Picked up this case at a Sprint Corporate store for 35 bucks and could not be happier.
http://www.freshfiber.com/products/galaxy-s3/
It is the Grey Macedonia case which is some sort of birds nest inspired look.
The outer part of the case kind of has a flex to it, just the right amount of give when you sit your phone down.
One thing I noticed at first which threw me off was the fact that the bottom of the case didn't have a hole for the bottom mic, but after further inspection it actually sits away from the body of the phone and kind of channels the mic next to the charging port, if that makes sense.
Nobody has ever complained about not being able to hear me since getting the case.
Solid corner protection, doesn't add weight to the phone at all (case itself weighs 16.8 grams) and has good lip protection on it for times when the phone is face down. I have a screen protector but just a cheap one I got that only covers the screen so I don't know how it may fit with some of the full screen protectors, but it does appear to have a bit of room to not affect them.
The best part?
That this case is 3D Printed and beautiful, and according to the packaging, the Grey and White cases can be put in the dishwasher for cleaning!
The one bad thing.
The back of the phone gets a little cruddy from being exposed.
I just want to share my experince from two different but similar cases for the HTC One.
This is what I was looking for
Cover to prevent scratches in metal/color
As little annoying as possible
Elegancy
A lid to cover screen while inside my pocket
So I ordered two different kinds and colors.
The first one to arrive
Poetic FlipBook Case for HTC One M7 White
Price: £16.95 (sale, normal £29.95)
From: Amazon (LINK)
The second to arrive
Ultra Slim PU Leather Flip Case Hybrid Translucent Plastic Cover for HTC One M7 ES-K (M7-ES-K)
Price: US$6.49
From: Spider-Foot.com (LINK)
I've been using the white Potetic FlipBook for about 2 weeks now and can say it's really neat and quite good to hold it in my hand. The backside has a hard plastic material with a little touch of rubber, but its still hard. This rubbery surface gives it a good grip and you can tell the quality of the plastic is great. Its not that hard kind of plastic that easily cracks.
The downside is it easily gets a bit dirty from daily use because of the surface material, and the bottom edge of the lid has gotten a bit soft and "flaggy", but not much.
Im happy with the lid because it's quite heavy and therefore closes easily with a small clunk. It also covers like 1 mm outside the screen and therefore it becomes easy to flip it open with your thumb.
Now, the other one. It's black or a dark tone of grey, which suits my black HTC One.
This case arrived today and after the first fitting i could really feel the cheaper quality of the plastic. It's bendable but on a longterm this will not hold as long as the Poetic's plastic. It also covers all the frame sides of the phone whilst the Poetic case only covered the corners. The framing makes it also a bit difficult to use the volume control, the buttons becomes a bit submerged.
The lid has a really nice microfiber surface which makes the screen clean from spotts. And it has an opening for the speaker that lets you hear when the lid is closed during a call. On the downside, the lid is a bit loose and therefore it doesnt cover all the way across the screen. It kind of slides back because the attachment is a bit stiff, and it doesnt want to close completely by its own weight. But that can maybe loosen up after being used for a while.
My favourite
Poetic FlipBook Case for HTC One M7 White
It's quite expensive but really worth it considering I will use it everyday for a long time.
You can also get it in different colors.
But if you don't want to spend so much and the casing is just for protection rather than look and feeling, you should go for the second one. It's more luxurious than other cheap cases.
Pictures
Imageschack album
LINK
Got both. In my book, Poetic is the winner.
1. Better protection all around, especially around the power and volume buttons. As a plus, the cover between the power and volume buttons also helps my finger feels and distinguishes the buttons - just like the tiny raises on the 'F' and 'J' of the keyboard help us touch typists. With the Moko, I sometimes press the wrong button.
Top and bottom coverage is slightly better on the Poetic.
2. Better magnetic closure. On the Poetic, the metal is embedded in the flap cover, as opposed to the exposed chrome on the Moko which might actually scratch unprotected screen (unlikely but possible). The Poetic also has more magnet, so it should hold the flap cover better though I haven't run into any situation where the Moko flap cover opened unintentionally.
3. Better tri-fold stand. The embedded metal along the edge of the Poetic cover holds it in place when folded the natural way (toward the outside). With the Moko, I have to fold the flap the other way (unintuitively toward the inside) so that the magnet would keep the cover from unfolding and sliding.
4. The Nexus 'clicks' into place better with the Poetic than with Moko.
Cons:
1. The Poetic logo is shiny and looks cheesy on the light blue case. I wished it was more low key and sophisticated looking, or put it in the back instead of the front. On the other hand, the chrome metal on the Moko is cheesy too. It's subjective - and some might actually love it.
2. Moko has more color options.
Neutral:
1. Build quality is comparable. I can't see any discernible differences, but only time will tell how well they hold up.
Poetic has 3 year warranty!
I am also receiving another improved version for FREE.
