A common complaint among the D3O case users (myself included) is that the buttons are too hard to push.
I found that making shallow cuts around the buttons on the inside of the case added some much needed flexibility, and improved the feel of the buttons to nearly the same as without the case. Now I can even feel the "click" of the buttons again.
I just bent the case inside out around my finger and used a sharp x-acto knife to do the deed. Careful to not cut too deep.. about 1/2 of the thickness of the plastic in the area is all you need. If you're holding the case inside out, you'll see the plastic splitting as you cut, and that helps gauge the depth.
DISCLAIMER: If you hurt yourself or mess up your case, it's not my fault.
Great tip. I just slit the rubber just barely and it worked out great.
Yes, when you bend it and use a SHARP exacto or razer blade, you will see the rubber separate ever so slightly. I did this all the way around the button and it makes a world of difference.
Course with my eyes, I had to use a x10 optivisor to see what the heck I was doing.
Nice tip will try later after work!!
Sent from my SGH-T989 using XDA App
Worked for me!
Sent from my SGH-T989 using XDA App
tmo has a black blue and pink d30 now guys just picked up the blue and this tip works great
Sent from my SGH-T989
Much better after the cut. Thanks
i dont get where to cut...can any1 post a pic of the actual case with the cuts? i would appreciate it
Just my two cents.....
Rather then cutting my new case, I cut a piece of thin cardboard to the size of the button and glued that to the inside of the case, where the case button should press against the phone's button.
I now can use normal pressure to press the button.
Just my two cents.....
ralnee said:
Rather then cutting my new case, I cut a piece of thin cardboard to the size of the button and glued that to the inside of the case, where the case button should press against the phone's button.
I now can use normal pressure to press the button.
Just my two cents.....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
not a bad idea, let me try that lol
Just picked up a D30 flex case today. Will try it soon! Awesome tip.
Stupid idea. Cut will soon turn into crack and your cases will be a garbage. Its called material stress.
Sent from my SGH-T989 using xda premium
You're probably right... These flexible polymers are well known for their susceptibility to fatigue...
Sent from my Galaxy S II using tapatalk.
ralnee said:
Rather then cutting my new case, I cut a piece of thin cardboard to the size of the button and glued that to the inside of the case, where the case button should press against the phone's button.
I now can use normal pressure to press the button.
Just my two cents.....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Best idea so far. Works wonderful!
I picked up the double protection d30 white and black.. buttons are rubber and infinitely easier to press without modification.. check em out!! Its a stronger, thinner, better fit/looking case tthan the all polymer. Reminds me of an otterbox commuter but one solid piece. It also comes in black and grey
sent from my real Gs move in silence like lasagna
mbernusg said:
I picked up the double protection d30 white and black.. buttons are rubber and infinitely easier to press without modification.. check em out!! Its a stronger, thinner, better fit/looking case tthan the all polymer. Reminds me of an otterbox commuter but one solid piece. It also comes in black and grey
sent from my real Gs move in silence like lasagna
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can you post pictures of the case up close as possible, thanks.
I think the buttons will soften after using it for a while. They are hard to push but not unbearable by any means. I have had cases on other phones which were a whole lot harder to press. It's an annoyance but I can live with it. I will try the cardboard trick if that doesn't work I guess.
Jjday7 said:
I think the buttons will soften after using it for a while. They are hard to push but not unbearable by any means. I have had cases on other phones which were a whole lot harder to press. It's an annoyance but I can live with it. I will try the cardboard trick if that doesn't work I guess.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, after 2 weeks the buttons are much easier to press now. Or my fingers have gotten stronger.
Sent from my SGH-T989 using xda premium
I switched from the FLEX case to the DUAL IMPACT case and the buttons feel MUCH better.
Cyclops case
http://www.tridentcase.com/shop-pro.../cyclops-case-samsung-galaxy-s-iv-active.aspx
Unicorn Beetle Case
http://www.amazon.com/SUPCASE-Samsung-Galaxy-Active-Unicorn/dp/B00DY5UVK2
Has anyone tried these out?
What I am really looking for is a case that adds some extra waterproofing and a bike mount so that I can use the phone on my bike as a bike computer.
