Related
I have been carrying the JJ around without a case now for over a week. It fits perfect in my shorts pocket, jeans pocket and in my suit coat so I just go without the case. I have the unit closed so the screen is protected and I am careful to not put keys or coins in the same pocket.
Do you think the JJ will hold up without becoming worn looking? Is anyone else doing the same thing?
I have had a ton of pda's, Palm, Sony, HP, Imate and I have always used a case but until I see one that doesnt add so much thickness to the unit I plan on just carrying it without a case. I hope I am not making a mistake. If the screen wasnt covered I would not be debating this.
BTW, I have a proporta case, very similar to the one sold for the JJ, I bought it for my old HP 6315 and it is nice and well made but THICK and adds way to much to any PDA. I hope Vaja makes a thin case but unfortunately it seems they do not make super thin cases anymore. They did years ago for the Sony Clie that had a rotating screen. It was great but more recent cases by them for example for my Ipod is too thick in my opinion.
Interested to hear your thoughts.
Darrin
I think it is a mistake. After the case for my previous pda broke I carried it without a case for a while, and a lot of accidents happened.
First of all, things fall out of pockets. Ok, if you have the right kind of pocket on a garment that is the right kind of fit, it may not in all likelihood, but with a $1000 gadget, I am not taking a chance.
Second, I always find things in pockets get banged around more. Things attached firmly to my belt don't.
When sitting down, it is hard to take it out of the pocket. So, you may decide to take it out before you site down and put it on the table. Then you are likely to forget it, or just go get a napkin at the Starbucks for 2 seconds. Sometimes it takes only 2 seconds.
Without a proper and definite place to put it (like a case on your belt) you are likely to put it in this pocket or that pocket one time or another. Just put it in your shirt pocket for a minute as you are gathering your things to get out, then bend over to tie your shoes. Happened to me more than once (although I still believe it was a subconscious attempt to break the old one to justify the new one).
I also think the proporta (or PDAir, or some other names, they all seem to be the same) book case is clumsy and thick, so I got the pouch case until a better choice comes out. Vaja is bound to make one.
Thanks for your thoughts, you make a lot of sense. I agree a lot of accidents can happen since its not attached to my belt in a case.
I would love to see more pics of the pouch case you mention. Are there any on the internet? Once you receive it I would love to hear what you think about it.
Darrin
This is the info about the case:
http://pdaden.com/shop/cart.php?target=product&action=view&product_id=17394&substring=jasjar
As you see it is the same case Proporta is selling, and is made by PDAir.
Someone posted pictures of their proporta case, and it said PDair on it too. So I am sure they are all the same case, but this one is half price.
They are shipping from HK, and charged me $8 to mail it to US.
Great, thank you for the link. I had only seen one picture of the case, that looks perfect. Lot of pics to really see case. I purchased some other cases from that retailer in the past. I was already registered.
I ordered one. Thanks again. This case looks like the best choice for now, maybe can be only case. Fits so close to body in picture, not even noticeable under a shirt or suit jacket.
Darrin
Haven’t ordered mine yet but when I do, its naked for me
I have had and XDA II for just over a year now and apart from a screen protector it went naked too. I work in an office so it lives on my desk all day. I try to be careful not to put keys in the same pocket when travelling but I don’t get paranoid about it. If it scratches, oh well, it will get replaced as soon as something better comes along
See http://www.pielframa.com/promo_jasjar.htm
Only problem is that it would appear there is no belt clip
Nice!!
That's the first good case I've seen!
Looks professional and easy to use. Its a bit expensive to order it yet.
But that's the case I'm going to get for my MDA Pro
The missing belt-clip makes this case useless for me .. i want one with a belt clip !!!
- Superbowl
A beltclip is necessary for me, too. Without this function the standard MDA Pro case is OK with me. I think a case like the standard for the magician would be perfect for me - belt clip an quick release...
looks awesome, dunno that i'd trust having the pda open and the cover shut as those storage cards in the case get a tad close to the screen for my liking!
