Galaxy Nexus Bookcase ver 0.9 Beta - Samsung Galaxy Nexus

Well, I know it's been a while, but it's DONE!
First, some back story. I carried an iPhone 4 for two years. For those 24 months I had it in a case from a company called Pad and Quill called "Little Black Book". This was indeed a case for the iPhone 4 that looked and felt like a "little black book" notebook. I loved this case… in fact I loved this case more than I did the iPhone 4, which I felt was powerful yet frustratingly limited. When I liberated myself to the pure Google experience of Android and Nexus, I was saddened at the bleak landscape of the third party case market.
So I set myself on a mission to re-create the handmade notebook love of my beloved Pad and Quill case. After months of putting this project off, I decided to bite the bullet and complete it this weekend. What you see here is "Galaxy Nexus Bookcase ver 0.9 Beta". This is of course not the "first" version, there were 2 pervious alpha releases, but they didn't quite meet my expectations.
The problem was, and still is, fashioning the wooden surround for the phone. My very first attempt used wooden popsicle sticks, cut and glued to shape. While this held the phone well, it looked too much like 1st-grade-art-class. My second attempt used a 1/2 inch wooden (Birch) backing, with thin wooden rails glued to it. This looked better and held very well, but was very, VERY, thick.
With version 0.9 Beta I took a different approach. I wanted to have the solid wood look while still getting the thiner overall design. The solution is of course a wood planer, but the overall length and width of the wooden holder would be too small to go through the Dewalt planer I had access too. My plan then was to glue two layers of 1/2 Oak together. The bottom layer would be a single piece amply wide and long enough to be effectively planed. The top layer would be comprised of 4 smaller pieces arranged to leave a rectangle just big enough to set the phone into. Once the glue setup overnight, I ran the two conjoined layers through the planer, planing down the top layer until it was just tall enough to cover the phone, and planing down the bottom layer until it was nothing but a thin backing. I then trimmed away the excess length and width with a table saw until only the thinest side walls remained. I then used a rotary tool to cut away the button, usb, headphone, and camera holes in the side rails. I purposely did NOT make a hole for the pogo pins. While I do have a pogo charging cradle, the ideal of somehow modifying it or the case to make the connection is just silly.
If anything, I "might" look into modifying the wooden rails to install an inductive charging disk between the wooden rail backing and the back cloth/leather cover. I could then run the wires from this inductive charging disk into leads that make contact with the pogo pins, thus creating an inductive charging case. But this most likly is just a pipe dream.
For the speaker, I decided to barrel sand down a small channel from the Galaxy Nexus's speaker to the lower portion of the case. This has actually increased the perceived volume from the device as it keeps the speaker from being impeded when laid on a flat and soft surfaces.
Overall I am happier with this rail design than it's two predecessors, but there is much room for improvement. I still want it to be thiner, and I'm not happy with how I botched the button holes. While the "wood" look is classy, I can always use another material and apply a wood veneer. I'm thinking my next version might be 3D printed with a polymer. This technique would also allow for a more "form fitting" back, and more exact holes.
The "book" was to me the easiest part, because I had it made by someone else
My wife is a professional librarian / bookbinder / book-restorer. She used book leather, backing, and cloth to create the 3 parts of the cover. I then attached the elastic closing loop, which is both held together by glue, and by thread stitching between the wooden rail backing and the back cloth/leather cover.
While I made a hole for the camera and flash in the wooden rail backing, I've not decided if I'm going to cut a corresponding hole the the cloth/leather back cover.
The last issue may be one that cannot be "fixed". The overall case is just a little too big to fit into the breast pocket of my shirt. The cases easily adds an inch to the older all length of the phone, a little over a half inch to the width, and only a 1/4 inch it's thickness. The Galaxy Nexus is already a large device, so I might just be stuck having a phone case that sticks out of the top of my pocket. At least it looks like a book.
In any event, I wanted to share this with the community and get some feed-back. Thanks!

