Smartphones these days are not only “smart,” but extremely thin. Why cover up a thin phone with a bulky case when you can rock the phone naked? For protection of course. But maybe you’re one of those people who want protection while maintaining a sleek profile. Thanks to companies like SlickWraps, you can now enhance both the looks and protection of your Samsung Galaxy S III. Today, I’ll be covering the Blue Carbon Fiber Skins by SlickWraps. Retailing for a measly $19.95, the Carbon Fiber Series Skins come in 7 different carbon fiber patterned colors and offer near full body protection. Read all about them after the break.
Video Review
Installation
I’ve tried carbon fiber vinyls like these for other devices(i.e: iPhone 4), and they were simply fantastic. Whether it be installation or looks, they just worked. I can’t say that at all for the Carbon Fiber skins from SlickWraps for the Galaxy S III. Installing these was not only challenging, but mind wrecking. I’m not really OCD, but I like things to look good if possible. I tried my best to install the skins perfectly, but I found out they weren’t 100% accurately cut like they say. As a result, I had issues getting a perfect installation done. When I had some things perfectly aligned, the skin was disproportionate in another area. I watched all the tutorials and nothing! On the installation video, SlickWraps used a Pebble Blue S3 and the same Blue Carbon Skin. Because blue and black blend well with each other, imperfections aren’t easily noticed. With the Marble White S3, however, the blue carbon fiber contrasted well with the white. Since this is the case, any imperfections stood out. Even after having read all instructions, at the end, I realized that installing these perfectly is simply impossible. It may just be that the Galaxy S III specifically is a bit harder to design for when it comes to skins.
Protection
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The skins give an almost full body coverage. Unfortunately, the side pieces don’t go all the way up around the chrome top or bottom of the phone. I don’t know why they decided to this, but this leaves the areas most likely to be dropped on, unexposed. A phone, if dropped, usually lands on the corners, but the fact that they’re exposed is not great protection wise at all whatsoever. Also, these skins are relatively thin. Meaning, shock protection is nonexistent. The only protection you’ll be getting with these skins is basic scratch protection on the areas it covers.
Modifications
I made some modifications to the back portion of the skin. When the cutouts for the camera, led flash, and speakers were aligned, the skin was unbalanced. To remedy the issue, I used some little scissors to trim a bit of the skin around the edges. I also took the side pieces off because they didn’t align or match well with the back and front piece at all. Having done these two mods, the phone looked much better than previously. If you’re coinsidering buying a set of SlickWraps for the S3, taking some modifications like I did, may improve your experience.
Sensor Issues
As I said before, the cutouts aren’t perfect. When one cutout is aligned, another one may not be. On the front skin, when everything is fully aligned, the sensors are not. A little portion of the skin will cover the sensors, so using the phone during a call will be an annoying experience. If you need to press speaker or use your phone at all, you won’t be able to. The screen is pitch black until your phone call ends. Also, you can’t end it yourself…
Design
I absolutely love how these look despite its flaws. Carbon Fiber just looks great and adds a nice touch to any device in my opinion. Specifically, the carbon fiber in blue just looks sparking. Literally. When the surface of the skin hits a light source, it shines and looks phenomenal. The patterns just strike at you. Overall, the skins look great.
Conclusion
After taking everything about these skins into consideration, I really can’t recommend them. If you wouldn’t mind making some mods like I did, it’ll become much more usable. But honestly, they are more hassle than pleasure. For $20, you’d be better off getting a functional case, even if bulk may not be your thing.
the edges and cutout shape of the back look terrible. especially the bottom.
dLo GSR said:
the edges and cutout shape of the back look terrible. especially the bottom.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Keep in mind, I did do some slight cutting to the back piece around the edges. Normally, it'll go all the way to the sides. I found them to be too long so that's why I decided to cut it.
That cutout alignment is unfortunate
man that looks horrible to tell you the truth. I think its a waste of money, just go with a case and a colored screen protector.
ugly.
front looks nice. but back no
Sent from xda premium powered by GT-I9300
It's just 3m dinoc cut to a template...not worth $20 and most likely not going to protect the phone.
