[quick review] Melkco Jacka Case for the HTC EVO 4G - EVO 4G Accessories

Got my Melkco Jacka case in finally and after using it for the past 4 days I can confidently say that the case is amazing. It has replaced my Barely There case for daily use and I even feel comfortable using it when I'm at work because of the *padded* flap that protects the screen.
It's kinda neat how they made this. For the back, they took a plastic snap on shell and glued a layer of leather to it so it maintains the contoured shape of the back of the EVO which I think is pretty cool. No other leather case does that. The flap in the front has probably a thin piece of plastic in the middle of it to retain it's shape, with a felty material on the screen side and leather on the outside. The padding in it (on the outside of it, not the screen side) makes it feel really soft and luxurious and I'm sure adds a bit of added protection for the screen. The clip that holds the flap on the phone is tight enough that it stays in place but doesn't require any effort to latch. There is no extra leather around the seams like other cases, and no rough edges at all. My ONLY worry about this case is that the two little strips that hold the front flap on to the back are a little thin but they are reinforced with extra stitching so it's probably not a problem.
The leather that they used came from happy cows that probably went to the health spa often because it is incredibly soft to the touch. Like expensive leather couch soft. The case itself is also pretty thin and the EVO retains full pocketability whist comfortably nestled inside the case's protective bosom. The stitching is only single stitch but that seems strong enough and is done with a level of quality that I did not expect from a chinese case. In fact, the whole thing has a level of quality that I did not expect.
All in all, I was a little skeptical when I ordered this thing but couldn't be happier. It is my new favorite case and I can wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone that wants to dress their EVOs up with a little style.
Get it from carrymobile.com for $28 with free shipping.
http://www.carrymobile.com/scripts/main/viewitem-O2EVO4LCJT1BKLC-EVO4.html
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Score! I've been waiting anxiously to hear how you like it!
Do you think the catch on the top will stand up well to extended wear? I'd hate to have it start coming open-ish in my pocket and getting caught when I pull it outta my bluejeans.
Also, how raised up is the stitching? Is it recessed so it won't rub against stuff much, or is it raised above the surface?
I LOVE the concept of this case, especially since carrying the Evo on my belt has in the past proved to be disastrous. Hoping to pick one up soon.
Thanks again for your review, and for keeping me posted along the way!
MDM

Sounds great but how long did it take to get it?
Also, with the front and back piece, do you find it make the phone really thick in your pocket?

MadDog- The clip is hard plastic surrounded by leather and I don't see it coming loose over time. The only way it will come loose is if those two straps that connect the front to the back loosen up, but I honestly don't think that will happen. At least not any time soon.
The stitching is tight and well done, and has little chance of getting rubbed loose because of the padding in the front of the flap that makes the front stick out a bit, with the sides where the stitching is being recessed. The only place where the stitching sticks out a bit is around the clip because there is no padding there but even then it is still tight and probably won't come undone.
And no problem, happy to help. If you were planning on getting it, go right ahead- I promise you won't be disappointed.
mitchell- I ordered it on December 22 and got it this past Saturday. That's not that bad considering it came from China and it was over a few holidays. It does add some thickness to it but not much. Like I said in the review, it is still perfectly pocketable.

Currently using the Amzer Rubberized Hard Case, has an approximate thickness of 5/8". How much thicker would you guess the Jacka is?

Just measured it, it's just shy of 3/4". About 11/16".

DANG! Not bad at all!!!!

Nope, definitely not

Been rocking it every day for a week now and it is holding up very nicely.

_MetalHead_ said:
Been rocking it every day for a week now and it is holding up very nicely.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
*saving his pennies*
Sent from my little black box using XDA App

just flip the flap back when you talk? doesnt get in the way? i use to use a holster but i have been putting the phone on my pocket now... dont mind it.... like this but worried about the flap

Yep, just flip the flap back. It's not the most natural thing but it doesn't bother me.

Just got mine today. Orderes January 20 Received today, February 10 so, about 3 weeks shipping.
I love this case, and the only downside I can see is that the notification LED's are not at all visible when the case is closed. Otherwise, pretty good quality case.

Looks great!
i do prefer the flap to flip from the top, but it still is nice...

Just ordered mine, but for Desire, based on your review. Was so freak about thickness I calculated added size based on your observation.
Many Thanks! I've been searching for two weeks the perfect case to replace silicone hard case until now.