mckinleytabor said:
Well, I know it's been a while, but it's DONE!
First, some back story. I carried an iPhone 4 for two years. For those 24 months I had it in a case from a company called Pad and Quill called "Little Black Book". This was indeed a case for the iPhone 4 that looked and felt like a "little black book" notebook. I loved this case… in fact I loved this case more than I did the iPhone 4, which I felt was powerful yet frustratingly limited. When I liberated myself to the pure Google experience of Android and Nexus, I was saddened at the bleak landscape of the third party case market.
So I set myself on a mission to re-create the handmade notebook love of my beloved Pad and Quill case. After months of putting this project off, I decided to bite the bullet and complete it this weekend. What you see here is "Galaxy Nexus Bookcase ver 0.9 Beta". This is of course not the "first" version, there were 2 pervious alpha releases, but they didn't quite meet my expectations.
The problem was, and still is, fashioning the wooden surround for the phone. My very first attempt used wooden popsicle sticks, cut and glued to shape. While this held the phone well, it looked too much like 1st-grade-art-class. My second attempt used a 1/2 inch wooden (Birch) backing, with thin wooden rails glued to it. This looked better and held very well, but was very, VERY, thick.
With version 0.9 Beta I took a different approach. I wanted to have the solid wood look while still getting the thiner overall design. The solution is of course a wood planer, but the overall length and width of the wooden holder would be too small to go through the Dewalt planer I had access too. My plan then was to glue two layers of 1/2 Oak together. The bottom layer would be a single piece amply wide and long enough to be effectively planed. The top layer would be comprised of 4 smaller pieces arranged to leave a rectangle just big enough to set the phone into. Once the glue setup overnight, I ran the two conjoined layers through the planer, planing down the top layer until it was just tall enough to cover the phone, and planing down the bottom layer until it was nothing but a thin backing. I then trimmed away the excess length and width with a table saw until only the thinest side walls remained. I then used a rotary tool to cut away the button, usb, headphone, and camera holes in the side rails. I purposely did NOT make a hole for the pogo pins. While I do have a pogo charging cradle, the ideal of somehow modifying it or the case to make the connection is just silly.
If anything, I "might" look into modifying the wooden rails to install an inductive charging disk between the wooden rail backing and the back cloth/leather cover. I could then run the wires from this inductive charging disk into leads that make contact with the pogo pins, thus creating an inductive charging case. But this most likly is just a pipe dream.
For the speaker, I decided to barrel sand down a small channel from the Galaxy Nexus's speaker to the lower portion of the case. This has actually increased the perceived volume from the device as it keeps the speaker from being impeded when laid on a flat and soft surfaces.
Overall I am happier with this rail design than it's two predecessors, but there is much room for improvement. I still want it to be thiner, and I'm not happy with how I botched the button holes. While the "wood" look is classy, I can always use another material and apply a wood veneer. I'm thinking my next version might be 3D printed with a polymer. This technique would also allow for a more "form fitting" back, and more exact holes.
The "book" was to me the easiest part, because I had it made by someone else
My wife is a professional librarian / bookbinder / book-restorer. She used book leather, backing, and cloth to create the 3 parts of the cover. I then attached the elastic closing loop, which is both held together by glue, and by thread stitching between the wooden rail backing and the back cloth/leather cover.
While I made a hole for the camera and flash in the wooden rail backing, I've not decided if I'm going to cut a corresponding hole the the cloth/leather back cover.
The last issue may be one that cannot be "fixed". The overall case is just a little too big to fit into the breast pocket of my shirt. The cases easily adds an inch to the older all length of the phone, a little over a half inch to the width, and only a 1/4 inch it's thickness. The Galaxy Nexus is already a large device, so I might just be stuck having a phone case that sticks out of the top of my pocket. At least it looks like a book.
In any event, I wanted to share this with the community and get some feed-back. Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
not my cup of tea but looks like a fun item
i'd be tempted to paint/varnish/stain the wood .... or cover the visible bit in printed paper
Its always good to see what people do. keep up the good work

Wow Nice! A bit hard to fit into my pocket I think though...

It is that...
kayaker said:
Wow Nice! A bit hard to fit into my pocket I think though...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is rather large in the pocket. Even if the next iteration cuts down on the length, it will still be pretty big. I think the "size" issue is something a lot of current generation Android users have to deal with. My aforementioned wife tried to carrying a Galaxy Nexus for a few weeks, but it would never fit into the pockets of her "skinny jeans". I'm on the hunt for a Galaxy s3 Mini for her, but haven't pulled the trigger yet because Cyanogenmod hasn't realsed a 10.1 (Android 4.2) nightly version for that platform... and I think it's a form of spousal abuse to make one's wife use the TouchWiz UI.

Thats pretty slick. Its cool to have that sort of skill set to create something quality like that
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk HD

Cool project. I definitely agree with the 3d printer idea, that is what I was going to suggest.