That looks so retarded, disgusting,
iCarbon it is.
Sent from my BAKED SIII
Yea, iCarbon looks a lot better. Just wondering what bumpers would go well with that as the frame is still exposed.
Related
Today i received the case and again i want so share some thoughts about it.
(let me say it right here: this is the best case ive seen so far and i can recommend it to everyone that is searching for a very slim case with considerable protection)
ORDER
i ordered the case from Obostore. it took 7 days for shipping...quite good for free international shipping. they also give discount if you order several pieces.
MATERIAL
i expected some regular plastic case but actually it is something i would describe as rubberized plastic.
makes the phone definitively way less slippery.
as far as i can tell it doesn't attract dust.
FIT
it fits perfectly and the cutouts on the side are made well. the phone fits very tight and doesn't move in the case (like in the zenus skin air jacket i reviewed some pages ago)
PROTECTION
if you are searching for an everyday-protection against scratches and some little drops this case should be your choice.
as you can see on the pictures the top and bottom of the phone are not covered by the plastic.
but that doesn't bother me because (unlike the samsung mesh-case) it fully covers the corners of the phone.
so if it drops on flat ground it will be fully protected. (not from great hight of course)
quite hard to explain but i tried to show it to you in the pictures below.
i tilted the phone to 45° and then take a shot that is showing that there is still some space between phone and surface (light coming through).
the camera is also covered very good so no scratches should get on it.
SCREEN PROTECTOR
the case came with a free screen protector from nillkin. i don't have any reference but i think its pretty good.
(although i messed it up by having a little airbubble in the down right corner. my fault.... )
CONCLUSION
this is by far the best case i have seen or used so far.
sure there are some cases with better protection but in my opinion they often add too much bulk and mess with the great look an slimness of the phone.
so i can fully recommend this case to you!
(if you liked this review please show by hitting the thanks-button)
(and sorry again for the bad picture-quality )
PICTURES
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I also have one, and am very happy with it, but they seem to have a minor design flaw.
Doesn't really affect the usability of the case, hell, I didn't even notice it until someone on another forum pointed it out, and I doubt I ever would have if they hadn't.
what flaw are you talking about?
(although it may be better if you never tell me )
1 of the sides did not flush well with the phone when facing up.
Looks like the cutting is slightly off will gradual abscess from top going to the bottom.
Its pretty obvious if u see it at an angle.
Only seems to be an issue with the black case
The white one I got seems to fit fine
Sorry, photos aren't very clear
hisuperman said:
I am using this one soft tpu case,good for protection ，smooth touch feeling and looks awesome.
I am also using sgp case.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
also nillkin case,tpu case
ebay
http://cgi.ebay.com/150635443813?ru...43813&_sacat=See-All-Categories&_fvi=1&_rdc=1
I also have the one in OP but chose red instead of black. I have to say it's pretty awesome. The color looks classy and the case fits just fine.
I like the rubberized texture. Without it, I always felt like the phone was going to slip right off my hand. Now not so much. Plus it almost doesn't add any thickness (I'd say around 1.5 mm at most).
Very happy.
Be careful with unprotective cases, barely there cases and only rear protecting cases
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=15683149&postcount=22
Here it is the white one, after few weeks of usage.
h t t p://imgur.com/a/LnGKp - sorry i can't post links yet (new user)
I have the phone for 2 montsh now, but i have 2 other type of case and using a different one all the time. The first 2 week was fine, no coloration at all, but at the 3rd week the brown coloration happened, which was my pocket. And the funny part is, i am carrying it in my pocket for 40min each (work)day.
The way i imagine this case:
- hard plastic
- soft touch overlay
- some thin protecting layer
No coloration in the first few weeks, but after the ""protecting layer"" wear down, the case started picking up everything. I tried to clean it, no luck.
Lastly, i really don't know what are those pink spots, or where do they came from. (It's not the camera )
I've one of these cases too.
The first thing I did was to use my fingernail to scratch away the NILLKIN words. Took me just 2 min, and I had a perfectly blank back for the case.
How good it fits to the phone? Does this case scratch the phone?
Thanks!
I've always resented phone cases; necessary to protect your device but generally detracting from it aesthetically and adding unwanted bulk.
