Cut and pasted from my Amazon Review (added pics to the bottom of this post):
"It's nice... but a few things keep it from being perfect. I have been using this combo for over a week. Before describing the pros and cons, I want to say that overall, I like this product and will keep it.
First, the bad... Let me say that I like Seidio products and have an extended battery and case for my S3 (now replaced with an S5... no extended battery/case yet Seidio?). One problem both this and the S3 Dilex cases have, is that the harder plastic doesn't reinforce enough of the rubber edges. For the GT Pro 8.4 case, the rubber protection area by the home button feels like a flimsy rubber band because there is no support in that area. This is because of the charging cutout, but would benefit immensely by designing the hard plastic shell to reinforce it... sadly it does not.
Second, I was hoping that the hard plastic shell would be stiff enough to give siginificant structural support (reducing flex). When both hard plastic pieces are installed (hard cover + integral hard plastic shell), this is true, but without the hard stand/cover connected, the hard plastic shell part is really flexible as plastic goes. Not a deal breaker, but would have been appreciated... maybe it will harden up with age.
Now the good parts. I wanted to use a separate tempered glass protector with my case. The rubber liner part of this case easily fits over my tempered glass screen protector (PURCHASED SEPARATELY FROM ANOTHER COMPANY). The glass protector does not fit my tablet perfectly, but the Seidio rubber liner works fine over the areas of the screen protector and the screen protector's imperfections.
I purchased the flip, book style cover as a "might as well have it / just in case" and never imagined how much I prefer to have it connected. I usually have the tablet in the stand for recharging, and take the tablet off around the office building with the flip book cover for portability. I prefer having the book cover when holding the tablet, as it allows me to hold that tablet as a book when not in use, with thumb over the screen, and not like I'm palming a basketball (thumb and fingers across width of tablet). Also, the book cover adds texture to the back when using the tablet, adding to the grip. The flip cover has a low typing angle position and a second steep viewing angle position. The hard plastic cover works with or without the flip book cover, for when I want to use both. Last, the flip cover puts the tablet to sleep. The magnet's are not strong enough to keep the cover closed while holding upside down (probably a good thing as I have not noticed any interference with the tablet's functioning so far).
Finally, the separate hard plastic screen cover is great. The adjustability of the stand allows lower angles for typing (not as low as the flip cover) and steep angles for viewing movies, pictures, etc. The hard cover can be used to protect the screen while traveling, or hook on to the back of the tablet for added protection when in use, or just so that you don't need to store it somewhere while out and about. I think it actually feels better while using the tablet with the hard cover installed on the back. Maybe not for smaller hands, but I wear size large gloves to give you a basic idea of hand size to comfort level. However, if the flip cover is installed with the hard plastic cover on back, the flip cover loses some of its stand functionality... not a big deal since you now have the option to use two different stands by taking the 2 seconds to take the cover off the back.
Would I have just bought an Otterbox Defender if I were to start over? Well... that's a hard one. I paid more, and probably had to wait an extra 2 weeks for both my Chinese imported tempered glass screen protector and Seidio case to arrive (purchased separately from different companies). My tempered glass screen protector doesn't fit perfectly on the tablet, but looks great. Additionally, I believe that sticking any screen protector on versus laying a clear cover over it (like Otterbox) adds more protection to the screen and tablet (structural integrity). Add to this the pleasant surprise of really loving the flip cover and I am glad I went with the Seidio purchase. However, if you don't want to wait so long for delivery, don't care about having your choice of clear screen protector, and don't want to pay as much (considering the added price of a clear screen protector of your choice), and don't want a flip cover option, I would suggest trying the Otterbox. I have not tried the Otterbox, but after using the Seidio for over a week, I don't find myself wanting anything else."
** I purchased the tempered glass screen protector from TVC mall (China) listed in another user in this section. You can see the area that it does not match in the second to last pic.
***The Flip Cover is detachable. However, you must take the entire case off to detach or reattach it.
****Last pic shows how when the Hard Cover intereferes and disallows the Flip Cover to work as a stand when Hard Cover is attached to the back of tablet.
