Develop Bugs

Seidio Innocase Surface Combo short review

So I just got my Seidio Innocase Surface combo (50 bucks from the Seidio site). I have owned Seidio cases or holsters for just about every smartphone I have owned. I normally wait for them to show up at other outlets because they are usually cheaper, but this time I couldn't wait.
Starting with the case. For me it is a mixed bag. My last Seidio case was for my iPhone 3GS, and I loved it. I am not so sure about this case. The two halves fit the phone well, and the cut outs are seem accurate, but the connection seems a bit flimsy. I had to make several attempts to get all the "connections" to click together. This design for connecting the two halves together doesn't feel as secure as my iPhone case. This case connects front to back. The iPhone design joined a top to a bottom. The iPhone was inserted into the top and was very secure. The MT4G case just does not inspire confidence in me.
Barring the two halves separting the case feels great. It is nice and tight on the phone. Update: No, it is not tight! More info in another post below. The Innocase Surface has a rubberized finish which gives it a good no-slip grip. The case doesn't add any real bulk to the phone. It still slips into the pocket with no problems. I ordered the sapphire blue which is really dark. In medium to low light it almost looks black. I really like that.
The holster is just as awesome as any Seidio holster I have owned. It feels solid, and I love that it is felt lined, and the phone faces in. No issues there except one, and that goes back to the case. When the phone comes out of the case the clip rubs across the case where the two halves join together, and I have to pull on the phone in such a way that I wonder if I will end up pulling off the case. It hasn't happened and it might not. Again, going back to my recent iPhone case, there was no danger of the case separating when being pulled out of the holster because the force is mostly front to back (remember the phone face inward).
Bottom line: mixed feelings. Holster: awesome. Case: jury is still out. I will trial this and see how it goes. I am already eyeballing some TPU cases. I am not sure if they will work with the holster, but they are cheap.
I am not advising against buy this combo, but I would wait for these Seidio cases to show up at other locations and save a few bucks.
Hope this helps.
Ivan
Ps: I also purchased the Seidio 1600 mAh battery. I will post a review of that after I have charged it properly and used it a bit.

Well I never used it before but like you also order the combo as I am not buying BodyGlove Clear shell any more. But far as the Innocell 1600mAh goes I want you to completely discharge it and then recharge it then discharge it do this 3 times and fully charge it.
Then check and post the full mAh, V_MBat voltage for stock and then Innocell so we can see the difference. Also do a though test and tell us the usage difference between stock and Innocell in detail with total uptime. I can't say I have ever heard of Innocell but ill wait for Mugen power to release MT4G stock size battery.

HyperNode said:
But far as the Innocell 1600mAh goes I want you to completely discharge it and then recharge it then discharge it do this 3 times and fully charge it.
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Not to hijack my own thread, but my understanding of Li-Ion batteries is that they do not need to be discharged/charged. I can't post links yet, but there is great website called "batteryuniversity" with loads of good battery info on it.
I see you have a Seidio case, what do you think of it so far?

Well I am aware of that as many is also that claiming fully discharging LiIo will damage the memory cell and shortens the life. But it always worked better for us and this is not just me it been tested by so many folks. For optical performance in my own test I found after 2-3 discharge completely and fully charging it over the course of 1week I saw the difference in same battery compared to when I got it.

I have been cycling most of my Li ion batts over the years and I have noticed a better performance out of them. I never did it 3 times.
Out of the box I kill the phone. The go to full charge. Kill it again and charge fully. After that I play normally.
Sent from my rooted iced glacier rom mt4g via XDA app

So I am recanting my statement that the case is tight on the phone. That is only a "half" truth. Actually, the back half of the case is okay, but the front half of the case is not tight...at all. When I hold it I can actually hear the front part of the case moving against the phone (as well as see it). This is the exact opposite of my Seidio slide on iPhone 3GS case which perfect. Very disappointed in this case.

Just got the Seidio case today
It seems to fit very tightly be much sturdier than the in-store case. Love the combo of a strong, hard case and a little bit of soft grip. I have no idea if it'll take a 'punch' like a gel case, but it seems resistant.
Wish there were more options between this $30 case and the .99 ones on amazon. This may be the best case available for the mt4g right now, but I don't know if it's worth $30.
Only real complaint is that it smells weird--can only hope that fades with time.