This, however, is the first case I've bought for a phone which I actually feel enhances it, and that's saying a lot considering how beautiful the One is as a bare device..!
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/390597401...eName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649
I searched quite extensively but could not find any other source for this particular case (either on eBay or elsewhere) so resigned to purchasing from China and waiting a couple of weeks for the case to arrive, it was definitely worth the wait :victory:
fLaMePr0oF said:
I've always resented phone cases; necessary to protect your device but generally detracting from it aesthetically and adding unwanted bulk.
This, however, is the first case I've bought for a phone which I actually feel enhances it, and that's saying a lot considering how beautiful the One is as a bare device..!
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/390597401...eName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649
I searched quite extensively but could not find any other source for this particular case (either on eBay or elsewhere) so resigned to purchasing from China and waiting a couple of weeks for the case to arrive, it was definitely worth the wait :victory:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That actually looks pretty nice; might have to pick one up for myself. How would you rate the quality overall? Like in terms of the material/quality of the leather and stuff?
Some photos would be nice. I already ordered it, but waiting for arrival.
pcigre said:
Some photos would be nice. I already ordered it, but waiting for arrival.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Here you go, sorry for the poor quality but I had to use my crappy business phone to snap it with my One installed, the photos on the eBay page are actually better
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I ordered the brown which I think goes well with my silver One although the black would also go well with a silver handset imo.
Had I a black One I'd probably have gone for the navy blue or wine red, (the pink looks absolutely atrocious!)
Personally I'd also like to have seen a nice deep green version...
Overall quality
Devilicus said:
That actually looks pretty nice; might have to pick one up for myself. How would you rate the quality overall? Like in terms of the material/quality of the leather and stuff?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The material (described in the auction as 'PU leather') is actually a leather textured polyurethane skin glued to a plastic clip frame and thin plastic (hardly visible) front cover.
The front cover contains a thin carbon effect plastic plate (which is only visible through the CC card slot which is a nice detail) with the PU skin bonded to the outside surface and a soft felt material bonded to the inside.
Although it's obvious once you pick the case up that it's not leather, it's still of very high quality with high precision molding and cutting.
There were some tiny strands of glue on a few of the edges on mine which just rubbed away leaving the case pristine.
The whole thing is very slim, no more than 1.5 mm at any point, hardly adding any bulk to the phone at all and nicely following the curve of the handset on the back and the inward angle of the sides.
The only criticism anyone could possibly make is that it may have been desirable to have the edge of the front cover seam bonded, however, it's still very tidy looking and personally I think looks better plain cut. I certainly don't think it would peel or fray in any way.
hi and thanks for reviewing this flip case could you please reupload the pictures again ? cause it's not showing
Now available with free postage!
fLaMePr0oF said:
The material (described in the auction as 'PU leather') is actually a leather textured polyurethane skin glued to a plastic clip frame and thin plastic (hardly visible) front cover.
The front cover contains a thin carbon effect plastic plate (which is only visible through the CC card slot which is a nice detail) with the PU skin bonded to the outside surface and a soft felt material bonded to the inside.
Although it's obvious once you pick the case up that it's not leather, it's still of very high quality with high precision molding and cutting.
There were some tiny strands of glue on a few of the edges on mine which just rubbed away leaving the case pristine.
The whole thing is very slim, no more than 1.5 mm at any point, hardly adding any bulk to the phone at all and nicely following the curve of the handset on the back and the inward angle of the sides.
The only criticism anyone could possibly make is that it may have been desirable to have the edge of the front cover seam bonded, however, it's still very tidy looking and personally I think looks better plain cut. I certainly don't think it would peel or fray in any way.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Another eBay seller is now selling this case for £7.99 and postage free!!!
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/KLD-Super...d=100011&prg=1005&rk=2&rkt=5&sd=390597401332&
And full choice of colours for £8.39...
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Deluxe-KL...lePhonesCasesPouches&var=&hash=item667a50a96c
Found one selling for only £5.39 inc p&p!
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/KLD-OSCAR...lePhonesCasesPouches&var=&hash=item46182ea530
it looks very nice indeed. I may pick one for myself.
