. The screen protector also feels very good and slick. It doesn’t feel quite as good as the bare screen that’s clean, but definitely better than that bare screen that’s full of fingerprints. The screen protector is also much better at resisting smudges and fingerprints, so you don’t have to wipe it every 5 minutes.
No screen protector:
With screen protector:
Note: the phone was on max brightness for all of these pictures
Seido Surface Case:
The Surface case is made of plastic and comes in 2 pieces. The top and bottom pieces both slide on to the phone and connect by a little piece of latch on the bottom half of the case. The case feels sturdy, and the outside texture is that of smooth rubber but not slick like hard plastic. So it’s not too grippy, but not so slippery that it slides out of your hand. The inside of the case is lined with a felt like material, so it will not scratch the phone.
Before I put the case on the phone, I tried putting both pieces together by themselves and was surprised to find that the resulting case was very loose; It barely stayed together. But once I put the case on the phone, the result was very sturdy and both pieces stayed on tight. That’s just how it was designed, so don’t worry if you piece the case together w/o the phone and it feels like it’s going to fall apart
Once on the phone, the case is very form fitting, and does not add much bulk. The case raises the phone just enough on the front so that the screen is barely off the surface and just enough on the back so that the camera will not make contact with a level surface.
Seidio also left just enough space around the camera ring so that you could still see the red paint and that the speaker is not blocked. Very good attention to detail The case did not block any ports/buttons, and I still found all of the buttons easy to press. If I had to nitpick, it blocks part of the 2D/3D label on the phone, but you can still kinda read it. This would make a nice slim case to carry in the pocket. Although one concern I do have that I did not get to test is whether this makes the phone significantly hotter due to the felt like material on the inside of the case.
I don't know what this little hole is for, but Seidio has made a cutout on it on their case, so the attention to detail is awesome.
Part 2
Rubber case/Plastic exoskeleton:
Going on the outside of the Surface case is a rubber wrap-around case to protect the phone from scratches and absorb shock from falls. I didn’t test shock absorbency because I didn’t want to chuck my new phone at the wall , but the rubber feels thick and bouncy, and I feel the plastic skeleton gives a good amount of rigidity to the case. With the rubber case and plastic exoskeleton and the screen protector, the only parts of the phone exposed is the 2D/3D switch and the earpiece and front facing camera on top. Overall, I feel it protects the phone well and it feels solid in the hand, though it does add a good amount of bulk to the phone.
The rubber case covers every switch and port except for the 2D/3D toggle. There are bumps over the power, camera, and volume buttons so they are easy to find by feel. One of the common complaints for the EVO 3D is that the power button is too easy to press, and the volume buttons are too difficult to press. Surprisingly, the rubber case makes the power button harder to press than normal, and the volume rockers easier to depress. I think this is because the power button is located on the left top corner, near the column from the plastic exoskeleton, so that there’s extra stiffness at that part. The rubber over the volume rockers on the other hand, makes the volume buttons more protruded and easier to press. The camera button feels the same, and neither it nor the 2D/3D toggle jiggles anymore. And finally the camera cover pulls back and the little knob on it fits into hole on the back of the plastic exoskeleton, so it holds that piece in place when you're taking a picture.
Belt Clip/Holster:
The holster is kind of like the bottom half of the Surface case, but bigger and the back extends to the whole length of the phone. There is a spring tensioned clip at the top of the holster that holds the phone, which goes in the holster with the screen facing inside. The inside of the holster is again lined with a felt like material, so your screen won’t be damaged (it doesn’t touch the screen anyways). The clip on top has a recessed face so you don’t have to manually push it back with your finger when putting the phone into the holster. Just dock the bottom of the phone into the bottom of the holster, and push the top of the phone into the clip. The slanted shape of the clip and the slanted shape of the rubber case will allow the phone to simply clip into the holster. To take the phone out, you’ll need to push back the clip and pull the phone out from the top.
There’s another larger clip on the back of the holster to clip unto your belt. In the vertical position (parallel with the length of the case), there’s a bit of wiggle, but it goes away in the horizontal position (perpendicular to the length of the case). There’s also a little hook at the end of the belt clip, which prevents the holster from falling off if you’re running or jumping. It’s a nice detail to see, but it means you’ll probably have to use both hands to remove the holster. And another nitpick here, the sticker on the top clip was misaligned I know it means absolutely nothing about the case, but it drove me nuts and I promptly removed it haha.
I think the holster is meant to be put on w/ the belt clip in the vertical position, and then worn during the day w/ the phone turned in the horizontal position. That way the phone doesn’t brush against your body and it’s super easy to remove and put back into the holster. The only thing I would say is it’s easy to press the volume buttons and turn on the screen, but you would have to take the phone out of the holster to press the power button and turn the screen off again. Nothing hugely annoying, and it only happens if you’re playing with the phone while it’s in the holster.
^You have no idea how hard it was to take this picture haha
Conclusion:
Overall I would say the Seidio Convert combo is a great product, the included Surface case and screen protector makes for a great slim case to carry around in the pocket, and the outside rubber case and plastic exoskeleton combo provides good protection if you don’t mind the bulk. Finally the holster is easy to use and great for someone who wants to carry their phone on the belt clip instead of in their pocket. I hope this has been helpful, and please feel free to ask me questions about the case.
And yes, you can use the belt clip as a kickstand
Nice review man waiting on ballistic to pump a case out or the kraken 2 I am on using the otter defender . Liked the camera ports more on it. Good review tho man pics too.
I have the same case for my E4G. Writes great and never hear an issue. I eventually went with the Ballistic HC once it was released, love it. I compared this case and the Defender at Best Buy yesterday. Bought the Defender since it covers the cameras (I gotta have the extra protection for work). I know the Seidio has the flap that covers the cameras, but it is huge and would get annoying to me to have to fold it back to take a pic(got old with me Evo4G), and as big as the flap is I bet it will not stay on the case for a long time. Once Ballistic releases their HC case, I'm jumping in it! Today I bought a HTC black silicone case for the evenings and weekends, i liked it better than the Otterbox Impact. The Impact slid off the bottom of the phone way to easy....
Sent from my PG86100 using XDA App
Nice Review
I own an otterbox but I just got to say.. Thanks for a great review! Lots of awesome pics and info. I appreciate people who take the time to do this type of thing!!
great review----its nice to see such detailed images before spending money
Were you coached/compensated for this review or for your time? Just curious. Thorough review though!
sshark said:
Were you coached/compensated for this review or for your time? Just curious. Thorough review though!
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He stated in the first few sentences that Seidio gave him the case to review...
Nice review thanks
sshark said:
Were you coached/compensated for this review or for your time? Just curious. Thorough review though!
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Click to collapse
I got to keep the case they gave me, that's all. They requested that I give them a quick description of the item when I got it (to prevent dmg in shipping I suppose), and let them see the review before I posted it.