Just got my Jacka Type for the Evo in the mail today.
First off, I ordered on Feb 12th or so, the item shipped on the 16th, and arrived on March 2nd.
On arrival, it both lives up to expectations and doesn't.
On the one hand, it's very slim (either the same size or SLIMMER than my Amzer rubberized hard case) and feels very svelte/sleek in the hand.
On the other hand, the stitching appears uneven and in some places not straight (as if done by hand), and some of the cut-outs are not regular. Additionally, the setup makes it a little awkward to press the power button - but this may be common with the low-pro type case that it is built off of. Once I get home I'll take some pictures with my camera so you can see how the Evo looks in it.
Overall, happy with my purchase, but think it's probably not worth $38 due to the irregular stitching/cut-outs.

MadDogMaddux said:
Just got my Jacka Type for the Evo in the mail today.
First off, I ordered on Feb 12th or so, the item shipped on the 16th, and arrived on March 2nd.
On arrival, it both lives up to expectations and doesn't.
On the one hand, it's very slim (either the same size or SLIMMER than my Amzer rubberized hard case) and feels very svelte/sleek in the hand.
On the other hand, the stitching appears uneven and in some places not straight (as if done by hand), and some of the cut-outs are not regular. Additionally, the setup makes it a little awkward to press the power button - but this may be common with the low-pro type case that it is built off of. Once I get home I'll take some pictures with my camera so you can see how the Evo looks in it.
Overall, happy with my purchase, but think it's probably not worth $38 due to the irregular stitching/cut-outs.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmm.. all the stitching on mine is straight and uniform, maybe you got a defective case? And you paid $38? Mine was only $28.

Yeah, I mighta misrememberef the price.
Here's pix of the uneven-ness.
Honestly, the case is really growing on
me.
Sent from my little black box using XDA App

Here's three shots with my phone in the case. I gotta say, it's damn sexy. The crooked stitching is mostly in the hinge piece, and you really don't notice it.
Better still, it FEELS great in your hand and in your pocket. In one day of use, I've already got to the place where the flap doesn't really impact my use of the phone, just keeps it nice and protected in my pocket.

I would feel really dumb talking with that case in public.
Almost like I had some floppy jaw extension made of leather/plastic.
Any pics of you "using" it?
Want to see if it looks as goofy as I think it will... Thanks!