Flubster
There is not any plan at piel frama to add belt clip , i sent an e-mail to piel frama & they reply :
Regarding the belt clip, we have to inform you that due to the weight of the device and the design of the case, we cannot instal a belt clip on this new leather case. The clip would not stand the weight of the device on the belt. Besides, if we would instal a belt clip on the case, the functionality of the case would not be the intended one as the user would not be able to use the device with the belt clip on it.
We are sure that you will understand this situation and will agree that the belt clip is not a good idea for this model.
Please, do not hesitate to contact us if you need further assistance.
Very best regards and have a nice day!!
I just bought the Piel Frama case. The leather feels good but there is one design flaw. It has a strip of leather on top of the keyboard. With it my PDA cannot close properly. I am so afraid to damage the hinges on my new toy. If you have any ideas to modify this problem please let me know.
If anybody wants to buy my Piel Frama case for JASJAR please let me know. I live in Hong Kong
greatestkelvin said:
I just bought the Piel Frama case. The leather feels good but there is one design flaw. It has a strip of leather on top of the keyboard. With it my PDA cannot close properly. I am so afraid to damage the hinges on my new toy. If you have any ideas to modify this problem please let me know.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can cut the strip on top, near costures... I have one and no damage on JJ...
I am also very tempted to cut the strip of leather. But I was thinking if you do, after awhile the whole JASJAR might just fall out. Its really a pain to see such a nice case go to waste.
I was going to cut the leather strip as well. It does not seem like this is really what is holding it in so there would not be much harm in cutting it so that the device could fully close.
Can someone who did this post pics and say if it makes an improvement?
Cutting the case
Why are you guys cutting the case? Pielframa should replace the faulty cases. In the past they have replaced cases whithout the need to send back your faulty cases. Most people buy them from outside Spain. Sending it back internationally could be a pain. In the past when they released the first batch of the ipaq iPAQ H6340 cases, these cases were also faulty (it does not fit well). They did not recall the cases, but replaced them.
By the way the Pielframa issue is also mentioned on another thread. See
http://forum.xda-developers.com/viewtopic.php?p=183962#183962
Maybe they've changed their policies on replacements. As you stated, I don't want to mess with a 2-3 week turnaround from sending from the USA and back to Spain.
Here is what I got from Piel Frama:
Thank you very much for your email and for your kind words about our products.
We are sorry to hear that you are having problems with the case. In fact, some of our customers have informed us that they are having some problems to close the device. Our craftsmen have been thinking about it and they have thought about a solution which would be to take the thin strap over the keyboard from the case so that the problem will be solved and the device will close without problems.
So that, we would ask you to ship the case back to us by regular mail and we would modify it the case. Our postal address is the following one:
PIEL FRAMA
Avda. Fuente San Francisco S/Nº
P. I. "LA PIEL"
11600 Ubrique (Cádiz)
Spain
Once we get it, we will make this modification in the case and we will ship it back to you.
If its a matter of just cutting out the back leather strip, I can do that myself instead of dealing with a 2-3 week turnaround not to mention the mailing costs in addition to costs that I've already paid, to mail it to them.
It is not very customer friendly. Pielframe cases are certainly not cheap. A standard (i.e. not crocodile or ostrich) Jasjar case cost at least 70 euro's about 87 $. So we should expect good quality and good working cases. If a case is faulty which could damage the jasjar / MDA Pro then they are liable for that. So having customers to spend more money (time and shipping cost) to have it fix does not really make sense.
My Piel Frama case just arrived this morning (ordered on 2 Nov.). I was excitied because my normally they have great products. The leather is nice, but I have to report the problem mentioned above is worse than I imagined.
With my case, the leather strap across the top of the keyboard prevents the screen from closing by about 8mm!
I can not even snap-close the case because the screen sticks up so high --even if I apply pressure.