Overall I like the combo case. It works well as a belt clip holder, and the Active case feels like a tank. Flipping back the camera cover can get annoying sometimes, but I don't see it falling off anytime soon.
Otherwise I've just been using the Surface case and carrying it in my pocket. Though the included screen protector is nice, since I've already gotten bits and pieces of dirt on it here and there, and I definitely prefer to wiping it off of my screen protector than my screen.
ebolamonkey3 said:
I got to keep the case they gave me, that's all. They requested that I give them a quick description of the item when I got it (to prevent dmg in shipping I suppose), and let them see the review before I posted it.
Overall I like the combo case. It works well as a belt clip holder, and the Active case feels like a tank. Flipping back the camera cover can get annoying sometimes, but I don't see it falling off anytime soon.
Otherwise I've just been using the Surface case and carrying it in my pocket. Though the included screen protector is nice, since I've already gotten bits and pieces of dirt on it here and there, and I definitely prefer to wiping it off of my screen protector than my screen.
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Thanks for being upfront ...I am sure with this thoroughness, you can make good living. :d
Sent from my PG86100 using XDA Premium App
Lucky you lol. Been dicking with the Otterbox waiting on ballistic
Related
I’ve had my Seidio Surface case with kickstand for several weeks now and finally gotten around to writing about it. I think it’s a great alternative for cases with kickstand. For the most part, I do like the case. It adds a little bulk to it compared to lets say a TPU case or 2 piece (front & back) case because the back is thicker by maybe 1mm which add more rigidity to the case. Width and height wise it’s the same as my argyl TPU and 2 piece case.
The unit comes in 2 pieces. Top and bottom. You cant tell from image 1 but the entire inside back portion has a thin felt material which is great for preventing any scratches to the back or camera when you are sliding the case over the phone. Also the rest of the inner case has a soft touch paint coating similar to the outside of it. It feels almost the same as the Evo 3d back cover but with more grip to it. There is a slight bulge on the bottom where the kickstand resides (see image 8) so when you have the phone laying down on its back the phone will not be leveled which is barely noticeable. This wasn’t an issue for me and kind of prefer it since it allows the sound to be louder when listening to music because of the speaker not being completely flushed on a flat surface. Also since the back is thicker than a normal TPU or 2 piece case it makes the camera lens recessed quite a bit and will never touch any flat surface you put the phone on. Now the lens are exposed so be careful when putting the phone in your pocket and make sure you don’t mix it with your keys, coins, etc. That’s really just common sense there.
Image 1
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Once you piece the 2 together they just snap via a ¾ inch tab that protrudes on the upper half of the bottom case to match the same inverted groove on the upper half. I didn’t get a change to get a close up picture of it but I will post later once I do. The case slides easily together and it’s a firm fit. On the other hand my 2 piece ebay case once together is not so snug which makes it more susceptible to dust and dirt getting inside the case which you get enough of will eventually act like sand paper and will scratch your phone. So +1 on Seidio for making a great fit. The only thing I did find is that the recessed slit on the bottom part of the top piece does stick out some and may touch the camera lens when putting on or removing the top piece. I took a blade and shaved it down and it didn’t affect the locking of the 2 pieces. See image 2.
Image 2
Now to remove the case, this is the trick to it. Put the phone on a table face down. Press the sides of the bottom of the top piece and at the same time press down on the center top portion of the bottom piece. Now pull the case apart. Once you get the gist of it you can do it easily without putting it on a table. If you don’t do it this way the case is very hard to pull apart. There is also a small instruction sheet (Image 3) with images inside the box on how to do this.
Image 3
This is how the case looks when it is standing on the kickstand.
Image 4
Rear view
Image 5
Upside down
Image 6
When you prop the kickstand it will seem like it won’t go out far enough and the phone will sit too vertical. Just pull on the kickstand a bit more and you will hear it click (it may sound like something braking but don’t worry). I was scared to do this at first thinking I would break it but once it made the loud click a left it at that and it propped at a better angle as shown in image 4. Putting the kickstand back also made a loud click. But after a few times doing this the clicking wasn’t so loud any more.
As far as cutouts they are cut perfectly for the camera lens, camera button/ 3d switch, volume, mic, headset jack, power buttons, and charging port. Again the back is thicker so the camera lens is more recessed so you’d be ok putting the phone on a flat surface. Same goes for the front. The edges around the screen is raised so putting the phone down on a flat surface is also safe.
Image 7
Image 8. You can see how recessed the camera lens is here.
Image 9
Durability wise I think the case is pretty durable due to its slight thickness. I really think the case will absorb most of the impact if it ever gets dropped.
The matte look is awesome and has some grip to it so I don’t feel it will ever slip off my hands.
Now for what I thought they could improve on: The front bezel I wished where a bit thinner since the sides do cover about 1mm of the glass but not really noticeable but I’m just picky about that kind of stuff. My other 2 piece case and the TPU case fits the black metal bezel of the phone perfectly and is not covering any part of the glass. And I did wish it was slightly thinner but that might make it feel flimsy. The other drawback which doesn’t really bother me that much is that the charging port is covered when you are using the kickstand. I don’t really charge my phone since I have spare batteries I swap back and forth with everyday so I was ok with this design. If the kickstand was the other way around the issue with that is some apps don’t rotate 360 degrees so you would have to view things upside down.
So far after using it for over a month now the case is still in great condition. No scratches or peeling or finish rubbing off. It’s still a tight fit and still locks together as well as when it was new (even after my mod). It’s a great investment if you want good overall protection for your phone with the added feature of a kickstand which I use quite frequently when I watch a movie.
I wrote this pretty quickly so please don’t knock me on my grammar and if I made any incorrect spelling. I’m too lazy to proof read but if you have any questions about the case or my review let me know. BTW images taken by my Evo 4G =)
EDIT: Maintenance
For maintenance depending on usage but maybe once a week I would check around under the front lips that there isn't any dust or dirt which could potentially scratch the black metal bezel around the screen. Just use a wet cotton swap to clean the are shown below. Do this for the both pieces.
Good review, seems like a nice case.
Also you can use this case to prop the phone up in portrait mode and landscape mode
Awaiting Assimilation
Thanks for the review. I have the full convert extended kit from seidio but also wanted a case for when I want to use the stock battery. This sounds perfect for me.
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Very awesome review. One thing I'd point out is that with the kickstand, you can use it both ways. The logical way we use makes it so that you can't charge the phone. You can flip it though so you can charge it and still utilize the kickstand (my picture sucks, sorry for low quality).
bagelicious said:
Very awesome review. One thing I'd point out is that with the kickstand, you can use it both ways. The logical way we use makes it so that you can't charge the phone. You can flip it though so you can charge it and still utilize the kickstand (my picture sucks, sorry for low quality).
