I just received this skin for my Evo:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=400129173520
1. Way thinner than the HTC silicon rubber case
2. Somewhere between hard plastic and soft silicone. Think vinyl but stiffer.
3. Definitely not as shock absorbent
4. The skin extends up past the face of the phone about 1.5mm, so if you set the phone face down it won't touch the surface
5. It does not wrap around the face of the phone at all, which I like -- it gives you touch access to the entire touch screen surface, as opposed to the HTC silicone rubber skin. It's much easier to reach the edges of the touch screen, like using the phone naked
6. The top of the camera lens protrudes slightly from the back of the case. However, due to the curvature of the phone, when resting back-down on a table, the lens doesn't actually contact the surface by a small gap, .5mm at best
7. The argyle pattern on the back is very subtle
8. All the cutouts line up properly. The cutouts are rather large however; for example, the diameter of the cutout for the speaker hole is probably 5mm which is a bit excessive.
9. The skin is not tacky at all, it slips in and out of the pocket with ease and doesn't attract lint. However it's more slick and less grippy, so it won't stay put on your dashboard for example.
10. It's snug but not super snug, like it's not skintight.
11. For some reason there is a cutout for the backplate nail groove
is there a non-argyle version?
Looks like a white-label Amzer case:
http://www.amzer.com/Amzer-Luxe-Argyle-Skin-Case-Smoke-Grey-P88260.htm
How does the product you have compare to the looks of that one?? Pretty much the same? I have been debating over one of these cases for a while now. Tried a lot of them out so far and havent found "the one"
i just dont want something that adds too much bulk! lol if i wasnt affraid of destroying the phone i would just let it go naked, but thats just too risky.
frettfreak said:
How does the product you have compare to the looks of that one?? Pretty much the same?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well it doesn't say amzer anywhere on it or the packaging, and the amzer picture is a little different. There is one big cutout for the flash leds, camera, and speaker on the back. However the amzer picture might just be a photoshop mockup, and perhaps they are in fact the same.
If you want some protection without bulk and inconvenience, I recommend this case. It isn't quite as protective as the thicker silicon cases in terms of shock absorption, but it will protect against scratches and abrasions without sticking to your pocket or attracting lint.
I wasn't able to find one without the argyle print, but like I said, it's pretty subtle. If you wait, you can get one of the case-mate ones which I'm sure are higher quality.
just noticed the epik cases are out on ebay, only like 3.49 with free shipping! looks like it has individual cutouts for the led flash, camera, and speakerphone. i had to get one at that price, smoky black no pattern:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&Item=300440215923
Just received my Epik case --
Now I have 3 different cases:
1. Sprint retail OEM silicone skin
2. Smoke argyle pattern TPU skin
3. (new) Black Epik TPU skin
Here are my impressions of the Epik TPU:
* The skin is thicker, softer, and tackier than the argyle skin, but less thick, soft and tacky than the silicone skin. I'd say it's right in the middle on all 3 accounts.
* The thickness fully recesses the camera lens
* Easy to get in/out of the pocket, doesn't attract dust/lint
* The color is not really black but more of a dark smoke color
* There are 3 individual cutouts for the components on the back
* There is no silly cutout for the battery cover nail groove
* The skin extends in over the bezel further than the argyle TPU, covering the screen seams
* The mic cutout is smaller than the argyle's
* The power and volume buttons stand out further than the argyle's, making them easier to find by touch
I definitely prefer this skin to the others. IMO, it provides the best tradeoff in terms of protection, looks and bulk.
catpunt said:
Just received my Epik case --
Now I have 3 different cases:
1. Sprint retail OEM silicone skin
2. Smoke argyle pattern TPU skin
3. (new) Black Epik TPU skin
Here are my impressions of the Epik TPU:
* The skin is thicker, softer, and tackier than the argyle skin, but less thick, soft and tacky than the silicone skin. I'd say it's right in the middle on all 3 accounts.