So, my case is completely unusable. I wonder if they had real Universal units during the design process, or if they just worked form published specs.
Back to Piel Frama.
I was visiting Piel Frama Factory. They have an I-Mate JASJAS to probe the cases. I have a cocodrile leather case and my JASJAR close well. You can see my blog (click in my firm or www) ... and will see, in last picture, the Piel Frama's JasJar.
Have Fun
my word of advice is don't use the case unless you do something about it. after 2 days of using my piel frama case I removed it and notice that the hinge is quite loose. previously the joints were tight, right now when I move the screen portion there is a clicking sound and it is coming from the joints. piel frama case has damaged my toy instead of protecting it. I just cut away the top portion leather that is above the keyboard. I don't care about sending it back, anyway what can they do when the design itself is flawed.
I did expect a little more than just "send the case back to us", but I guess that is the way customer service has gotten these days. Fortunately, I purchased my case from a reseller in the US and only paid $54 but still expected better from Piel Frama.
This bad press isn't going to be helping them sell many cases, because most of us hear about these things through forums such as this one.
Does cutting away the back leather strap appear to make a difference when closing the Universal now? I'm ready to start hacking mine!
yes , cutting it off does help quite bit, its much better now. however it will not completely close because there are still 2 more pieces of leather at the side. what I did was that I used a clamp for about 15 mins both sides. it looks ok much better than before. a few guys on this forum has also done so. afterall the machin is more precious than the case
greatestkelvin said:
yes , cutting it off does help quite bit, its much better now. however it will not completely close because there are still 2 more pieces of leather at the side. what I did was that I used a clamp for about 15 mins both sides. it looks ok much better than before. a few guys on this forum has also done so. afterall the machin is more precious than the case
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmm ... cutting the back stip off lowers the lid just a little. Cosmetically, the appearance is nicer with the strap. There's still some pressure on the back hinge when you snap the case closed. But, it looks to me like the top lid of the jj is flexing a little and like closing the lid is depressing the remaining leather on the sides that's causing problems. This pressure on the lid bothers me, but I'm not sure it will damage the hinge on my jj. I'm going to think about this more before deciding whether to return it to Frama.
I had, and still have, a slight clicking sound when closing the lid. This clicking sound isn't there at all if I pull the lid closed from the right side. But, it is there if I pull the lid closed from the left side. The swivel mechanism is rotated slightly counterclockwise and that is why right vs. left side pulling down of the lid causes no clicking vs. clicking.
This is not to say that the Frama case couldn't cause hinge problems for some. I don't think it would for me ... but I'm reluctant to snap the case shut now until I investigate further.
Hola
I see a growing list of sites now offering leather cases for the Galaxy Note. My problem is that I already have a slim rubber case over my Note so it add a little extra bulk to the Note that now it won't fit into any of these leather cases.
I presently have the SGP Ultra Capsule case for the Note:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/SGP-Ultra-Capsule-Case-Samsung-Galaxy-Note-N7000-BLACK-/260938444071?pt=PDA_Accessories&hash=item3cc124ad27
I am even willing to use a generic camera case as long as it can fit on my belt. I searched a number of local computer shops, photography outlets, even a few places at the local mall (those kiosks) that has anything that can accommodate this extra size... I found nothing yet!!!
Can someone please help me? Do you think if I searched say for the Dell Streak 5" that such cases can work for the Note in a slim rubber case?
Any suggestions are welcome. Thanks.
I suggest the PDair P01 leather case. I have it and it fits great with a TPU case on the GNote. A little snug, but no problems getting it in and out of the case. I think it would probably fit your case as well. The PDair case is a bit pricey (around $40), but the quality is great.
Sent from my GT-N7000 using Tapatalk
people that wear phones on there belts look like complete douches!!! don't do it!!
