The need for a low profile unobtrusive case is a struggle any smartphone user has to deal with. This where Seidio steps in and provides they very thing we’re looking for with their Surface line.
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The Surface is one of the many cases that Seidio makes for the Incredible 2/S. The surface is made from a hard durable plastic but has a soft coating to keep it feeling nice and soft in your hands. Seidio’s aim with the Surface is to provide protection without imposing on the phones overall size and they have definitely succeeded in that department.
As you can see the Surface is a two piece case that slides around your phone. A soft push on the back of the case detaches the latch allowing you to separate the case and slide it on your phone.The case has cut outs around the power button, usb port, volume buttons and head phone jack. On the back of the case you can see the cutouts for the camera, flash and external speaker. Where I think this case does well is by not having rubber coverings over the mentioned cut outs. Obviously a personal preference but I feel the rubber coverings make it more difficult to operate and use the phone.
The Surface fits snugly on the phone and as I mentioned does provide any extra bulk to an already sleek Incredible 2. In the picture you can see the low profile fit of the case around the outer edges of the phone. The soft coating on the phone makes it nice to hold and easy to get in and out of the pocket. This is great for those of us like to keep the phone in our pocket over a bag or belt clip.
Something to consider is that it is a little difficult to use the power button when the case is on. This is not the fault of the case as the power button is a low profile button which is not the easiest to use even without a case.
The Seidio Surface is everything I was looking for in a case: low profile, light and protective. I would highly recommend this to case to anyone with the same concerns.
Have you tried the belt clip? Do you know if you can mount the phone in the clip that comes in the combo with the face out? This is pretty important to me coming from the Eris with the seidio case where I could have it face-in or face-out. I like the face out so I can clip it to my dash and use it from there for navigation and music while driving.
Been a fan of seidio's slim cases for a while. Minimalistic, yet tough as nails. Much more my style than the Otterbox.
EDIT: Oh, and is there a hole for the noise cancellation mic?
I didn't get the belt clip so I can answer on that. If you go to their site there might be a picture showing you how the phone looks in the clip.
I believe there is a hole for noise cancellation mic. If this is the small hole on the bottom of the device then yes it's definitely there. The only holes that are covered are the ones on the back of the cover next to the camera lens and just below the bump in the cover where it says "Google"
The seidio site shows only the face-in, as it did for the Eris even though on the Eris I could flip it around. I am thinking that it might not work because the phone has the extra bulk on the back (unlike the Eris).
The noise cancellation mic is on the top of the phone (according to a review I read a while back. I don't have my DInc2 yet, just workin myself up to it)
Yes, the mic is exposed and not blocked by the case.
Great review -I thank you for this because it is making me think about getting it.
Is this the case that supposedly comes with a small kickstand type thing?
thenickisme said:
Great review -I thank you for this because it is making me think about getting it.
Is this the case that supposedly comes with a small kickstand type thing?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, there is no kickstand with the case. You might be thinking of the one that comes in the Verizon specific bundle.
Oh okay. That's right.
I am probably going to hold off on this and see what happens when HTC releases the inductive charging back cover for this phone.
I had the Seidio surface case on my original Dinc. I dropped the phone twice, first time no damage to the case or the phone, the second time I broke the case (it landed on a corner) but the phone was unharmed.
I was disappointed when Seidio didn't have a surface case for the Dinc2 but I jumped on it when they finally came out with it. I recommend this case!
I just wish Seidio would release a "surface case" for the 2150mah battery in the DInc2.
Anyone tried the active?... is it a lot bulkier?
efaden said:
Anyone tried the active?... is it a lot bulkier?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
From what I can tell with description and pictures it doesn't look to add too much bulk to the device.
Related
Just wanted to give a short review of a case I bought recently. From a company called Klemson from SC, made in China...
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Case-Free-S...Accessories&hash=item2a19d93b57#ht_1883wt_954
I was looking for a case that had a slim/tight fit and would be easy to slip in and out of pocket. I found that with this case. It comes with an attachment that acts as a belt clip and can also be used as a stand. The stand function adds more flexibility than the built in kick stand. It also comes with a screen protector.