Buzz_Litebeer said:
Cyclops case
http://www.tridentcase.com/shop-pro.../cyclops-case-samsung-galaxy-s-iv-active.aspx
Unicorn Beetle Case
http://www.amazon.com/SUPCASE-Samsung-Galaxy-Active-Unicorn/dp/B00DY5UVK2
Has anyone tried these out?
What I am really looking for is a case that adds some extra waterproofing and a bike mount so that I can use the phone on my bike as a bike computer.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I own two of the Unicorn Beetle Cases, and had the Cyclops in my hands for a few minutes since my friend has one. I didn't like the Cyclops since it feels too "mushy" for my taste, but I'd say it *definitely* will offer more drop & rain protection if that is what you are looking for. I've never dropped a phone (knock on wood) and really just wanted a nice looking scratch protector type of case that is not too bulky, and the Beetle is great for that, but I don't think it would fare very well if it fell from a moving bike...
I ordered the black/yellow Unicorn Beetle, should be in a few days even thought it's a bit ridiculous: the tracking info showed it shipped from Memphis TN then to Phoenix AZ and then to Compton CA which basically means they leaped clear over Las Vegas NV in the process instead of just drop-shipping it here, go figure. I mean I know we're north of that route by a margin but even so, shipping companies (apparently this is coming by DHL) just can't seem to be efficient at all sometimes.
Anyway, once it arrives I'll post my opinions and thoughts on it but as stated it probably won't get here till Monday at the earliest.
But I can always hope...
Ok, got my Unicorn Beetle case and I absolutely love it - I chose the black/yellow color combination. A near-perfect fit (will explain that in a moment), gives the phone a really solid feel, not that it doesn't feel that way already but the additional weight and size just adds a bit more "uNF" to the overall heft of carrying the GS4A.
Now, about the near-perfect fit in my situation - I'm not saying this will be the same for everyone else but it was for me and I'll explain my "fix" for it as well.
When I first put the Beetle case on I loved it right at that moment, but after a few more moments I began to realize that the extremely snug fit was causing a problem: the power button was so "tight" it literally was acting like a touch-sensitive control just like the screen is. I mean it: I could just touch that side "bump" on the case and the power would go on and off with nary any pressure whatsoever. There was literally no space whatsoever and the power button section of the case was not only constantly touching the power button but pushing on it so it was like a micron or whatever away from making contact.
That wasn't going to work.
I removed the case and looked into the inner area where the power button of the GS4A makes contact with the case and noted there was a tiny "bump" added, probably with the intention of making sure the contact was made with the power button. Problem is that tiny plastic "bump" or hump or whatever you or the case maker might call it is/was about 0.5mm tall, give or take a tenth of a millimeter, so I took a razor blade and bent the side of the case (the grey rubber-like material, not the hard yellow plastic) enough so that I could shave - for lack of a better term - that little bump or hump so it was totally gone and the entire area inside the power button on the case was flush and flat.
Put the GS4A back in the now modded case and voila, not only was that issue taken care of in a few seconds but now there's a small amount of space between the physical button and the case portion that covers it - when I press in I can feel the rubberized grey plastic actually give just a bit, and I can feel the power button click physically as it does when it's "naked" and case free.
But, then I noticed that the volume buttons - the Volume Up button specifically - were doing exactly the same thing so, I removed the GS4A from the case again - I didn't check it for that little "bump" of extra material the first time because I wasn't having any problems with the volume at first.
Anyway, looking into the area inside the case on the volume buttons I noted another similar "bump" of extra material, one for each specific button (Up/Down) but this little bump was maybe 1/4th as thick as the one on the power button side was. I mean literally this was like a sheet of notebook paper thick while the power button bump was 4 or 5, big difference.
I did the razor shave thing on the volume button side and...
I am happy to report this case is pretty much perfect for me now.
The little mods I did took seconds but now the power and the volume buttons are working as expected, with just a tiny very tiny amount of spacing between how tight they were to now having that give that I notice when I press the buttons, I can feel them being pushed and get the click whereas with the case in original condition the buttons themselves felt rock solid with no give at all, and now we know why.