Does it have magnets on the flap to let stay it in place and dont move around?
Weinstein7 said:
my girlfriend would definitely love it, if I can find something similar on blue, she will probably praise to all friends with the new accessory
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes you can get it in blue as well as red, black and pink...
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/KLD-OSCAR...lePhonesCasesPouches&var=&hash=item46182ea530
Cruzerlite has added a new product to their lineup, which is an army of skin for quite a few devices. I have the Moto X metallic skin, navy blue in color. There is literally a huge selection of choices for skins. There are carbons, metallics, leather and more textures to choose from. It’s really amazing how many choices to go through, let alone the color options.
Skins are ideal for anyone who doesn’t like a case and wants full coverage for their devices. Cruzerlite skins are cut precisely leaving no room for error. Its remarkable how precise the cutouts, cuts and shape are with these skins. I have had a little experience with skins with other devices and other companies, but Cruzer’s skins stand out in the attention to detail department for me. In the past I had skins that did not connect the way they should. For example, the sides should connect looking as if the side strips are one piece. That’s where Cruzerlite does better than I have seen before.
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While the precise cutouts are great to have for a tight fit, it does however make for a higher degree of difficulty installing the skin. I don’t say that to scare you off of getting one, but to give you a heads up that this for me at least took a few attempts to get the skin to install properly.
I do want to point out that the Moto X is a VERY curvy device. There really isn’t a flat spot on the phone except for the screen. With that said I think Cruzerlite did a fantastic job molding this skin to fit the Moto X as it should. Now for you iPhone users, this will be a piece of cake and as someone put it, “you can install this in your sleep with for an iPhone.”
My recommendation for the installation is to start with the backplate skin first and get it perfectly set. The side skins will line up great if you get that part down first. You will need a hair blow dryer to help mold the curves in place. For example, the top headphone jack area will need the dryer. The sides are rounded and you will need to form the sides to fit correctly. Of course the corners at the top and bottom will need a little extra help to set in place.
Once the installation if complete, the skin does indeed give a whole new design to the device. Like for real, it looks pretty much like a new phone. So this could be a nice solution if you ended up getting a color you did not prefer or are tired of the color you have. These skins are actually a very fair price compared to the competition and will not break the bank. If skins are your thing, you can’t go wrong with Cruzerlite’s new skins. Personally, I am not the biggest fan of skins, but this was pretty cool to check out. My only regret is not trying out the leather skins. Those look pretty sweet!
If you like the skins, get em HERE
jkbane said:
Cruzerlite has added a new product to their lineup, which is an army of skin for quite a few devices. I have the Moto X metallic skin, navy blue in color. There is literally a huge selection of choices for skins. There are carbons, metallics, leather and more textures to choose from. It’s really amazing how many choices to go through, let alone the color options.
Skins are ideal for anyone who doesn’t like a case and wants full coverage for their devices. Cruzerlite skins are cut precisely leaving no room for error. Its remarkable how precise the cutouts, cuts and shape are with these skins. I have had a little experience with skins with other devices and other companies, but Cruzer’s skins stand out in the attention to detail department for me. In the past I had skins that did not connect the way they should. For example, the sides should connect looking as if the side strips are one piece. That’s where Cruzerlite does better than I have seen before.
While the precise cutouts are great to have for a tight fit, it does however make for a higher degree of difficulty installing the skin. I don’t say that to scare you off of getting one, but to give you a heads up that this for me at least took a few attempts to get the skin to install properly.
I do want to point out that the Moto X is a VERY curvy device. There really isn’t a flat spot on the phone except for the screen. With that said I think Cruzerlite did a fantastic job molding this skin to fit the Moto X as it should. Now for you iPhone users, this will be a piece of cake and as someone put it, “you can install this in your sleep with for an iPhone.”
My recommendation for the installation is to start with the backplate skin first and get it perfectly set. The side skins will line up great if you get that part down first. You will need a hair blow dryer to help mold the curves in place. For example, the top headphone jack area will need the dryer. The sides are rounded and you will need to form the sides to fit correctly. Of course the corners at the top and bottom will need a little extra help to set in place.