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Related
Seidio's Convert case for the Motorola Photon 4G was recently released and I have been reviewing the Convert Value Pack for the last two weeks. The Convert case is a multi layer case that was designed to meet every situation. IMO they have done a fine job.
The face of any smartphone is the most important part and Seidio includes their Ultimate Screen Guard to protect the screen. The Ultimate Screen Guard is super thin .01mm and is attached via static rather than adhesive. It went on easily and I successfully installed it with no air bubbles (a real feat for me). The Ultimate Screen Guard has cut-outs for sensors and front-facing camera and lines up perfectly. It is cut slightly smaller than the screen/glass leaving maybe 1mm border all the way around. This might be an issue for someone buying the Ultimate Screen Guard separately but with the Convert case installed this area is covered by the rubber layer.
The Convert is really two cases in one and the first case is the Surface case, a sleek plastic or plastic like case with a nice rubbery texture. It feels good in your hand and adds minimal bulk. This case is great for everyday normal use, fits well in the front pocket or jacket pocket. There are cut-outs for access to the ports, controls, speakers and camera AND the kickstand is still usable with the Surface case on. They also sell a separate holster for the Surface case and I will be picking that up soon. It would be nice if they included it with the Value Pack but I guess there are limits.
The next case is a heavy-duty case for rugged professions, outdoor play or like me just keeping up with my 3 boys. With the sleek Surface case on you add a layer of shock-absorbing silicone and a precision-fit skeleton. This combo adds some bulk but still feels amazingly comfortable in my hand. Controls, ports and camera are covered for protection, but the way the buttons are on the rubber liner the buttons are easy to push and feel great.
The included holster is fantastic, It has an over sized belt clip which works great on a police duty belt ( just had to find a place to put it, Next to the tazer works for me. Just hope I don't answer the wrong one). The belt clip also works well on my jeans with a normal belt. Very little play even though the slot is bigger. The holster has a lock which locks the phone in place but yet is easily released with one hand for answering.
My only complaint with the Seidio Convert is that there is no kickstand access when the full case is on. However the kickstand on the Otterbox my friend had just fell off so their solution did not work either. Its a great case and I would recommend it to anyone who wants a case for all conditions.
And now for some pics
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They did a really good job lining up the cutouts, but I still think the Screen Protector is a little small
With just the surface case on there is still a little bit of bare screen exposed.
Surface case - Cutouts for the access ports and kickstand work great
Surface case - Kickstand works both vertical and horizontal
Surface case - Looks really good on the phone and adds minimal bulk
Surface case - Slide apart with a little pressure.
Surface case - Easy access to all buttons and ports
Convert Case - Now the whole screen is protected
Convert case - When installing the exoskeleton, be sure to pull the flap for the camera cover through the hole. If not the camera can't be used.
Convert case - Camera flap cover pins back and stays out of the way so far.
Convert case - Covers for the other ports work great
Convert case - Pull the flap aside for charging.
Convert case - Cover for headphone jack
Convert case - Buttons protrude for ease of finding and pushing.
Still a fantastic looking phone
Felt lined clip to hold phone
Clip locks in at 7 different angels, Also has teh lock to hold the phone from falling out.
Easy slide lock
Oversized belt clip for police, fire, paramedics, carpenters etc. Also works great on regular belts.
Please hit the thanks button if you found this helpful
Good review, now we need some pics! Your friend must have a otterbox on a Evo, that's a know issue on that case I must have gone through about 8 of them all having the same kickstand issue. The Motorola photon otterbox defender is awesome and it has a open area for you to use your kickstand.
Yes he does have the EVO, I'll try to get some pictures this weekend. Getting ready for a funeral, so its been a busy week.
Please feel free to post any questions and I'll try to answer.
Ben
I want to get one.
Pics have been added to OP
Thanks for posting this. I was looking at this on seidio's website but wanted to read a review on it but none were on the site. Def gonna get this for sure now.
Sent from my MB855 using XDA App
You still loving the case? Has anybody else tried it yet? I'm just waiting to get the money to buy it but wanted to hear what others thought too.
I work outside so I definitely think this case will help keep the dust out
Sent from my MB855 using XDA App
Paid 22 shipped on ebay. It consists of a silicon case with a plastic shell that clamps over and covers the back.
