Develop Bugs

Case-Mate Tough Case

If anybody is wondering about cases, I bought the case mate tough case from amazon last week, it arrived today. Paid about 25 euro inc. postage to ROI.
Case looks good on the phone, its a silicon inner case with a hard polcarbonate shell. Access to all buttons and connections are good. It seems sturdy enough, but I have yet to drop it (I'll update when I drop the phone, it wont take long ) If it bothers anybody, the case makes a hollow noise when you tap the back of it, it annoys me a little, but I cant imagine I'll be tapping the back of the phone that much anyway
A silicon lip around the screen also helps protect the screen if left/dropped on its face, as well as stopping it slipping while left on a hard smooth sloped surface.
The case is about 2 or 3mm thick I would estimate. Most people dont like thick cases, but on the contrary, I kinda like the added bulk, I have big hands.
The back of the case is textured with ridges, but the hard plastic still feels somewhat slippery or something. Its not in any way difficult to hold, but perhaps not as grippy as a rubberised finish would be. An advantage of the hard shell is that it slips effortlessly in and out of your pocket. The small silicon faces exposed don't gather much lint either, and they lose it really easily anyway when you run your finger along them.
A screen protector and screen wiping cloth are included, I havn't tried either of them yet though so cant comment.
Something that's important to point out about this case and other accessories for the wildfire s - I know its been said before, but the wildfire s comes in 2 different sizes. This case fits the european version of the wildfire s, to the best of my knowledge the otterbox case fits the american version. Just be careful when getting a case, I almost bought the otterbox, whick would have been way too large
Overall, first impression is that this is a good case. If you don't like bulk maybe this case isn't for you, it does add quite a bit to the phone size wise, but I have rather a habit of dropping mine so I don't mind, it can use all the protection it can get.
I'm just putting this brief review up for anybody who wants info on it, I'd be happy to answer any questions if I'm leaving out anything.
Laurence

yes otterbox fits the US ones, I've got it and I love it. they appear near-identical to the case-mate one, so just about everything you say applies the same to that. the only big difference is that otterbox has very light texturing on the plastic part.

The problem with Flip Covers...

1. Unable to hold and operate it with the thumb of the hand that is holding it, must use two hand;
2. Yes you can fold the cover back to use your thumb, but this will eventually make the edge worn off easily, and also create ugly lines along the edge surface
Any comments?

Tried it for a day and found out it's very annoying. It protects the screen from dust and all but it also makes it more harder to hold the phone, let alone do any business with it.

ashn2k said:
Tried it for a day and found out it's very annoying. It protects the screen from dust and all but it also makes it more harder to hold the phone, let alone do any business with it.
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Yes, this is the problem of all horizontally-opened covers like Zenus, not just the Samsung flip-cover.

Same here. I used another flip cover case (from another third-party vendor that I shall not name). Very elegant and beautiful case, but the flip cover always stands in the way of me operating the phone. I got tired of it after a few days, and switched back to my slim case (which only covers the back).
After all, this device is phone first, tablet second. I need to be able to quickly access it to take phone calls, send messages, etc., without the hassle of constantly opening the flip cover.
But to give the flip-cover case some credit, it is very nice for reading an ebook on the Note. It makes the device feel like a real paperback. You can actually hold on to the flip cover with your left hand and read.

Totally agree. Waiting for my tpu case to come in.... Andmy sgp ultra crystal screen protector.
Sent from my GT-N7000 using Tapatalk

the impossible to find case

unlike most people i prefer soft silicone cases. it makes the phone stick to damn near any surface and that is important for me. i would LOVE to find a case that integrates the silicone into the back battery cover (replaces the cover) and also follows the shape of the phone to the sides (bumpers). i have seen some "hybrid" cases that are metal/plastic on the back with silicone bumpers but they are cases and not battery cover replacements.
anyone understand what im shooting for? its not so much protection from being dropped but more the ability for the phone to "not slip" on various surfaces.
i would also entertain a combination of soft silicone bumpers and a different battery cover as long as the silicone bumper is raised off the back and front enough to provide grip/protection.