Mophie JuicePack battery case

Had a few of these when I had my iphones and always wanted them to start making android units. I sell my GS3 yesterday to get the Note 2 and the next day Mophie releases their first Android case for the GS3. Not that I regret my hardware upgrade, but my decision would've been harder if this was out.
http://www.mophie.com/mophie-juice-pack-Galaxy-S-III-battery-case-p/2245_jp-ssg-wht.htm
Sent from my SPH-L900 using xda premium

I've had similar devices for the Vibrant and SGSII phones. They're alot like having a second battery without the hassle of changing it out. In the past I've applauded this idea but the more I've thought about it the more it makes more sense to me to purchase an extra battery with external charger (or not) for a fraction of the price.
The convenience of getting about 170% the battery life just doesn't offset the cost of the device. And you'll never get quite the life out of this and the internal battery as you would if you had a separate battery.
Just my .02

My Own Review
I purchased this when it came out. I think this is probably one of the best cases around.
CASE
As far as the casing itself goes it's extremely solid. What I love now is how it feels more....REAL than before. Anyone that has this phone knows that it feels like you are holding a very light phone, but feels like it will bust if you bump into a wall. The case gives it a solid feel. Has the weight and gives you somewhat of a better grip on the phone. It does not wiggle while it is in the case, but the top cap doesn't align absolutely perfect. Anyone that has OCD might find this somewhat annoying, but it's still only off by like half a millimeter.
BATTERY
The most important feature of this case is of course the battery. One nice feature is the case being able to be charged AND being able to charge the phone at the same time. Some people might think that the case's battery is feeding the phone, but I've charged it a couple of times now and 1 will always beat the other in charging time (the phone will charge first before the case if the case is almost empty and vice versa). The battery life of the case I would say give its about 50-60 percent more charge time in my opinion. It's cool, but of course if I would of preferred if it would of doubled the battery life instead. The lower section of the case does get somewhat warm when you flip the switch to charge the phone and it does it surprisingly quick. I can't say I've had a real moment where my S3 NEEDED the case's battery so far, but having witnessed how much it could charge in one flip of a switch is honestly a nice surprise should I ever NEED that extra boost.
LOOK
The case is sleek. I purchased the white model and it feels like it was an OEM product. The only hard part is when you have a sleek shiny case you dont want to scratch it ESPECIALLY when a battery is part of the case.

Great feedback... what I really want to know; is how much protection does the “case" actually give the phone. From the looks of our, is a gray battery pack, and mophie brand is top of the line when it comes to that stuff... but case wise... does it really protect? Or is it just a battery pack?
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda app-developers app

crazaytalent said:
Great feedback... what I really want to know; is how much protection does the “case" actually give the phone. From the looks of our, is a gray battery pack, and mophie brand is top of the line when it comes to that stuff... but case wise... does it really protect? Or is it just a battery pack?
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Honestly I would say the case is not built for protection. Does it give more protection than having no case? Yes of course. The thing is that it is a very rigid solid design. No features of it are for impact absorption. It fits very snug into the case (as all their packs do), and would lead me to think that any impact the case takes EASILY transfers to the phone. Mophie does have their line of impact cases, but of course they are for the iPhone. It's a case that will protect better from hip height, but anything higher will easily transfer the impact to your phone.

Thanks for the review of this case. I've considered buying this case as I too had one for iPhones in the past and really liked them. I don't make a habit of dropping my phone so I'm not overly concerned about the protection but I am kinda disappointed that it doesn't give that much more battery for as much as it costs.
Sent from my SPH-L710 using xda premium

Not really worth it for 100 bucks!
Would be nice at like 40...

Is it worth it?

Personally I like it. I'll have to state that it extends the battery more like 70%. I know 100 is steep for a case, but when it comes to quality they really went all out. The design of it hasn't flaked, scuffed, or scratched like most cases. Again the case is not really built for impact, and in my opinion that is a good thing because that would of added some extra bulk that it just wouldn't need. I know others feel that an extra battery / extended battery / charger are just as good, but I was going for ease of use and simplicity. The model I own is a Tmobile model without the FM Radio or Quadcore (cough* F U Tmobile *cough) so I can't say I suffer a lot from a low battery. It has gotten to points where I didn't have much battery and a wifi connection was necessary, but of course it would kill the battery as low as it was. So having this case helps in those inconvenient cases without have to have a fully charged spare, removing the cover, replacing the battery, powering the device back up, and continuing from where I left off. To each their own though. I have seen other models on ebay that are much less expensive (like $20) and over the same convenience, but IMO it's worth the money since it does provide the convenience with that touch of quality.