*Pictures where I get home at 5 PM*
The fit is nice. The plastic shell clamps on tight enough that the silicone is all held very tightly in place. No wiggling around like standard silicone cases. The cutouts are all in the right locations for my ATT model. The buttons work well and seem fairly sturdy. Have to see how they hold up over time. Have not and do not plan to purposefully drop my phone but it seems as if the protection would be decent. It has thick rubber bumpers at all four corners. There is also a lip all the way around the face side that would protect the screen from hitting a flat surface. The only downside is it does increase the weight of the phone, some of its stock impact resistance is from its very light weight. My "opinion" is that the phone would be protected from impact but be subjected to higher Gs. Probably a net positive since in stock form landing on a corner would be bad.
As far as aesthetics and feel: The phone is quite a bit larger. I would say it roughly doubles the phones thickness and probably twice as heavy.
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I had that case, (bought it at AT&T when I got the phone) in the end it was too thick, I kept taking it off because it wouldn't fit in my pockets comfortably. In the end, I went with the Case-Mate Pop. Similar protection, yet doesn't have the bumpers. In my opinion, the bumpers made the case way too big.
oic0 said:
Paid 22 shipped on ebay. It consists of a silicon case with a plastic shell that clamps over and covers the back.
*Pictures where I get home at 5 PM*
The fit is nice. The plastic shell clamps on tight enough that the silicone is all held very tightly in place. No wiggling around like standard silicone cases. The cutouts are all in the right locations for my ATT model. The buttons work well and seem fairly sturdy. Have to see how they hold up over time. Have not and do not plan to purposefully drop my phone but it seems as if the protection would be decent. It has thick rubber bumpers at all four corners. There is also a lip all the way around the face side that would protect the screen from hitting a flat surface. The only downside is it does increase the weight of the phone, some of its stock impact resistance is from its very light weight. My "opinion" is that the phone would be protected from impact but be subjected to higher Gs. Probably a net positive since in stock form landing on a corner would be bad.
As far as aesthetics and feel: The phone is quite a bit larger. I would say it roughly doubles the phones thickness and probably twice as heavy.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just got my Ballistic SG for the SGS2 yesterday (Black/Blue)... good price ($20.20 shipped eBay... and now I see it for $18.99 shipped). You're either going to love this case or hate it, depending on your phone use/ protection objectives. Pros: fit is exceptional, covered buttons actually have a better feel than bare.. very responsive, easy to press. The soft inner shell fits tight once the outer hard shell is put on... so edges are nicely raised over the screen (and camera) with no annoying flappy play (like some TPU cases). If your primary objective is protection, this is the case for you. With the slightly oversized bumper corners, seems like you could bounce this phone off the concert and it would rebound back up without incident. Also, the noise-cancellation mic (top of phone next to jack) is not covered as the case has a perfect cutout for mic and jack. Cons: as OP states, it does add size and weight. Size to me is actually a bonus as I used to have an Infuse and this GS2 seemed small in my hand... now with case, size it perfect. Weight addition is noticeable; but I suspect over a few days use, it will become a non-issue.
Added pics
Love this case but..... Great protection, looks good, no covered holes, buttons easy to push. The thing that is driving me bonkers isn't the additional size this case packs on, it's the type of rubber used for the wrap. It's a 'sticky' rubber and pulls my pocket out with it on all my pants. Wish it were a more smooth, slicker rubber that would slide out of my pants better (Thats what she said, right?)
I have had it since day one, love it, a few good drops, the kids.....phone still looks like it is brand new, and the case has a life time warranty. I'm happy
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I777 using XDA App
I have the black/blue one. I just love it. It fits awesome, no flimsy corners or so.
My case of choice for my past 2 devices. Dropped the phone a few times and the bumpers bounced it back up. Still looking good as new. Does add some extra weight but it to me it makes the phone feel much better in my hands.
i like this case..but........rather get a otterbox for 5 bucks more
Picked it up the att store, returned it no less than 20 minutes. They Guy gave some some crazy eyes doing it. Picked up the case mate pop black case. Overall happy so far, gonna use this until I decide what to do. May get the commuter still. If the SG did not have those stupid bumpers I would have kept it.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I777 using xda premium
fantomsingh said:
i like this case..but........rather get a otterbox for 5 bucks more
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
why?