Related

Black Hard Rubberized Snap On Case Cover

I just ordered this one:
http://www.igonemobile.com/product|p|26714.html
I'll report back on my thoughts when I get it.
Before ordering this, I went to the T-mobile store and tried out all the cases they had in stock. The dual-layer grey/white system looked cool and seemed like it would offer decent protection, but the process of getting it in/out of that thing rubbery sleeve and getting that into the other piece seemed awkward (getting it all to line up, etc.), and I'm concerned about the protection offered to the bezel (just barely covered, and at some spots near the top did not).
The gel one seemed like a good alternative. Easy to get in/out and good protection/coverage all around (although no hard plastic protection). However, it began picking up lint from my pocket right away, and seemed a little bulky.
The snap-on hard plastic one seemed to offer good protection all around, seemed not too bulky, and felt fairly good going in/out of the pocket. However, they only had pink and grey. It also wasn't easy to get the phone out of this one b/c of how tight the snaps were (which may be a good thing if you drop the phone, since you don't want the case breaking apart and exposing the phone).
Thus, I decided to check for a black snap-on style, and found the one above.
great. I've had concerns with the lack of covers offered for this phone and this seems like a welcomed addition. Could you report back on how it feels once you get it? Protection level, to your perception and so on?
There are a few snap on style covers on ebay. Clear, girly designs, black, etc. I cant post links but the user is pawavenue.
Wierd I just ordered the same case yesterday.... But it should be here soon ill let yall know whatsup with it.
Sent from my HTC Glacier using XDA App
Looks like a decent product! And the price is great!
Keep us informed...
Never had luck with snap on covers. My blackjack 2, blackberry pearl and G1 all wound up getting small scratches from these things, especially around the edges of them. Only covers I use now have to be gel style.
I received the case today. The feel is okay...I'd describe it more like a matte plastic finish than rubberized (not as nice feeling as the texture on the side of the actual phone). It has all the cutouts in the correct spots, including the docking pins. The phone seems to fit nice and snug inside, but as someone else pointed out about this case, it does not snap together very well at the top. In between the power button and headphone jack, the two sides come together but there's no snap there. Also, the top left corner (near the power button) does have a snap, but it doesn't stay snapped closed at this spot...so it's spread open a little there, although this doesn't seem to result in the case feeling loose/flimsy at that spot.. The rest of the snaps seem snug, and I had to give some decent pressure to get them unsnapped to take the case off. I'm not sure how well the case would stay put together in the event of a drop onto concrete or something. I do like the fact that the case covers the bezel. Overall, I think it looks and feels good, is relatively non-bulky, offers decent protection from scratches and mild-moderate abuse. On the downside, I wish the snap at the top left stayed together, and I'm not sure how the case would react in the event of a significant drop onto a hard surface (wish I could test, but ehhh, that's maybe carrying this review a bit too far).
I think I'll leave this case on my phone for now. But today I also ordered the silicone case from Amazon by Luxmo (as mentioned in another thread here) just to check out another option (and it was actually <$4 shipped). I'll report on what I think of that one too in case anyone is interested.
Oh, and I can't comment on the screen protector referenced in the "Nice case... Bad news." thread, because I'm pretty sure I didn't get one in the little package included with this case (just double checked the trash).
Hey do you have a pic of what the phone actually looks like with the case on? I would really appreciate it. I like how the case covers the mytouch logo. Thanks.
I have that case in red and I have problems to slide down the notification bar because the case is too close to the glass border. I have the same quality issue that it doesn't snap everywhere together. That's my third case now and I think I go bare from now on.
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Here is a shot of the snap-on cover. You can kind of see a bit of separation on the top left of the case as I described. In case you can't tell, the case does cover the T-mobile logo almost completely...there's just a very tiny bit of the top of the words "my touch" visible from a direct view (really tiny - just 2 little spots you'd probably not notice unless looking for it).
I guess the pic is kind of big, but I think it shows what you're wondering about.
Also regarding mgymnop's comment, I too noticed that the case caused problems trying to pull down the notification window. I did have to adjust by using the very tip of my finger, but then loaded launcher pro and assigned opening notifications as a swipe gesture on the dock (and also noticed you could hit the menu key, then select notifications that way too). The case similarly made it a bit more difficult to drag icons from one home screen to the next since it's tougher to get your finger all the way to the edge of the screen.
Oh, and I did drop my phone from a sitting position onto a wooden floor the other day with this case on it. The case completely unsnapped after hitting the ground, and the phone ended up lying on it's own between the two pieces. There was no damage to the phone, as I think the case kept the phone protected upon the initial impact, breaking the fall. But I could imagine the phone getting scratched or dinged up after breaking free of the case and sliding/bouncing across more unforgiving terrain.
Regarding my previous: "But today I also ordered the silicone case from Amazon by Luxmo (as mentioned in another thread here) just to check out another option (and it was actually <$4 shipped). I'll report on what I think of that one too in case anyone is interested."
I started using the gel case a few days ago. I think it's a pretty good case. I like that you can get the phone easily in and out of it, and that the case does a good job of wrapping around the front far enough to fully protect the silver bezel. I noticed right away that it starts picking up lint, but after a few days it really doesn't seem that bad (lint doesn't stick around and build up, and I don't seem to have to do any work at all to keep the case looking relatively clean). The only problem I've had with it, is that once in a while the case pushes the sides and/or corners of my reallook screen protector up a bit and I have to push it back flat. Maybe it does this because my protector is very slightly off to one side, but it's near as perfect as I could get it applied. It doesn't happen too often, and so far the screen protector goes back into position just fine without any dust underneath. Over time, I'm not sure if it will continue to do this and if it will cause a problem with dust under the edge of the screen protector. I haven't had the opportunity to test this in a drop situation, but I'll report back if/when I do.
QuikZilver said:
There are a few snap on style covers on ebay. Clear, girly designs, black, etc. I cant post links but the user is pawavenue.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ordered the case....it doesnt fit properly....is pops open just by holding the phone.
this was the hard black rubberized case
Check out eBay. I ordered a gel skin from Hong Kong for $.99 that fits perfectly and proved its protection when I dropped it. I also ordered a rubberized hard case for $1.78, havent received it yet but will post on quality.
Sent from my HTC Glacier using XDA App
Just received my hard rubberized case from eBay and it actually fits perfect. It's nice and tight with no gaps. Best thing is I paid less than $2.
Sent from my HTC Glacier using XDA App

Ballistic Cases for Atrix!

