Has anyone found any good cases? It seems very hard to find a durable case for the phone. So far all I have found that seems slightly good is the PDair Silicone case but I haven't found any reviews on it. There is also the array of ebay cases that may or may not actually be good.
I own the PDair leather book-style opening case, and I am quite pleased with it. It fits perfectly, and is custom made. I highly recommend any of the PDair products, although their prices aren't always the best.
How about aluminium hard case?
Sent from my LG-P500
ngfar said:
How about aluminium hard case?
Sent from my LG-P500
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've actually ordered a PDAir Aluminum case for the Lg Optimus 7. I shall give you my thoughts on it this weekend.
Well, don't know if you're still interested on my thoughts but here goes...
I'm not very experienced on cellphone covers but I will try my best to describe what you need to know.
The PDAir aluminum case is surely a surprise, though at first not a very pleasant one.
What I disliked was how the phone now felt in my hand compared to when it didn't have a case. Of course you will get used to it eventually but the aluminum casing provides a kind of uncomfortable hold due to the way its made. Since my english is not the best I will show you what I mean:
http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i63/Meats_Of_Evil/PDAirLGE9001-1.jpg
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As you can see the part outlined in the picture is what makes the phone feel uncomfortable. It kind of sticks out into your hand and it may bother a lot of people who use their phones for long periods of time.
Moving on we have another problem, at least for me. Due to the nature of the case itself which acts like a little jail cell for your phone you will experience a slight discomfort or inconvenience while talking since the enclosure leaves some very little space when closed between the speaker of the phone and your ear you will notice that the sound emitted from the speaker needs to travel far more and it feels like the sound is being redirected throughout the whole case instead to just your ear.
http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i63/Meats_Of_Evil/PDAirLGE9002.jpg
Another thing that bothered me was since there is definitely a little space left between the screen on the phone and the top of the cover you might have trouble in some games or apps that need the outer most part of the screen to be touched. For instance, while playing Plant vs Zombies I have an extremely hard time trying to touch the shovel which is located in the upper most part of the screen when playing horizontally. Also, the clock icon on the upper part of the screen (vertically) in the Windows Phone 7 Home Screen which displays all the extra info, wifi, 3g, battery etc. Is also hard to touch since the aluminum enclosure blocks a little.
*Note*
Other cases may also suffer from this.
Now as for the cover itself it is very very sturdy, I think its aluminum I don't really now but I like it that it absorbs the cold and helps cool the phone in a sort of way. The material itself is very very hard so I guess they weren't kidding when they said "Anodized aircraft-grade aluminum". I applied some force to it and it didn't even bend, though I'm sure if I apply strong force I could bend it I don't think it was necessary since the phone would never meet those stressful conditions. The two cons about the encasing being a little jail cell for the phone and blocking a little of the upper parts of the screen because it leaves some distance between the screen and the case is a plus in terms of added security. I haven't dropped my phone yet but I am confident that it will resist the shock of a fall without endangering the screen since the screen itself will never come in contact with the floor due to the little space left between the screen and the case. One thing I like is how well secure the phone is inside the case, it fits perfectly but at the same time you have to kind of force it into the case so it sits there. The inside of the case has a material that acts as a cushion for the phone and its what keeps it perfectly locked in position and even with the other half of the cover still opened I tried shaking the cover furiously to see if the phone would fallout but it rested in its same position without moving an inch so that's a huge plus.
Every button on the phone and port is perfectly accessible due to cut out holes on the case, so you'll have no problems plugging the phone to USB or using the buttons.
The thing that could have been better is the locking mechanism of the case which is just a snap in "lock" and it doesn't feel very good, it just snaps in so you can easily open the case without any trouble but I feel it should have been better.
This case is no Otter thats for sure but in terms of protection I believe it will do the job nicely. I have a 2 year contract with this phone so this cover better do the job, I will report it if it fails eventually, but for now I'm pretty confident.