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Wow thanks for the tip. Just tried that and it works. It's not the best angle for viewing but non the less its an option. so thank you.
kratos313 said:
Also you can use this case to prop the phone up in portrait mode and landscape mode
Awaiting Assimilation
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Thanks I guess it does prop in portrait. The only drag is you cant charge in portrait or it will get too heavy on that side and fall sideways. But good to have options.
bagelicious said:
Very awesome review. One thing I'd point out is that with the kickstand, you can use it both ways. The logical way we use makes it so that you can't charge the phone. You can flip it though so you can charge it and still utilize the kickstand (my picture sucks, sorry for low quality).
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That's pretty cool! Guess that's made possible by the kickstand locking in the outward position, nice. All kickstand cases should be made capable of that. It would be nice if phone manufacturers would also incorporate that feature. Wouldn't be much extra work or materials either, just a couple small nubs on either side of the kickstand right before the most outward position ( I'm assuming that's how Seidio achieves this as well)
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stanglifemike said:
That's pretty cool! Guess that's made possible by the kickstand locking in the outward position, nice. All kickstand cases should be made capable of that. It would be nice if phone manufacturers would also incorporate that feature. Wouldn't be much extra work or materials either, just a couple small nubs on either side of the kickstand at the most outward position ( I'm assuming that's how Seidio made it as well)
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I emailed Seidio and suggested they make the stand go out only about 45 degrees so viewing angle is same both ways. Also suggested they make it lock better when the stand is open. As it is now, it isn't as solid the other way around and if you push the top too much it'll fall back. I think maybe just incorporate a wire in the center of the stand that you can pull out and the top end of the wire rests inside the stand housing. Like this. Green line = wire.
For maintenance depending on usage but maybe once a week I would check around under the front lips that there isn't any dust or dirt which could potentially scratch the black metal bezel around the screen. Just use a wet cotton swab to clean the are shown below. Do this for the both pieces.
Hey guys, the Kraken AMS was finally available in red and i just jumped right in as i was waiting FOREVER for either Ballistic or Trident to make their most heavy duty cases available for our phones. Sadly Ballistic currently has no intention of releasing an HC model for the Evo LTE, so I went with this instead.
Before anybody says: "oh but the SG MAXX is heavy duty!" I looked at the layering for the SG Maxx and from the looks of it its a wraparound silicone with a slip-in screen protector and then a polycarb piece that fits over the back. The Kraken also has a silicone wrap but where it differs is the front polycarb and back polycarb interlock with each other as well as having grooves in the silicone for both the front and the back to sit in, which seems to me would make for a more solid case overall.
The packaging was super easy to open, its the kind of bubble pack that snaps together at the corners.
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The case comes with a holster, and removable kickstand, more on the kickstand a little later.
On Trident's site it says that the Kraken's base layer is the perseus silicone case. I was initially using the blue HTC case that sprint gave us for the shipping delays, and that particular case was made of a denser silicone that held its shape well and felt solid. The perseus layer here however, is a bit thinner and as such i would not recommend using it alone since it does move out of position a lot. The only thing covered with the silicone on is the power button.
The front polycarb piece has long tabs along the sides that fit in to the grooves of the silicone piece. Trident says you can use the case like this without the back, and by the tight fitment which required that i actually kneed the silicone slightly to get it to slide under the tabs and engage, i would say you can just leave it as is. The front camera is not covered, there are openings for the sensors, and the speaker has a fine mesh over it. The screen protector is glossy on the outside, and slightly matte textured on the inside to avoid the bubbling you get when two glossy surfaces come in to contact, a la the early versions of the Ballistic HC for the OG Evo.
The third piece is the back, which contains the port covers for the headphone and usb ports, the covered buttons for camera and volume rocker, as well as the mount points for all the AMS accessories. The back piece wraps over the side of the front piece and fits in to plastic lugs molded into the front piece. The back camera is uncovered, and there is a belt loop under the rear speaker, which has a mesh covering it just like the front speaker.
It was a VERY tight fit, perhaps because i have the CF vinyl mod on my phone, which added a piece of paper worth of thickness. I had to hook the tabs in from the bottom, then clip the sides in place until i got to the top, where i had to do some olympic-class pinching of the tabs up top to get the whole thing together.
The completed case feels pretty sturdy in hand, though one thing i noticed immediately is that since the silicone doesn't cover the volume rocker and the rocker cover itself is plastic in the side, the buttons are not tightly engaged to the phone, so if you shake it you can hear some rattling at both the rocker as well as the camera button. They operate with little effort and are easy to hit, though if they were in your pocket you might accidently change the volume due to the lack of resistence.
The port covers do not extend in to the actual ports themselves, and are simply there for closing up the holes in the case. You can see in the pictures here that the ports do become quite recessed so some of those cables with right-angle heads may not be able to totally clear the case. I use a right angle micro usb with what i saw was a smaller connector than the other ones i was looking at on amazon, and it fit, albeit just barely.
Next up is the holster. Unlike the holsters from Seidio and some other companies, the one on the Kraken is a minimalistic clamp that goes around the midsection of the case, with a 360 rotation and release tab at the top. Its pretty minimalistic but it seems like it would look better on your belt when the phone is not in it as opposed to the holsters that have a backplate the size of the phone. It engages tightly and seems pretty secure, so it gets a pass from me though i don't use holsters often.
Lastly we have the kickstand. The kickstand is sold on their store as an AMS accessory but i think for Krakens they just include it in the kit. Looking at the pictures i didn't think it was going to be able to hold the phone up in the awkward reverse position we got on the stock kickstand to use while charging, but the kickstand kicks in the fully open position and is able to hold up the phone. It also locks in the closed position, and it took a bit of effort to get the thing to open in the first place so no worries about floppy kickstand syndrome.
If you don't mind the trident lettering being backwards in the closed position, you can also pull the kickstand out and flip it in the opposite orientation and it will hold the phone up like it did in the OG evo days while charging.
Lastly, a crude size comparison between the HTC silicone case, a Seidio rebranded Best Buy platinum case, and the Kraken.
EDIT: I said the back contained all the mount points for AMS accessories, but looking at it again i noticed that the mount points for the holster is actually on side of the FRONT piece, so if you want to use the holster with just the silicone and the front, you can. I don't currently see any accessories that makes use of the holster mount points so if you want to use AMS stuff you do indeed need to use the back piece, which does not attatch to the silicone without the front piece.
EDIT2: I totally didn't even think about testing this but NFC still works even through the thick case.