evilrome0 said:
unlike most people i prefer soft silicone cases. it makes the phone stick to damn near any surface and that is important for me. i would LOVE to find a case that integrates the silicone into the back battery cover (replaces the cover) and also follows the shape of the phone to the sides (bumpers). i have seen some "hybrid" cases that are metal/plastic on the back with silicone bumpers but they are cases and not battery cover replacements.
anyone understand what im shooting for? its not so much protection from being dropped but more the ability for the phone to "not slip" on various surfaces.
i would also entertain a combination of soft silicone bumpers and a different battery cover as long as the silicone bumper is raised off the back and front enough to provide grip/protection.
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Not sure how you would make a battery cover out of silicone. Probably wouldnt stay on the phone to well lol...

could have plastic attachment points, but i just dont want a super thick silicone case.

evilrome0 said:
could have plastic attachment points, but i just dont want a super thick silicone case.
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Out of the like 50 phones I've had I've never seen a case like that... If you do manage to find one please share!! Would be a cool accessories for sure
Sent from my SGH-T889 using xda premium

Personally I have a "carbon" skin on the back plate, and an aluminum bumper, but I had looked into getting a silicone one. The sticker on the back A) looks cooler B) gets rid of the stupid Tmobile branding, and C) does make it a littler easier to grip in hand, but I doubt it adds much grip to other surfaces.
I would think it pretty unlikely that there will be what you are looking for unless you were to make one/have one made. You might be able to find some sort of stick on product to attach to the battery cover though. I am thinking you could maybe take one of those pads designed to put on your dashboard to make things stick to the pad, and instead apply it directly to your phone. Might be pretty thick though, but that would also give you some protection. Then you could get a silicone bumper on ebay for a few bucks and have something similar to what you are looking for.

evilrome0 said:
unlike most people i prefer soft silicone cases. it makes the phone stick to damn near any surface and that is important for me. i would LOVE to find a case that integrates the silicone into the back battery cover (replaces the cover) and also follows the shape of the phone to the sides (bumpers). i have seen some "hybrid" cases that are metal/plastic on the back with silicone bumpers but they are cases and not battery cover replacements.
anyone understand what im shooting for? its not so much protection from being dropped but more the ability for the phone to "not slip" on various surfaces.
i would also entertain a combination of soft silicone bumpers and a different battery cover as long as the silicone bumper is raised off the back and front enough to provide grip/protection.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So, you basically want the opposite setup of an Otterbox? Soft silicone on the back?
This crazy query netted me a ton of results. Note 2 silicone case.
This isn't exactly what you are looking for, as you need the harder case to snap into the battery compartment, but it might be a start?
http://www.wirelessemporium.com/p-145863-samsung-galaxy-note-ii-silicone-case-white-.asp
I would hate to have to put your phone into any sort of pocket, lol!

Not sure if you'll ever find once since the NFC chip is integrated into the battery door which means whoever makes a replacement will have to include a NFC chip (which I don't see as very likely)

Oh, good point, didn't think of that.

double sided tape on the back of your choice of cases.

i have already ordered a simple silicone case with screen covers for the day to day until i find what im looking for.
also i found this last night after making this post
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Soft-Silico...1?pt=PDA_Accessories&hash=item43b5c04917#shId
say delivery time is a month or so LOL but its only a few $ and looks like it has silicone edges front and back. i figure this will work great with a dark blue brushed aluminum back cover that seems to get so much love/hate on this forum.