At some point in life, you have to quit caring what people think about you and do what you want. Carrying a phone on your belt is certainly much more comfortable than in your pocket. Try it. You may change your mind.
Alexanderbooth said:
people that wear phones on there belts look like complete douches!!! don't do it!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
scitech09 said:
At some point in life, you have to quit caring what people think about you and do what you want. Carrying a phone on your belt is certainly much more comfortable than in your pocket. Try it. You may change your mind.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
......
Alexanderbooth said:
people that wear phones on there belts look like complete douches!!! don't do it!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
NO sir, you are a douch! It is not easy to fit the note in your pocket you know
How small are your pockets? I wear skinny jeans most of the time and have no issues, it fits perfect and you don't even realise its there, and the other 2 people who wear phones on there belts, don't do it because they don't care what people think, they do it to show off there phone, which makes them douches.
Alexanderbooth Ain't the USA wonderful! Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, even if it is wrong!
Alexanderbooth said:
How small are your pockets? I wear skinny jeans most of the time and have no issues, it fits perfect and you don't even realise its there, and the other 2 people who wear phones on there belts, don't do it because they don't care what people think, they do it to show off there phone, which makes them douches.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just think how many people would not be able to post how they scratched their GNote screen because they put it in their pocket...if they wore it on their belts, lol! The fact that you said skinny jeans means you are probably under 30.
It may not be cool to wear your phone on your belt, especially a GNote, but it sure is comfortable and practical!
planoman said:
Just think how many people would not be able to post how they scratched their GNote screen because they put it in their pocket...if they wore it on their belts, lol! The fact that you said skinny jeans means you are probably under 30.
It may not be cool to wear your phone on your belt, especially a GNote, but it sure is comfortable and practical!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Eh what do you mean? Your phone is miles safer in your pocket than on your belt buckle. And I am 30 :-D, what does that have to do with anything? Again it isn't uncomfortable carrying your phone in your pocket? Plus its on show so you gearing yourself up to get mugged.
I have always worn my phone on my belt if I can, except for very small phones. That does not include the Note! I have far too much other stuff in my pockets - credit card wallet, money wallet & keys. I have tried to reduce these, but there is just too much I need to have with me.
I am waiting for a couple of noreve cases (one with belt clip) and a 'tough as nuts' case (with a proper belt loop). In the mean time, to avoid bulk and scratches, I picked up a couple of neat cases for a Navman GPS device. One is a semi-hard case with foam padding for travel & storage, the other is a 'normal' case with a bit on the back I unpicked to make a belt loop. After a month of wear I need to re-sew the loop, but apart from that it is fine. Those two were about $30.
It is just a bit too loose for my liking, so would probably fit nicely with a rubber case. The inside is smooth so it should slide.
As I usually do now, check the GPS section of any electronics store and find the cases. Find the one that fits. I used to look for camera cases, but these have become to small & fat, where phones are now thinner and larger.
Check out this item I found on eBay:
Black Leather Sleeve Case With Belt Clip for Samsung Galaxy Note GT-N7000 i9220
Link:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Black-Leath...sung-Galaxy-Note-GT-N7000-i9220-/400264507128
mine arrived today, faux leather but fits the Note with PU case. Easily slipped in and out. Looks nice, get compliment and somehow people didn't think the leather case was big, but when I take my phone out, then they think it's big.
Alexanderbooth said:
Eh what do you mean? Your phone is miles safer in your pocket than on your belt buckle. And I am 30 :-D, what does that have to do with anything? Again it isn't uncomfortable carrying your phone in your pocket? Plus its on show so you gearing yourself up to get mugged.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When have you seen people who wear their phone in a holster on their belt crying because their screen was scratched by keys or grains of sand in the pocket etc? I referenced your age because as discussed you are still at that age where you care what people think. I have done both with the GNote and wearing it on the belt in a leather holster is much simpler and more comfortable. I can actually use my pockets for other things and not have to worry about my GNote.
Just a preference, neither is right or wrong.