I like the feel of the plastic and it seems very solid. It feels good in my hands and it certainly does slip in and out of my pocket with ease. It fits the Evo body very well, nothing looks slightly off here. I was using the basic otterbox case and I was getting tired of it pulling off in use due to the loose fit and sticky texture.
As far as negatives are concerned the case is not great if you want to protect every bit of the Evo, the top and bottom are pretty open to the elements. The power button is a little bit hard to get at. I use the volume buttons to wake the phone so it's not a huge deal to me. I imagine you could shave off a bit of the plastic surrounding it to make it easier to press. I wasn't able to get the screen protector on my phone without a ton of air bubbles. I didn't have this problem with the screen protector that came with my old otterbox case.
For $11 you can't really go wrong if you want a case that is barebones and thin. The extra belt clip attachment which also works as an adjustable stand is a nice addition.
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Neitmrh15 said:
Just wanted to give a short review of a case I bought recently. From a company called Klemson from SC, made in China...
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Case-Free-S...Accessories&hash=item2a19d93b57#ht_1883wt_954
I was looking for a case that had a slim/tight fit and would be easy to slip in and out of pocket. I found that with this case. It comes with an attachment that acts as a belt clip and can also be used as a stand. The stand function adds more flexibility than the built in kick stand. It also comes with a screen protector.
I like the feel of the plastic and it seems very solid. It feels good in my hands and it certainly does slip in and out of my pocket with ease. It fits the Evo body very well, nothing looks slightly off here. I was using the basic otterbox case and I was getting tired of it pulling off in use due to the loose fit and sticky texture.
As far as negatives are concerned the case is not great if you want to protect every bit of the Evo, the top and bottom are pretty open to the elements. The power button is a little bit hard to get at. I use the volume buttons to wake the phone so it's not a huge deal to me. I imagine you could shave off a bit of the plastic surrounding it to make it easier to press. I wasn't able to get the screen protector on my phone without a ton of air bubbles. I didn't have this problem with the screen protector that came with my old otterbox case.
For $11 you can't really go wrong if you want a case that is barebones and thin. The extra belt clip attachment which also works as an adjustable stand is a nice addition.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've also been using this case/holster for a couple of weeks now and its an ok case, aside from what you said about the power button its worth it specially the stand on the holster. It gives it more stability than the built-in one. I would give it 4/5 stars
it looks nice.
Just the other day the phone fell out of my pocket down to pavement, the phone and case came away totally unharmed.
Put a freaking shirt on u sick perv lol
Sent from my PC36100 using xda premium
So I just received my Otterbox Commuter Case. There are a couple things I don't like about it from the start. But we will go over that in a bit. I used my phone for these pictures, so sorry they aren't superbly awesome.
A couple pictures
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As far as height goes, I used my Performance MX Mouse for reference:
The feel of the case
Overall the case is sturdy, and doesn't feel flimsy. This is what Otterbox is known for however. It is a bit stiffer to get off the phone compared to the Ballistics case that Sprint tries to push out when they sell the phone.
The Silicone cover
The included silicone case is incredibly stiff. Does not feel like the TPU Case, or the Skeleton Fishbone casing at all. This also feels less likely to take an impact then the ballistics case, however, it doesn't let the phone slide around when you place it on a surface. The headphone cover and usb port cover are a nice included package, but rather useless if you don't use the harder plastic cover as well.
One of the biggest shortcomings for me, and this may change with usage, is that the volume rocker and power buttons, feel almost impossible to press. If there wasn't an optical display letting me know if the screen display was on or off, or if the volume was being raised or lowered I would be hard pressed to know if the buttons were actually working. When pressing the volume rocker, it feels like it isn't lined up with the physical buttons at all, almost as if it is slipping.
Polycarbonate Cover
It is definitely sturdy and firm. I only have a couple problems with this and they are relatively minor. If I put the case down with the polycarbonate cover towards the surface, the phone slides around quite easily. Some softer material, in addition to the hard case, would have been nice on the back just to keep it from moving.
The other small thing, is that they put a bit of "bumper space" on the speaker phone hole. Which offsets the balance of the case. I can lightly push on the left side of the phone and make it off balance. If they had put these bumper spaces in a straight even line, then this would resolve that issue.