I thought of a rating system:
Handling/Comfortability (is that even a word?) - 2/5
Installation/ Ease of Use - 5/5
Phones functionality after installing - 4/5
Case Quality - 5/5
Case design - 3/5
Final Score: 3/5 (I think)
I bought this ... I know
Related
*If anyone can't see these pictures, let me know and I'll host them here as well*
Seidio Surface Case and Holster Review
I’m no n00b when it comes to Seidio products. I’ve had the pleasure of owning a case and holster for each of my android phones, HTC Hero, HTC Evo, Samsung Epic, Samsung Droid Charge and now Verizon’s Motorola Droid Razr!
Packaging:
OK, seriously.... who cares what the packaging is. As long as the product gets to you in one piece, what else matters! For those who do care, the product arrives in a professional package with basic instructions. No issues here.
The Case:
As mentioned above, I've owned Seidio cases for the CDMA HTC Hero, HTC Evo, Samsung Epic and Samsung Droid Charge. This case, by far, is the tightest fitting Seidio case that I’ve had. The case arrives in two pieces, a top “cap” and a bottom “base.” The bottom part slides on from the bottom of the phone when the top slides on and clips onto the bottom. Additionally, the back inside of the case is felt lined to prevent scratching.
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The case, of course, can be removed. It’s worth noting that the case does not have an opening for the SD Card nor the SIM card. For me this is a non-issue but others may find it bothersome. Also, the hump on the back of the phone is exaggerated now due to how the case clips. Once again, I don’t find it to be an issue but others may.
As is the case with all Seidio products that I’ve used, it is made from their signature soft-touch high quality plastic. It is, in my opinion, it adds necessary grip and thickness to the phone that makes pulling the phone out of a pocket much less of a dangerous task.
The case doesn’t seem to want to clip down quite all of the way and the top left of the case has a very MINOR bit of play. It does not, however, interfere with either camera, the sensors, charging port or the hardware keys. All other cutouts are spot on (including the 2nd microphone on the back of the phone)!
The case also allows the phone to be placed screen down on a desk or counter without allowing the screen to make contact with the desk.
The Holster:
The holster is, by far, one of my favorite items from Seidio. When the Surface Case is on the phone, it can be used in combination with the holster to store the phone quickly and easily and SECURELY on your belt. The phone and case snap face-in to the holster to help keep the screen clear from danger. The actual belt clip is heavy duty and swivels and "snaps" into 7 different possible positions so you can keep the holster vertical or horizontal (at either direction). There is also a felt lining on the inside of the holster to help keep your screen scratch free (though while being carried in the holster, the screen doesn't touch anything).
At the top of the holster, the spring loaded latch holds the phone in place and takes more than a solid tug to get it out. You won't have to worry about it falling out of the holster! You'll quickly be able to "pop" open the latch and pull the phone out in a fluid movement with a bit of time and practice. The top latch at the top of the holster doesn't even interfere with the headphone jack or the charging port. The HDMI port is not accessible while the phone is in the holster. Since receiving the holster , I’ve jogged approximately 30 miles with the phone in the holster (and headphones on) and have had no issues. The holster combination is very secure.
The power button IS accessible when in the holster. However, the volume down key really can’t be used. Those “hands-on” users may opt to sand down the side of the holster to allow the volume keys to fully be useful (such as when listening to music via Google Music when jogging).
The Surface case, Active case (for those wanting a bit more protection), screen protectors and Holster Combos are available in a few different colors and are listed as "Now Shipping" on Seidio's website.
If anyone needs more information or pictures, let me know!
great case. had one for my nexus one. the hard rubber texture did start to flake off a bit and was kinda hard putting the phone in jeans pockets but overall a quality built case.
Additional note: With the same size button as I used here for the Platinum case, the holder is strong enough to hold a Trident Kraken case up fine.
A while ago someone mentioned the Xway and asked how well it should work with the Evo LTE. I've been using the HTC silicone case with a slipgrip mount on top of a brodit/proclip car bracket, which to my delight also works with the seidio case.
I decided to give this a try because I usually run with either a lightweight case or something more heavy duty for when I go do more outdoorsy stuff for the weekends, and i wanted a good way to have a clean looking and sturdy mount in the car without having to keep swapping mounts.