Your collection is great, I love Android
I am kinda disappointed that it doesn't give that much more battery for as much as it costs.
Vietnam travel-Halong bay cruise-Halong Paloma cruise

Does this add as much bulk as an extended battery anyway?
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda premium

..

blestsol said:
Does this add as much bulk as an extended battery anyway?
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's the one thing I like about it. Extended battery and battery covers are horrible looking and don't offer any protection either way. The Mophie case feels like a case, It fits well into your hand and doesn't get in the way. Yes it will increase the overall size of the phone, but in my opinion it's a good thing. The phone itself just doesn't feel like a real phone being built with so much plastic. When you add the case yes it's still plastic, but if feels like its easier to hold.

Phenomenon said:
I purchased this when it came out. I think this is probably one of the best cases around.
CASE
As far as the casing itself goes it's extremely solid. What I love now is how it feels more....REAL than before. Anyone that has this phone knows that it feels like you are holding a very light phone, but feels like it will bust if you bump into a wall. The case gives it a solid feel. Has the weight and gives you somewhat of a better grip on the phone. It does not wiggle while it is in the case, but the top cap doesn't align absolutely perfect. Anyone that has OCD might find this somewhat annoying, but it's still only off by like half a millimeter.
BATTERY
The most important feature of this case is of course the battery. One nice feature is the case being able to be charged AND being able to charge the phone at the same time. Some people might think that the case's battery is feeding the phone, but I've charged it a couple of times now and 1 will always beat the other in charging time (the phone will charge first before the case if the case is almost empty and vice versa). The battery life of the case I would say give its about 50-60 percent more charge time in my opinion. It's cool, but of course if I would of preferred if it would of doubled the battery life instead. The lower section of the case does get somewhat warm when you flip the switch to charge the phone and it does it surprisingly quick. I can't say I've had a real moment where my S3 NEEDED the case's battery so far, but having witnessed how much it could charge in one flip of a switch is honestly a nice surprise should I ever NEED that extra boost.
LOOK
The case is sleek. I purchased the white model and it feels like it was an OEM product. The only hard part is when you have a sleek shiny case you dont want to scratch it ESPECIALLY when a battery is part of the case.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So, I'm really considering buying one but have just one concern .... does the new case feel slippery like the original S3 shell? I bought a vinyl protector and it REALLY helped with the feel of the phone ... took it from light and "plasticy" to a more solid feel. Felt like a skinny bar of wet soap without it ... I'd really like your opinion on the tactile feel of the Mophie case.
Many thanks.
OUB.

outerub said:
So, I'm really considering buying one but have just one concern .... does the new case feel slippery like the original S3 shell? I bought a vinyl protector and it REALLY helped with the feel of the phone ... took it from light and "plasticy" to a more solid feel. Felt like a skinny bar of wet soap without it ... I'd really like your opinion on the tactile feel of the Mophie case.
Many thanks.
OUB.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So... I bought this when it came out.. I jumped on it.. It was such a mistake - first off there are not cut-outs for the buttons (power and volume rocker) ...they have "botton extenders" built into the case.. they SUCK to say the least - every time you TOUCH as in a hair touches the volume rocker external button, the rocker activates, permanently held down until your press the opposite rocker button. Pure **** if you ask me. For the size, well its makes your S3 FUGLY and BIG, weight difference is not so much... Build quality is terrible as the case is super slippery and feels like you're holding a bar of soap.
If this was 40 dollars, I would say its worth it for long trips, but 100? HELL-NO-WAY is worth it. I would not waste your time.

jkompressor said:
So... I bought this when it came out.. I jumped on it.. It was such a mistake - first off there are not cut-outs for the buttons (power and volume rocker) ...they have "botton extenders" built into the case.. they SUCK to say the least - every time you TOUCH as in a hair touches the volume rocker external button, the rocker activates, permanently held down until your press the opposite rocker button. Pure **** if you ask me. For the size, well its makes your S3 FUGLY and BIG, weight difference is not so much... Build quality is terrible as the case is super slippery and feels like you're holding a bar of soap.
If this was 40 dollars, I would say its worth it for long trips, but 100? HELL-NO-WAY is worth it. I would not waste your time.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks jkom.... positive or negative, opinions are what I'm after.