Full disclosure: The guys over at Cruzerlite helped out Carbon when no one had heard of use by donating a few free cases so we could run some giveaways on our social networks. We went to them because we liked their product and the way that they interacted with the Android community. They were so excited about their new skin product that they arranged to ship a MotoX and one of their skins to me so that I might review it and give them, and you, my honest feedback. The device and skins have been since sent back to them. I was not paid or otherwise compensated for this review. Mostly I just wanted to check out a new product, have an excuse to play with a Moto X, and play with the lightbox I built last week.
I hate cases. To me, they've always been a necessary evil. I generally go with the thinnest TPU case I can find so I know my phone will be protected, and try and find one that actually looks cool. Which is why I've always liked the Cruzerlite cases. Very android friendly, and there were always lots of looks to choose from - android themes, art, etc. My favorite was the Tardis case. I was always very careful with my device. But scratches and things happen, and like many of you I never plan to stay with one device for more than a year or so. That means you gotta keep it looking like new so you can sell it later.
To me, that's the niche that the Cruzerlite skins occupy. If you drop your phone all the time this product isn't going to keep you from denting it or smashing the glass. It's vinyl, not TPU. If you're a purist who insist on rocking a totally naked phone, this product also isn't for you. If you're one of the many who hate cases but want to protect the phone in some way, or are confident in your ability to not drop your phone but want a custom look, then this product is where it's at. It'll protect your device from light damage, give you any look you want, and preserve the size and feel of your device.
The product comes in the form of thick vinyl stickers. As it's a brand new product they don't yet have a set of instructions on the site. They tell me they have that in the works and we should see them soon. With that in mind, I'll overshare my installation process and what I learned for you folks. Cruzerlite clearly wanted to make sure that you'd be happy with the installation of this product, so they've given you a single sticker for the back, two sets of stickers for the sides, and three sets for the front. You can screw this up and try again without ordering a new set. Note that I say stickers, but this is actually vinyl of a nice thickness, not some elmo sticker you'd get from the doctor after a checkup.
So having checked out both the vinyl and the Moto X I setup my lightbox and got down to business. I applied the back vinyl, taking great care to align the camera and microphone. It worked, after a fashion - it looked like a sticker slapped on a phone. A phone with a lot of curves. So far... meh. I stuck the sides on as well. It looked... like a bunch of stickers slapped on a phone. They didn't conform to the curves of the phone at all. So I called up Joel at Cruzerlite and told him that while I thought he had a nice idea, this was probable something that would only work on a phone with simple surfaces like an iphone. I showed him how it looked and he asked me when I was planning to finish the installation. Finish the installation? What? Heat. You apply heat after installation. Ohhhhhh. For a guy who was just told that his half-installed product wasn't very good, he was pretty cool about it. Thanks Joel.
Ok, so with that in mind, I dug out the hair dryer and got to heating. It looked a lot better. With a bit of heat and some pressure with my fingers, the vinyl conformed to the curves of the device and started to look like they belonged there. That said, because I installed them like they were stickers, there were gaps. Teal gaps. It didn't look great - but that was on me.
You might want to color match better than I did. Teal and
wood grain aren't known for being a classic combination.
So the first install didn't look so great. The vinyl was curved to match the phone, but I had ugly gaps that ruined the look. When I put the sides on, I aligned things like I would with regular stickers - not heat shrinking vinyl. But Cruzerlite clearly anticipated that, so I had more! Off came the vinyl on the sides and and back to square one. This time, I made sure there was some overlap so that when heat was applied, it would properly fit. Here's what it looked like:
You can already tell it's going to come out better this time. Out comes the hair dryer!
Now we're talking. No gaps, all the buttons are nicely cut out... it looks great. Again, the color combination shows why I'm not ever going to be a graphic designer, but it certainly highlights just how well the product fits the device. There's a slight edge where the vinyl on the sides and the back overlap. It's not unpleasant, but I'd like to play with this product some more to see if I could even avoid that. I've asked Cruzerlite to send me a few more and another phone, and hope to have a follow up on this in the future.