Pros
Case fits super tight
Kickstand is completely metal and can be flipped around, clips in to place in the closed positon as well as open position
Built-in screen protector, port covers and rocker/camera covers
Minimalistic holster has less of a nerd factor if you're going to use it
Modular (though i would just use the whole thing all the time)
Has some accessories that may come in handy in the form of AMS stuff on kraken's site
Has a strap loop on the back piece below the kickstand...for if you want to lanyard a brick to your neck or you're a japanese schoolgirl who wants a bouquet of hello kitty cell phone straps on your phone.
Cons
Expensive, 50 bucks is a lot of dough to drop on a $200 on contract phone, may be more worth it for retail customers
Both cameras are not covered. Has no chance of glare but it does open it up to damage.
Bulky. I don't have an otterbox defender or an SG Maxx to compare it to but it does add quite a bit of heft.
Rocker and camera buttons may rattle when shaken or moved.
Thickness of case renders some micro usb and headphone plugs unusable
Screen protector is glossy on the outside but slightly matte texture on the inside, may reduce clarity
Port covers may be susceptible for wear like on the Otterbox defender.
Red one came out after the pink one, seriously Trident, wtf??
Overall
Its big, its solid, you can probably knock someone out with it by throwing it. If you don't care about bulk and don't want to worry about the phone, this is a pretty good case to go with. On the other hand if you don't care for bulk at all, don't even bother checking this thing out, as it does turn your sexy thin phone in to a bit of a monster.
For people worried about the phone bending issue, i'm pretty sure this case will make it pretty much impossible to bend the phone while in your front pants pocket, then again i have a feeling front-pocket phone benders are wearing pants that are just right or tight fitting in the first place so you wouldn't really be able to fit this thing in those same pockets...so...yea, get some new pants you hipsters.
And finally, please please please save your breath if you're just going to come in here saying: "i prefer thin case i don't understand why you bought this". You don't need to as i didn't buy it with your money, and congrats on having an opinion :good:
Great review. Do you do this for a living? lol I believe you persuaded me to buy one. :thumbup:
SENT FROM MY EVO 4G LTE!!! (w/no LTE)
Nah i don't do this for a living, i just think it would be easier for me to cover as many concerns as possible so the thread doesn't turn in to a Q&A session.
I wonder how it will stand up to a car, my father is an automotive mechanic and today he had an impromptu fight, car vs phone. Car won and now he's waiting for a replacement
I have no desire to purchase one. I don't like the look and it's way too heavy and provides way more protection than I need. I knew this before I read your review, so you didn't really influence my decision.
But I'll be damned if that wasn't one of the most detailed and thorough accessory reviews I've ever read. Truly exceptional, and the pics especially were on point. Kudos to you sir. You should review every accessory you own and post it up, and put the links in your sig. Tons of people would benefit - you have a real talent for it.
I had high hopes for the delayed Trident Cyclops and Kraken cases and was planning to replace my Otterbox Defender with one of them. I used to love the workmanship and nice textured plastic feel of my Trident Cyclops for Evo 3D and hated the cheap rubbery silicone feel of the Otterbox Defender for 3D.
I was greatly disappointed to say the least. For the EVO LTE design cycle, the Defender has a very nice textured rubber outer layer, perfect fit and no rattling parts. The plastic texture on both the Cyclops and the Kraken seems to be a step down from Evo 3D days; Cyclops is now a 2-piece case with no inner silicone layer; the Kraken kickstand is a lot harder to operate than the built-in one; there's a lot of rattling in the buttons and creaking due to poor fitment. The four cylindrical side tabs that lock the front and back polycarbonate pieces are an improvement, but the really thin hooking tabs at the top and bottom do not work at all. To me, the only advantage Trident cases have are the dust filters.
I guess I'm keeping my Defender and hoping that the two extra outer layers that Otterbox sent me under warranty will be enough to last me to the next upgrade.
I have the kraken case trident green. Ordered the case on launch day.The only issues I have with it are as follows.the volume buttons stick out too far so my phone always ends up on silent. The camera button is entirely to Damn hard to press (except for half way) the charge port dust cover ripped off pulling the phone out of my pocket. The belt clip got hung on the seat belt of my ambulance and snapped like a twig. The fabled kick stand: don't use it too much the snapping feature fails and the kick stand gets super floppy remedy open kick stand place index finger perpendicular under the open kick stand and attempt to crush your index finger this makes the kick stand bend slightly just enough for the clamping action to hold tight. As for the kick stand holding the phone up while charging, don't open and close the kickstand too much because it will gouge the plastic on the back of the phone thus rendering the kick stand just about useless. No case has come close to the ballistic HC I had on my OG EVO
Sent from my EVO using xda app-developers app
I ordered this case off ebay and figured I would post a few quick pix.
I have only had it a few hours so I have not formed a solid opinion yet. I'll post more as time trials continue.
I have a couple other cheap cases off ebay coming and i'll post pix of them as well. (Pardon the dust, lucky I got all the dog hairs off)
The case is on top of my front and back Realook protectors.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/290842833151?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649
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I don't really like the fact that it covers the LED. I might pull out the razor blade and see how easily that rubber cuts out.
Access to the SD cover.
Stock cable fits fine, if the usb cable has a bulky head it may be tight.
I see potential for my dremel to carve a nice design in the back and let the green show.
So far this is the only major flaw I see. I am just lightly pulling up with my thumb and the top easily comes away. It is a tight fit everywhere else but there.
Only time will tell...
I'll report back soon.
What a coincidence, got the exact same one last night in the mail that I ordered. A little clumsy to get the outer plastic shell on, but a few tugs on the silicone piece here and there and it fits rather well. I do wish it was a little thicker though as that was the reason I ordered it. It seems about the same thickness as the diztronic case. Good review and pics, btw.
I bought mine off amazon for about $9 delivered. Can't post a link yet but just search this:
Black Green Fusion Hybrid Cover Case for Lg Optimus G E970 At&t by ApexGears
Looks Like A Tough Case.
I currently have the diztronic case. This case looks like it would provide more protection than the diztronic. What do you guys think? this looks like Otterbox quality. And the rubber being loose u top is a problem even otterbox has, on my O.G. Motorola Atrix the Otterbox case was like that too and I wouldn't always tug on it by accident which annoyed me.
Tojen1981 said:
What a coincidence, got the exact same one last night in the mail that I ordered. A little clumsy to get the outer plastic shell on, but a few tugs on the silicone piece here and there and it fits rather well. I do wish it was a little thicker though as that was the reason I ordered it. It seems about the same thickness as the diztronic case. Good review and pics, btw.
I bought mine off amazon for about $9 delivered. Can't post a link yet but just search this:
Black Green Fusion Hybrid Cover Case for Lg Optimus G E970 At&t by ApexGears
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Mramos860 said:
I currently have the diztronic case. This case looks like it would provide more protection than the diztronic. What do you guys think? this looks like Otterbox quality. And the rubber being loose u top is a problem even otterbox has, on my O.G. Motorola Atrix the Otterbox case was like that too and I wouldn't always tug on it by accident which annoyed me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry, didn't mean to confuse. I have the diztronic also so that's why I made the comparison, though the hybrid case does seem to be thicker on the corners. Quality/design-wise, the hybrid case reminds me alot of the Otterbox commuter case for the Nook tablet, except the rubber inner shell is thicker on the Nook case.