There are a ton of bumpers. That's not the hard part. What you wont find is a silicone backplate, for the reasons listed above.
Sent from my SGH-T889 using xda premium

achusaysblessyou said:
Not sure if you'll ever find once since the NFC chip is integrated into the battery door which means whoever makes a replacement will have to include a NFC chip (which I don't see as very likely)
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You actually don't have to have the NFC chip on the battery door. There's a ton of replacement back doors on eBay for the Note II that explicitly state no NFC in their description so it's not a requirement per say as long as the person buying it knows and is fine with not having NFC.
Personally, I went and bought one of those battery door replacements with built in flip cover for the front on eBay and made sure to buy one that did have the NFC chip. I doubt I'll ever use it but just in case.
When I looked though there was a ton that said no NFC.

yea, i really dont care about nfc... why not have a plastic battery cover with a rubbery/silicone back coating? does not have to be thick like a case, just enough to keep everything from sliding around... sounds simple enough.

If you don't mind modifying your backplate and really just want to ensure that it does not slide around as much, you might try applying a few thin layers of this - http://www.homedepot.com/buy/perfor...ubber-coating-spray-11203-6.html#.UKvGrod9JjY

achusaysblessyou said:
Not sure if you'll ever find once since the NFC chip is integrated into the battery door which means whoever makes a replacement will have to include a NFC chip (which I don't see as very likely)
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Click to collapse
The "CHIP" isn't in the battery door, the antenna plate is which is a lot easier to duplicate than the electronics.

MisterEdF said:
The "CHIP" isn't in the battery door, the antenna plate is which is a lot easier to duplicate than the electronics.
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It's also stuck on there. With enough patience and motivation it could be removed and attached to a new backplate. Might ruin the original, but that's replaceable.

MisterEdF said:
The "CHIP" isn't in the battery door, the antenna plate is which is a lot easier to duplicate than the electronics.
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True, but my point still stands, meaning most manufacturers won't want to tackle that problem. And yes, if you don't care about NFC then this doesn't really matter.

possible?
degeneration said:
It's also stuck on there. With enough patience and motivation it could be removed and attached to a new backplate. Might ruin the original, but that's replaceable.
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Is this really possible for note 2? Can you explain how it can be done please??? i would love you forever

About the Plasti-Dip: I tried applying it to a Nexus S a while ago, and it peeled off very quickly, starting at the edges.

Anyone looking for a case to protect their note shoiuld try the otterbox defender... it really is worth the price and isnt as bulky as some are made to believe
Sent from my SGH-T889 using xda app-developers app

[Q] Do you feel like a case is necessary?

I am thinking about getting a case for my phone, but I also want to get the leather back, but it seems like a waste to put a case over the leather back. Do you guys think a case is necessary to protect the phone?

It is a waste if choosing a back case.But a hybrid kickstand case is a good choice for your g4.

have you considered a bumper case so you get the best of both worlds?

Fma15 said:
I am thinking about getting a case for my phone, but I also want to get the leather back, but it seems like a waste to put a case over the leather back. Do you guys think a case is necessary to protect the phone?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
get a bumper.
you won't have to worry if you drop your phone on the front, sides or the corners, and your leather would get as much wear as if you're going naked.

Yeah I didn't even think of a bumper. Can you guys suggest some good ones?

yes, case is necessary for me. and i am using a wallet type leather case and it's function is useful for me.

A case is not necessary if you're careful in general. That's me, but dropping your phone is practically inevitable. If I don't drop it, someone will do it for me.
Naked is always the prettiest choice, but you gotta protect your investment.
I bought a bumper, the QuickCircle, and a wallet case by Goospery.
I dig the aluminium bumper because it's discreet, but it doesn't protect the back cover that bulges out.
I like the QuiCircle flip case because it actually adds functionality (and wireless charging in some cases), but the flipping is inconvenient to me and it hides the phone
I like the Goospery wallet case beacuse of the colors and wallet convenience, but it's HUGE, it adds at least 2 cm in height to the phone
In all honesty, I'll be playing around with them, but eventually I'll go back to naked
Hope this helps
Edit:
Aluminium bumper
QuickCircle
Goospery Wallet

I got the leather-backed model, so putting a case on it sounds a bit like a waste.