Related

CrazyOnDigital Cheap case for Xoom: 4 stars

I just posted this review on Amazon, but figured you guys might like it too. Hope it helps you make your choice. I think this one will work for me until I make the final decision whether to keep my xoom or not.
Here's a link to the Amazon listing: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004QKLPUY/ref=cm_cr_rev_prod_img
There's also a red one, but no amazon prime: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004US57G0?tag=5336653508-20
First: this is a cheap case. If you want an expensive case, don't look in the $15 range. You will need to spend at least 3 times that to get a "nice" case.
Now that we have that over with, I just got this case yesterday and I'm happy with it. not "5 stars" happy, but it works. Here's what I think you want to know:
1) It is not made of quality material, but I think it will hold up for a bit. I wouldn't expect it to last if given to a child or left in a backpack.
2) It will not protect the sides or corners of your xoom. They're exposed, and the bottom corners may stick out just a hair. Not a problem if you're like me and very careful with your electronics.
3) The case does not stand upright, and doesn't hold iself up for typing very well. You can mess with it to get it up at a bit of an angle for typing, but it's weak material and just slumps down after a while. I assume this will get worse as the material breaks-in.
4) The cutouts are poorly done. You can see that they're done seperately (one for the speaker, the other for the camera-speaker-power button) and they don't line up with each other. Also, because the xoom isn't held perfectly into the case, they don't always line up perfectly with the case (but this will be a problem with everything but a very tight case). The worst part is that the power button is partially covered by the case. Whoever the genius was that decided to put the power button there is really at fault, but this case makes it more difficult. I plan to find an exacto knife and open it up a bit to make the button accessible.
5) Two things are incorrect in the description: there is no "built-in pockets for documents" and it didn't come with a wristband. Fine by me; I don't think pockets would get used, and I don't really get the gimmick of a plastic bracelet...
6) The latch is only semi-usable (it's a pain to get it into the slot, and doesn't really hold it closed anyways) and it covers the ports when it's used. Really, just setting it off to the side would have solved this problem, or make it wider with a hole in the bottom to allow cabling. The strap is the biggest design flaw... Very irritating, but not fatal.
OK, so I've been very critical, but I gave it 4 stars. Why? Well, it's $15, it serves its purpose (to allow me to put my expensive electronic thing in my bag and take it away), and I don't think it's going to break any time soon (though I may try to modify the strap to be, well, useable...). Like I said at the beginning; if you want a nice case, spend the money for one. If you want a cheap case so you can safely take this thing outside: here you go.
***UPDATE: Nothing above is incorrect, except that as it's aged, the bottom corner straps have sagged and now it's a bit off. I'm getting the Acase (to keep the corners protected). 2 stars now.
OK, two updates from my original post:
1) I used an exacto knife to make the power button more accessible. It works much better now--in fact better than without the case since the hole guides your finger to the power button--but it looks like crap. The case is velvety fabric over cardboard, so cutting into is exposed the cardboard. Oh well, I said it's a cheap case, and it's a small flaw, so I'll live.
2) The case DOES actually stand up on a table. It's not perfect, and falls over if the cat knocks it, but it does stand up. I was wrong in my first post: as the material wore in it became easier.

Roo Case - Needs work...

I bought this when I got my Xoom in March.
http://www.amazon.com/rooCASE-Execu...PCFK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1313413965&sr=8-1
I've enjoyed this case for quite some time, but now it has turned into a pain. The inside case that actually holds the Xoom has worn out already. The leather is all in good shape, but the flap that actually keeps the Xoom from sliding out is no longer of use. The flap has a piece of Velcro on it. This piece (I'm assuming from being in such a tight spot) has gotten so beat down that it no longer holds onto the soft fabric. Replacing the piece will consist of removing the stitching that holds it in place, then sewing on a new piece.
I thought I'd share this in case you're still looking for a case. If you don't mind replacing this piece after a few month then it's an amazing case. All positioning is perfect for me, as you can set it at almost any angle.
Running into some of the same issues you are. I love the case from the outside. We need flaps on the camera side, so it doesnt cover the camera. I am going to check with the creator, to see if they will swap.
zehkaiser said:
I bought this when I got my Xoom in March.
http://www.amazon.com/rooCASE-Execu...PCFK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1313413965&sr=8-1
I've enjoyed this case for quite some time, but now it has turned into a pain. The inside case that actually holds the Xoom has worn out already. The leather is all in good shape, but the flap that actually keeps the Xoom from sliding out is no longer of use. The flap has a piece of Velcro on it. This piece (I'm assuming from being in such a tight spot) has gotten so beat down that it no longer holds onto the soft fabric. Replacing the piece will consist of removing the stitching that holds it in place, then sewing on a new piece.
I thought I'd share this in case you're still looking for a case. If you don't mind replacing this piece after a few month then it's an amazing case. All positioning is perfect for me, as you can set it at almost any angle.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
seriously bud... dont sweat.. CUT the old piece out if need be.. and then go to your local hardware store and by velcro with a sticky piece on the back for either side, the loop or the hook.. i can do that and have used it to hold many things with both pieces and it only cost me about $3-5... not alot of money and will take about 5 minutes... try it out if you like the case.. or set it on fire, dance around it, laugh then suck it up and buy something else lol

[PROJECT] Another Touchstone/Inductive Charging Mod (Otterbox)