My past cases
It would take some more time to give it an adequate review, but that is just my first glance review. I work in a manufacturing and chemical plant, so it will be interesting to see how the case holds up to the environment.
Just got mine today and I definetly agree with you for the most part. The most annoying thing is that the buttons are a little hard to press. Coming from the Trident Aegis I definetly feel the difference. Its a good case but I expected more.
Send from my Galaxy SII Epic Touch
I was about to buy this but I decided to buy the Trident Aegis instead. Saved me $10 and I'm liking the Aegis a lot, asides from the fact that my phone is pretty bulky now. Oh well.
Agreed about the buttons. I got the top tier case, and the poly carbon case has huge rivets to clip to the belt clip I don't use so they're a pain too. Most secondarily wish they could've made it more water resistant. It doubles the size of the phone, so there's some frustration there too but I kind of enjoy adding some weight to it. I stuck a fly grip on it too so I'm starting to feel little Trans-humanist
Over all though my arguments are range trivial. I'm pretty happy knowing my baby can take the kind of abuse my electronics fear me for.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using XDA
Well, after a while of using it... GOD DAMN is it slippery. I feel like it is incredibly awkward to hold.
GH0 said:
Well, after a while of using it... GOD DAMN is it slippery. I feel like it is incredibly awkward to hold.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Exactly. Went back to my Trident.
Get the Otterbox Defender Case. Works fine for me. Especially working in a kitchen.
I've disliked the Commuter since the days of having it on my HTC Inspire 4G. Very slippery and build quality does not compare to the Case-Mate Tough. It picks up a lot of lint/dust, the volume rockers are difficult to use, and the outer shell started cracking after a few months.
I'm very happy with my Tough but getting bored with the black on black so I just ordered a blue Trident Aegis to add some color to my case selection.
Transmission sent from a Galaxy S II, CODENAME style.
Yeah, I put a RMA/Return request to the seller to ask for my money back. Funny thing he is out till the 15th. Very close to the day that my return time period ends. I copied all the stuff though, so if he refuses it, paypal complaint will be incoming
This is review of Seidio SURFACE (also sold as Best Buy Platinum) case and 2 sets of holsters (for the case and the naked phone): http://www.seidioonline.com/samsung-galaxy-s4-surface-case-holster-black-p/bd2-hr3ssgs4-bk.htm
For anybody who is familiar with my Note 2 reviews (link in the sig), I'm starting a new review cycle with S4 cases. Since I don't have S4 yet, I'm using a display 1:1 scale model which is a carbon copy of the original S4. Once S4 will become available on Verizon, I might consider switching to a real thing. But rest assure, details of my S4 case reviews will be on par with my other N2 and N7 reviews Seidio SURFACE case is also offered at Best Buy as Platinum, so any mentioning of SURFACE will also refer to Platinum.
For those of you who are not familiar with SURFACE from Seidio it's one of their slimmest cases. Often people look for thin plastic cases to improve the grip and to protect battery cover from scratches. This case offers all that and a number of additional bonuses such as hard plastic PC material that surrounds all the edges of the phone, felt inner lining to protect your battery cover from scratching inside of the case and offering an extra cushion, and soft touch outer finish with multiple anti-scratch layers that will keep the original color looking fresh and will protect case from scratching while also offering anti-slippery grip. The design consists of two interconnecting halves that firmly house the phone with a very tight secure fit. Once both halves slide in and get connected, it's not that easy to unlock it which should give you a good piece of mind that a case will stay intact if you drop it. There is no issue putting the phone down on its screen since the case offers an acceptable lip to keep it off the surface. The case also comes with a very unique magnetic kickstand which I can confirm from my experience with N2 does NOT interfere with phone's functionality. One thing to mention, this kickstand offers only landscape support. Every cutout is precise, and you get a perfectly aligned opening for all the controls, ports, speakers, camera and flash. The actual cutout for volume/power has a direct access to the physical phone buttons and makes it very easy to reach them without accidental pushing since buttons will be recessed. SURFACE slides easily in/out of the pocket, and the finish keeps it lint free.