The kit i got from amazon comes with two of the 1x1 squares for the mount portion, as well as four circular buttons of various sizes. I went with the smallest of all the buttons:
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The platinum case has a soft touch rubber coating on it. I wasn't sure if it was going to stick so just to be on the safe side i took some sand paper to it and took a bit down until it was down to the plastic. Its been a few days and the button seems to be holding well.
The placement of the button isn't in the middle because for this particular case, when you place it in the mount the arms would fall in to the opening for the kickstand. At first i thought it would be better this way but in hindsight i should have just placed it right under the kickstand opening and let the arms fall in so that it would be canted towards me and also get stuck in there and not allow any rotation at all.
The soft touch rubber makes it harder for the xway bracket to keep it from rotating, which wouldn't be a problem if the button was placed in the center but since its off to the side in this instance, it does move ever so slightly when i hit huge potholes. This is the case in my car, which is lowered on track suspension, so i would think in SUVs and normal passenger cars it wouldn't be an issue.
For the car half i'm using a vehicle specific bracket from proclip/brodit:
The square base allows you to just remove the xway to make it look like you have anything in the car at all. It was designed to just stick right on the dash, but of course me having that bracket there totally defeats the stealth intentions of the square.
My old setup was on a ball joint so i was able to angle it to face me as well as up and down for glare. This setup is completely flat and not adjustable. EDIT: The mount actually has some tilt you just have to tighten the tetrax section first then force the thing to tilt, its actually a small ball joint under the xway bracket.
Due to the cupholder to the right i needed to make the whole thing off center to allow clearance. Even with the fairly off center mounting it has not had any problems with remaining in landscape without sag unless i hit huge bumps. If the button was placed dead center on the case or the phone itself, around under the kickstand, i trust that there should be no issues with unintended rotation.
When the magnets make contact the bracket bends slightly to use pressure to get the friction required to hold it stable. The notch in the base is for seperating the mount from the 1x1 square as it does hold on quite strongly.
Tetrax boasts that the opposite pole arrangement of the magnets plus the steel button restricts the magnetic field to the button and therefore will not interfere with the phone signal. I am currently using a samsung HS3000 for bt media profile and my headunit handles bt phone profile, having the phone mounted has not produced any interference while playing audio and making phone calls so for those worried about that, its not a problem whatsoever.
Overall, if you want a low profile solution, or would like to use different cases, i would recommend the xway wholeheartedly.
Pros:
low profile
secure hold
can rotate all the way around
Cons:
needs a button to be stuck adhesively to the phone/case, will no longer lay flat
must have a 1x1 spot on the dash to stick the square if you want to see it conveniently
the hold is entirely dependent on whether the button and the square have proper adhesion
#1 Awesome car.
#2 I really like the xway.
Sent from my EVO using xda premium
interesting.
i wonder if theres an alternative "button" or screw/bolt that can be used instead that can be fastened stronger.
how about the magnet, its obviously a powerful magnet, does it have any effect on the phones hardware, signal, or sensitive memory/ic/smd chips?
If you're asking about the button that is stuck on to the phone, the first picture has the rest of them on the desk. As for the magnet, It didn't interfere with the BT signal as i was streaming music as well being on a phone call, and the actual signal strength didn't change either.
It looks like you just scrolled to the bottom to read the conclusion
i read it, was just wondering if there was any update or change you could comment on.
By holding it stronger, did you mean to prevent it from rotating at all? The magnet is already pretty strong, but the reason why it moves is because the rubber piece isn't super hard nor is the friction between the rubber and the case the most ideal. Using a glossy plastic case or a tpu case would probably provide a better coefficent of friction, though i'm not sure how well the button would stick to a tpu case, if scuffing the case won't work, i've read in some other device forums that people just superglue the buttons on to the case.
I have an Xway on order and should get it tomorrow.
My plan is to try and get it to work with my Diztronic case. I'll first see if I can keep the button under the case. if that doesn't work, I plan on drilling a hole in the case so the button is exposed but not creating such a 'bump' on the case.
huh. i'd seen those bb platinum cases everywhere, and had no idea they were basically seidio cases. i might get one, just cause i'm getting a little tired of the silicone one i have.
Prefer metal cover instead of PU leather case on the back N3,get to know some aluminum alloy cover yet seems it's a little bit wired with the appearance of an iPhone knock-off,if anybody tried this kind of case and if it will block the signals ?