Came across these by accident. I LOVE THEM! I was looking at the cases available for the Infuse, and found this odd brand by the name of Ballistic making a case for it. I became jealous and Googled them. Google took me to their website which I discovered, OUR PHONE is supported!
Here's the link (they are $35 & $50 for the one on the right): http://www.goballisticcase.com/products/motorola-atrix-ballistic-sg-series-case
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These are great if you have a UHaul to carry your phone around in after you have encased it in this thing!
The second one from the right...
It looks like it would suck to wake the phone up or use the fingerprint sensor.
And taking this on a plane TSA would think it's a bomb
Mgamerz said:
And taking this on a plane TSA would think it's a bomb
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wait!............You haven't seen the commercial???.............It's a phone that acts like a laptop............or, it's a laptop that acts like a phone............no way this could be a bomb!
Bomb bomb bomb............bomb bomb ba bomb..............."Doing Atrix the Focker way"!
CaelanT said:
Wait!............You haven't seen the commercial???.............It's a phone that acts like a laptop............or, it's a laptop that acts like a phone............no way this could be a bomb!
Bomb bomb bomb............bomb bomb ba bomb..............."Doing Atrix the Focker way"!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Haha!
Sent from a Honeyglowin' Atrix
kimmikolter said:
Came across these by accident. I LOVE THEM! I was looking at the cases available for the Infuse, and found this odd brand by the name of Ballistic making a case for it. I became jealous and Googled them. Google took me to their website which I discovered, OUR PHONE is supported!
Here's the link (they are $35 & $50 for the one on the right): http://www.goballisticcase.com/products/motorola-atrix-ballistic-sg-series-case
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just emailed them to let me know when they are available. I have the otterbox defender and while I usually recommend them, the one for the atrix has issues. I'm on my second outer silicone part, and this one doesn't fit right either. The bottom corners bulge away from the inner plastic part, which makes them come off pretty easy.
barry99705 said:
Just emailed them to let me know when they are available. I have the otterbox defender and while I usually recommend them, the one for the atrix has issues. I'm on my second outer silicone part, and this one doesn't fit right either. The bottom corners bulge away from the inner plastic part, which makes them come off pretty easy.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
x2
The cases happen to be made right here in Fort Lauderdale on the other side of town. I may go get one on Monday. I have the Commuter case which I like, especially since the ports and earphone jack have covers to keep out dust and dirt and the case is easy to get on and off. I dunno if the ballistic has covers and there are no pictures of the front i can find but the design and colors look nice and I am sure the protection is good. Anyone get one yet?
Damn that thing looks thicker then my otterbox defender case. I like the color schemes though. Does it come with a holster? I have to use the holster with my defender case, just to hard putting it in my pocket.
sifon187 said:
Damn that thing looks thicker then my otterbox defender case. I like the color schemes though. Does it come with a holster? I have to use the holster with my defender case, just to hard putting it in my pocket.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yea, the big one comes with one, at least it's in the pictures....
panflute said:
The cases happen to be made right here in Fort Lauderdale on the other side of town. I may go get one on Monday. I have the Commuter case which I like, especially since the ports and earphone jack have covers to keep out dust and dirt and the case is easy to get on and off. I dunno if the ballistic has covers and there are no pictures of the front i can find but the design and colors look nice and I am sure the protection is good. Anyone get one yet?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Let us know if you get one. I definitely want one! Black on black is my choice, but the red/black looks pretty cool too.