Yes, it has front stickers. The great thing about this product is it's up to you what you apply - if you don't want the front stickers, don't put them on. You could even mix and match them if you wanted. Get different colors and make the phone version of this:
Yes, that's a real thing. It's a Harlequin Golf and comes
that way from the factory. Please don't do this to your phone.
So after installing and playing with this, I like it. The vinyl is thick enough to feel like a high quality and durable product and on the whole I found it to be easier to apply than a screen protector. Sure, it's a bit tricky to align, but you don't have to worry about dust and the use of heat makes this a relatively forgiving product. I'm certain that I didn't do a perfect job with this, but I don't hate it the way you'd hate a screen protector with a bit of dust under it. I did manage to tweak the back a bit when applying it, and you can see the bulge from it. Again, this is something that I'd be able to differently now that I know how the product works so I'm not particularly concerned about it.
Cruzerlite has a whole range of vinyl to choose from too - 57 at the time of this review. There's wood grain, antibacterial colors, metallic, and leather skins. We're spoiled for choice and if you can't find something you like you might want to ask yourself why you're so picky.
I'd say this is a buy. They look great, feel great, and will do a fantastic job of protecting your phone from light damage. They're easy to apply, and at just under ten dollars you can't beat the price. For those of you who picked up a Moto X before Motomaker was a thing, this is a great way to change your phone's look without buying a new one, or get the look of wood without paying an extra hundred bucks for a single woodgrain option. (bamboo? seriously?) At the time of this review, the skins are available for the Moto X, Nexus 5, Note 3, Galaxy S4, and iPhone 5/5s.
I'll update this thread in the future if I can get my hands on another device and more vinyl. If possible I'll try something other than wood grain, too.
You can check out the rest of their skins at http://www.cruzerlite.com/skins
Full disclosure: The guys over at Cruzerlite helped out Carbon when no one had heard of use by donating a few free cases so we could run some giveaways on our social networks. We went to them because we liked their product and the way that they interacted with the Android community. They were so excited about their new skin product that they arranged to ship a MotoX and one of their skins to me so that I might review it and give them, and you, my honest feedback. The device and skins have been since sent back to them. I was not paid or otherwise compensated for this review. Mostly I just wanted to check out a new product, have an excuse to play with a Moto X, and play with the lightbox I built last week.
I hate cases. To me, they've always been a necessary evil. I generally go with the thinnest TPU case I can find so I know my phone will be protected, and try and find one that actually looks cool. Which is why I've always liked the Cruzerlite cases. Very android friendly, and there were always lots of looks to choose from - android themes, art, etc. My favorite was the Tardis case. I was always very careful with my device. But scratches and things happen, and like many of you I never plan to stay with one device for more than a year or so. That means you gotta keep it looking like new so you can sell it later.
To me, that's the niche that the Cruzerlite skins occupy. If you drop your phone all the time this product isn't going to keep you from denting it or smashing the glass. It's vinyl, not TPU. If you're a purist who insist on rocking a totally naked phone, this product also isn't for you. If you're one of the many who hate cases but want to protect the phone in some way, or are confident in your ability to not drop your phone but want a custom look, then this product is where it's at. It'll protect your device from light damage, give you any look you want, and preserve the size and feel of your device.
The product comes in the form of thick vinyl stickers. As it's a brand new product they don't yet have a set of instructions on the site. They tell me they have that in the works and we should see them soon. With that in mind, I'll overshare my installation process and what I learned for you folks. Cruzerlite clearly wanted to make sure that you'd be happy with the installation of this product, so they've given you a single sticker for the back, two sets of stickers for the sides, and three sets for the front. You can screw this up and try again without ordering a new set. Note that I say stickers, but this is actually vinyl of a nice thickness, not some elmo sticker you'd get from the doctor after a checkup.