10char
I actually bought the commuter case on Amazon for 23 bucks free shipping. The commuter covers more of the front screen than the pop case mate. I paid 38 Buck for this case at att so cheaper pricing is better. Otterbox will also send replacement silicon wraps if you complain about looseness or case seating problems. Different strokes for different folks I always say. No screen protector though, gorilla glass has never scratched on me.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I777 using xda premium
RooCase has 2 models of cover. I bought the lighter one that was supposed to be 6 oz. While it doesn't add much weight and bulk, it is noticeable.
It is a nice fitting cover, seems well made and proper openings for all the ports.
However on 3 sides the cover has what I call flanges - not a smooth rounded form fitting way to close in the sides.
While I have neither the base nor the keyboard portfolio, the flanges might prevent proper usage without removing the TPT from the case.
I'll let you know next month when they arrive.
The only other thing is that it would have been nice to have magnetic closure on the cover.
Not for an Apple affect but so it the case is dropped the cover will remain closed and offering a little more protection to the face of the tablet.
Shofar1 said:
RooCase has 2 models of cover. I bought the lighter one that was supposed to be 6 oz. While it doesn't add much weight and bulk, it is noticeable.
It is a nice fitting cover, seems well made and proper openings for all the ports.
However on 3 sides the cover has what I call flanges - not a smooth rounded form fitting way to close in the sides.
While I have neither the base nor the keyboard portfolio, the flanges might prevent proper usage without removing the TPT from the case.
I'll let you know next month when they arrive.
The only other thing is that it would have been nice to have magnetic closure on the cover.
Not for an Apple affect but so it the case is dropped the cover will remain closed and offering a little more protection to the face of the tablet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
can you Share the pictures ?
Although the OP did not provide a link, I think these are the two models he is referring about.
rooCASE Exectuive Portfilio Leather Case Cover for Thinkpad 1838 (zipper style)
rooCASE Dual-View Multi-Angle Leather Folio Case Cover for Thinkpad 1838
TS
I got the Executive case and have had it for about a week now. It's solidly made and is very protective. Plenty of padding to protect it from drops at reasonable heights.
The removable housing that the tablet is actually inserted in is quite nice for handling the tablet in once you get to where you need to be with it. It attaches by velcro.
Some gripes I have with it (all minor): Slightly more difficult to press buttons in the soft menu bar, since I used to swipe up from the bottom to press them. Speaker is partially obstructed (though no notable decrease in volume or quality). If you attach your pen with the cable you will have to untie it to take the tablet out of the housing. More significantly, you cannot access the resest/sim/sd panel while it is the housing.
Pictures (can't link or post images yet):
i.imgur.com/8UH3o.jpg
i.imgur.com/ZXEDE.jpg
i.imgur.com/RGMlZ.jpg (obstructed SD Card panel)
i.imgur.com/IR5Lo.jpg
i.imgur.com/E2Q8i.jpg
The case doubles the weight of the tablet, but I was expecting that and I wanted the better padding for protection.
Seems to be a very durable case and I don't see myself ever looking for an alternative.
Here you go...
MrKwatz said:
I got the Executive case and have had it for about a week now. It's solidly made and is very protective. Plenty of padding to protect it from drops at reasonable heights.
The removable housing that the tablet is actually inserted in is quite nice for handling the tablet in once you get to where you need to be with it. It attaches by velcro.
Some gripes I have with it (all minor): Slightly more difficult to press buttons in the soft menu bar, since I used to swipe up from the bottom to press them. Speaker is partially obstructed (though no notable decrease in volume or quality). If you attach your pen with the cable you will have to untie it to take the tablet out of the housing. More significantly, you cannot access the resest/sim/sd panel while it is the housing.
Pictures (can't link or post images yet):
i.imgur.com/8UH3o.jpg
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i.imgur.com/ZXEDE.jpg
i.imgur.com/RGMlZ.jpg (obstructed SD Card panel)
i.imgur.com/IR5Lo.jpg
i.imgur.com/E2Q8i.jpg
The case doubles the weight of the tablet, but I was expecting that and I wanted the better padding for protection.