So, I'd give this case a 9.9 easy (there are no 10's, in anything), and would order another one without hesitation if I had a second GS4A. I'm a large guy (6'6" tall) and I have somewhat large hands, not gargantuan ones or anything, but whereas before with the bare GS4A feeling solid in my hand, with the Unicorn Beetle case on it, I feel like I could hold it while punching a hole in a brick wall or something and not think twice about it. The added ridges and nubs along the sides just kind of fit the size of my hand and the insides of my fingers when I grasp it, well, as perfectly as I could have expected.
Also, the cutout where the camera lens and LED flash are located has a huge spacing now, almost an 1/8th of an inch so you probably won't end up having to clean the lens nearly as often because of potential finger/palm prints on it. Helps a lot when it's laying on the backside as well.
If you want a solid case that looks great (my opinion of course), is fairly cheap in price (paid $9 + shipping = $14.99 for mine and worth every cent at this moment), the Unicorn Beetle for the Galaxy S4 Active is highly recommended.
(only camera I have presently is the one - two actually - in the GS4A so I have no pics to share, if you've seen the pics of the case then you pretty see what it really is)
Disclaimer: while the mod that I did - shaving off a half millimeter of excess plastic inside the inner area of the case where the buttons are located - has made it near-perfect for me and my use, minor manufacturing differences could mean that someone else using the same case (unmodded) might not have such incredibly close/tight tolerances as mine did, so YMMV. I just figured I'd spill my guts about my direct first-hand experience with the case and what I did to make it that much better. If you wish to do the mod that I did, just be careful with any sharp cutting tools you may choose to get it done.
Is the Unicorn beetle a rubberized case (IE if dropped will it help protect the screen from damage?)
br0adband said:
Ok, got my Unicorn Beetle case and I absolutely love it - I chose the black/yellow color combination. A near-perfect fit (will explain that in a moment), gives the phone a really solid feel, not that it doesn't feel that way already but the additional weight and size just adds a bit more "uNF" to the overall heft of carrying the GS4A.
Now, about the near-perfect fit in my situation - I'm not saying this will be the same for everyone else but it was for me and I'll explain my "fix" for it as well.
When I first put the Beetle case on I loved it right at that moment, but after a few more moments I began to realize that the extremely snug fit was causing a problem: the power button was so "tight" it literally was acting like a touch-sensitive control just like the screen is. I mean it: I could just touch that side "bump" on the case and the power would go on and off with nary any pressure whatsoever. There was literally no space whatsoever and the power button section of the case was not only constantly touching the power button but pushing on it so it was like a micron or whatever away from making contact.
That wasn't going to work.
I removed the case and looked into the inner area where the power button of the GS4A makes contact with the case and noted there was a tiny "bump" added, probably with the intention of making sure the contact was made with the power button. Problem is that tiny plastic "bump" or hump or whatever you or the case maker might call it is/was about 0.5mm tall, give or take a tenth of a millimeter, so I took a razor blade and bent the side of the case (the grey rubber-like material, not the hard yellow plastic) enough so that I could shave - for lack of a better term - that little bump or hump so it was totally gone and the entire area inside the power button on the case was flush and flat.
Put the GS4A back in the now modded case and voila, not only was that issue taken care of in a few seconds but now there's a small amount of space between the physical button and the case portion that covers it - when I press in I can feel the rubberized grey plastic actually give just a bit, and I can feel the power button click physically as it does when it's "naked" and case free.
But, then I noticed that the volume buttons - the Volume Up button specifically - were doing exactly the same thing so, I removed the GS4A from the case again - I didn't check it for that little "bump" of extra material the first time because I wasn't having any problems with the volume at first.
Anyway, looking into the area inside the case on the volume buttons I noted another similar "bump" of extra material, one for each specific button (Up/Down) but this little bump was maybe 1/4th as thick as the one on the power button side was. I mean literally this was like a sheet of notebook paper thick while the power button bump was 4 or 5, big difference.
I did the razor shave thing on the volume button side and...
I am happy to report this case is pretty much perfect for me now.
The little mods I did took seconds but now the power and the volume buttons are working as expected, with just a tiny very tiny amount of spacing between how tight they were to now having that give that I notice when I press the buttons, I can feel them being pushed and get the click whereas with the case in original condition the buttons themselves felt rock solid with no give at all, and now we know why.
