Hello everyone,
I know that BMXant has done a review as well for this case, but I am still doing this since this is the black version, and in my opinion, each color makes the phone looks somewhat different
I actually really like this case. I was never a fan of TPU cases due to it being flimsy, and at most times loose and does not hug the phone properly. The SGP Ultra Capsule, on the other hand, is quite a work of art. It feels very nice in the hands, with no sharp or awkward protruding edges or defects. The look is very sleek and actually complements the nice sheen of the phone. It is made to the precise dimensions of the Optimus LTE and fits perfectly, from top to bottom. After putting it on the phone, give it a good squeeze, and you don't see any warping on the case anywhere on the phone.The cutouts are exact and the buttons line up with those on the phone. One thing to pay attention though, this case is actually intended for the Optimus LTE, and thus has the extra cutout at the right top corner of the phone. Nothing is there on the Nitro HD, so be careful with that corner.
Going back a step, I really love the packaging that it comes in. I was expecting it to be in a cheap flimsy plastic packaging or a cardboard box with cheap prints, but WOW, the packaging itself is very nice. As you can see in the pictures, it comes in a solid and rigid plastic container, shaped like the case, with really nice and fine prints on the included papers. I actually find the packaging more appealing than the case, but that's just me
And so, with that, enjoy the following pictures. Do note that these pictures are taken using the LG Nitro HD, with the exception of the few pictures of the phone inside the case. Those are taken with the HTC Rezound.
Please click on the images for a full size view
-Case and Packaging:-
-Case alone:-
-Case and Phone:-
Any questions, feel free to ask
After using it for about a night, I found a couple of things that's somewhat annoying me. Not too much, but just kinda bothers me.
First, this case is slippery in your hands. Compared to the ribbed battery cover, this case is silky smooth and slides on your palms if you don't grip it with force. It might take time to get use to holding it without it slipping.
Second, I am not sure if this is just me or it's the case, but it seems with this case on, every time I press the power button to turn off the screen, it requires me to press it twice. Pressing it once will turn off the screen but then it turns back on immediately, and I have to press it the second time to completely turn it off. I tried without the case, and I dont have such problem. Only with the case does this happen. I don't know if it's due to the design of the case where the power button is, but so far it's still happening.
BMXant, do u have the same issue with the power button like mine on your case?
aquariuz23 said:
After using it for about a night, I found a couple of things that's somewhat annoying me. Not too much, but just kinda bothers me.
First, this case is slippery in your hands. Compared to the ribbed battery cover, this case is silky smooth and slides on your palms if you don't grip it with force. It might take time to get use to holding it without it slipping.
Second, I am not sure if this is just me or it's the case, but it seems with this case on, every time I press the power button to turn off the screen, it requires me to press it twice. Pressing it once will turn off the screen but then it turns back on immediately, and I have to press it the second time to completely turn it off. I tried without the case, and I dont have such problem. Only with the case does this happen. I don't know if it's due to the design of the case where the power button is, but so far it's still happening.
BMXant, do u have the same issue with the power button like mine on your case?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't have this problem. When you put the case on did you put the bottom in first, or the top? I slowly inserted the top of the phone in to the case and then molded the bottom on. Maybe yours is slightly misaligned?
mmm shiny...look slippery especially when wet. Here in Florida it will be meeting the ground each time it pulled out the pocket. No thank you.
P.S.
what's the deal with the opened top right corner?
One thing i should note: I have an Optimus LTE and there is nothing in the top right corner that requires a cutout.. a little confused here. maybe the LU6200 or the SU640 have a tassle cutout up there???
It wasn't originally designed for your Optimus LTE. It was designed for the Optimus LTE in Korea with the TV antenna which would use that corner of the phone.
^^what he said^^ lol. I have no idea how many devices LG has that bears the same optimus LTE name lol!
Ant, I'll try what u did n put it in top first. I might have done bottom first I can't recall.
Sent from my LG-P930 using XDA App
Lol! This phone nearly flew out of my hands this afternoon because of the case. Luckily, my highly tuned reflexes kicked in and saved the day
Also, I figured out the double locking issue I had. Apparently, for some odd reason, with this case wrapping around the phone, the way I hold the phone when I try to lock the phone is somewhat odd. I realized that now, when I press the lock button, I also accidentally lightly squeeze the volume button. Now it won't matter if you use stock screenlock app, but I use widgetlocker and enable "volume key to wake" option, so when I press any volume key, the phone wakes up. This didn't happen to me before when the phone was naked because I can feel the buttons there since they protrude out, but with the case, they are only slight bumps on the case and can easily be squeezed.
Well, after 2 days using this case, I have my doubts on this case. It is a nice case don't get me wrong, and will definitely protect the phone stylishly. However, I start feeling weird using it. This is probably why I don't like TPU cases. I started to realize how hard it is to press the physical buttons now, and of course the smoothness of the back makes it very vulnerable to slips. Also, when placed inside my pocket, this case squeaks and "vibrates" as you walk. It's like having a slab of rubber in your pocket, just feels uncomfortable cause it resists movement.
I am really contemplating on either getting a full body protector or stick with this and get a solid case from either Incipio or Speck or some other company. I can't stick with this TPU case.
p.s. also, if anybody loves using TPU case and is thinking of getting one of this, I will be selling this case for cheap, just PM me and we'll talk details.
Anyone make these for the One?
To make the buttons easier to use in cases with open cutouts and TPU cases!
I'm finding on most TPU cases to get the volume buttons "civilized" a few strips of electrical tape cut a bit smaller than the footprint of the button and stuck to the inside of the case where the button falls place makes it MUCH easier to use...
I would prefer NOT to stick tape on the buttons themselves. But a nice plastic cover, for example, would be nice to leave on.
cpufrost said:
Anyone make these for the One?
To make the buttons easier to use in cases with open cutouts and TPU cases!
I'm finding on most TPU cases to get the volume buttons "civilized" a few strips of electrical tape cut a bit smaller than the footprint of the button and stuck to the inside of the case where the button falls place makes it MUCH easier to use...
I would prefer NOT to stick tape on the buttons themselves. But a nice plastic cover, for example, would be nice to leave on.
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Click to collapse
I have this case:
www(dot)amazon(dot)com/Diztronic-Matte-Back-Black-Flexible/dp/B00BMCYYL6
It's soft wihch you didnt seem to want, but I have dropped my phone numerous times and it has zero damage. It's nice and sturdy, easy to apply and remove, PLUS it has buttons in the mold for the volume rockers. By far my favorite so far. Hope this helps!
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.
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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...
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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.