Awesome!
Got my Ballistic SG
Well I recieved my Ballistic SG in the mail today, got it off ebay for $22 bucks! I haven't bought a lot of cases for my Atrix yet, I tried a Otterbox Impact on launch day and was disappointed with that. This case however feels extremely tough, My brother has the Otterbox Commuter, which i thought was awesome untill this one showed up. It feels very solid, The ports on the side are left exposed, as well as the speaker grill. The space for the fingerprint sensor does feel a slight bit cramped when swiping downwards, I may have to re-enter my prints to get it to read more accurately, but for now it doesn't seem to affect it too much. I've only had it for about 30 minutes but so far i'm impressed. The case doesn't slide around on the phone (though that may be in part to my invisible shield). The rubber/silicone layer does attract dust, but overall I'm happy with my purchase. I attached a few pictures if anyone's interested.
Reaverofdawn said:
Well I recieved my Ballistic SG in the mail today, got it off ebay for $22 bucks! I haven't bought a lot of cases for my Atrix yet, I tried a Otterbox Impact on launch day and was disappointed with that. This case however feels extremely tough, My brother has the Otterbox Commuter, which i thought was awesome untill this one showed up. It feels very solid, The ports on the side are left exposed, as well as the speaker grill. The space for the fingerprint sensor does feel a slight bit cramped when swiping downwards, I may have to re-enter my prints to get it to read more accurately, but for now it doesn't seem to affect it too much. I've only had it for about 30 minutes but so far i'm impressed. The case doesn't slide around on the phone (though that may be in part to my invisible shield). The rubber/silicone layer does attract dust, but overall I'm happy with my purchase. I attached a few pictures if anyone's interested.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not a bad looking case ya got there... is it rubber or plastic or both?
Edit: so the grey is rubber, red is plastic?
Sent from my Motorola Atrix 4G on the network with the most backhaul, whatever that is. This post might have errors as I hate touchscreen keyboards.
Yeah, the black part is rubber, the red is plastic, with a weird layer of black, that feels like slightly rubberized plastic. After using it for a few hours now I'm still satisfied with it. Definitely feels more solid than my brothers commuter case. Now to wait for the HC to be released and try that sucker out.
Dude, that's freaking sweet looking. Can't wait for the HC cases to be released.
Reaverofdawn said:
Yeah, the black part is rubber, the red is plastic, with a weird layer of black, that feels like slightly rubberized plastic. After using it for a few hours now I'm still satisfied with it. Definitely feels more solid than my brothers commuter case. Now to wait for the HC to be released and try that sucker out.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can you please drop your phone from the second or third floor while it's in the case and if nothing happens can you drop it without a case? I just want to check how though is the case before investing in it.
fincan said:
Can you please drop your phone from the second or third floor while it's in the case and if nothing happens can you drop it without a case? I just want to check how though is the case before investing in it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
epic !
I like it! May replace my Commuter, even though I couldnt be happier with the OB.
covered ports
I did not buy this case (yet). It looks really similar to the Commuter case as the designs are the same///a soft rubber held on with a hard plastic. However, the ports are not covered on this one. On the commuter both ports are covered in addition to the earphone jack. Someone here reported dust on the inside of the screen and it may have entered thru the earphone jack? On my wish list is a case with a built in stand.