So, I'd give this case a 9.9 easy (there are no 10's, in anything), and would order another one without hesitation if I had a second GS4A. I'm a large guy (6'6" tall) and I have somewhat large hands, not gargantuan ones or anything, but whereas before with the bare GS4A feeling solid in my hand, with the Unicorn Beetle case on it, I feel like I could hold it while punching a hole in a brick wall or something and not think twice about it. The added ridges and nubs along the sides just kind of fit the size of my hand and the insides of my fingers when I grasp it, well, as perfectly as I could have expected.
Also, the cutout where the camera lens and LED flash are located has a huge spacing now, almost an 1/8th of an inch so you probably won't end up having to clean the lens nearly as often because of potential finger/palm prints on it. Helps a lot when it's laying on the backside as well.
If you want a solid case that looks great (my opinion of course), is fairly cheap in price (paid $9 + shipping = $14.99 for mine and worth every cent at this moment), the Unicorn Beetle for the Galaxy S4 Active is highly recommended.
(only camera I have presently is the one - two actually - in the GS4A so I have no pics to share, if you've seen the pics of the case then you pretty see what it really is)
Disclaimer: while the mod that I did - shaving off a half millimeter of excess plastic inside the inner area of the case where the buttons are located - has made it near-perfect for me and my use, minor manufacturing differences could mean that someone else using the same case (unmodded) might not have such incredibly close/tight tolerances as mine did, so YMMV. I just figured I'd spill my guts about my direct first-hand experience with the case and what I did to make it that much better. If you wish to do the mod that I did, just be careful with any sharp cutting tools you may choose to get it done.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Buzz_Litebeer said:
Is the Unicorn beetle a rubberized case (IE if dropped will it help protect the screen from damage?)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
With mine, which I now realize isn't black/yellow at all but a very dark gray/yellow combo, the yellow part of the case is plastic, plain and simple - a tap of the finger or a pen will tell you that. But the gray portion is some kind of rubberized or rubber-like material that has a minor amount of flex to it, some give, some take.
I see people grabbing similar cases that have cutouts (large ones) for the volume and power buttons and personally I can't stand those kinds of cases myself. If I'm buying something to protect the device I want as much as possible of the device body/surface protected to the maximum potential, and given this one does that extremely well it's why I give it high marks as I did.
I don't consider this case to be "shock-proof" in any respects since it's such a tight fit. It's not like the Otterbox Defender for the GS4A (now available but of course insanely costly considering it's a case) which is a rubberized inner case with the harder outer shell that does provide some level of shock-resistance.
As my GS4A already has a cracked digitizer (that still functions without any dead spots or zones), I'm damned sure not intending to drop it at any time 'cause if that happens I'm pretty confident I'll kill it by doing so.
So to clarify: the Unicorn Beetle case is hard plastic on the very backside which melds into the slightly softer and very slightly more flexible sides. If it was entirely made of the harder plastic material it would probably require being in two parts or else you wouldn't be able to get the phone into the case at all.
I have both...
I have both the unicorn beetle and the trident cyclops and I have to say I prefer this case over both. I cant post links, so just search for this: black perforated net hybrid galaxy s4 active - on eBay and it'll pop right up. It has a better feel in my hand and it seems to provide more protection than the unicorn beetle, though admittedly not more than the cyclops. Funny, this one is cheaper than both and I liked it better. The perforated part is a rubberized hard material, and the inner shell is silicone. It also seems less bulky than both. Another reason I like it over the bulky cyclops trident case is that Im also using the bodyguardz tempered glass screen protector linked here. The plastic built in protector on the cyclops trident gets in the way.