For those who prefer to carry your S4 on a belt, SURFACE has an available holster which I always consider in a class of its own. Beside felt liner to keep screen of the phone from scratching, it offers a very unique spring loaded latch mechanism to keep phone secure without sliding out and still giving you an access for a quick release whenever you need to take it out. The belt clip is heavy duty and offers a nice spring design. It is also can be rotated in up to seven latched directions. To my surprise, in addition to a holster for SURFACE case, Seidio released another holster specific to a naked S4 without any case on. I guess they heard enough of customer feedback from those who prefer slim form factor of the phone and have a good insurance to dare carrying their phone without a case This additional holster fits S4 like a glove and offers exactly the same design as SURFACE holster but slightly scaled down. This holster is available as a separate purchase from their website.
Overall, SURFACE is one great case for anybody who prefers to keep a slim form factor of their case and still needs a decent protection for their phone. With a bonus of kickstand and selection of vibrant colors (the one I got is royal blue - looks awesome with white S4!!!), this makes it one of the top choices for S4. Also, you have to keep in mind one of the biggest BONUSES of this case. You can always upgrade it with CONVERT add-on kit from Seidio to turn SURFACE into a Super rugged case the rivals in protection with the likes of Defender and others. That way you will always have a choice to either go with slimmer case for everyday use or a more rugged outfit with CONVERT protection.
Here is for your enjoyment the pictures:
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Thanks for the pictures! One question I have is that because the kickstand apparatus is not completely flush with the rest of the case, when you put the phone on a table with the screen facing upwards and tap on the screen like normal, does the phone/case move or rock at all from side to side or top to bootm? Or is it steady?
Marty said:
Thanks for the pictures! One question I have is that because the kickstand apparatus is not completely flush with the rest of the case, when you put the phone on a table with the screen facing upwards and tap on the screen like normal, does the phone/case move or rock at all from side to side or top to bootm? Or is it steady?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It will not wobble on the "surface" face up because kickstand is placed across rather than along the case. Some other cheap ebay designs have it placed vertically which creates that side-to-side wobbling as you mentioned. This seems to be stable, and the metal part of the kickstand doesn't even make a contact with a surface (its recessed). So you have rubbery part of the case and bezel around kickstand cavity making a non-slippery contact with a surface.
This is a Review of UAG Folio case for Galaxy S5. http://www.urbanarmorgear.com/products/galaxy-s5-folio-case-red
I have reviewed a number of different "folio" cases in the past for various phones, but I never end up using one. The problem is that most of these cases are either too slim and offer no drop protection in favor of scratch protection, or they have annoying flapping cover that doesn't stay latched, or have front cover storage that bulks up the case and puts a pressure on the screen. Either way, it wasn't my cup of tea though I know a lot of people do prefer these. Furthermore, while being a fan of UAG cases I know they like to play it safe with their signature fused double layer open face design. So you can imagine my surprise when I heard they are introducing a folio case! Now, after I got a chance to test it out, I can tel you with certainty - these guys just reinvented the wheel!
The first thing you notice out of the box is a soft textured feel of this case. Referred to as "frogskin technology", they used some kind of a proprietary rubberized material with a non-slip grip where according to UAG it maintains grip even in wet and slippery conditions. Once you flip the cover open, the next surprise is a pocket under the cover with a room enough to hold 3 credit cards, including driver license, and a few money bills. The inside of the pocket has a textured synthetic lining which makes it easy to slide the cards out, and the middle of the pocket has a cutout for your thumb to push them out. Every detail of this design is very well thought of, including a padded cover with suede finish that won't scratch or put a pressure on the screen. And to top it off, front cover has a flap with a secure magnetic latch to keep it closed.
As I mentioned above, one of the big problems with a folio cases is not enough security to hold the phone and lack of general protection if you drop it. Some cases barely even hold your phone at the corners while others glue a cheap tpu or plastic case to the back cover. Here you have a fully functional high quality case with a folio cover attached to it. This portion of the case resembles a regular UAG case with a similar fused dual layer design and inner honeycomb impact resistant layer, but instead of a hard shell it uses soft rubberized "frogskin" finish. You still get a great level of protection while holding it securely inside and an easy way to take the phone out when need it. Also, just like with a regular UAG case, you get power and volume up/down buttons covered and with a great tactile response when pushed. All the ports are very generously open at the top and the bottom of the phone, and you get a precise speaker and camera/flash cutout on the back. The front cover has a cutout around front speaker area at the top so you can carry on a phone conversation with cover closed.