Case Mate Barely There review

Photos at the bottom of the post for those looking to get straight to the phone p0rn
When I got my DINC2 the VZW rep was "nice" enough to throw in a silicone case for free. I say "nice" because silicone is made for bakeware and o-rings, not phone cases. I was pulling the case off the phone as I walked out the door and it got ditched in the first trash can I saw.
I set out to find a case based on some specific requirements:
Thin and light
Grippy exterior
Excellet camera lens protection
The last one is really important and I'm surprised more folks don't highlight it in case reviews, especially for HTC phones. As anyone who owned the original DINC will tell you, HTC loves to leave their camera lenses flapping in the breeze where any hard object passing by can scratch/crack/smudge it.
My DINC wore a Seidio Surface case from day one and it was phenominal but with the DINC2 being slightly larger the Surface seemed to add more bulk than I was willing to stick in my pocket. I had read about the Incipio Feather case here on the forums and ordered one based on other's experiences. I was extremely disappointed when it arrived already broken still inside it's packaging. I returned it but the seller took six weeks to send the replacement, so in the meantime I got the Case Mate.
Once I had both of them in hand I was surprised at how different they were. It's the same basic design, a super thin case that wraps around the two sides and the four corners leaving the top and bottom exposed. What struck me was the difference in materials. The Case Mate was noticeably more rigid, fit more tightly and the "soft touch" surface was more grippy. The Incipio was certainly a quality case but the Case Mate just felt better.
Lastly, to the point of protecting the camera, the Case Mate takes the cake. The Incipio adds pretty much nothing in terms of shielding the camera but the Case Mate has a deliberate lip which gives the camera 2-3mm of setback. When you put the phone down in the Incipio case the lens still touches the table which means if you put it down on something less forgiving you're just asking for lens damage. The Case Mate's lip puts some distance between the lens and whatever you put it down on. When you take into account that your phone spends a great deal of time in your pocket, along with change/keys/etc the Incipio offers pretty much no protection to what I would call a design flaw on HTC's part.
In the end I'm glad I didn't pay for the Incipio (the seller refunded my money and let me keep the case to avoid negative feedback for the six week return delay). The Case Mate is a fantastic minimal case for the DINC2 that adds very little bulk, makes the phone easier to grip, protects the camera really well and feels much more durable than a 1mm thick piece of plastic.
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Cool review thanks. Still just waiting for my red or white battery cover so I can show it through my Griffin Reveal look alike case
Sent from my ADR6350 using Tapatalk
I got the Innocase Surface, I really like it. Viewing from the pictures it looks like the casemate is abit thinner but not by much. I was considering the Casemate but I wasn't too sure how much I wanted a case that doesn't really protect the bottom or the top faceplate. Glad you enjoy the case though!
After spending some more time with the Case Mate I've discovered what might be it's only flaw and frankly I don't think I completely blame the case for this one.
The power button on top of the phone is already pretty minimal but with the case it's just slightly harder to actuate. The case comes up close to the button and stands off from the phone about the same distance. That means the button is pretty much flush with the case.
Now Case Mate didn't design the phone to have a slightly-too-small power button (I don't care for it even without the case) but they might have considered leaving a bit more clearance to make it a little easier to press.
Cool review. Incipio Red feather user here. I posted my review on Amazon.com, mine is the only review that's posted there. I've been very happy with my Red case as it is my favorite color and it is the thinnest out there(1mm).
I have to disagree with your comment on camera protection, the incipio feather has an ample lip which covers the camera. The only thing you can expect from these thin case is to have just a tiny lift off from surfaces and the feather gives the lift. I honestly do not see the point of thicker lip because it literally does nothing more than just a slightest lift off.
However since I've never touched the Case Mate Barely There, I have to take your words on the material. I wish they make more bright colors.
Very nice review! I went with the CaseMate as well and I really like it for easy pocket carry. I had the same concern with reduced ease of access to the power button, so I did a quick mod on mine with a Dremel wheel. I will probably go back and clean it up so it doesn't look so angry-beaver-ish but it is really nice to use with this tiny modification and with the change it truly lives up to the "Barely There" name.
If rooted I can MOD your ROM to make it so you can pull the phone out of sleep with the volume keys, that seems to be working for me.
nice review. I am catching this thread a little late I know but the aspect I dont like about this case is I dont see much protection for the screen in the event of a drop. I would never think that would be an issue but two days ago my Dinc2 feel out of my bag as I was putting it in my car and landed face down flat on its screen and shattered the screen. Had to dish out the deductible for a replacement. Now I am using a TPU case as is has just enough lip to protect the screen if it happened again.
I want a case similar to this, but it just doesn't protect the screen enough.