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greentaloy said:
Prefer metal cover instead of PU leather case on the back N3,get to know some aluminum alloy cover yet seems it's a little bit wired with the appearance of an iPhone knock-off,if anybody tried this kind of case and if it will block the signals ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As of a couple of weeks ago, there were two variants of the "iPhone-type" metal case. One used two microscrews to secure the back cover, the other used a "tab/slot" method.
I purchased one of each for evaluation from eBay. The one using the two screws required me to remove the back cover of the Note 3 to properly fit, yet the overall "thickness" between this case and the other is the same (or so negligible that I couldn't tell). Both cases have two round buttons for the volume, but the microscrew case has an oblong button for the power, whereas the tab/slot case has a round button for the power. Another (important) difference is the microscrew case has a raised lip around the camera lens, so it offers some protection, whereas the tab/slot case is flat, and the camera lens DOES protrude a bit, exposing it to risk of scratching. The oblong button, in my opinion, looks better.
You would think that the tab/slot case would be more susceptible to having the back plate fall out (and the phone with it), but, in actual use, it is quite secure, and I doubt that it would fail (especially since your natural hold keeps the tabs "squeezed" to the frame anyway). However, I suppose if you dropped the case, the back panel could pop out, whereas the microscrew case would not (although, the microscrew case is only secured by screws on ONE side, and the other side is still a tab/slot).
As for actual use, (I'm on USA TMobile), I did NOT notice any signal degradation whatsoever... I got the same number of bars as I always did without the case. I didn't do a scientific signal measurement... just a subjective look at the bars, but really... it worked perfectly fine, and isn't that what is most important?
HOWEVER, it completely negated the NFC (ie, it did NOT work), and it also prohibits QI Inductive Charging. So keep that in mind. Bluetooth and WiFI did not seem to be affected.
Another thing to consider... the openings around the USB charge port are not very big. I had to file the hole larger on the tab/slot case so my USB cable could completely plug into the phone. The microscrew case was large enough, but just barely. I did not try it with the Samsung supplied USB3 cord.
So what's the final verdict? I think the tab/slot case is better, as it did not require me to remove the back cover of the phone, and as I stated above, it was no thicker than the other (maybe the aluminum gauge is thinner?). You also don't need to carry around a screwdriver (and you'll need a VERY small screwdriver tip) if you ever have to take your phone out of the case.
Ultimately, I chose neither one, as the aluminum is quite slippery in your hand. Instead, I went with a Seidio Surface case, The Seidio also has a kickstand, which I needed.
The aluminum cases do look nice, if you like the iPhone look, but after using them for a week, I got tired of the look and went back to the black Seidio. The black color makes the phone look less imposing... the aluminum just makes the phone look bigger. I suppose if you got the black aluminum instead of the silver, it would look thinner. Also, just FYI... I also purchased an aluminum bumper and one of those cheap "brushed aluminum" back covers to see if I could get a "thinner" profile but with the same looks... don't waste your time... it didn't look all that great, and the aftermarket back covers are THICKER than the stock Samsung cover, so it makes the bumper a very tight fit.
For reference, here are listings from eBay that are representative of the cases I purchased (no guarantee that these "listings" will be viewable after a few weeks). If I decide to not be so lazy, I might take some photos of the two cases and post them... but for now:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/291001851272
http://www.ebay.com/itm/200974399049
Hope this helps.
Had something similar on my tmobile S4 yes it killed signal in weak areas, ended up throwing it away.
New owner of a Note 3 but long-time lurker of XDA!
Noticed not too many users using aluminum/metal cases so I figured I'd give them a whirl~
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I decided to review this specific case because it's literally everywhere on ebay and seems to be the most popular aluminum case for the Note 3 currently.
1) What I received in the mail
Packaging was incredibly simple.
Here is what I received(This may vary depending on where and whom you buy yours from),
-Aluminum case enclosed in bubblewrap
-Keychain/Mini screwdriver(one side is flat head while the other is a philips screwdriver head)
-Mini bag with spare screws(Not pictured)
2) The Weight.