Once the installation if complete, the skin does indeed give a whole new design to the device. Like for real, it looks pretty much like a new phone. So this could be a nice solution if you ended up getting a color you did not prefer or are tired of the color you have. These skins are actually a very fair price compared to the competition and will not break the bank. If skins are your thing, you can’t go wrong with Cruzerlite’s new skins. Personally, I am not the biggest fan of skins, but this was pretty cool to check out. My only regret is not trying out the leather skins. Those look pretty sweet!
If you like the skins, get em HERE
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How do they feel? and do you think the edges will start coming off from going in and our of your pocket or the corners will peel after some time?
Thanks
looks good, you did a nice job on the install
vikramkhalsa said:
How do they feel? and do you think the edges will start coming off from going in and our of your pocket or the corners will peel after some time?
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Feels like sprayed on metal. I don't think any skin will not peel off. But I think this will last a while
Sent from my XT1060 using Tapatalk
JET4 said:
looks good, you did a nice job on the install
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks. The moto x kept me humble lol
Sent from my XT1060 using Tapatalk
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Where to Purchase:
Both of these links contain mostly the same cases, but there are a few that are available in one and not the other. So if there is a case you want that is located in both, buy from the seller that charges less!
http://www.aliexpress.com/item/24-Species-pattern-Lichi-grain-cover-case-For-LG-Nexus-5-case-LG-Google-Nexus-5/1566612064.html
http://www.aliexpress.com/item/24-Species-pattern-Lichi-Grain-cover-case-for-LG-Nexus-5-case-google-Nexus-5-case/1566550193.html
DISCLAIMER:
Just to be sure, I’m going to say beforehand, if you don’t already know, these are hardcases! With that in mind, know that these cases will not protect you from a drop! Scratch and scrape protection only!!
If you are the type that drops your phone, DON’T buy these cases.
If you do buy a case and drop your phone, and something unfortunate happens… DON’T blame me!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
On my seemingly never ending search for the right case for every occasion, I stumbled upon the Painted “Lichi Grain” Hardcases. I am assuming “Lichi Grain” means leather look. Google search comes up with “Litchi” while every case of this style is “Lichi” so I don’t know. Maybe it’s just universally spelled wrong… who knows.
Anyway, these caught my eye for 3 reasons:
1) They are hardcases, which for better or worse, satisfy my minimalism addiction.
2) They have a neat texture.
3) They have painted pictures on them!
So, I decided to have a look through all of them and test one out. There are 20+ different designs to choose from. Some case designs are clearly meant for kids, some for girls, and some just weird…but I’ll hand it to them, they have a little bit of everything. I narrowed it down to the Skull, the weird anime Mario (not sure where I would ever use it!), and what I eventually settled on, which was the stylized Superman symbol. I figured I couldn’t be a grown ass man walking around with an anime Mario case… as much as the nostalgia was hitting me hahaha.
Presentation:
When I ordered it I was expecting the typical envelope with the case just wrapped in foam or something, which is generally how it is when you order something from overseas. While this came in an envelope, it was actually packaged nicely when I opened it up. It comes in a nice protective package, with a little window so you can feel the texture of the case. The presentation was a pleasant surprise.
When I cracked the package open and held the case you do notice the texture quite well. It isn’t two layers where it is a hardcase and then a leather coating or something. The plastic itself is textured and grooved like that. When you feel the case, you do feel the bumps and grooves, but it’s not a soft or grippy texture. The feeling is along the lines of the White Ringke Slim, the White Spigen Ultra Fit, the White LG Hardshell, or any standard polycarbonate case with no additional coating on it. This is just “Lichi Grain” textured. So I would consider it smooth but bumpy? If that makes any sense at all.
The painted picture on it made no discernable difference to the feel of the case. It still felt exactly the same as a standard polycarbonate case. So I don’t know what kind of paint they used, but you don’t feel it anyway. Whether or not the paint begins to wear/rub off or not, I have no idea, but for the short time I’ve had it, it seems durable enough.
