I've been playing around with films lately, most screen protectors are crap these days. I wanted something industrial grade. Long story short, pulled off some extra clear bra from a sheet I did my car with. The results are 10 fold better. I used xpel ultimate self healing film.
https://www.xpel.com/products/xpel_ultimate_paint_protection_film.asp - the film really is self healing
Tools
Screen roller
Xpel ultimate film - order a decent size you will need extra.
Exacto knife
Very clean work area
Patience & precision!
Installation
1. Clean surface, no dust!
2. Cut film about 3 inches over the size of the actual template, you will leave fingerprints. You need that slack so you can grip it and then cut off the access where you gripped it.
3. Lay it down from top to bottom, this is the most important step. You cannot stop once you start, if you stop you will leave a crease line. You must take the roller and push the film down slowly, consistent but never stop.
4. Repeat rolling until all air bubbles are gone, there should be almost none the first time around. You do not use water with this application.
5. Trim the slack off with an exacto knife. Make sure not to cut in too hard, you don't want to cut into the phones waterproof seal on the edges.
6. Admire your work and of course do a light water test to make sure your z1 seals are good.
Pros
10 mils thick
Self healing - scratches disappear.
Very glossy
Super smooth
Fills in scratches underneath on the stock protector.
Oem look
The most durable out
Grippy on flat surfaces
Cons
Pricey
You have to be good at installing films - you really need a roller or be very consistent. You only get one shot.
You have to trim everything your self
Sounds interesting (really wanna try on my....motorcycle!) But what about fingerprints?
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koziakauzu said:
Sounds interesting (really wanna try on my....motorcycle!) But what about fingerprints?
Sent from my C6903 using Tapatalk
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They do show finger prints but wipe off very easily, I find the problem is you can't have both fingerprint resistance and scratch resistance. This film is very soft and grippy. It's very durable, that said I only have it on the back. On the from I spigen Glas Tr Slim. I love both but for scratch resistance the xpel wins hands down.. the problem is that it is slightly textured as you can see. That definitely can take away from the screen clarity. That said... I have the whole back covered including the camera and no distortion of photos or ghosting of the flash.
Now fingerprints on the adhesive side is a problem, thats why I said you absolutely need slack when doing this. Once it's on though it's worth it. I scratched it this morning and just like the video, ran the phone under warm water; Good as new! I actually like the subtle textured gloss of the back. It really adds a nice touch. You can order custom sizes from xpel, not sure where but it's on their site. I sized up my headlights that way.
Basically my setup is...
Spigen Glas TR slim in the front.
Xpel Ultimate Film in the back.
Oh, doing bikes with film is a nightmare... flat surfaces are 10x easier. I'm a professional detailers but when it comes to clear bra's I let the specialists do it. Tint's and Films are some of the most tricky applications in the automotive field. Anyone who says they do it all... usually isn't good
I hope this info helps.
Thanks for all the info. Yeah I guess it would be a pain to do my bike, my tank shape is a bit complex. I don't think any shop does that where I live (Hk)
If I can find a cheap way to get it oversea I'm gonna try it on my z1 back, right now I'm using a nice textured back film protector I found in Japan...
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I am searching for the case for my Arc/S which does not have any sharp edges because those sharp edges becomes the reason for the chrome strips to peel off!!!
I tried Hard Shell Case but it has edges which will peel off those strips & i don't want to let it happen as this a 2nd housing for the phone?
So anyone know any Rubber Case with smooth/blund edges which does not effect on the housing?
rubber case for xperia arc/arc s
ManthanRB said:
I am searching for the case for my Arc/S which does not have any sharp edges because those sharp edges becomes the reason for the chrome strips to peel off!!!
I tried Hard Shell Case but it has edges which will peel off those strips & i don't want to let it happen as this a 2nd housing for the phone?
So anyone know any Rubber Case with smooth/blund edges which does not effect on the housing?
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hey you can try a silicon case cover by amzer. i am using one since more than a year now. Search Amzer silicone cover for arc/ arc s on ebay or flipkart.
Great cover, made for rough use
Pros: Doesn't add much weight to the phone
Looks pretty cool
Perfectly cut holes, no jagged edges
Fits perfectly, blocks the 3 bottom keys a little bit, but you'll get used to that in a day
Cons: Attracts a little dust, but obviously expected since its a silicone skin jelly case.
Overall, i'd recommend you buy this if you want good protection and don't want to compromise too much on looks. Of Course it takes the natural design away from the phone but that doesn't make it too bad. Grip is pretty good too...Although i sure would like if it had some sophistication, maybe a little bright white color on the back or otherwise its a very good quality product which keeps the phone safe at all the times.
and one more thing xperia arc s is an awesome phone evend today!!