Funny thing, I had the Atrix 4g as well with the otterbox defender and I returned the case because the rubber was starting to stretch on the bottom. Ended up with the Seidio Convert Case for the atrix before I found one I liked. Hoping Seidio makes a Convert case for the Optimus G.
Just got it today!
Funny, I was about to post a review of my own on this, so people would know that this mybat case belongs on the confirmed list. As reported by the reviewer, it was a little bit of effort to get the phone with the rubber inner case, into the plastic outer case. Once securely seated, it fit nice and tight. I got the black plastic shell, with the white inner shell. It gives it an over all look of black, with white trim.
You can see the led through the white rubber inner case. It's not very bright, but visible under normal indoor lighting.
2nd case came in last night.
Here is the link.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/380568091527?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649
Here are the pix.
White plastic that flexes a little to grasp the phone. Hard with a little bit of texture to it. Black felt like material where the outer case touches the screen.
Fits very snugly when the phone face is out.
When in this position the phone is not very tight, it tipped upside down it could slide out with just a little bemp.
Back clip does not go a full 360. So you can not charge the phone while in portrait position. You can flip it when on the side to charge and prop it up in landscape.
I'll post more opinions of each in a day or two...
Um omg...I have been hoping a case like the white one would show up. Those are my favorite type. YOU'RE MY SAVIOR. I shall kiss the ground you walk on.
Edit: I ordered the black one. :highfive:
I have been swapping back and forth between these two cases since I got them.
I'll talk about the green and black one first.
It is the more protective of the two and I have been using it more than the white one. It does not add too much bulk but the green rubber does like to catch the inside of the pocket when trying to remove it. I thought the top piece being able to pull away easily was going to be and issue but that has not been the case. I have not really noticed it pulling away. The rubber is soft enough that it does not impede on the buttons. In the dark I can see the red LED behind the green..
The only major issue I have with it is when I was using LMT launcher, the sides are high enough that it got in the way of using it on the sides. I didn't try adjusting LMT much, it was neat but i'm used to the buttons. I wish there was a plug to go over the card slots, I have not had to open it at all so why not cover it.
The white one...
I have used it the least so far. The side that fits on the phone didn't seem to be cut well, a little hard to hit the power button at times. Although it fits tight and did not get in the way of using LMT like the green/black one. The fit when you slid it into the back of the case was loose if the screen was facing in, but with the screen facing out it was very tight at first but started to loosen a little the more I used it. the black felt type of pad was starting to wear and leaving black marks on the white case. It looks dirty now.
The clip was the best part about this case. I liked how it held on my belt or pocket and being able to use it as a stand was great, although if it could have rotated a full 360 that would have been better for charging while using it as a stand.
I have a couple more cases coming and still on the lookout. :cyclops:
I'm quite liking the black.
http://i1339.photobucket.com/albums/o709/JohnByeBye/20130215_233348.jpg
http://i1339.photobucket.com/albums/o709/JohnByeBye/20130215_233641.jpg
johnbyebye said:
Um omg...I have been hoping a case like the white one would show up. Those are my favorite type. YOU'RE MY SAVIOR. I shall kiss the ground you walk on.
Edit: I ordered the black one. :highfive:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Be very careful with this case. As stated, it's very loose in the holster when positioned to protect the screen (as its supposed to be). Mine fell out and it ended up with a crack and a scratch.
Sent from my LG-E970 using Tapatalk 2
droidiac13 said:
Be very careful with this case. As stated, it's very loose in the holster when positioned to protect the screen (as its supposed to be). Mine fell out and it ended up with a crack and a scratch.
Sent from my LG-E970 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, I don't like the holster part. I only got it for the snap on cover.
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda app-developers app
Got 2 more cases in the mail today. 2 more on the way.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/13084772072...eName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649
Fit on the top and bottom are nice, but the sides are loose and pull away easily and the molded blue piece does not fit very tight.
The material is very slick, so glad its rubber, dropped it twice already. The rubber is very soft and flexible.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/26117921643...eName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649
Got this one in yellow. The plastic is very firm, no where near as flexible as the one above. It's also got a high gloss finish to it. The edges are not cut very well, I had to take a razor blade to a few seams and around the camera. The flat black outer clam shell part is pretty flimsy, I don't see it lasting very long, tabs may break after a few times opening and closing it (reminds me of a previous experience with clam shell snapping cases). The top does not fit very tight and there is a noticeable gap.
Pix will come soon.
Sorry for the delay. Kid had the camera for school stuff.
Got another 2 cases as well. So i'll post pics of all 3 - the 4th was as no go
First the No-go...
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=230944810142
When I ordered this case it was listed for the E970 - I got it and it did not fit because its for the LS970 not the E970. I emailed the seller and they were very happy to refund my purchase and they updated the auction to the proper device.
Up next:
White Rubber outer shell over hard plastic black shell.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/390550828392?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649
So far I like this best out of the 3 newer ones.
The white rubber is very soft. Probably the softest of all the cases I have tried yet. Buttons are very easy to push and the charge light glows through the white nicely.
Fit is very nice. It hugs the inner black case well, but its very easy to remove.
The back is held in place by multiple little ridges that it fits over. There is a stand that slides out but seems rather flimsy. There is a deep bezel around the speaker and camera. It does not impede camera view.
Each hole has its own plug that is attached to the rubber.
They fold out of the way easily for access to the port.
Here is the stand when pulled all the way out.
All three pieces of the case fit well together but it does add a lot of bulk to our slim beautiful LOGO...
Now for the blue.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/13084772072...eName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649
I thought I would like this one a lot but it's turned out to be my least favorite. The materials it is made out of bug me. The black rubber is a little sticky and it collects all kinds of lint (as you can see in the pic's) and the blue outer part is slick as hell. After dropping the phone 3 times in one day from it sliding out of my hand I took this case of..
It collects every little speck of dust and hair. What a pain to keep clean.
Fit is ok, but its loose in the areas where there is no blue outer part.
Shine=slick=ick!
Side grip is lacking on the right, left was a nicer fit.
Top seems to fit the best of all the sides.
Why do we need vent holes over the screws?
Ease of install is about the only + for this case...
And the yellow.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/26117921643...eName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649
This rubber case is by far the most firm, its not very flexible and hard to the touch. The flat black outer shell is pretty thin and the clips that hold it together on the side are not very tough.
Three piece case, Hard rubber case with a plastic clam shell outer with very small clips. I don't see taking this off and putting it back on many more times before one breaks.