Morgan
I am quite happy with the unicorn beetle case. I bought it a couple weeks ago because my bulky full-protection case wouldn't fit in my car dock, yet I still wanted protection and a TPU case anyway. Its been awesome ANYWAY just sayin.
br0adband said:
So to clarify: the Unicorn Beetle case is hard plastic on the very backside which melds into the slightly softer and very slightly more flexible sides. If it was entirely made of the harder plastic material it would probably require being in two parts or else you wouldn't be able to get the phone into the case at all.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is the inside TPU or hard plastic? I ask because I want to buy the missus a new case (the Tudia TPU works good, but she needs a bit more protection; she doesn't know how to NOT drop phones ) but I've had bad luck with hard plastic cases scratching the crap out of phones and not actually protecting them when dropped. I had a S2 w/hard plastic shell and when dropped the stupid case would come apart! It scratched the crap out of the bezel as well, I definitely was not happy with it. I know it's a 1-piece case but I'd prefer to have TPU touching the phone on the insides, hard plastic is ok on the outside.
(Yes, I cleaned the case pretty regularly to keep dust/dirt out, it still scratched my phone more than it should have in a really short period of time)
Not sure what the difference is but the yellow portion on mine is hard plastic; the grey portions are a softer more flexible material so if that's what "TPU" is then there's your answer.
br0adband said:
Not sure what the difference is but the yellow portion on mine is hard plastic; the grey portions are a softer more flexible material so if that's what "TPU" is then there's your answer.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Looking at the pics on Amazon it was hard to really tell if the inside is TPU or hard plastic (TPU is the flexible rubber, usually) but you answered my question! I prefer TPU over hard plastic as I said in the above question, I think it's pretty shock resistant after using one for several months on my Rugby Smart. If Seidio used that over the soft silicone or hard plastic I'd be a lot happier... TPU is the best of both IMO.
IMissPalmOS said:
I own two of the Unicorn Beetle Cases, and had the Cyclops in my hands for a few minutes since my friend has one. I didn't like the Cyclops since it feels too "mushy" for my taste, but I'd say it *definitely* will offer more drop & rain protection if that is what you are looking for. I've never dropped a phone (knock on wood) and really just wanted a nice looking scratch protector type of case that is not too bulky, and the Beetle is great for that, but I don't think it would fare very well if it fell from a moving bike...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is the back of the beatle case flat? I am thinking of getting it and putting a quad lock mount on it so i can put it on my bike.
Buzz_Litebeer said:
Is the back of the beatle case flat? I am thinking of getting it and putting a quad lock mount on it so i can put it on my bike.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not totally, no. The outer edge that looks glossy in photos is raised. The highest points are the middle portions on either side, raised about 1.5mm. Also the portion that has the SUPCASE logo in some pictures (but not in reality) is raised and textured a tiny bit.
EDIT: After looking at the quad lock in your other post, it looks like it would work fine with the beetle case. It is flat where you'd need it to be.
On my phone, the bumper case buttons are just small mashable indents that you can press, rather than the actual phone which are real buttons. It's really hard to press the power and volume buttons with the case on. Is this just my case, or is it a poorly designed case?
Hero_Lief said:
On my phone, the bumper case buttons are just small mashable indents that you can press, rather than the actual phone which are real buttons. It's really hard to press the power and volume buttons with the case on. Is this just my case, or is it a poorly designed case?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is just poorly designed. I got basically this case:
http://www.amazon.com/Cimo-S-Line-Flexible-Cover-Google/dp/B00G0FG792
but on ebay for $6. The buttons were so hard to push I ordered Google's $35 offical case because in the pictures it looked like there were cutouts for the buttons. As you well know there are not!
I can honestly say I hate everything about the Google case. It's only redeeming characteristic is the "NEXUS" label. Its hard slick plastic and square corners are just an unimaginably horrible design.
I don't think any case that covers the micro buttons will work any better. They are just too small and have no travel at all. They really need to be exposed.
The color rubs off or stains the official bumper case.
Xacto knife the sides of the buttons. Fixes that issue.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk
Stick a piece of plastic in the case do that a harder surface makes contact with the button. 90% of tpu cases have this issue on all phones. People been complaining for years. A lil ingenuity and it'll work fine.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
The diztronic case button covers work great
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk
Hero_Lief said:
On my phone, the bumper case buttons are just small mashable indents that you can press, rather than the actual phone which are real buttons. It's really hard to press the power and volume buttons with the case on. Is this just my case, or is it a poorly designed case?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Really? The photo's of them show that the bumper case buttons stick out?