Weighed my Note 3 first to find it weighing at a paltry 6.05 oz.
After applying the aluminum casing, I found the weight to increase roughly 22%(From 6.05 oz to 7.35 oz)
Being that this is my first case for the Note 3, I'm unsure if the increase in weight is typical for most cases or abnormal.
3) Build Quality.
The casing actually feels very sturdy and tough in the hand despite it's thinness. This case is a SCREW-ON case.
There are rubberized strips inside the bumper to absorb any impact and the back panel actually replaces the stock back panel of the Note 3 to truly reduce bulk size.
But for some strange reason, after installing the case, I felt almost afraid of ever dropping my phone. Although the aluminum is thick and sturdy, I just didn't feel entirely safe holding it in my hand.
The buttons feel great! I actually prefer pushing the casing's buttons rather than the stock buttons.
All the cutouts are very accurate and easily accessible EXCEPT for the headphone jack.
You will NOT be able to use any 3.5mm right-angled cables with this case on!
This wasn't a dealbreaker for me because I never use my phone as my mp3 player.
As expected from anything made out of brushed aluminum, there is no grip to this case. If you are a butterfinger, stay far away from this case.
WARNING: the cutout near the S-Pen is just a tad bit sharp so please be careful when handling!
4) Aesthetics.
I must admit, I've gotten quite a bit of compliments after putting on this case!
It looks quite luxurious but the only downside is the obnoxious Engrish on the back of the casing. The logo almost looks like XXX or something and the description underneath is incredibly redundant(Seriously, it literally says "mobile phone metal frame cover mobile phone set Note 3").
The buttons remind me too much of the iPhone(especially the round volume controls). They look obnoxious on my Note 3 but atleast they work :/
For those who dislike reading long blocks of text,
Pros
-Looks luxurious and expensive
-Wifi is NOT affected by the aluminum casing (Download/Upload speeds were the same with and without the case)
-Buttons feel very good
-Cutouts are very accurate
-Phone does not move around in case due to the screws
-Pretty damn slim for a aluminum case. Does not add much bulk at all
-The added weight is not too large. This may not be a Pro for some.
-Compatible with most if not all screen protectors(I am using an iloome Screenmate Flex Tempered Glass Protector)
Cons
-Weird Engrish writing on the back(There are also blank versions of this case available on the internet!)
-3.5mm right-angled cables do NOT work on this case
-God damn slippery
-Feels somewhat unsafe to drop despite the robustness of the casing. This may not feel the same for other users.
-Gets cold when left untouched
-Sharp corners around S-Pen
-Screws are incredibly small and ridiculously easy to lose if not careful
More pictures!
Biggest complaint I've seen on this type of case is drastic decrease in signal.
Do you have anything to report in regards to signal?
Sent from my SM-N900V
I have this case in grey/silver and I did indeed notice some signal degradation in areas with weak signal. For this reason, I had to switch to a diztronic case. Otherwise this is a beautiful case - though makes the phone look a little thicker from the side view.
blaine07 said:
Biggest complaint I've seen on this type of case is drastic decrease in signal.
Do you have anything to report in regards to signal?
Sent from my SM-N900V
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's odd.. I have yet to notice any decrease in signal with this case on. Perhaps this may vary depending on the user's location.
Most if not all aluminum cases cause signal drop. Sometimes it can be drastic and sometimes it can be very minimum. Every case I've owned that's metal is like that. Doesn't matter if it's cheap or expensive.
screws
I lost the screws and do not know where to find new ones, or what kind of screws they are? Can you help me?
I bought one of these cases. While it looks and feels great, i have to agree. It is crazy slippery. Like, really.
Also, more issues i had with it, is that I had practically no GPS signal, neither could I use the NFC. That's a pity, as I got numerous compliments about the case, and I would really like to use it full time. But alas, I am back to my slim fit carbon fiber case.
Can't you apply strategically placed strips of see through plastic armor to make it more grippy?
Does it provide any protection?
Sent from my SM-N9005
Good looking case ruined by their logo.
The case looks very nice - it's a shame the logo and decrease in reception mess it up.