The cut around some of the holes was terrible. Nothing a razor blade couldn't take care of though.
The rubber on the top of the phone does not fit well and leaves a gap. Its even visible with the black part on: see below.
I like the overall look and feel..... From afar...
The fit of the rubber to the black outer part of the top was poor. They need some kind of clip there to make it fit better
Pushing the buttons with this case was harder than most of the rest, partially because of the stiff rubber but also because they are flush with the black part of the case.
Now if Otterbox would get off their rear and get us one that fits I could quit blowing my lunch money on ebay...
Well, it's been a few weeks with all these cases.
Figured I would update with the cases I use and actualy like.
The black hard case with the white rubber outer was good if I didnt have to put my phone in my pocket, if I did the rubber would pull away from the edges as I pulled it out. So i was contantly putting the outer part back one before using the phone. That got old quick.
The black rubber w/ blue outer was just too slick of material and collects so much dirt and dust. Also after repeated drops from just losing my grip on it I put that case to the side as well.
The yellow with the black outer snap case is just too stiff, it makes using the buttons dificult. So it's not being used either.
So far I keep going back to the Green and Black case I first reviewed, so far it's the best fit and protection out of the ones I have. I just wish it had a stand like a few of the others. When I do need a stand I end up throwing on the White 2 piece hard case since its so easy to put on.
Hope this helps anyone looking.
My Disztronic Inside a LG-E973 Flip Case
I wanted a flip case and already had the Diztronic one on so i just glued the Diztronic inside the flip case for the Sprint/International version, and it works like a charm. I also had to cut open the Camera and flash cutout a little further around the endges and messed up because i didnt use the right tool.
Zen-Dragon said:
And the yellow.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/26117921643...eName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649
This rubber case is by far the most firm, its not very flexible and hard to the touch. The flat black outer shell is pretty thin and the clips that hold it together on the side are not very tough.
Three piece case, Hard rubber case with a plastic clam shell outer with very small clips. I don't see taking this off and putting it back on many more times before one breaks.
The cut around some of the holes was terrible. Nothing a razor blade couldn't take care of though.
The rubber on the top of the phone does not fit well and leaves a gap. Its even visible with the black part on: see below.
I like the overall look and feel..... From afar...
The fit of the rubber to the black outer part of the top was poor. They need some kind of clip there to make it fit better
Pushing the buttons with this case was harder than most of the rest, partially because of the stiff rubber but also because they are flush with the black part of the case.
Now if Otterbox would get off their rear and get us one that fits I could quit blowing my lunch money on ebay...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for your reviews and pictures of the cases. I have the yellow and black model for my Nexus 4 and just ordered the same model for my LGOG. Couldn't really stand the other cases that I saw because I have used those models on different phones. The one I just ordered is the best one for me so far. Once again thank you.
I've been thinking about getting that case, but it seems a bit bulky. How much thicker does it make everything?
Ahhhhh Relief. I FINALLY have a case for my note 3. I was dreading every day knowing I had no case yet for my baby not it has some armor and I feel much better.
Bonus? this armor is amazing. I have to say kudo's to UAG they keep improving the cases. they take the customer issues and feedback and they incorporate it into future designs.
lets have a look at this beauty before we continue.
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On my screen this is a very good representation of the actual color of the case. Some of my other pictures come out a little "more" orange (which I would have liked) but its still orange enough to keep me happy (I prefer Retina Burning colors
They selected a very good orange for this case. not too "outlandish" but still pleasingly bright and orange.
They have improved several key area's of the case. More ribbing inside to more firmly meld with the shape of the phone. The buttons tended to be a little mushy. We the customer learned if we "sliced" it a little along each button it freed them up nicely. they have fully incorporated this concept in the new case and the buttons are now like "butter"
I am not joking when I say the buttons feel "better" with the UAG case on than they do naked" its easier to find them and they for some strange reason seem to "press" better. its very strange. I have never had a case "improve" on the function of the phone this way before. My guess is samsung just make them too small and slipper and the case design of the UAG corrects this.
if button depression is a sticking point for you then you will NOT be displeased with the UAG.
I also love that they went back to the original design. I did NOT like the new design for the Note II case. it was ugly enough to me that I never even bought one for my Note II so very happy to see the return of this design.
Some more interior shots of the cut outs and buttons and patterning.
The UAG is a medium duty design case with some features that push it upwards to inbetween medium duty and heavy duty.
Some of these are the ridges on the backside which also act to protect the case itself from marring when you set it down.
its a two part "melded" construction. the black is TPU which is a "stiff" rubber like compound (thermo plastic) this provides your "shock" protection (dropping it) and then it has a Poly Carbonate component (the orange part) that gives you rigidity and IMPACT/Penetration protection. (something hitting the phone)
the phone has as much impact protection as a "heavy duty" case but not as much "shock" protection (rubber thickness) as a heavy duty case like for example a caseology hybrid rugged or a AMS Kraken from trident or a zero shock from zero lemon. its a trade off of amount of protection and how "LARGE" you want the phone to become.
a full on HD Ruggedized case will DOUBLE the size of your phone. minimum. when your out in the woods you might need that kind of protection. if your more careful around home you don't really need that kind of protection.
there are 2 methods of typical damage to a phone. something hits the screen directly or the corner is impacted.
this is where the UAG moves to inbetween medium duty and heavy duty.
the corners on the UAG case are not form fitting. they are "larger" than the stock corners to provide extra shock protection at this critical point of impact. I have no doubt you could drop this phone from 6ft onto a corner and not worry about any damage to the phone. (No I won't be testing that on my $550 phone
Last Interior shot
Another welcome improvement is more frontal encasement. its quite difficult to install and even more difficult to remove the phone from this case.
Mind you this is a good thing. the harder it is to install and remove is a very good indicator of how well designed the case is to retain the phone.
the front opening is smaller now. so the phone does not FIT through the front. you need to distort the case quite a bit to shoe horn the phone into it. VERY welcome upgrade! this case will NOT release this phone easily on its own.
the phone is also more recessed into the case! big big improvement. this is important for when you set the phone down on its face (to protect the face) if its too close to the surface you set it down onto things can scratch or impact the screen.
they have thickened this up so you now have a bit over 2mm of screen depression distance. In this picture you can see its thicker than a nickle which is 1.95mm
Of course same as before and one of the larger benefits of a case is it depresses the camera lens nicely. preventing it from touch anything when the phone is set down or put inside anything and also reducing the chances if you putting your finger on it when you grab/extract/slide the phone putting finger prints on it marring your videos.
this portion of the case is around 3mm thick and you end up with a bit over 2mm of depth protection (the camera lens led unit of the Note 3 protrudes out of the phone about 1 mm)
Lets do a walk around of the outside of the case.