I know I'm not the first, so credit where credit is due to all those that came before me with the Nexus and those that came before those with other phones. Major props to Palm for being innovative, having owned a Palm Pre before, it's really ashame that phone never really caught on.
Having said that, I present to you the Inductive Charging Otterbox Commuter Case. Really very much like all the other mods out there. Do some measuring, drill some holes, solder some wire, bam, you're done. This is obviously just another variant on a lot of other mods out there, so this really isn't anything new. I won't go into the nitty gritty details, just tips and tricks I found worked along the way.
To start, obviously you'll need an Otterbox Commuter series case. I thought this one would work best because it has the hard outer shell with a silicone inner lining.
Next you'll need at least 2 of these spring-loaded contacts made by Mill-max. They are 0.137" in height uncompressed and 0.098" in height fully compressed. That's 3.48mm and 2.49mm for you metric folks. These things are tiny, so a nice pair of tweezers will aide you in this process.
http://search.digikey.com/us/en/products/811-22-001-30-000101/ED8110-01-ND/682269
The next thing I bought was 24 awg pre-tinned copper wire. Doesn't have to be this exactly, but I found it worked nicely.
http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2102500
I also used some PermaPoxy 5-minute plastic weld to epoxy the pogos into the side of the case. Found it at my local hardware.
http://www.amazon.com/Permatex-8411...ZC6U/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1330051726&sr=8-3
The most crucial part of this is accurately measuring (and maybe a little lucky guessing) on where to drill the holes in the side of the case. The method I used was not precise and involved more guess-work than I care to admit. In the end, I had to do a little fine-tuning by scraping some material away in the direction I needed one of the pogos to be. I started off with a 1/32 drill bit and stepped my way up until I could fit the pogo in with a minute amount of play.
For each of the two pogo contacts, I made a small curve in the wire that would wrap around the radius on the back of each pogo. You'll notice there is a solid copper surface contact area on the back of these. I placed the wire around its circumference and soldered it in place nice and smooth. A small set of locking pliers or some sort of small vice will help you free up a hand and hold the pogo while you position the wire and solder it.
Once all of this was done, I took a thick paperclip (toothpick works fine), and mixed up the epoxy and used the toothpick to apply a layer to the inner part of the holes in the commuter case and on the outer part of the plastic-like portion of the pogos. Then slide them in place and use the wire that they are soldered to to position them and hold them in place for a few minutes until the epoxy starts to set. Do this one pogo at a time to make sure you get them in correctly and make sure they are flush on the back with the outer part of the case.
After that, you position the inductive charging circuit from the Palm Pre battery door and then trim and solder the wires to it. The top contact (contact nearest the coil) is ground and the bottom is +5V. Same goes for the pogo contacts on the phone. You will then need to trim some silicone material away from the side where the pogos will need to make contact with the phone.
What you have to do after this is all in how well you positioned things at the start. I had to take my extended battery and back off and go back to the normal battery and back. I also had to trim some silicone material away that was over the regulator circuit of the inductive charging cell, that's the thickest part of the entire piece and it was pushing my phone up too high in the case.
A side benefit of this method is the outer contacts are still maintained and you could potentially design a desk dock, car dock, whatever that would make use of the pogo charging in case the touchstone isn't the most ideal for that situation. Things you could do to improve on this would be:
-Add stronger magnets so the phone would hold to the touchstone better
-Texture the back of the Commuter case somehow to make it not so slick. This also would help the phone stay on the touchstone better
-Sand a little of the material away where the charging circuit will be on the case, would make for a better fit in the case (still bulges at the bottom a bit like it does with the extended battery in)
Feel free to point out other things I could have done better and post up your own versions if you attempt this mod
This looks awesome -- might have to give it a try during a lazy weekend or something!
Thanks for the description and pictures MSU!
Please see here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1502812
Different case, but same concept.

Galaxy Note 10.1 Case Thoughts: Zenus AVOC Diary Case Cover

Hey there - posted this over on AC, but thought some might benefit from it here too!
So I picked up a new case of Amazon commensurate with the $500+ purchase that hit my bank account this week. Wanted something for around the office (mostly work out of the house), and will likely pick up a "more suited for travel" solution from poetic or one of the cheaper guys down the line. I've been told that I put too many words around my thoughts and words equal bad for reasons...
So I'll post some pics and just get right down to what's good and what's bad:
Likes:
It's very pretty, and despite being a non-leather "High End Eco Friendly Fiber" or whatever the hell that means, the build quality and construction of the case are as such that I barely notice the stand in for real leather.
All ports, camera's and other various assundry cut-outs appear to be in the right spot and sufficiently machined that I'm not catching my finger (nails or tips) when trying to get the Spen phallus out of it's tiny plastic ******, or turn the volume up or down.
The internal "bra," as it were (the piece that holds the tablet) is actually ridiculously rigid - and despite the light weight carry nature of a case like this - I think it could stop a bullet. It's made of some insane non-PET plastic (likely a high fiber terephathalatate or other poly carb blend..like found in large water bottles), that seriously I can't manage to bend even slightly by pulling up and down on both corners. Also, if you're into that sort of thing...wierdo, it's a "smokey" looking plastic that's only semi-transparent.
The interior is lined with some very high quality denim, which sounds odd - but the texture is lovely to the touch. I specifically ordered a brown case because I wanted the green inset - I think I might actually a red one (with cream colored inset) to have as a backup or when this one finally dies.
It's not leather, but the construction and handcrafts-manship is certainly apparent. There's hand stitches tying the exterior to the inset and it looks lovely! I've been using it for my daily case and despite it not being leather, there's no signs of wear around the fold lines near the spine of the case even though I routinely hold it like a magazine - pretty impressive.
Light weight - no real extra bulk.
What's not so great:
The price - I paid $29 for this through Prime on a one day special, but I've seen it going as high as $50. I'm not saying it's not worth it, there's certainly value and some bling factor at play here, but I would have had a harder time accepting the $50 price tag (or may if I decide to order the dark red version).
The play joint (that allows you to flip it into "stand mode" is like all other cases....if you don't routinely want to prop up your tablet - you have to live with it being lose while you work with it.
**I found a 10 cent solution in a pair of velcro micro dots (about the radius of my pinky finger) that I placed between the hard plastic bra and the denim case - and after some time - have no problems with the sticky "adherence." Now when I want to use my case as a stand...I have to pull a little harder and hear that satisfying velcro "skin peeling" sound before the whole thing comes apart!
The cover is a "smart cover" meaning it will turn on and off your screen, but with the case open (and the front folded over the back - the magnet it in the case will sometimes flip the screen off until it's moved ever so slightly. Not a huge deal - but it can be annoying.
So that's it - so far so good. Like I said, I don't know that I'd travel with it. To knock around the office or at home is one thing, but to put it under airline scrutiny and abuse would make me nervous (unless I was holding it and babying it through the process). Very happy with the case at the purchase price - but full price would be harder to swallow! Hope it helps!
Jack

anyone yet found a ZERO-magnet folio-style case?