Build Quality:
The case is thin and bendable. I would say it is just a bit thicker than the LG Hardshell (for those of you who have that). Following along those lines, you will know that this case will provide 0 drop protection. I think if you bent it outward too much, it would snap in half. Not that it would break putting it on and taking it off the phone, but just so you have an idea of the thickness of the case, and it being minimalist.
As for the cutouts, tight would be an appropriate word. It fits around the camera and flash very closely, but ever so slightly off centre (by like .25mm or something) and the power and volume cutouts are rounded and indented. I honestly would like them a tiny bit bigger, but if you are a fan of precise button cutouts, this doesn’t disappoint.
There is the slightest lip for a “lay on the table” screen down design. I never do, but if you want your case to be seen, you can do it without the screen touching the table (but just barely).
Looks:
I like it. The colors and contrast are very nice. The white is a bright white (the camera didn’t capture it well without flash due to how the room was lit) and I like the pattern used inside of the Superman symbol. It is not just a black stamp, but an interesting design in itself. The “Lichi Grain” also adds to the look and gives it some extra character. So I wasn’t disappointed at all in the looks department. It is a classy looking case.
Overall:
I’m pleasantly surprised. I figured I would give it a chance and it turned out nicer than I expected. It’s a nice looking case, quite thin, and the design/texture are done very well. I have no idea about the durability of the paint, so that’s still up in the air, but it looks nice regardless.
I’m not sure how often I’ll use it, as I still love my quicksand cases (of course) and I will soon have a Slickwraps skin to put on my replacement Red Nexus 5 (whenever they decide to ship it…) but I know I can pull this case out whenever I need a change of pace.
Pros:
- Sweet Design
- “Lichi Grain” Texture
- Thin/Minimalist
Cons:
- Durability of the paint is unknown
- Thin/Minimalist (so overall strength)
But they're like $7 above the usual price you used to pay for a case. You've got a big raise at work or what? ;D
Znamir81 said:
But they're like $7 above the usual price you used to pay for a case. You've got a big raise at work or what? ;D
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Haha no kidding huh?
Just a bit of a change of pace is all. Still love my quicksand cases but I thought these ones were really neat.
The quicksand cases are definitely still my top pick. Build quality, texture, feel, price, etc. can't be beat. This was kind of an impulse buy based solely on looks.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using xda app-developers app
Oh wow. Just what I've been looking for. A hard case without that soft touch material I really don't like. Looks like the caseology but in a much thinner design with exposed buttons. Just wish I could find it in a plain solid color.
Sent from my Nexus 5
This is a review of Urban Armor Gear UAG cases for Galaxy S5. http://www.urbanarmorgear.com/collections/all#samsung-galaxy-s5
Rather than starting my review with usual "I reviewed a ton of cases in the past, check out my signature...", I will tell you that UAG is the only case I use everyday with my Note 2. Period. YMMV and we all have personal preferences, and I'm not going to deny - there are a lot of other great cases which I'm going to cover in the next few week, but I'm glad that I can kick off my review of S5 cases with UAG. As a matter of fact, that was the first thing I put on my wife's S5 until she decides which one she ends up keeping. Here why I think so highly of this product.
I have reviewed in the past all of their cases from iPhone, S3, Note 2, S4, Note 3, and now S5. They definitely got this distinct industrial design look, which unfortunately has been copied lately by some low quality look-a-likes. With a lot of companies once they got a winning design, they just continue making the same cases scaled for the next phone, year after year. With UAG, they are constantly tweaking the design with new details to improve the grip, to have it thinner and more flexible while still retaining max protection, and even to improve the packaging. So starting with packaging, they finally got some refreshing colors to make their box more appealing. Of course, you still get a detailed description of the features on the front and on the back, including an official stamp of approval meeting MIL STD 810G-516.6 Military Drop-Test. It's about time to add this stamp of approval considering it has been already drop approved by thousands of it's users over the years, myself including. As a bonus, UAG also provided HD screen protector which I found to be a very nice gesture.