At the bottom you have very nice clean cutouts for the Speaker and Microphone access holes. excellent precision cuts here.
The Stylus cut out is also precise and nicely spacious giving you easy unrestricted access to remove the stylus.
The USB jack cut out is also very nice and more spacious than before! this is fantastic so if you have a "larger" than typical plug you won't have a problem with the case cut out interfering with insertion of the plug.
My skinny mSD OTG adapter fits fine. I don't have my Meenova adapter handy I will update this review once I have it although I do not anticipate a fitment issue.
at the top we have headphone and microphone cut outs. the headphone jack looks to be large enough to encompass "big head" plugs without a problem and the other cut out is your IR Emitter.
On the sides we have the volume rocker
and opposite the power button
I like the new hex pattern sides. while I did not have a grip problem with the old design IT WAS a wee slippery feeling. Now it feels very nice. no slip concerns.
Close up of the back of the phone with design and UAG logo details
They even thought to increase the spacing for the proximity and light sensors to prevent interference and false readings
And how it fits in the hand (of note I have VERY large hands) I can completely cover the phone with my hand.
This case is more difficult to install and remove than the original. this is a good thing. more secure. its quite easy once you know how
Start by inserting one long side of the phone
than using your thumb push the bottom opposing corner of the phone into the case pulling the case down and pushing the phone "up" at the same time till it snaps into place
work UP the remaining side snapping it into place until its all in. You can do this one handed (see video below)
Removal is a little trickier. Push one corner off then work your way down to the other corner and pull the phone out. (again see video you can do this one handed)
Some video's of the case and a video of installation and removal of the case
Install and Remove the UAG Note III Case
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTOy1pGHiIs
Walk around of the case in 4k!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JcCRp0vN1w4
Nice review bro. I just ordered the Scout. Did the miss the hole on the bottom right of phone. Not sure if it's a mic or what but I do know they had a batch go out b4 they realized.
My Note3 is locked but my XDm45 is loaded.
---------- Post added at 08:40 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:36 PM ----------
Haha. Never mind you answered that in video.
My Note3 is locked but my XDm45 is loaded.
They have always had the slits under the power and volume keys. Or at least on the s3,s4. If they don't have it it's cuz they're fakes.
Sent from my SM-N900T using xda app-developers app
nope. no slits on the multiple S3 case I had. I added them myself with an exacto knife and I bought them direct from UAG not third party. Their was a whole thread here on XDA about it and that thread is where I got the idea from to use an xacto blade to slide the slit.
they offered to send a replacement immediately but I said no worries as it was a super easy fix. I did order early so maybe it was a bad batch or early batch or something.
I'm just until opposite of you. I really like their Note 2 case which gave you the ability to change the color combination. Since they did away with that design for their Note 3 case I haven't even given it a second look, until looking at your pics. I still don't like their Note 3 case. Also, it looks bulkier than their Note 2 case, is it? I just think the Note 3 looks too nice to bury in a case like this, my opinion of course. I never drop my phones anyway, so my clear Diztronic TPU covers my needs while still allowing my go see my phone. I'm also still shocked that UAG covered the temp sensor hole, and even called it a "mystery hole"!! Really UAG, a mystery hole?!?! Must suck not having access to the internet!! Lolol
SwiftKey'ed from my White Sprint Note 3 via XDA Premium
not me. hated the note II design also hated I could not get it in orange. only black and white my two most disliked phone colors. now if the OUTSIDE was orange (instead of the nearly invisible tiny insert) I might have gotten it even though I don't like the design.
man was I excited when I heard they were so rapidly coming out with a Note II case (I waited so long for the S3 case) that when it popped up my first instant reaction was ..... YUCK ..... but ahhh I guess I could deal with it in orange and then I found out NO ORANGE !! only white and black.. Double Yuck hehehe
the case is very slim. it adds very little bulk to the phone in either case.
I really love the industrial rugged military like design of the S3 and this Note 3 case. I guess I am just partial to that kind of styling.
I can see people liking the Note II case. a lot of people did like it! so your not alone!
meh. the temp/hygro hole was irrelevant. I actually wish I got one without the hole. it won't effect the readings from the sensor and is just one more hole for dirt to get into. I might even fill that hole in.
YO UAG !! how about some CLEAR loving for the Note 3
freaking teasing me with that clear case then only releasing it for the icrap !! no fair
clear would be pretty slick. using vinyl skins you could "change up" often with the same case!
I see the hole in the second last pic. Thanks!
Excellent write up! Thank you @nerys71 for the extra inspiration to get my own.
Sent from above.
no problem. I really love their cases.
Oh I so dream of a UAG case for the Zero Lemon battery
when you hold our device in landscape mode where is your home button? left or right side of the screen?
i got this case too and absolutely love it. however i did notice a small detail today that UAG probably didnt consider. Most users hold the device in landscape mode with the home button on the right side... in doing so the UAG logo on the rear is upside down. looks like the brand is GEN... It should have probably been designed so that its right side up when in landscape mode.
as I said most users hold it this way, some might use the home button on the left tho...
hmmm poll anyone? lol
I'd say you are on the wrong side of the phone if you are looking at the uag logo
Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk
nyjumpman said:
I'd say you are on the wrong side of the phone if you are looking at the uag logo
Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ha, so that's why my touchscreen wasnt working correctly and looked a little orange....
it was just an observation
I really like orange and how this case looks. However I pretty much require a holster or something of the sort.
Sent from my SM-N900T using Tapatalk
should not be hard to find/mod/make a holster for it. IE maybe a slip grip?
Review - Exact Case (Slender) & Sparin Tempered Glass Screen Protector for Shield K1
A few weeks back I purchased both of the above from Amazon. I figured I'd give a review on both items.
http://www.amazon.com/Nvidia-Shield-Tablet-Case-Lightweight/dp/B00MV9TPEU
http://http://www.amazon.com/Protector-Tempered-Bubble-Free-Repeatable-Installation/dp/B0198717W0
I purchased the case in brown. If you search Amazon, the prices for this particular case vary greatly, even from the same vendor. I found a deal where it was only $1.95 for the case and $4.95 for shipping. Other ads by the same vendor have it for as much as $12.00 plus shipping, so look around. Be advised, there is also an Exact case sold without the "Slender" designation, and this is a case where the tablet slips inside and is surrounded by a leather-like material and it's velcroed in place. The case I'm reviewing holds onto the tablet by its four corners, and there is absolutely nothing that gets near the screen or top speakers.