I've spent hours looking at threads and product pages, and only found one goofy-looking thing shipping from China -- and even that one doesn't explicitly say "no magnets", but at least doesn't mention magnets or auto-wake/sleep. Minimum requirements:
-- non-magnetic secure closure / clasp (for example. button-snap, or velcro, or the kind of self-locking metal closure used on attache- or brief-cases -- or even a zipper)
-- bumper-style surround (vs. corner straps -- looking for secure attachment *and* shock protection)
-- sufficient excess border material to protect corners and edges
-- able to fold the front cover all the way back (even though that blocks the camera), so that the whole thing can be held in a grippy stand / holder, without the front cover flapping around (BTW, this guy does a fantastic job of making stands / mounts to *custom* requirements, *inexpensively* -- he's already made two for my S8+ in Spigen Wallet case, and is about to make another to hold the same + wireless charger: SlipGripCarMounts.com)
Nice to have but not essential (could mod these features myself):
-- pen holder
-- elastic strap inside the front cover, to slip your hand through when cover is folded back
-- a carrying handle on the spine, as on artists' portfolio cases
-- able to fold back the closure so that it also holds in place the folded-back front cover
My dad is actually making me a leather folio case, I'll post photos when hes finished.
I have found this case and https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Forefront-Cases-Rotating-Smart-Case-Cover-Samsung-Galaxy-Tab-S3-9-7-SM-T820/332224684565?_trkparms=aid%3D777001%26algo%3DDISCO.FEED%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20160801204525%26meid%3Dd914a29d045545bfb27f87a1b1b52fc7%26pid%3D100651%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D1%26%26itm%3D332224684565&_trksid=p2481888.c100651.m4497&_trkparms=pageci%3A5a9d0226-7861-11e8-8690-74dbd180fbe2%7Cparentrq%3A367553b51640ac3d2c0efbd6fffa85f3%7Ciid%3A1
eBay item number:332224684565
The seller confirmed that there is no magnets and it uses the strap to keep it shut
double check about the magnet
if its this case
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLWtSCBsBjE
and on the offical site it looks like it has sleep wake feature if you look thru pictures.
https://forefrontcases.co.uk/produc...t820-leather-rotating-smart-case-cover-stand/
let us know either way mate .
I need a case
swagatsourav said:
I have found this case and https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Forefront-Cases-Rotating-Smart-Case-Cover-Samsung-Galaxy-Tab-S3-9-7-SM-T820/332224684565?_trkparms=aid%3D777001%26algo%3DDISCO.FEED%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20160801204525%26meid%3Dd914a29d045545bfb27f87a1b1b52fc7%26pid%3D100651%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D1%26%26itm%3D332224684565&_trksid=p2481888.c100651.m4497&_trkparms=pageci%3A5a9d0226-7861-11e8-8690-74dbd180fbe2%7Cparentrq%3A367553b51640ac3d2c0efbd6fffa85f3%7Ciid%3A1
eBay item number:332224684565
The seller confirmed that there is no magnets and it uses the strap to keep it shut
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ronin475 said:
double check about the magnet
if its this case
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLWtSCBsBjE
and on the offical site it looks like it has sleep wake feature if you look thru pictures.
https://forefrontcases.co.uk/produc...t820-leather-rotating-smart-case-cover-stand/
let us know either way mate .
I need a case
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is what he said to me before
I can confirm this item does not have a magnetic closure and is kept shut using the strap.
I have sent him a message again quoting the website , but the vide you sent was of s2. Not sure if they have changed it on S3.
bad news and good news
The bad news...
Examining the evidence offered by @Ronin475, I think it's probably true.
The good news...
I FOUND THE CASE. Before I started this thread, I had actually already ordered a case on Amazon, purely on the basis that:
(a) although the Amazon page doesn't explicitly say "no magnets", it does't mention magnets or sleep / wake;
(b) it was going to take 3+ weeks to deliver (from China), and I had no idea how much longer I might be searching; and,
(c) it's cheap ($14 US including shipping) and therefore low-risk.
Well, it arrived today, much sooner (11 days) than expected. I had been expecting to be disappointed in one or more
respects, considering the low price and the shipping location -- not because it's *made* in China, but because no one
thought it worth *warehousing* in a major market like the U.S.
I've been pleasantly surprised.
(a) I confirmed there are no magnets. I ran a small "horse-shoe" magnet all over the case, and detected no metal.
Then I passed all parts of the front cover over the right side of the powered-on S3, and it had no effect.
(b) Given the price, it seems to be better build-quality than I expected. And it "ticks" the essential boxes...
(c) It has rubber bumpers all around, with properly located openings for everything, except that there's no opening for the
microSD card tray. (Oddly, though, it appears to have an opening for the ejection pin.). I guess it's not unreasonable to think
that users wouldn't be opening the tray very often; and having to remove this case to access the tray isn't difficult. And the
Spigen Wallet folio case on my S8+ also blocks the combination SD / SIM tray.
(c) I'd prefer to have the surround be a *tiny* bit thicker and project a couple of mm higher above the screen than it does,
but I'd say it's roughly proportional to what the Spigen does.
(d) The edges of the case do extend visibly beyond the bumper, providing side and corner protection.
(e) The front cover does fold all the way back, lying completely flat against the back.
(f) This wasn't part of the "essentials" in my OP, but the outer surfaces are moderately textured, making it less likely to
slip out of your hand.