Seems to be a very durable case and I don't see myself ever looking for an alternative.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just wanted to give a quick review of the non-executive version of this case. I got it for ~23 bucks on overstock a few weeks ago.
The inner section of it is exactly like the pictures above, and the outer section basically is a leather slab cover that attaches via velcro to one side of the tablet, and has a small (albeit weak) magnet on the other side to stay on.
Overall, I'm okay with it considering there werent too many options, but I wish there was something a bit lighter or something that just covered the front (the thinkpad's already got a meaty backside). It's weird that this thing is almost as thick as my macbook.
I made this grip case out of a cheap TPU case and some neoprene fabric I had lying around.
It works really well!
Here's how I did it:
Cut some neoprene (or any thick stretchy) fabric 5cm x 12cm
Get a needle, some pliers and a gas or electric stove (gas works faster)
Hold the needle with the pliers and heat the pointy tip until it is red hot
Then, poke a hole into the back of the TPU case, this is where you're going to sew it on
Poke a row of 10 holes at the bottom
Poke another row of 10 holes just under the camera
When threading the needle, do a "double thread" meaning, run 2 threads into the hole instead of one. This way, you are sewing double the amount of threads and it should be more strong.
I sewed the neoprene on in one direction and then back again
Do this for the top and the bottom.
You're done!
This case costed me <$5 since I bought the TPU case on Amazon on sale. My TPU case is rough because my initial idea was to glue the neoprene onto the back so I roughed it up, but I didn't think that would be strong enough to hold, plus it just seemed hard to glue in place since the neoprene would be stretched out.
I really like this type of case because:
It's very secure.
It's not bulky.
It comes on and off easy if I need to swap the battery.
It lies down flat without any issues.
It works just fine in any car mount.
It works just fine with wireless charging.
In addition, I added a tempered glass protector on the front, so my phone is protected on all sides. I bought the .40mm 9H glass protector from aliexpress.com for $6 shipped.
If you can't sew, they make cases like this except they're really expensive, and the strap isn't very wide at all. I think mine is superior to the ones you can buy because the strap is wider but the whole thing is less bulky than a FlyGrip or other brand name options.
Obviously, a bulky case will offer more protection but the best protection is to prevent yourself from dropping the phone in the first place.
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Very good job! Necessity is the mother of invention. :laugh:
Neo3D said:
I made this grip case out of a cheap TPU case and some neoprene fabric I had lying around.
It works really well!
Here's how I did it:
Cut some neoprene (or any thick stretchy) fabric 5cm x 12cm
Get a needle, some pliers and a gas or electric stove (gas works faster)
Hold the needle with the pliers and heat the pointy tip until it is red hot
Then, poke a hole into the back of the TPU case, this is where you're going to sew it on
Poke a row of 10 holes at the bottom
Poke another row of 10 holes just under the camera
When threading the needle, do a "double thread" meaning, run 2 threads into the hole instead of one. This way, you are sewing double the amount of threads and it should be more strong.
I sewed the neoprene on in one direction and then back again
Do this for the top and the bottom.
You're done!
This case costed me <$5 since I bought the TPU case on Amazon on sale. My TPU case is rough because my initial idea was to glue the neoprene onto the back so I roughed it up, but I didn't think that would be strong enough to hold, plus it just seemed hard to glue in place since the neoprene would be stretched out.
I really like this type of case because:
It's very secure.
It's not bulky.
It comes on and off easy if I need to swap the battery.
It lies down flat without any issues.
It works just fine in any car mount.
It works just fine with wireless charging.
In addition, I added a tempered glass protector on the front, so my phone is protected on all sides. I bought the .40mm 9H glass protector from aliexpress.com for $6 shipped.
If you can't sew, they make cases like this except they're really expensive, and the strap isn't very wide at all. I think mine is superior to the ones you can buy because the strap is wider but the whole thing is less bulky than a FlyGrip or other brand name options.
Obviously, a bulky case will offer more protection but the best protection is to prevent yourself from dropping the phone in the first place.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good to see some DIY stuff on here. I won't try it, as i'd surely end up poking myself more than the case with that needle.
Looks bad but make a real production and it might be useful for someone else.
Sent from my SM-N900V using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
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.