So having checked out both the vinyl and the Moto X I setup my lightbox and got down to business. I applied the back vinyl, taking great care to align the camera and microphone. It worked, after a fashion - it looked like a sticker slapped on a phone. A phone with a lot of curves. So far... meh. I stuck the sides on as well. It looked... like a bunch of stickers slapped on a phone. They didn't conform to the curves of the phone at all. So I called up Joel at Cruzerlite and told him that while I thought he had a nice idea, this was probable something that would only work on a phone with simple surfaces like an iphone. I showed him how it looked and he asked me when I was planning to finish the installation. Finish the installation? What? Heat. You apply heat after installation. Ohhhhhh. For a guy who was just told that his half-installed product wasn't very good, he was pretty cool about it. Thanks Joel.
Ok, so with that in mind, I dug out the hair dryer and got to heating. It looked a lot better. With a bit of heat and some pressure with my fingers, the vinyl conformed to the curves of the device and started to look like they belonged there. That said, because I installed them like they were stickers, there were gaps. Teal gaps. It didn't look great - but that was on me.
You might want to color match better than I did. Teal and
wood grain aren't known for being a classic combination.
So the first install didn't look so great. The vinyl was curved to match the phone, but I had ugly gaps that ruined the look. When I put the sides on, I aligned things like I would with regular stickers - not heat shrinking vinyl. But Cruzerlite clearly anticipated that, so I had more! Off came the vinyl on the sides and and back to square one. This time, I made sure there was some overlap so that when heat was applied, it would properly fit. Here's what it looked like:
You can already tell it's going to come out better this time. Out comes the hair dryer!
Now we're talking. No gaps, all the buttons are nicely cut out... it looks great. Again, the color combination shows why I'm not ever going to be a graphic designer, but it certainly highlights just how well the product fits the device. There's a slight edge where the vinyl on the sides and the back overlap. It's not unpleasant, but I'd like to play with this product some more to see if I could even avoid that. I've asked Cruzerlite to send me a few more and another phone, and hope to have a follow up on this in the future.
Yes, it has front stickers. The great thing about this product is it's up to you what you apply - if you don't want the front stickers, don't put them on. You could even mix and match them if you wanted. Get different colors and make the phone version of this:
Yes, that's a real thing. It's a Harlequin Golf and comes
that way from the factory. Please don't do this to your phone.
So after installing and playing with this, I like it. The vinyl is thick enough to feel like a high quality and durable product and on the whole I found it to be easier to apply than a screen protector. Sure, it's a bit tricky to align, but you don't have to worry about dust and the use of heat makes this a relatively forgiving product. I'm certain that I didn't do a perfect job with this, but I don't hate it the way you'd hate a screen protector with a bit of dust under it. I did manage to tweak the back a bit when applying it, and you can see the bulge from it. Again, this is something that I'd be able to differently now that I know how the product works so I'm not particularly concerned about it.
Cruzerlite has a whole range of vinyl to choose from too - 57 at the time of this review. There's wood grain, antibacterial colors, metallic, and leather skins. We're spoiled for choice and if you can't find something you like you might want to ask yourself why you're so picky.
I'd say this is a buy. They look great, feel great, and will do a fantastic job of protecting your phone from light damage. They're easy to apply, and at just under ten dollars you can't beat the price. For those of you who picked up a Moto X before Motomaker was a thing, this is a great way to change your phone's look without buying a new one, or get the look of wood without paying an extra hundred bucks for a single woodgrain option. (bamboo? seriously?) At the time of this review, the skins are available for the Moto X, Nexus 5, Note 3, Galaxy S4, and iPhone 5/5s.
I'll update this thread in the future if I can get my hands on another device and more vinyl. If possible I'll try something other than wood grain, too.
You can check out the rest of their skins at http://www.cruzerlite.com/skins