(g) Likewise not originally listed as essential, it has a slight detent / kickstand inside the front cover, which holds the screen
at approximately 60 degrees in landscape-mode.
My only reservation about the construction is that I haven't yet installed the Spigen tempered-glass screen protector
which I already purchased for the tablet, so I can't yet confirm that the surround will still properly fit after I do that.
It doesn't have any kind of closure, but I can fix that easily and cheaply with some stick-on pieces of "hook-and-loop"
material (AKA velcro) which are sold on Amazon and in any office-supplies store.
It doesn't have any of the attributes I listed as "Nice to have but not essential", but as I said, I could mod those features myself.
And one more thing...
The decorative image is garish -- no plain patterns or solid colors or other "quiet"-looking options are offered.
But you have a choice of fifteen different garish and / or juvenile-looking patterns from which to choose.
Now that I'm looking at the Amazon page again, the least silly-looking one is probably the "Plum Blossom" pattern --
if you don't mind seeing a flash of Shocking Pink whenever you open the case.
If you're the "handy" type, you could probably find something at a crafts-supply store which you could trim to fit
and then glue over the outside.
The forum isn't letting me post the complete URL, but you can simply go to Amazon, and copy and paste
the following product-ID into the search field: B074H1H9XS
The Forefront case mentioned by @swagatsourav certainly looks nicer, and I like the swivel and the multi-position
kickstand. But 20+ British pounds (with shipping) is about $27US. I would have been willing to spend that much,
if I'd been aware of that case, and if I could have been *certain* about the magnet.
excellent review mate, my finte case arrived (the reviews said no probs with magnets, i contacted finite they said they were unaware of any problems )
but unfortunatly it does affect the pen once you know what to look for sadly.
It was less than £10 ,so i took a scalpel to it and removed the magnetic strips without any major damage. (this version has the pen holder BTW)
It still acts as a stand but not as secure as with magnetic strips and doesnt clip closed , but until i can get a better version this may do
link below for refrence
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B072N4YGVG/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
nusratt said:
The bad news...
Examining the evidence offered by @Ronin475, I think it's probably true.
The good news...
I FOUND THE CASE. Before I started this thread, I had actually already ordered a case on Amazon, purely on the basis that:
(a) although the Amazon page doesn't explicitly say "no magnets", it does't mention magnets or sleep / wake;
(b) it was going to take 3+ weeks to deliver (from China), and I had no idea how much longer I might be searching; and,
(c) it's cheap ($14 US including shipping) and therefore low-risk.
Well, it arrived today, much sooner (11 days) than expected. I had been expecting to be disappointed in one or more
respects, considering the low price and the shipping location -- not because it's *made* in China, but because no one
thought it worth *warehousing* in a major market like the U.S.
I've been pleasantly surprised.
(a) I confirmed there are no magnets. I ran a small "horse-shoe" magnet all over the case, and detected no metal.
Then I passed all parts of the front cover over the right side of the powered-on S3, and it had no effect.
(b) Given the price, it seems to be better build-quality than I expected. And it "ticks" the essential boxes...
(c) It has rubber bumpers all around, with properly located openings for everything, except that there's no opening for the
microSD card tray. (Oddly, though, it appears to have an opening for the ejection pin.). I guess it's not unreasonable to think
that users wouldn't be opening the tray very often; and having to remove this case to access the tray isn't difficult. And the
Spigen Wallet folio case on my S8+ also blocks the combination SD / SIM tray.
(c) I'd prefer to have the surround be a *tiny* bit thicker and project a couple of mm higher above the screen than it does,
but I'd say it's roughly proportional to what the Spigen does.
(d) The edges of the case do extend visibly beyond the bumper, providing side and corner protection.
(e) The front cover does fold all the way back, lying completely flat against the back.
(f) This wasn't part of the "essentials" in my OP, but the outer surfaces are moderately textured, making it less likely to
slip out of your hand.
(g) Likewise not originally listed as essential, it has a slight detent / kickstand inside the front cover, which holds the screen
at approximately 60 degrees in landscape-mode.
My only reservation about the construction is that I haven't yet installed the Spigen tempered-glass screen protector
which I already purchased for the tablet, so I can't yet confirm that the surround will still properly fit after I do that.
It doesn't have any kind of closure, but I can fix that easily and cheaply with some stick-on pieces of "hook-and-loop"
material (AKA velcro) which are sold on Amazon and in any office-supplies store.
It doesn't have any of the attributes I listed as "Nice to have but not essential", but as I said, I could mod those features myself.
And one more thing...
The decorative image is garish -- no plain patterns or solid colors or other "quiet"-looking options are offered.
But you have a choice of fifteen different garish and / or juvenile-looking patterns from which to choose.
Now that I'm looking at the Amazon page again, the least silly-looking one is probably the "Plum Blossom" pattern --
if you don't mind seeing a flash of Shocking Pink whenever you open the case.
If you're the "handy" type, you could probably find something at a crafts-supply store which you could trim to fit
and then glue over the outside.
The forum isn't letting me post the complete URL, but you can simply go to Amazon, and copy and paste
the following product-ID into the search field: B074H1H9XS