No case or anything for me. I'm waiting to find a good bumper that hours on and off easily add I plan to replace the battery semi regularly. I have yet to find a bumper that goes on and off easily yet though.

I bought a cheap rubber case from Amazon (£1.50). I have the plastic backed phone so no worries about the leather but the case gives me a little more grip and a little more protection without adding much bulk. It'll do me!

I think a case is an absolute necessity. But I just have the plastic-backed phone. I wouldn't want to cover up the leather back if I had it.

I LOVE the Slim Exact Fit Hard cases. Especially the Incipio Feather because it has a nice soft matte rubbery feel, but they don't make one for the G4. Instead I have the Spigen ExactFit case. It fits exactly the same but the finish (while matte) is slick, not rubbery.
But YES a case is needed. As little protection these "slim" fit cases provide, they do a whole lot surrounding the phones body. I have dropped mine, slid it across a parking lot, and all kinds of stuff. They do help keep the phone body from getting scratched and dented.
They are like $6. Well worth it. I have sent emails to Incipio to try and convey them to do a Feather Case.

Yes a case is necessary, I dropped my g4 2 days after i got it thank god i had a case on it

Had my g4 for a week and it slid out of my pocket getting out of my truck yesterday. Cover fell off and battery spilled out and everything and now my shiny new phone has a mean scuff on the very top left corner ((
I'm looking to get a metal bumper now.. Just wish there was one of those fancy Japanese brands available for it but do they even sell lg phones in Japan?

It is not necessary if you have lots of money to change phone every month.

Case is absolutely essential. The brown leather is really slippery compared to the plastic back, I managed to launch my phone within 2 days of recieving it. The screen may have survived the impact with a case - the plastic surround certainly wouldn't have had chunks gouged out of it...
The encouragement of going without a case so that the leather wears is going to cause an awful lot of broken glass.

Yes, a case is an absolute necessity if you want to keep it safe from drops. I recommend a Spigen hybrid or something similar that can shock absorb. I had a slim hard case on my nexus 6 and after a relatively minor fall it cracked. My insurance wrote it off and gave me a cash payout. I gut a neo hybrid straight away for my G4. Breaking your phone and having to wait for insurance is a right ball break.
Sent from my LG-H815 using Tapatalk

I usually go with a case, however I feel that the G4 with a case will be a little too large for my hands.
For me the look of deep blue back is too nice to just cover up. I've opted for no case this time as the phone feels very nice in hand.
I do want to state that the shiny metal band has already shown scratching already.
Sent from my LG-H810 using XDA Free mobile app

You never need a case until you actually drop the phone.
Sent from my LG-E980 using XDA Free mobile app

Jooosty said:
I usually go with a case, however I feel that the G4 with a case will be a little too large for my hands.
For me the look of deep blue back is too nice to just cover up. I've opted for no case this time as the phone feels very nice in hand.
I do want to state that the shiny metal band has already shown scratching already.
Sent from my LG-H810 using XDA Free mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In case you are not aware. It's a chrome plating. Not metal..

My backup cases

Just like everybody else, there was no way I was going to go outside without a case and I didn't want to cop out $30 to $80+ for 1 case. I got my fold 2 early so I was in a rush to get a case, at the end of my purchases I ended up with 4 cases.
I have no affiliation with these sellers. I'm only recommending them because I have purchased from them and I received my cases in 10 days from China to California (time may vary).
First case $5.72: https://www.ebay.com/itm/For-Samsun...rotective-Cover-Shell-Phone-Case/193657832728
Second case $8.79: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Carbon-Fib...r-for-Samsung-Galaxy-Z-Fold-2-5G/363116655812
Third case $6.99: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Clear-Matt...l-for-Samsung-Galaxy-Z-Fold-2-5G/193682756272
Fourth case $10.99: https://www.ebay.com/itm/For-Samsun...tective-Shockproof-Folding-Cover/193687093436
After receiving all the cases, I can see why Samsung only came out with the back part of the case cause they all fit perfect. There are 2 types of backings, thin and regular. Regular backing will be flush with the camera notch and will leave the camera window open. The thin backing has the advantage as it keeps the form factor while you’ll find some that will cover the camera window (fourth case).
First and fourth case are thin. Second and Third are regular.
The problem for me is the front bumper. On the second and third front case they made the same thickness as the back, making it difficult to swipe down for the quick panel or swipe left for the edge panel.
The front bumper for the fourth case is thinner making it a little easier for both functions to be reached.
side by side, left and right bars are different in thickness
top
bottom
I ended up putting the fourth case on in the meantime until I find my main case.
My final thoughts, go with what you like, it’s as simple as that. I hope this helps out who needs a backup case while still looking for their MAIN case.