Fit - it fits almost perfectly. I say almost with a small reservation. When you press it into the case, it fits just right, almost a perfect fit. I say almost, as I would have liked it to fit in with a "snap". The four corners do hold the tablet in quite well, and I do not think the tablet will come out of the case in normal use or thrown in a bag. But, I think that if the tablet were dropped from a small distance, the case would go flying one way and the tablet the other. I'm not going to try this, as I don't want to find out for sure, but it seems as though the four corner retention clips are more of a press fit than a snap fit (if that makes sense). As to quality, I give it very high marks! The finish is great! It looks like leather in texture, and it is all attached to the plastic shell quite well with no gaps or irregularities or glue lines or anything. In looks alone it looks like it should cost at least $20 to $40. When the cover is folded fully open, the tablet still fits the hand well with no annoying sharp edges, and it's comfortable to hold. The flexible hinge where the cover meets the shell is also great...no glue lines, and no peeling in about 2 weeks of daily use. The cover is held closed to the tablet with 2 magnets. The magnets hold it quite positively, and it's not going to open on its own. I was worried that I would permanently bend the cover along its edge while opening it due to the good hold the magnets have on it, but It's still straight and showing no signs of bending or wear. The magnets in the cover flap itself put the tablet to sleep 100% of the time when the cover is closed, and it takes an inch of opening the tablet for the built-in magnets to get far away enough for the tablet to wake up. My only gripe, and it's not fully a real gripe is that this case/cover was made for the original Shield Tablet, and not specifically for the Shield Tablet K1, so it has the cutout on the side for the original tablet's stylus (the K1 does not have a stylus silo, nor does it come with a stylus). But, I knew the cutout would be there before I purchased it, so in effect, it's not really a gripe at all. The cutout does not get in the way at all when handling the tablet. As to the rest of the cutouts, they are perfect! No issues with the camera being obscured as it is with some other cases out there, and there are even cut outs for the two bass ports that are situated on the edges of the tablet to the sides of the larger forward facing speakers. The cover at this point does not work great at holding the tablet up to view videos, for example. There are magnets in the flap that are supposed to hold onto the case to allow viewing in landscape mode, but they don't hold well and the tablet slowly settles down flat to the table. Bear in mind it has gotten better since new, as it would not hold at all when new. This appears to be because the creases in the flap are still new and not as flexible as they need to be. Over 2 weeks time they have become a bit more flexible and are holding better, but not perfect yet. I've only tried it a few times so I've not really been flexing these hinges much. But I think over time, with more use, it will work as it's supposed to. Time will tell! Lastly, drop protection...I don't think this case really has much if any. If the tablet falls on one of it's corners, there is only about 1/16" of plastic sitting there. Would it help? Maybe. There is absolutely no rubber anywhere on this case, so the only shock protection there might be, if any, might be is the soft cover flap. But, I did not buy this case for drop protection. I bought it for its minimalist dimensions, non interference with the screen, properly sized openings, light weight, and scratch protection while traveling. In those regards, it is perfect.
So, if I had to give a numerical grade on this case, I would give it somewhere between a 95% to 99% . My only points of detraction would be for what I believe would be it not retaining the tablet in a fall. If you were to pick one up, it's possible yours might snap in better than mine, but I'm only guessing at this as I only have experience with the particular one I own. Would i go out and buy it again? Definitely YES!!!
As to the Sparin tempered glassscreen protector...I only installed it a few days ago, so my comments on my experience are limited. What can i say? It was postal packaged well for shipping (it was sent direct from the manufacturer with no damage). It was packaged well within its manufacturer's case too. The item comes with everything you might need to successfully apply the glass protector to the tablet. There were both wet and dry wipes (Not sure but the dry wipe might also be an anti-static wipe, which would help with static attracted dust), a microfiber cloth, positioning stickers, dust removal sticker, and a cardboard squeegee (which IMO seems to be totally useless with a tempered glass screen protector). There may have been more items included, but I don't remember. After cleaning the screen many times along with eagle-eye inspection to ensure no dust specs remained (and a steamy room to keep dust down), I applied the protector free hand. It went on with no issues and sucked right down onto the glass. I did have one bubble that formed during adhesion, but I was able to wipe it away to the edge of the glass with some pressure from my finger and it disappeared. There are a couple of line of entrapped air along one edge, near a speaker grill, which I cannot push away, but it's nowhere near the light-up portion of the screen so I'm not too concerned about it. It does not appear to be caused by dust or anything. i'm wondering if it might be a small depression in the tablet's screen. As far as I can tell...no scientific tests available here ...there is no difference in the slickness compared to a stock screen, and no loss of screen sensitivity. As an asides...I placed the glass, with adhesive peel sheet still attached, while still in its foam shipping sleeve upon the tablet, and it still didn't seem to affect touch sensitivity. I also don't think there is any loss of brightness through the new glass (impossible to tell once it's actually affixed), but it looked crystal clear before it was applied. Not sure just yet, but I think there may now be less of a fingerprint issue with this glass' coating. The protector is a slight bit shorter in the long dimension than the tablet's glass...maybe 1/16" shorter, but it's a non-issue as the light-up portion of the screen does not come anywhere near this area. I'd rather they err on it being shorter than longer. The edges of the glass are rounded all the way around, so no sharp edges to the fingers. I really can't find any fault with this item, and when I review, I'm always looking for faults! I guess I'm more of a pessimist than I am an optimist. So, I'd give this item a 100%
Would I buy it again? Definitely YES! Also, compared to reviews on other tempered glass protectors for the Shield Tablet, this item had the fewest complaints of them all, which is why i went for this one in the first place.
can you provide some pics of the final result? case + screen protector. tks
Curl3w said:
can you provide some pics of the final result? case + screen protector. tks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would like to see some pictures if possible. Quick question for you: Is the cover "floppy"? By that I mean does the cover easily bend and flop around at the indentations made to prop up the tablet? I bought a generic case for my K1 which did and it drove me nuts to carry while holding it like a book.
Here are some pics. They were taken on two different days in two different locations (hence the differences in lighting and background), but they were all taken by me of my personal tablet.
Yes, I realize the "Exact" logo is upside down
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Cut-out for the non-existent stylus silo on the K1 (bottom right of image)
Nicely centered camera
Stands up better every day, but still not a floppy cover
Two magnets along the edge to hold the cover closed
A few long strings of entrapped air. I'm thinking the K1's screen might be curved a bit.
That skewed gray stripe near the top of the screen is just a strange reflection from something in the room. The screen looks fantastic. It's probably set for somewhere around 60% brightness in this image.
The screen protector is just a fraction of an inch on the short side. Maybe 1/32" or 1/16" short, but I don't care as it fully covers the light-up portion of the screen by a very good margin...all the way up to the speakers, but just a bit shy. All the edges that your finger might come into contact with are rounded, and not sharp!
i bought the "same" cover but with black colour and it's pretty good. Now i 'm looking for a tempered glass, but some brands dont send to my country (Portugal) or the shipping costs are too damn high . tks for the pics
Anyone tested tempered glass and stylus?
I use my tablet for drawing and note taking, would suck if the accuracy went down...
Anyone ?
D