The Forefront case mentioned by @swagatsourav certainly looks nicer, and I like the swivel and the multi-position
kickstand. But 20+ British pounds (with shipping) is about $27US. I would have been willing to spend that much,
if I'd been aware of that case, and if I could have been *certain* about the magnet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ronin475 said:
i took a scalpel to it and removed the magnetic strips without any major damage.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've handled Fintie products before, and I like them. And although their cases offer some of the same garish patterns as mine, they at least also do offer some which are more staid. And even their version of the "Plum Blossom" pattern is lined in subdued grey (vs. bright pink).
More importantly... can you post some close-up pics to show what the "post-surgical" sites look like?
And... not to be intrusively personal, but why do you happen to have scalpels lying around?
Do you by any chance frequent the Whitechapel area, or do occasional barbering on Fleet Street?
will grab some pics when i get home tomorrow mate
the case was simple black which is all i wanted no frill's no spills.
Doesnt every one have a scapel laying around just in case? lol
A friend of my is a Doctor so she knows i like gadgets etc so gave me the small light pen scapel etc , they have come in handy on occasion
nusratt said:
I've handled Fintie products before, and I like them. And although their cases offer some of the same garish patterns as mine, they at least also do offer some which are more staid. And even their version of the "Plum Blossom" pattern is lined in subdued grey (vs. bright pink).
More importantly... can you post some close-up pics to show what the "post-surgical" sites look like?
And... not to be intrusively personal, but why do you happen to have scalpels lying around?
Do you by any chance frequent the Whitechapel area, or do occasional barbering on Fleet Street?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
swagatsourav said:
This is what he said to me before
I can confirm this item does not have a magnetic closure and is kept shut using the strap.
I have sent him a message again quoting the website , but the vide you sent was of s2. Not sure if they have changed it on S3.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So finally he did confirm it does HAVE magnets when i asked specifically about sleep wake.
Unfortunately the case mentioned by @nusratt is no longer available on amazon UK and neither does the seller on amazon USA ships it to UK.
I am still contemplating about going for
MoKo Galaxy Tab S3 9.7 Slim-Fit Multi-angle Folio Cover Case but need confirmation from any members that it would not affect the spen use. 
 @leojab mentioned in https://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-tab-s3/accessories/zero-magnet-folio-style-case-t3807323 thread that it works perfectly fine.
swagatsourav said:
Unfortunately the case mentioned by @nusratt is no longer available on amazon UK and neither does the seller on amazon USA ships it to UK.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm surprised that they won't ship to UK, since they're shipping from China. Have you tried contacting the seller directly, through their Amazon page?
how about this one?
swagatsourav said:
I am still contemplating about going for MoKo Galaxy Tab S3 9.7 Slim-Fit Multi-angle Folio Cover Case but need confirmation from any members that it would not affect the spen use.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
On xda and elsewhere, I've read several posts saying about various cases, "I didn't see the problem until I had been using the case for a while." That's why I decided not to pursue any case which mentioned having *either* a magnet *or* a sleep / wake function.
Somewhere recently, maybe on xda or even in this very thread, I saw this one ("kwmobile Elegant") on Amazon: B07233PKL8
Maybe you could ask that one's seller about magnets, sleep, and shipping.
I've been using a magnet case on my Tab S3 since August of last year with zero issues. It is on every day 24/7. I only take about 2 hours of notes a day on average Monday-Friday and the rest of the time is spent with magnets engaged and case cover closed. No issues.
I used a bit of glue under the flaps of the case i have cut open the sealed them down.
I then added some electrician's tape just to cover it ( the tape makes it look a bit rougher than the cuts )
I have marked where the magnetic strips were removed in yellow.
It does fold into the stand option but isnt as secure as i would like it as magentics dont hold it in place.
I may use something to sort that out later
Pic's
https://imgur.com/a/Y3SltoB
nusratt said:
I've handled Fintie products before, and I like them. And although their cases offer some of the same garish patterns as mine, they at least also do offer some which are more staid. And even their version of the "Plum Blossom" pattern is lined in subdued grey (vs. bright pink).
More importantly... can you post some close-up pics to show what the "post-surgical" sites look like?
And... not to be intrusively personal, but why do you happen to have scalpels lying around?
Do you by any chance frequent the Whitechapel area, or do occasional barbering on Fleet Street?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ronin475 said:
I then added some electrician's tape just to cover it ( the tape makes it look a bit rougher than the cuts )
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. Looking at the pic, I wondered, did you use the electrician's tape to smooth over the rough feel of the cut edges on the hand? And / or because the opposite sides of the cut couldn't be brought back together in a gap-less seam?
2. Also, from which side did you initiate the cutting? Superficially it looks like the inner and outer covers are two separate pieces of different materials, the inside matte and fabric-like, and the outside shiny plastic / TPU; but maybe the inner matte surface is merely a coating. Was there an inner core between them, maybe cardboard? I'm asking because I'm wondering if it would be possible to remove the magnets by cutting only from the inside, so that the outside never shows any sign of the alteration. I imagine that the magnets were held in place by some kind of adhesive.