I didn't trust a $10 case coming directly from China (Poetic), but I was VERY impressed with how solid and cleanly the case wrapped around my Nexus. Absolutely amazing case for the price.
Absolutely agree with you on the cheesy Poetic logo on the front... I've realized over time that I don't even really notice it anymore, and even if I did, it's a small sacrifice to make for such a rock solid case. I'm definitely a fan of Poetic now.
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.
I recently recieved my second SPECK CandyShell Clear for my HTC 10 (I broke the first one by trying to mod it but that's a different story), so I took the chance to take some photos and give you a short review. Disclaimer: This review is neither sponsored, nor did I recieve any discount in order to write this review.
Pricing
I paid ~30 USDs at an online Android accessories retailer (used some available-to-all coupon that reduced the price by ~5 USDs).
The price is pretty hefty when compared to other HTC 10 cases except the original ice view ones.
Retail box
This case comes in the standard SPECK retail box, which looks nice IMHO and is very easy to open.
Build quality / Durability / Looks
Although it is made of plastic, this case definitely screams premium. The way it shimmers and feels in hand sets it apart from its competition.
Unlike the (now retired) Gem Shell I had for my One M9 and similar to the original CandyShells, this one has a two-layered construction: The outer layer is sturdy plastic while the inner one is soft rubber. Both layers are completely transparent (although the rubber has a very slight frozen look only notably when the case is not yet put on the phone).
SPECK promises that this case would resist UV yellowing and I can mostly confirm this: My first CandyShell Clear did not yellow for two month except the buttons. The buttons did yellow indeed but this did not affect the overall looks too much since the rest of the case stayed perfectly clear.
I had some CandyShell/GemShell/CandyShell Grip cases before and one of the very few downsides is that they were quite prone to scratches and looked worn after a couple of days. I was really astonished to see that SPECK made some serious improvements here: The first case had very few scratches after two month, none of 'em were obvious. No comparison to the elder cases where the gloss disappeared quickly due to the surface being covered by scratches all-over.
One nice detail is the SPECK logo. It is placed quite nicely to complement the HTC logo and not to interfere with it. But what it really makes it a stunner is how it is done. It is embossed in the rubber layer of the case in such way. that it appears to be embossed in the metal body of the phone. Nice idea, SPECK!
The only downside in this department is that this case adds some bulk. Not too much and nothing like UAG-like cases, but those who like their device as slim as possible might find it too bulky.
Protection
Protection is where this case really shines. The sturdy outer shell combined with the cushioning inner rubber layer keeps you covered in most drop situations. The front-side lip does not only protect the screen when putting it face to the table but is also thick enough to protect the screen while dropping on almost flat surfaces.
Fitting / Cutouts
This case sits like a glove. It is manufactured to fit the contours of the 10 like a perfect ten (pun intended). All cutouts are surrounded by rubber that will keep dust out of the case.
The small cutouts for the bottom-side and back-side microphone fit perfectly. The headphone jack cutout is big enough so that most headphones should fit into it. The camera cutout is quite big but this way, the flash should not interfere with the case (although I have not tested this). The bottom speaker cutout fits also well, same goes for the USB port cutout.
But the USB port cutout may be the biggest downside of this case: It is so tight that some cables won't fit. The original HTC charger cable, which comes with the 10 does. But my 3rd party cables with metal plugs did not fit and so won't any cables whose plugs are significantly bulkier than the rather slim plug of the original cable.
Remember that I told you, it was a different story that this is already my second CandyShell Clear? I broke the first one while extending the USB port cutout with a drill. Unfortunately, I did not spend enough attention and damaged the inner rubber layer which looked pretty ugly. So I replaced the damaged case with this new one and also replaced my cables with ones that provide slicker plugs. Quite some hassle but this case is definetly worth it.
In case you wonder which cables I was talking about: Aukey CB-CMD5 (pack of 5) will fit while Aukey CB-CMD2 (pack of 5) won't.
Liked this review? Do not forget to push the "thx" button!
Does the tpu on the front fit properly? The lip would get pushed in and down when I put the phone one and I couldn't get it to actually be a lip on the screen. I sent mine back. On the bright side speck has a very easy return process.
if you take a picture with the flash on, does the light bleed through the case?
aer0zer0 said:
if you take a picture with the flash on, does the light bleed through the case?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
At least the flashlight does. Have not yet checked whether this affects photos. I'd assume so but I remember having read otherwise somewhere. As soon as I tested it, I will let you know.
TotallyAnxious said:
Does the tpu on the front fit properly? The lip would get pushed in and down when I put the phone one and I couldn't get it to actually be a lip on the screen. I sent mine back. On the bright side speck has a very easy return process.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This case is a tight fit indeed. It took me some patience to get the phone in while keeping the lid in place. Once the phone is in, it takes some force to remove it. Great for being sure that the phone won't slide out accidentally on drops. Not so great if you want to remove your phone frequently.