Hey everyone, haven't done a review of anything in forever but I just had to take some photos and get my first impressions out for the Tudia Merge since for the Razor Phone 2 our case options thus far have been limited mostly to the OEM case which have been getting some mixed reviews. This review is NOT sponsored, I bought this myself. At the discounted price they were offering pre-release through a coupon code on reddit it was a no-brainer to try out considering the cost and availability of the OEM options.
The Tudia Merge is a two piece case, made with what seems to be a slightly thinner TPU material with a polycarbonate plate. Anyone familiar with Seidio and Spigen will immediately recognize this kind of construction. Compared to my Seidio Dilex that I had for my U11, i would say the TPU material is a little more rigid and with a more paper-like texture. It is more matte but picks up less of my greasy fingerprints. Being a two piece case means that you can keep your skin on the phone for when you wanna still have some abrasion protection should you want to run without the case at any point. The polycarbonate plate has a matte soft touch finish to it. I generally hate soft touch black matte because it has a tendency to show grease marks. I put this up on my forehead (gross), and it didn't automatically turn in to a freshly detailed black car. As a bonus to having a two piece construction like this, the annoying peeling sound from the stock glass back when you push down on it is gone since you can't push down on the back anymore...not exactly a fix for the problem in the first place but its a good side effect nonetheless. My generic wireless charger still works through the entire case.
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Aside from the two angled bands at the bottom and some debossed branding, the back of the case is without much flair, and maintains the slab profile of the phone. There are cutouts for both the camera and the RGB snakes on the back. Personally I would have loved to somehow have the RGB covered by clear polycarb but as recessed as it is I feel like the light will be adequately protected.
I was hoping the front would move in towards the screen more as we do have some significant screen bezel on the side which could be used for a more secure hold. The sides of the front should have no issues clearing most tempered glass screen protectors unless you have one that goes all the way to the edge of the glass. Because of the relatively shallow grab of the front, it is possible to peel the case off with the polycarb plate attached. I have had other cases where you could do that but they never fell out of the case in a drop.
Volume buttons are your standard raised pieces with tabs keeping them connected to the case. The tab sections are pretty robust and the buttons retain their clickiness, with the added benefit of having a slightly bigger footprint due to the shape. The bigger shape also makes it feel a bit more like a rocker switch to the touch.
Charging port is recessed quite a bit due to the case thickness. Tudia did make the opening bigger too accommodate all sorts of fat cable plug ends. It works with the stock cable of course but will also fit the more generic metal wrapped ends.
Power button is recessed with enough of a taper and a large enough cutout to not interfere with fingerprint sensor operation. It did take a slight bit of an adjustment on my part due to the fact that I have small hands so my normal grip when unlocking from picking the phone up is at a bit of an angle instead of fingertip dead on. If you can comfortably grip the phone and your fingers land perpendicular to the screen surface, it should not be much of an issue.
On my Spigen liquid crystal case for my U11 there are some cutouts on the corners where the phone does not actually make contact with the case. This is supposed to allow for better deflection of drop forces on the corner which should provide better protection by having less points of contact in the critical corners so more of the force makes it way though the case body instead of transferring to the phone. The Merge also looks to have this feature, whether it works I hope I never find out.
Overall I would say that at this price, first impressions are that it would probably do the job while maintaining the industrial aesthetics of the phone. Unfortunately I don't drop my phones very often nor am I going to drop my personal phone on purpose for a drop test so it might be awhile before there's any updates from me regarding the actual protective properties of this case for those of you that would depend on this to protect from daily drops. I will say that in comparison to many cases that I've owned from various brands, this case is probably about 80-90% what a Seidio two-piece non active or rugged case would be which should do the job for most people that aren't Ethan Hunt.
Excellent informative review! I really appreciated your breadth of coverage and greatly appreciated the photos you took. Thank you!
I also have the exact same case, like it so far. Hope I never get to "test it out" by dropping it... Does exactly like the OP says it does. Feels nice in the hands, takes the sharpness off the squared edges of the phone, puts my mind at ease. I'm no longer afraid to set it down anywhere anymore. I would recommend it
Is it bulkier then Spigen air cushion case?
I've had this case for about a month, but mine is grey. I'm not pleased... The back I'd super easy to scratch, and quite ugly.