* The thickness fully recesses the camera lens
* Easy to get in/out of the pocket, doesn't attract dust/lint
* The color is not really black but more of a dark smoke color
* There are 3 individual cutouts for the components on the back
* There is no silly cutout for the battery cover nail groove
* The skin extends in over the bezel further than the argyle TPU, covering the screen seams
* The mic cutout is smaller than the argyle's
* The power and volume buttons stand out further than the argyle's, making them easier to find by touch
I definitely prefer this skin to the others. IMO, it provides the best tradeoff in terms of protection, looks and bulk.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Bought the argyle verison skin on ebay...then the non patterned ones. Been an epik case lover for ages...Well I tell you the ebay non patterned skins and the epik cases come in the same packaging. Note the original epik cases didnt come in retail packaging. When I emailed the seller he confirmed that they could sold by other ebay sellers too....hmmmm
frettfreak said:
Looks like a white-label Amzer case:
http://www.amzer.com/Amzer-Luxe-Argyle-Skin-Case-Smoke-Grey-P88260.htm
How does the product you have compare to the looks of that one?? Pretty much the same? I have been debating over one of these cases for a while now. Tried a lot of them out so far and havent found "the one"
i just dont want something that adds too much bulk! lol if i wasnt affraid of destroying the phone i would just let it go naked, but thats just too risky.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I feel the same about the bulk. I like what people have been doing for the iPhone and skinning it which leaves it thin and adds a small layer of protection to it. I think the EVO could benefit from the same. (just my personal thoughts on the matter).
catpunt said:
Just received my Epik case --
Now I have 3 different cases:
1. Sprint retail OEM silicone skin
2. Smoke argyle pattern TPU skin
3. (new) Black Epik TPU skin
Here are my impressions of the Epik TPU:
* The skin is thicker, softer, and tackier than the argyle skin, but less thick, soft and tacky than the silicone skin. I'd say it's right in the middle on all 3 accounts.
* The thickness fully recesses the camera lens
* Easy to get in/out of the pocket, doesn't attract dust/lint
* The color is not really black but more of a dark smoke color
* There are 3 individual cutouts for the components on the back
* There is no silly cutout for the battery cover nail groove
* The skin extends in over the bezel further than the argyle TPU, covering the screen seams
* The mic cutout is smaller than the argyle's
* The power and volume buttons stand out further than the argyle's, making them easier to find by touch
I definitely prefer this skin to the others. IMO, it provides the best tradeoff in terms of protection, looks and bulk.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just got that same Argyle case in the mail today and have the Epik one on order as well. The Argyle looks pretty nice, but the lip that extends past the screen is bugging me some. I guess I will get use to it. Does the Epik have the same lip or is it more flattened out?
catpunt said:
Just received my Epik case --
Now I have 3 different cases:
1. Sprint retail OEM silicone skin
2. Smoke argyle pattern TPU skin
3. (new) Black Epik TPU skin
Here are my impressions of the Epik TPU:
* The skin is thicker, softer, and tackier than the argyle skin, but less thick, soft and tacky than the silicone skin. I'd say it's right in the middle on all 3 accounts.
* The thickness fully recesses the camera lens
* Easy to get in/out of the pocket, doesn't attract dust/lint
* The color is not really black but more of a dark smoke color
* There are 3 individual cutouts for the components on the back
* There is no silly cutout for the battery cover nail groove
* The skin extends in over the bezel further than the argyle TPU, covering the screen seams
* The mic cutout is smaller than the argyle's
* The power and volume buttons stand out further than the argyle's, making them easier to find by touch
I definitely prefer this skin to the others. IMO, it provides the best tradeoff in terms of protection, looks and bulk.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
pretty interested in this case, any chance you could post any pics of it since they dont have any in the ebay listing?
catpunt said:
Well it doesn't say amzer anywhere on it or the packaging, and the amzer picture is a little different. There is one big cutout for the flash leds, camera, and speaker on the back. However the amzer picture might just be a photoshop mockup, and perhaps they are in fact the same.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just for the record, it does seem like a photosphop mockup (coloring wise) but the shape of the cutouts on the Amzer page is accurate. I got the Amzer Argyle skin off Amazon, took FOREVER to ship and then like 2-3 weeks to get here once it shipped but I'm pretty pleased with it. I'm pretty darn sure that the Amzer Argyle skins and the Epik TPU cases (along w/a couple other plain TPU cases on Ebay) share the same mold, based on the comparison/description that catpunt posted above.
My Amzer skin also recesses the lens (just enough to protect it) and also extends just past the screen seams. Anyway, I'll be able to confirm just how close the two skins are (Amzer/Epik) in a few days, I ordered a couple of Epik ones as well from DCMugen on Ebay. $7.50 for a red and a black + a screen protector and a cleaning wipe, why the heck not?
I ordered the Epik one even tho I already have the Amzer one for two reasons... Number one, I want to see how they look w/a clear battery door, showing off the phone's red internals thru the case. I can do that w/Amzer's but it might look too busy, even tho I actually don't mind the Argyle pattern. It's VERY subdued and nowhere near as prominent as it is on Amzer's site. I'll post some comparison pics once I've got all three cases in my hands.