CrazyOnDigital Armor case

I purchased this cheap case from amazon. http://www.amazon.com/CrazyOnDigita...42825366&sr=8-1&keywords=galaxy+s3+armor+case its a combination TPU and hard plastic shell. Not to bad for $8 IMO.
Definitely looks like it could take a drop, corners are reinforced and the lip is raised around in front. I have big hands so the extra width is welcome. Laying it down flat next to my uncased DroidX the hump part on the droidx looks about a millimeter thicker but as the droidx tapers down it becomes thinner by a bout a millimeter compared to the cased sg3. The one draw back I'm noticing is the TPU part is a hair, dust, and dirt collector...is this a trait with all TPU cases? Previously I've only used hard plastic shells that came in to halves and for the past year I kept my droidx naked. Oh volume and power buttons are protected as well and easy to push. I never really had the impression that the naked sg3 was of poor or cheap construction but the case does give it a nice hefty solid feel it the phone, while still being lighter then a naked droidx. If you're looking for a case and don't want to spend $30-$40 I'd say you can't really go wrong with giving this one a try.
Great Case @ Incredible price = Fantastic Value
I was going to do a full review of this, but I found you already got it started. Hope you dont mind if I add to your thread, instead of creating a new one.
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This case is AWESOME. I am used to the heavier phones by HTC, so the SGS3 was a bit of a surprise when I first held it as it's so light. The other thing is that the phone is a slippery snake. This phone combined with my ever sweaty mits was a disaster waiting to happen. I found this case on Amazon and I thought I would use it until some of the "nicer", aka more expensive, phone cases came to market.
I received the case and I was immediately impressed with how well the case was thought out and how much it did seem like it would protect against an accidental drop. The corners have raised bumpers that definitely seem like a good idea, as the phones I've seen break usually break from hitting that sweet spot on the corner.
The other thing I like about this phone is those odd circles on the back. At first I didn't really know what to think about them (design wise) until I held the phone with the case on. My fingers naturally found those circles and it's like they're placed perfectly to make the phone easier and more comfortable to hold.
The covers over the buttons seem like an *improvement over the phones' actual buttons. They are nice and snug over them, and feel great + are very easy to push. I also like how it separates the vol up/down as I didn't like the single button for both. I know that other cases are having problems with being too snug and pushing the buttons when you don't want them to, or are overly sensitive. That is not an issue with this case.
I honestly love this case and I don't think I would swap it out for anything as of right now. Especially when you only pay $12.70 shipped. Bleh, what's to think about?
behappy said:
I was going to do a full review of this, but I found you already got it started. Hope you dont mind if I add to your thread, instead of creating a new one.
This case is AWESOME. I am used to the heavier phones by HTC, so the SGS3 was a bit of a surprise when I first held it as it's so light. The other thing is that the phone is a slippery snake. This phone combined with my ever sweaty mits was a disaster waiting to happen. I found this case on Amazon and I thought I would use it until some of the "nicer", aka more expensive, phone cases came to market.
I received the case and I was immediately impressed with how well the case was thought out and how much it did seem like it would protect against an accidental drop. The corners have raised bumpers that definitely seem like a good idea, as the phones I've seen break usually break from hitting that sweet spot on the corner.
The other thing I like about this phone is those odd circles on the back. At first I didn't really know what to think about them (design wise) until I held the phone with the case on. My fingers naturally found those circles and it's like they're placed perfectly to make the phone easier and more comfortable to hold.
The covers over the buttons seem like an *improvement over the phones' actual buttons. They are nice and snug over them, and feel great + are very easy to push. I also like how it separates the vol up/down as I didn't like the single button for both. I know that other cases are having problems with being too snug and pushing the buttons when you don't want them to, or are overly sensitive. That is not an issue with this case.
I honestly love this case and I don't think I would swap it out for anything as of right now. Especially when you only pay $12.70 shipped. Bleh, what's to think about?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you find the case slippery at all? Having it rest on my palm even on the slightest angle it would slide off, naked it doesn't do that and my fathers sg3 with a verizon silicon case doesn't do that his I can practically put my hand vertical before it slides off. So took some grainy sandpaper and roughened up the shell part which helped a lot.
I bought that case as well. I like it. With my fat hands I have trouble holding these super slim phones with no flat edges. With this case it is MUCH easier to handle the phone for me. I also agree that the buttons covered in the TPU stuff but nested in the hard plastic case, volume and lock seem to actually work better with the case on. They seem more substantial / easy to find since they are recessed in their own cove on the case... and yet are easier to push. I'm guessing due to extra leverage from the case covering them. I can find the volume and lock far easier as opposed to no case.
The circles on the back are handy too for knowing how I'm holding the phone when digging it out of a pocket, bag, or ditch. Again that is something I don't get with an all smooth case. Call me crazy but it matters to me as without a case I'm never sure how good a grip I've got on that slippery phone.
The inputs for USB and audio are given a lot of room on this case so no worries for those right angle USB OTG cables as they fit just fine with the case on.
The TPU parts do pick up dust from my pocket but it brushes off fairly easily and honestly I don't much care about that. The lip of the case at the bottom near the S3's hard center button takes a day or so of getting used to since it is raised higher than the button and you can't slide your thumb or finger from the edge of the case to find that button anymore. Not a big deal, I don't notice it at all, but it might bother some folk for a bit.
I got lucky and picked this case right from the sart and I'll stick with it. Note that I ordered it from Amazon and 3-5 business days took a shocking 7 business days. They usually arrive in like 2 or 3 business days. Not sure what was up with that.