Alright so I'm sure everyone who has the leather back and has not put a cover on it yet can see that the leather back is getting dirty.
It might be just me but i have the brown leather back. The stitches have gotten blackish and not white like they were in the beginning and the back just keeps getting a darker shade!
Any of you guys try to clean it? If so how'd you do it?
Is it okay to take the back off and clean it under water?
Or should i use windex.
I don't wanna ruin the leather attempting to clean it!
Areebkhan said:
Alright so I'm sure everyone who has the leather back and has not put a cover on it yet can see that the leather back is getting dirty.
It might be just me but i have the brown leather back. The stitches have gotten blackish and not white like they were in the beginning and the back just keeps getting a darker shade!
Any of you guys try to clean it? If so how'd you do it?
Is it okay to take the back off and clean it under water?
Or should i use windex.
I don't wanna ruin the leather attempting to clean it!
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DO NOT USE WINDEX OR RUN WATER. That will ABSOLUTELY ruin your leather.
I bought a cheap bottle of leather treatment from CVS for about $6. You spray two coats on it, and you're good to go. It actually gave the leather a nice, grippy-er, feel. And it helps protect from wetness. After that, you should be able to use any type of leather cleaner to keep it looking fresh.
chadbot3k said:
DO NOT USE WINDEX OR RUN WATER. That will ABSOLUTELY ruin your leather.
I bought a cheap bottle of leather treatment from CVS for about $6. You spray two coats on it, and you're good to go. It actually gave the leather a nice, grippy-er, feel. And it helps protect from wetness. After that, you should be able to use any type of leather cleaner to keep it looking fresh.
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HAHAHA!!
THANK YOUU!
I knew it was good to ask before doing something!
So cleaning it with that leather treatment gives it the shine back aswell?
chadbot3k said:
DO NOT USE WINDEX OR RUN WATER. That will ABSOLUTELY ruin your leather.
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chadbot3k said:
DO NOT USE WINDEX OR RUN WATER. That will ABSOLUTELY ruin your leather.
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chadbot3k said:
DO NOT USE WINDEX OR RUN WATER. That will ABSOLUTELY ruin your leather.
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Quoted for emphasis. Definitely a very good thing that the OP asked.
I use Meguiar's Gold Class Rich Leather Aloe Cleaner followed by Meguiar's Gold Class Rich Leather Aloe Conditioner. Yes, I do my own auto detailing, and yes, I hate it when people use cleaners inappropriately and screw up whatever they were trying to clean. My parents are seriously guilty of that and it left me with cleaning-related faux-PTSD flashbacks decades later.
The G4's back wasn't shiny from the factory, but certain cleaners will produce a slight matte sheen on the leather.
Areebkhan said:
HAHAHA!!
THANK YOUU!
I knew it was good to ask before doing something!
So cleaning it with that leather treatment gives it the shine back aswell?
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Yes, it will keep your leather back looking mostly new. Most importantly it will protect against getting wet, which will stain your leather.
Any kind of leather treatment that adds a "shine" is no good in my eyes. I have had a few european luxury cars and i can tell you this...best thing i have ever used to clean my seats and other areas has been...BABYWIPES!!
Seriously it does not take away from the natural state or satin look of the leather and actually clean it very well. If it good enough for your babys ass.....its good enough for the skin on your phone!
You dont have to take my word for it though.
BTW got it wet today. there was a slight dark spot for a fe minutes but went away fully
Snakecharmed said:
I use Meguiar's Gold Class Rich Leather Aloe Cleaner followed by Meguiar's Gold Class Rich Leather Aloe Conditioner. Yes, I do my own auto detailing, and yes, I hate it when people use cleaners inappropriately and screw up whatever they were trying to clean. My parents are seriously guilty of that and it left me with cleaning-related faux-PTSD flashbacks decades later.
The G4's back wasn't shiny from the factory, but certain cleaners will produce a slight matte sheen on the leather.
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These kinds of products are unavailable outside the US so we need alternatives.
What do you make of the advice given in this video ?
House hold items available in any country.
white vinegar to clean
shaving foam to remove ink stains
corn starch to remove grease
From the user manual
This product is made of cattle hide and may have different creases and patterns due to the properties of natural leather. If the product gets wet with any liquid (water, soda, seawater, rain, sweat, sunscreen, cosmetics, moisture, etc.), it may lose colour, change colour, or deform in shape.