The other reason I ordered the Epik one in red and black is the coloring or tint on the Amzer one... On the back it seems pretty black/grey, as you'd expect, but around the side edges it's a bit off... Has a bit of a brown tint to it, maybe a mix of amber and black. It doesn't look bad, just a tiny bit off. The Epik case looks to be a truer shade of smoke black all around (and the red looks pretty close to the EVO's red details). I think Amzer's oddity might be a function of the Argyle pattern, it's sort of etched on the inside. It might affect the coloring somehow.
In the end, these are all probably coming from the same source, except for the Argyle batches on Ebay w/those odd cutouts, the large single cutout for LED/camera/speaker and that weird one for the fingernail hole on the battery lid. Like I said, I'll post pics when I get my Amzer ones. I'm surprised that there's like no pics whatsoever out there of how the red one looks ON the phone.
In summary, Amzer Argyle != Ebay Argyle, Amzer's skin seems to be higher quality, definitely sourced from a different place. Amzer's colors are way off on their pics tho, the colors are closer to what the other Argyle skins look like, tho there seems to be some variation on the black/smoked one.
Overall I'm loving these TPU skin/cases tho... They blow the silicon ones out of the water. My silicon case didn't catch the inside of my pockets that much, but enough to be a bother, these slip out super easy but they've still got very good grip on your hand (perhaps better than silicon even). They also don't attract dust/lint AT ALL, my silicon case would develop this crusty line of crap along the screen edges within just a day of cleaning it, was pretty irritating.
Finally, as others have said, they feel way more svelte on your hand than the HTC/OEM silicon case... I don't know if it's the way the corners are rounded off or what, but it's a big difference in feel (altho probably not a huge difference in reality, they're thinner but not THAT much thinner). Oh and they're much more rigid/tight around the phone, the edges around the screen don't flop out, AT ALL... On silicon cases after a few weeks (or even when they're brand new) you can stretch 'em pretty easily by just flicking at it or if your thumb slips off screen... Not so with these.
TPU >>>>>>>>>>> silicon
You guys are aware that there is a person on this board selling TPU cases right?
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=719527
And they are nice, got 4 of them for 19 dollars, shipping included.
Quick bit of take to make the button mashing easier and they are perfect.
catpunt said:
just noticed the epik cases are out on ebay, only like 3.49 with free shipping! looks like it has individual cutouts for the led flash, camera, and speakerphone. i had to get one at that price, smoky black no pattern:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&Item=300440215923
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I bought an Epik. Hate it. So far the best TPU case I've found is the one in the "Evo TPU Cases available" thread. It's clear, and the back is a matte finish. The Epik is super thick and bows out on the sides.
So I purchased this case off ebay- its from a korean store. Not much regarding the store or the company the case is made by: Neim
I was looking for a high quality, nice looking with features to set it apart but also to protect the phone.
It is made out of genuine leather, dark navy blue and yellow accent latch (which is magnetic) and yellow CC/license (3) holder inside, which allows you to hold cash. There are 2 cut outs for camera/led flash and speaker.
The interior is lined in felt. The case portion where the phone sits in is plastic but that rubbery smooth texture. The top and bottom (on sides) are what clips the phone to stay in. I wish the top corners were covered like the bottom is. All buttons and ports are easily accessible. The phone though is very tightly secured.
The case can be opened and used as a stand in landscape. its quite sturdy and stays in place.
An added bonus which I liked was the included matte finish screen protector. It was easy to apply. I like it cause there are little/no finger prints.
Overall I like the case. It does add bulk to the phone, which I dont mind.
2 pictures uploaded. Will take HD pictures and video when i have some time
Looks pretty neat.
Hi guys,
so I'm almost a G4 owner now and I'm trying to find some protection for the new baby. Circle case with wireless charging has caught my eye and I would like to know, if it offers any other protection rather than the screen? Is there any kind of a bezel regarding the corners and sides? I'm not looking for a strong drop protection, I just want to know, that if something goes wrong, the case is what takes the impact first.
Have a nice day.
From what I have seen in pictures:
It's basically the same plastic back (or is it leather), and it replaces the battery cover.
It offers 0 bumb protection.
There is a cutout in the plastic through which the leather strip is attached that connects the flip cover.
It has a flip that offers some scratch protection, just not in that circular cut-out obviously.
The quick circle does not seem that useful, so I just opted for a battery cover with a Qi sticker in it.
still waiting for delivery on it, but even if the contacts dont line up perfectly it should be easy to correct minor alignment issues.