Overall, I think this is a first folio case that I'm going to use with our Galaxy S5 whenever I decide to keep the wallet at home and just take the phone and keys along with it. It offers a great storage functionality, a high quality exterior finish, an access to all the ports and buttons, and the same high level of protection I have come to expect from their regular cases. As a matter of fact, I was so impressed with this case that I wish UAG will make a special version without a front cover, and hopefully for Note 4 as well!
Here are the pictures.
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This is a Review of UAG Folio case for Galaxy S6. http://www.urbanarmorgear.com/products/galaxy-s6-folio-black, available on amazon: http://www.amazon.com/URBAN-ARMOR-GEAR-Samsung-Galaxy/dp/B00SXFEAB4/
I have reviewed a number of different "folio" cases in the past for various phones, but I never end up using one. The problem is that most of these cases are either too slim with hardly any drop protection in favor of scratch protection, or they have annoying flapping cover that doesn't stay latched, or have front cover storage that bulks up the case and puts a pressure on the screen. Either way, it wasn't my cup of tea though I know a lot of people do prefer these. Furthermore, while being a fan of UAG cases I know they like to play it safe with their signature fused double layer open face design. So you can imagine my surprise when they introduced and I got a chance to test their S5 Folio case last year. Now, on their 2nd gen, they re-introduced Folio case for S6 model with an updated design. Here is what I found.
The first thing you notice out of the box is a soft textured feel of this case. Referred to as "frogskin technology" grip, they use a proprietary rubberized material with a non-slip grip where according to UAG it maintains grip even in wet and slippery conditions. Once you flip the cover open, unlike S5 Folio case, you are no longer presented with a pocket under the cover. The inside has a padded cover with suede finish that won't scratch or put a pressure on the screen. The front cover has a very narrow tab with a magnetic latch on the side to keep it closed. I do have to mention that once magnetically “latched”, the cover is securely closed but I had to align it with a magnet every time I closed it. That narrow tab is “too narrow” to close with a casual flip, so it requires just a little bit of effort to make sure it’s aligned.
So where did a pocket for credit cards disappeared? Like a magician case with a secret trap door, there is a velcro strip to flip the cover flap and to reveal a secret pocket in the back where you can place up to 3 credit cards. At first I was on a fence if I like this solution or not. It is very original, and it keeps the case slim (relatively speaking) without bulging cover where you usually store your cards/money. Here, you won’t be able to put money bills, but 3 credit cards (or combination with a driver license) fit perfectly and easy to slide out. I think it’s a really cool idea!
As I mentioned above, one of the big problems with a folio cases is not enough security to hold the phone and lack of general protection if you drop it. Some cases barely even hold your phone at the corners while others glue a cheap tpu or plastic case to the back cover. Here you have a fully functional high quality case with a folio cover on top of it. This portion of the case resembles a regular UAG case with a similar fused dual layer design and inner honeycomb impact resistant layer, but instead of a hard shell it uses soft rubberized "frogskin" finish. You still get a great level of protection while holding it securely inside and an easy way to take the phone out when need it. You even get a secret hidden pocket for a spare SIM card storage. Also, just like with a regular UAG case, you get power and volume up/down buttons covered and a great tactile response when pressed. All the ports are generously open at the top and the bottom of the phone, and you get a precise camera/flash/sensor cutout on the back. The front cover has a cutout around front speaker area at the top so you can carry on a phone conversation with a cover closed.
Overall, I think this is among few folio cases that I find to be all in one stylish, practical, and not too bulky whenever someone decides to keep their wallet at home and just take the phone and keys along with a case. It offers hidden storage functionality, high quality exterior finish, access to all the ports and buttons, and the same high level of protection I have come to expect from their regular cases. After all, it is still tested to meet military drop-test standard (MIL STD 810G 516). Also, the case is available in Black or Red exterior color.
Here are the pictures.
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