When this product gets wet or contaminated, get rid of the water by pressing it gently with a dry towel, or wipe it with leather cream and leave it to dry in shade. When the product is exposed to a wet environment for a long time, it may cause creases or mould. The shape of the leather may not be restored to its original state after cleaning because of the properties of leather, and any contamination or deformity may get worse when using regular detergent or an organic solvent.
When the leather is wet with rain or sweat, use caution and avoid contact with clothes. It can cause any dye to become a stain.
Due to the nature of leather, friction for long periods of time or excessive force may damage the surface of the leather.
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This is an important thread or there's going to be a few unhappy people later on.
I used new baseball glove condtioner.
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what i got is you need a cleaner and then a conditioner.
the cleaner to remove stains and a conditioner to maintain the material.
Mr clean magic eraser to clean it. That's what we use in the automotive detailing world
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I don't know how I feel about the advice in the video. Those suggestions are very common, but I haven't tried them personally. People have conflicting things to say about the extreme acidity of vinegar against the mild acidity of leather, which is why you need to dilute the vinegar in the first place. One alternate suggestion I've read is to use Woolite 10:1 to 6:1 (water:Woolite). Another I've read is Dove soap. Don't use saddle soap, which has a pH level way too basic for leather cleaning.
What I can say is that you should use a soft terry or microfiber cloth to apply the cleaning solution, then wipe it off with a dry cloth. Don't apply a solution directly to the leather and don't apply too much at once. Even the moisture from a water-dampened cloth isn't the worst thing in the world if you're just quickly wiping on and off. Just don't soak the leather in anything, like running it under a stream of water. It's too porous to not absorb it. Once it's clean, condition it so you have some kind of protection from future stains.
As clichéd as this sounds, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. I'm not a super clean freak, but I try to keep my hands clean when I handle the G4. I don't touch the back of it while eating and I try to keep it away from beverages. However, I'm planning to get a plastic back for the G4 as my regular back cover and only use the leather occasionally.
Snakecharmed said:
I don't know how I feel about the advice in the video. Those suggestions are very common, but I haven't tried them personally. People have conflicting things to say about the extreme acidity of vinegar against the mild acidity of leather, which is why you need to dilute the vinegar in the first place. One alternate suggestion I've read is to use Woolite 10:1 to 6:1 (water:Woolite). Another I've read is Dove soap. Don't use saddle soap, which has a pH level way too basic for leather cleaning.
What I can say is that you should use a soft terry or microfiber cloth to apply the cleaning solution, then wipe it off with a dry cloth. Don't apply a solution directly to the leather and don't apply too much at once. Even the moisture from a water-dampened cloth isn't the worst thing in the world if you're just quickly wiping on and off. Just don't soak the leather in anything, like running it under a stream of water. It's too porous to not absorb it. Once it's clean, condition it so you have some kind of protection from future stains.
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Thanks. Even with various leather cleaners around its a tricky affair to do it properly for the layperson. Not impossible. As long as one is aware.
As clichéd as this sounds, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. I'm not a super clean freak, but I try to keep my hands clean when I handle the G4. I don't touch the back of it while eating and I try to keep it away from beverages.
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hehe, this advice will fall on deaf ears as its impossible to follow. Force of habit. it no secret that keyboards and touch screens contain more bacteria than toilet seats
However, I'm planning to get a plastic back for the G4 as my regular back cover and only use the leather occasionally.
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Bingo! thats is the conclusion i'm reaching too. The idea of leather is fantastic but if you want to look good then be prepared to put in the work.
Leather is just not that practical for day to day in a phone usage scenario..
But it looks so good <sigh>
One of the things I've learned in both buffing/polishing and interior detailing is to not work too large of a surface area at once. You don't want to let a product set or dry before you can work on it. The product ends up being harder to remove and/or stains your surface.
When it comes to patina, the issue for me is that the leather surface is small, so any marks will be more visible. I look at my travel wallet, which I haven't used much, and I'm annoyed that there is wear on one of its corners and the color has rubbed off. I'm far less concerned about a scuff on the seat in my car. Still, I don't own any leather furniture because of the upkeep required.
There are photos one of the Android Central staff posted of a used brown leather Moto X. I don't think it looks bad, and if it came that way out of the box, I don't think anyone would have thought it was dirty. If you're like me though, you like keeping things looking like new. I'm getting better about conditioning or protecting new leather products before wearing them or breaking them in.
The black leather G4 cover would be much more forgiving with stains, but aside from lack of carrier availability, I only would have preferred that version if it had contrasting stitching.