Most people on here are probably very familiar with DBrand by now. I think their quality speaks for themselves at this point. i've started using their skin since my galaxy s7, then lg g5, lg g6 and now pixel 2 xl. When you purchase a back skin for the pixel 2 XL , it comes with both the precision fit and standard fit. The logo comes with 9 pieces so if you mess up during the application or if they come off down the road, there are backups. I tried both the precision fit and the standard fit in 2 different color combinations and I will go through each.
Precision fit for the back in hyperblack titanium (metal series) with copper (metal series) logo
Installation:
Pain in the butt, time consuming. My first time using this and it was annoying to apply. You start from the bottom by lining up the usb port. The cut outs are, as the name states, precise. However, the skin was a little short up top so I had to stretch it quite a bit to make it fit better. The precision fit wraps the entire back, including the sides and the corners. Again, I had to stretch the tabs that goes around the corners a little bit to make the fit better and it was concerning because I was afraid I would rip off the corner tabs as I was stretching them. However, as you can see it was OK. I used a hairdryer in the end to heat up the sides and corners to smooth them out. The installation of the logo was easy, i used a pair of tweezers to apply it and the fit was perfect. The whole process took around 25 minutes for me.
Quality:
This texture, as the name states, is metal. you can feel the lines that make the metal texture/pattern as you run your fingers across it. It definitely provides a bit more grip to the back of the phone. The skin will protect the phone from scratches, but because it has some thickness to it as well, I think it will protect the phone from potential minor dents.
Case friendly? No. I tried it with Zeking Ultra Slim TPU case, the Crave SLIM Guard Protection Series Case, the Rhinoshield Crashguard and the Rhionshield SolidSuit. They all took the corner tabs along with it as I removed the case. This makes me wonder how long will those corners actually last as you take it in and out of pockets. And because i have a drone and to put it in the phone holder of the remote would require the case to be removed, I had to move on to the standard fit skin.
Price: $10.95 USD for the back skin (includes precision fit and standard fit) and the logo
Standard fit for the back in matte black (matte series) with yellow (true color series) logo and glass skin
Installation:
A breeze. Lined it up from the top where the camera and flash modules are and go from there. I had to stretch it a little bit near the bottom but it was easy. Again, used a hairdryer in the end to heat up the sides and corners to smooth them out. The installation of the logo was easy, I used a pair of tweezers to apply it and the fit was perfect. And the skin for the glass portion (where the camera and flash modules are) simply goes on top of the back skin. The whole process took less than 10 minutes for me.
Quality:
The matte skin feels smoother than the true color and metal series. Feels almost the same as the back of the phone without the skin. Unlike the true color or metal series, I don't think the matte will provide more grip. The skin will protect the phone from scratches but because it has some thickness to it as well, I think it will protect the phone from potential minor dents.
Case friendly? Yes. Tried it with the 4 cases mentioned above, and all were fine.
Price: $14.85 USD for the back skin (includes precision fit and standard fit), logo and glass skin.
Overall:
Good quality, not so easy to install for the precision fit, but a breeze for the standard fit. However, it is pricey. Comes out to around $33 CAD after conversion (free shipping if you buy over $20 USD) about $16 CAD a set. For clumsy people like myself and with my luck, I will likely drop the phone at some point when it just so happens to be out of the case therefore it's worth it for another layer of protection.
Received my Spigen Hybrid case today. Hated it at first, but after some modifications I think it's a keeper.
My issue with the case was twofold:
1. It wouldn't stay on securely, even with the adhesive tabs Spigen put here and there around the inner frames.
2. The lefthand plastic border on front screen moves around, as it is not attached in any manner.
So, I got creative...
I used some clear window insulator tape (Scotch brand) and cut it in strips to add along the inner frame of both front and back of case. Also added one long strip to the front case left edge to keep it from moving around.
It's nice and snug now. You can notice the tape underneath the front frame border...I think I may try putting my dbrand skin over it, or perhaps I'll finagle something else along those lines so it can't be seen. (updated: yes vinyl worked to hide it)
The case is pretty light, definitely durable. Makes the phone chunkier for sure. I can live with it though.
**I also received my CaseMate (the T-Mobile one) today. Hated it. First of all, that rubber hinge cover drove me nuts! All floppy and bunched up while Fold is open. The screen protector on front case had paint overlap from the bezel that I needed to literally scrape off. I did MacGyver that one too...cut the hinge cover right the eff off. It's mediocre at best regardless.
***Added Pics of modified CaseMate Case - removed hinge cover, removed cheapo included screen protector, added same adhesive tape to make it snug and secure. I may actually prefer the feel of this case over the Spigen Hybrid!
****OK, added some vinyl to the Spigen. It covers up the tape perfectly...also covered the metal plate on back that I use for magnetic mounts at home and in car.