The case is very lightweight despite its composite design where hard outer PC shell is fused with a softer TPU-like inner soft impact resistant shell with a signature honeycomb pattern. The idea of such fused design makes the case thinner while still retaining a decent drop protection, and also adding a convenience of quick one-piece case removal without dealing with two separate shells. You also still have an enhanced corner protection which blends in nicely with the rest of the outline. One new additional element was added to the sides of the case in a form of a lower grip pads on each side which haven't been present in the previous S4 design. This enhances the grip and also makes sides look symmetrical next to upper pads with volume and power buttons. I found this design improvement to be very effective. Along with a sculptured industrial lines of the back design with decorative hex screws, UAG S5 case definitely has a much better grip. Although case feels slim, you still get the same rubber lip around the screen to lift the display with phone placed down or to provide a protection when dropped. Along with corner protection, you still get rear skid pads that allow phone to be placed on the back without any wobbling and keeping it from sliding on a smooth surface. And of course you get all the generous port openings to accommodate usb cables, over sized headphone connectors, IR port, mic, etc. Power and volume buttons have a very nice tactile feedback and can be easily located just by sliding your fingers along the side of the case. I also like how they put an inner trim around camera/flash opening to enable a glare-free flash.
Overall, I know it's hard to choose a case with every new phone because market is saturated with new additions almost every week. And most likely nobody gets just one case because we change it for different occasions or extended batteries, etc. But when you are making this deselection don't be fooled just by something that looks "cool", because at the end of the day the purpose of the case is to protect your phone. Well, that and also making it look cool at the same time But protection should be #1 priority, and if the case is made out of brittle plastic that will crack if dropped or cheap TPU material that will stretch and pull, or fused layers that will come undone - you might as well carry your phone naked. Otherwise, look for reputable companies that has been around for awhile, those which have a lot of feedback on Amazon, and those who don't just sell a case but actually offer a support to back it up. UAG is definitely of those companies, and I highly recommend and use their cases all the time.
Here are the pictures.
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Great pics of fantastic cases. Gonna have to pick up one for mine. Looks good on the phone.
Great review. Thanks! :good:
I have the "Rust" on my S3 for almost the last two years and love it. (you love that color or just plain hate it.)
I'm getting the S5 in a couple weeks and already ordered my new S5 UAG "Rust" (again) from ebay for a great price of $26.44 shipped.
It's been a great case for me and look forward to the new one.
Thanks again for the awesome pics and review.
Side note: I've also ordered my new "phantomskinz" for my new phone which I have used on my HTC EVO and S3 and recommended to others and all liked them.
I am not affiliated with the company. Just sharing my experiences.
-Mike
Excellent review. Got the Scout on my S4 and hands down probably the best case I've used. Dropped my S4 a few times and its survived all the drops with no physical damage to the phone or case. The design is not suited to all but it functions extremely well.
Sent from my GT-I9505G using Tapatalk
Could you provide measurements of the case? It doesn't look all that bulky in the pictures.
How easy is it to take off/put on?
Is the finger print scanner or HRM impeded by the case at all?
Sent from my SGH-I337M using Tapatalk
Fantastic review!
Any chance you can let me know if the lip around the case covers all the chrome bezel on the S5? I'm not personally a fan of it and I would love for my case to cover it. I currently have the Spigen Ultra Hybrid and it doesn't cover the bezel very well.
Got my maverick
I just got my maverick case. It looks and feels absolutely amazing. Easy to install and fits perfectly even with a tempered glass on. I love it. Really worth the money.
Excellent review and beautiful counter tops. :good:
felloffthetruck said:
Excellent review and beautiful counter tops. :good:
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LMAO!!!! I was thinking the same at first pic ... "Nice Granite..." LOL
nice case there
When it comes to color selection, UAG has been very consistent with a selection of their "unique" colors. Even so it's referred to as black, white, blue, etc, they always have a special rugged off-shade, and color just doesn't fade. Been using their cases for years, so can confirm it from a firsthand experience. I didn't even realize, but they introduced a new S5 case color, Valkyrie. With this unique pink/rose shade of color, I think it will appeal more to ladies. Personally, I never seen any other case with a similar color. So here you go, an exclusive from UAG:
http://www.urbanarmorgear.com/products/valkyrie-1
sculpt a piece of wood, carve a rubber inside and not throw money =)))))
a paint them and write your name on it