Seidio ACTIVE Case REVIEW

I received my Seidio ACTIVE case the other day so I figured I'd do a little review on it.
First and foremost, the case arrived in a little box, decently packaged and the item didn't have any damage. Since I live overseas ship times can be quite ridiculous, but the package arrived 9 days after placing the order (that's pretty fast for me, seriously)
As you can see, not a whole lot of packing material but it really wasn't needed. The SURFACE I accidentally ordered was in a little smaller inner box and there were enough packing peanuts to keep it secure.
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Case front:
Case back:
View of the kickstand extended:
The phone sits at approx a 45 degree angle when the kickstand is extended:
The phone does NOT sit flush on its back due to the kickstand. There's a slight gap and the back is raised just a little bit. Might drive some people crazy:
Front shot with the case on my S4A:
Side shot of the phone next to the case to show how much bigger it will be:
PROS:
1. If you've used one of these before you know what you're getting. The case fits pretty well and the back hold the silicone case on just fine.
2. The kickstand works ok, I wish it were in the middle of the back but for the most part it works fine. It does tip over if you touch the left side of the screen though, I don't see myself using this for anything more than viewing videos. The stand is held in place with a little magnet and it's spring-loaded, it pops out with a small bit of force (nothing crazy) and is held by the magnet just fine.
3. When faced down on a slick surface it doesn't slide around easily. The silicone holds it in place (might be a negative for some)
CONS:
1. I think Seidio made their silicone softer for some reason. I have an iFail 4 with one of the CONVERT cases and I was highly impressed with the quality of the silicone case (not the phone, but that's a different story/review). The silicone on that case just seemed to be a bit more 'firm', it did not slide off the sides/top nearly as easily as this case does. I also have a Nexus 7 with the ACTIVE case and I have the same complaint. I thought the smaller profile phone case would be better (since the Seidio cases for other tablets have the same complaints) but it's not. It comes off the top/bottom with barely any pressure. It goes right back into place of course, it doesn't come off the phone without removing the plastic back, but it's still annoying to me.
2. The kickstand does not work in portrait mode whatsoever. I personally don't care but I call it a con since I know quite a few people like to view in portrait mode.
The protection is there and I'm satisfied so far, much more than I was with a TPU case as far as protection/drop resistance goes, but the soft silicone annoys me a bit. I'm afraid that it'll stretch out like the Griffin case did on my wife's iPad 2 and sag after a few months. My wife also has a S4A, right now she has a Tudia Melody case and I was going to buy her one of these ACTIVE cases but I think I'll wait.
All in all I give it a 7/10. I'm just not confident in the silicone being so freakin soft and holding it's shape after a few months, especially for the $40 it cost me.
ETA Nov 26 2013: After a few weeks I have to downgrade my score to a 4/10. The power button is entirely too easy to press and hold while in my pocket, it's contently turning my screen on and it'll type in random pin codes OR hit the emergency contacts. If the power button is depressed for 10+ seconds it restarts the phone. Is been happening quite often while in the case and never while in my Supcase.
Also, while the silicone hasn't deformed or lost its shape the fact that the top and bottom slip off extremely easily bugs the crap out of me.
For an expensive 'rugged' case these flaws are extremely annoying, especially since the Supcase cost 10 bucks and does a better job. I really like the kick stand though!
Thanks for this detailed write up on the case! I too have one as well and I love it. I've always gone with the Active cases for all my phones, I love them. They always feel so solid and premium to me. As for the softness of the silicon, I don't think it will be an issue. I still have my S3 and it was always in an Active case as well, with lots and lots of use. I just compared the two and the softness seems identical to me. So I think it should hold up over time. It's definately my favorite case!
Good write-up! Thank you.
I've been wanting to get one of these cases, so this was timely running across your review.
Out of curiosity, how long have you had your Active case for the Nexus ? I've got one on mine that's probably 7 months old now, and I've noticed no "stretching" of the silicone liner, even with a lot of "on and off's" from my Nexus.
Maybe it's a variance between manufactured runs, but while I certainly wouldn't say that mine is "rigid", it's not really "soft" either.... in that I can't mar, or mark it with a fingernail or anything.
If it's the same for this case for the GS4A, then I'll be a happy camper.
I've only had the case on my Nexus since July and I haven't removed it at all. So far I'm impressed with it and I think it's a worthwhile case. It's a little overkill for what I use it for, a TPU case would probably work just fine, but I like the stand and the screen protection in case I need to throw it in a bag or something. As far as the review I might have been a little unclear about the N7 case... The silicon is less firm than the iPhone 4 case BUT after using it for the last couple months I think it'll be fine.
The S4A silicon is thinner and softer than the N7 case IMO. You know how the edges on our N7s comes off but you have to (more or less) consciously push it off? The S4A pops up/off with barely a touch. Since it's in/out of pockets quite a bit during the day I think it'll either wear out or get torn at the bottom. I'm not going to get rid of it or anything, I do believe the case will protect the S4A if dropped, but the softness of the silicon bugs me a little.
Thanks for the wonderful info...it was quite interesting one to go through it....
For what it's worth regarding the softness of the silicone. I had a galaxy note which is much larger than these phones with an active case on it for a year in heavy use daily and the only wear it ever showed is the matte finish on the back got shiny from all the handling. Silicone still looked like new with no tears. Many many hard drops on concrete where I worked and never any damage to phone.
Sent from my GT-I9295 using XDA Premium HD app
I can't find the case for SG4A on the vendor's web site.
http://www.seidio.com/active/
Where can I buy this?
Thank you!
chronos00 said:
I can't find the case for SG4A on the vendor's web site.
http://www.seidio.com/active/
Where can I buy this?
Thank you!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
http://www.seidioonline.com/seidio-Samsung-Galaxy-S4-Active-s/8911.htm
Looks like is now called DILEX instead of ACTIVE for the S4A.

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