labnotes said:
Just like everybody else, there was no way I was going to go outside without a case and I didn't want to cop out $30 to $80+ for 1 case. I got my fold 2 early so I was in a rush to get a case, at the end of my purchases I ended up with 4 cases.
I have no affiliation with these sellers. I'm only recommending them because I have purchased from them and I received my cases in 10 days from China to California (time may vary).
First case $5.72: https://www.ebay.com/itm/For-Samsun...rotective-Cover-Shell-Phone-Case/193657832728
Second case $8.79: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Carbon-Fib...r-for-Samsung-Galaxy-Z-Fold-2-5G/363116655812
Third case $6.99: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Clear-Matt...l-for-Samsung-Galaxy-Z-Fold-2-5G/193682756272
Fourth case $10.99: https://www.ebay.com/itm/For-Samsun...tective-Shockproof-Folding-Cover/193687093436
After receiving all the cases, I can see why Samsung only came out with the back part of the case cause they all fit perfect. There are 2 types of backings, thin and regular. Regular backing will be flush with the camera notch and will leave the camera window open. The thin backing has the advantage as it keeps the form factor while you’ll find some that will cover the camera window (fourth case).
First and fourth case are thin. Second and Third are regular.
The problem for me is the front bumper. On the second and third front case they made the same thickness as the back, making it difficult to swipe down for the quick panel or swipe left for the edge panel.
The front bumper for the fourth case is thinner making it a little easier for both functions to be reached.
side by side, left and right bars are different in thickness
top
bottom
I ended up putting the fourth case on in the meantime until I find my main case.
My final thoughts, go with what you like, it’s as simple as that. I hope this helps out who needs a backup case while still looking for their MAIN case.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Does the 4th case have that sticker thing on the inside? So the case doesnt slip or come loose

blkghost22 said:
Does the 4th case have that sticker thing on the inside? So the case doesnt slip or come loose
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unfortunately it doesn't have an adhesive which would give it a permanent home. I'll be honest it does come a little loose when you attack a certain way but majority of the time when I open the phone, never slips out.

blkghost22 said:
Does the 4th case have that sticker thing on the inside? So the case doesnt slip or come loose
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just in case you guys need this...
1. iCraft Supertape 1/8 3mm doubled sided tape $6.29
2. The blueprint
3. ???
4. Profit
IMO, I don't think adhesive 2 and 3 is needed. When looking at the SAMSUNG logo on the hinge, the bar case lifts up and creates a slit because the double sided tape ain't thin enough. If I had to do it over again, I'd seal the whole bar or won't lay down 2 and 3 at all. Overall a good fit and pleased that it doesn't come off at all now.
Fair warning, I don't know how this peels off, I'll let you guys know in a week when my new case comes in. =)

My dbrand skin came in so I took off the front plate with no issues and removed the doublesided tape with ease.
When I ordered the skin I thought they were going to send just one back and one camera but I got one back and 3 camera skins. Good looking out DBRAND! I laid down the back and camera skin and it feels good naked, I love it. I ended up putting back the fourth case (GKK) over the skin and now it's on pretty solid.
No more AI autofocus!