Can someone point me in the right direction? I'm a complete noob at this and have no idea where to start. I was thinking of getting the leather honey conditioner from Amazon, but still wasn't sure if that would be appropriate. No clue where to begin on cleaners. I have the black leather back btw
xbayyx said:
Can someone point me in the right direction? I'm a complete noob at this and have no idea where to start. I was thinking of getting the leather honey conditioner from Amazon, but still wasn't sure if that would be appropriate. No clue where to begin on cleaners. I have the black leather back btw
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I've had a bottle of Leather Honey since about 2000 (before they changed the name), and that's what I used on my leather back. It didn't darken the tan leather (unfortunately), though it did make it a bit sticky for a bit. If you go this route, apply it sparingly before going to bed.
Since this is a thread about cleaning, I feel obligated to mention that product is for protecting leather only, although I believe the same company makes a cleaning product as well.
TL;DR: buy if you want more grip on the phone and don't mind minimal protection, don't expect a premium product as it's average at best.
This may or may not be the case for you. The case is extremely cool looking with the carbon weave under a smoked layer of resin that feels somewhat rubbery if you ever had a oneplus "karbon" case you'll know the texture its grippy but not so much that it grabs onto lint and anything else that may be residing in your pocket. It's also extremely thin, I didn't measure it but their claims of being less than 1mm thick seem very true there isn't much bulk added to the phone nor weight. Both pieces of the case comes with semi sticky pads (more like post it note sticky not 3m double sided tape) on them to keep it planted onto the device which definitely helps it stay put unlike the issues some experienced with other cases, it does however make the phone difficult to open since the case covers the beveled edges and makes them pretty flat with the inner screen.
Now onto the negatives of which there are a few, the biggest issue and the one that ruined the case for me isthe fact that it doesn't cover the bottom of the chin leaving everything exposed, and worse yet the piece that covers the front of the chin seems like it'd be perfect to trap dirt under and grind it into that gorgeous aluminum. Normally I avoid cases that don't offer bottom protection like that but in the case of Evutec there's almost no indication in the product photos of the case not covering the chin. My other issue is with the quality of the case, there's sharp edges all around the case, especially where the chin curves out, material is also very uneven and the curves don't match up from side to side. Overall I'd say it's a $10-$15 case not a whopping $60 in terms of the quality.
Note: the red vinyl on the phone under case wasn't on it when I initially got the case and it fit the same with or without vinyl.
Not that there a lot of options, but the Evutec is far better than the Case-Mate. I like that the Evutec has the double-sided tape, the case stays on.
beaker77 said:
Not that there a lot of options, but the Evutec is far better than the Case-Mate. I like that the Evutec has the double-sided tape, the case stays on.
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It's extremely overpriced for something that doesn't even cover the bottom of the phone, kinda disappointing since their cases for other phones are very high quality at a third of the price of this.
sanyokt4j said:
It's extremely overpriced for something that doesn't even cover the bottom of the phone, kinda disappointing since their cases for other phones are very high quality at a third of the price of this.
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Just noticed the hinge and chin can be damaged if dropped because of lack of protection. I hope we get more options soon.
I was in search of the best case for the fold 2 but like you all know, the form factor is very limiting when it comes to finding a good and functional case. I finally bought the spigen slim Armor case. It's a bit bulky for sure but the protection is really good. But there were 2 issues for me, one: the material is just a soft touch plastic, which I felt didn't do justice to the premium feel of the phone. Second: when closed, the hinge protection piece is tensioned by a spring mechanism, so it covers the hinge when closed (you could search the case in youtube to see how it works). But it's not very strong and is very easy to lift it up. Few days back I was in a hurry, I tried to lift the phone off of a table (in closed position), my fingers accidently pushed on the hinge flap and it opened, I couldn't grab the phone and it slid off of my hand onto the floor (well that's how I knew it provided good protection any ways).
So I set to solve these 2 issues and here is what I came up with.
I cut a thin sheet of leather to the diamentions of the back of the case and extended it all the way over the hinge flap. So luxury material is "Done" and because the leather covers the separation (back and front pieces into one) there is no gap when closed. When opened the leather just rolls under the flap. You would think it must have become too thick to hold, well I chose the thinnest leather so it doesn't really add that much bulk, but the feel in hand is amazing and its really grippy. Also its a MUST for the leather to be thin enough for it to roll under the flap as there isn't much room under there when the phone is opened.
I really don't know if I explained it well. Take a look at the pics attached and Let me know if you have questions.