3. Looking at the pic again, it occurs to me to ask: do the rubber bumpers on that case completely surround the tablet, or are they only on the corners? The pic makes it appear that either it's corners-only, or the corners project higher above the tablet edge than the bumper sides do.
aspexil said:
I've been using a magnet case on my Tab S3 since August of last year with zero issues... 2 hours of notes a day...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I understand completely -- there are many people who report fortunate experiences like yours. It's just that there are so many who've had the opposite experience, that a lot of shoppers, in this forum and elsewhere, are bending over backwards to be "better safe than sorry".
btw, what case are you using?
To make the longest cut on the "outside" of the case i had to split it (like splitting a piece of cardbord) ,
the split is fairly easy , it gets a bit messy pulling out the magnetic strips that are glued in place so in some spots its a little rough depending how lucky you are. ( i would recomend breaking the magnetic into smaller bits as its easier to remove)
It doesnt feel rough to the touch or any thing and its mainly the central bit that was slightly rough you can see that in the pic.
For the magnetic strip closer to the screen i cut away from the smooth grey side of the case , this was slightly more tricky as i didnt want to poke thru to other side of case.
The central bit of the case is indeed carboard but as the magnets are glued in place there will be a little damage removing them.
The magnets in the plastic part of the case i used a metal spudger to pry them out
I added the tape as a layer of protection to stop any further splits etc
The bumpers are only on the edges are a hard plastic type of material.
The overall build of the case is "ok" not amazing but its a decent case for unde £10.
nusratt said:
1. Looking at the pic, I wondered, did you use the electrician's tape to smooth over the rough feel of the cut edges on the hand? And / or because the opposite sides of the cut couldn't be brought back together in a gap-less seam?
2. Also, from which side did you initiate the cutting? Superficially it looks like the inner and outer covers are two separate pieces of different materials, the inside matte and fabric-like, and the outside shiny plastic / TPU; but maybe the inner matte surface is merely a coating. Was there an inner core between them, maybe cardboard? I'm asking because I'm wondering if it would be possible to remove the magnets by cutting only from the inside, so that the outside never shows any sign of the alteration. I imagine that the magnets were held in place by some kind of adhesive.
3. Looking at the pic again, it occurs to me to ask: do the rubber bumpers on that case completely surround the tablet, or are they only on the corners? The pic makes it appear that either it's corners-only, or the corners project higher above the tablet edge than the bumper sides do.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
also forgot to mention the sleep wake function still works without the magnets in the case.
there is a stong magnet in the tablet where the spine of the case is.
So i think the small square of metal i left in the case is registered by the fluctuation in the device field and when the light sensor is covered/uncovered it sleeps/wakes.
Ronin475 said:
To make the longest cut on the "outside" of the case i had to split it (like splitting a piece of cardbord) ,
the split is fairly easy , it gets a bit messy pulling out the magnetic strips that are glued in place so in some spots its a little rough depending how lucky you are. ( i would recomend breaking the magnetic into smaller bits as its easier to remove)
It doesnt feel rough to the touch or any thing and its mainly the central bit that was slightly rough you can see that in the pic.
For the magnetic strip closer to the screen i cut away from the smooth grey side of the case , this was slightly more tricky as i didnt want to poke thru to other side of case.
The central bit of the case is indeed carboard but as the magnets are glued in place there will be a little damage removing them.
The magnets in the plastic part of the case i used a metal spudger to pry them out
I added the tape as a layer of protection to stop any further splits etc
The bumpers are only on the edges are a hard plastic type of material.
The overall build of the case is "ok" not amazing but its a decent case for unde £10.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ronin475 said:
also forgot to mention the sleep wake function still works without the magnets in the case.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. WTF?! Then what the hell is the purpose of all the other magnets you found and removed?
2. Damn. This is depressing news. I can't begin to tell you how many otherwise very desirable-seeming cases I looked at and ruled out simply on the assumption that "sleep/wake = magnet".
it appears the magnets mainly held the case closed an the other strip was used to secure the stand bit.
I double checked with a magnetic field app on my phone , not high tech but does pick up fields.
and magnets are gone and there is a small reading where that small metal or maybe chip is.
i have attached a small elastic ribbon so the stand works perfect now, may work on something for keeping the case closed .
nusratt said:
1. WTF?! Then what the hell is the purpose of all the other magnets you found and removed?
2. Damn. This is depressing news. I can't begin to tell you how many otherwise very desirable-seeming cases I looked at and ruled out simply on the assumption that "sleep/wake = magnet".
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

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