I bought one when they got them at my local Best Buy. Unfortunately, it is not worth the price. It makes the phone quite a bit longer and a little wider. I didn't think the buttons were that bad as others have mentioned. It really only charged up the phone to about 35% and that was it. I returned it and went on Amazon and bought the Hyperion 4200 extended battery and a Hyperion TPU case to go with it and spent half the price of the Juice Pack and get a ton more usage out of the phone.
S3 on the Now Network

astarling10 said:
I bought one when they got them at my local Best Buy. Unfortunately, it is not worth the price. It makes the phone quite a bit longer and a little wider. I didn't think the buttons were that bad as others have mentioned. It really only charged up the phone to about 35% and that was it. I returned it
S3 on the Now Network
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was wondering how the charge on one battery could be "pushed" into another. Without a significant differential it just can't happen so 35% makes sense. I figured it would be more like a piggyback idea.... use one then the other when you slide the red/green switch.
Hmmm.... more to think about
Thanks astarling.

I've been using it for a few days now. I bought the black one. It has a matte finish that I think makes the phone less slippery. It feels better in the hand too with the added weight. The only real problem I have are the light indicators not working properly. I guess I'm happy with the purchase. It really is one of those things you have to try to see if you like it. Best buy has a good return policy though and the case is 10$ off there right now. I would try it if your on the fence about. I don't think it offers much protection though even if it does make the phone feel very solid.

Just got this case today and my initial thought is i love it! Ive been wanting a mophie case for awile but not enough to get an i-crap. To me the case and phone feels like you bought an otterbox case.
It is about 3/8 inch longer and about 3/16" thicker then when i had my phone in the incipio sycrilic case. I Have slightly large hands so i love the extra meat.
It does have a matte finish and is a little easier to grip.
I dont have past experience with the case so i will see how the battery charge works and report back in a couple days.
Btw... I have been using it for 10 hours and the power/volume buttons have not been overly sensitive by any means. Coming from a case with a cut out for these areas, i welcome the pertruding buttons. My fat fingers love the ease of operation.
Edit... Today it took 2hrs 10 minutes to fully charge this case. Once charged, it took 1hr 45 minutes to charge phone from 10% to 89% before the case died.
= 70% more battery in less than 2hrs!!!
Ohh yeah, this case is a keeper!!!
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda premium

trying to pick between a few cases.. help?

So Im stuck and cant pick.. I can get an otterbox commuter for 25, an otterbox defender for 30, or an incipio offgrid which is basically like a morphie air, for 35. I like the extra battery of the incipio but dont know if it will be protective enough.. my phones tend to take the occasional tumble r3 feet from the ground.. think the incipio will be strong enough to protect that?

just my input i would go with the defender if you tend to drop it alot. if you happen to have headphones make sure the cord will fit, i got a griffin survivor from walmart tried it with my beats headphones only to find out they would not go in and was same with the defender. if you go with the commuter i would get a zagg shield to put on the front to be on safe side. the lip it puts on the front is good enough to keep it from hitting on flat surface but if your on a stone driveway etc the lip on the case wont protect you much at all. good luck with your choice.

Ended up going with the Incipio OFFgrid and so far so good. It fits nice and snugly and adds less bulk than I was excpecting. The buttons are a little bit harder to push but I'll figure something out (I think I might put a tiny drop of glue on the button just so that there is a little more tactile feedback, feel the bump = know where to push). Seems to be charging up the phone nicely and it does infact go just above the screen enough that unless I'm unlucky enough to drop it so the screen falls directly on to a rock or something, I should be good - and it, like all Incipio cases, includes a screen protector. Thanks for the input!

offgrid
imranh101 said:
Ended up going with the Incipio OFFgrid and so far so good. It fits nice and snugly and adds less bulk than I was excpecting. The buttons are a little bit harder to push but I'll figure something out (I think I might put a tiny drop of glue on the button just so that there is a little more tactile feedback, feel the bump = know where to push). Seems to be charging up the phone nicely and it does infact go just above the screen enough that unless I'm unlucky enough to drop it so the screen falls directly on to a rock or something, I should be good - and it, like all Incipio cases, includes a screen protector. Thanks for the input!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just picked up the offgrid today. How do you like it now that you have had it for a couple of weeks? I installed it on the phone (I like the fit) and pressed the button for 2 seconds and the blue lights flashed and then hooked it up to the charger. It is charging really slow, did you notice this? Is there anything else I ever have to do? Or do the batteries just start working as one? Another thing I was wondering was about sync/MHL and such. Does this case affect MHL/HDMI at all? I'm looking to buy the MHL adapter so that I can hook the phone up to the big screen and would be bummed if I had to remove the case every time I wanted to watch netflix.

juicejoeup said:
Just picked up the offgrid today. How do you like it now that you have had it for a couple of weeks? I installed it on the phone (I like the fit) and pressed the button for 2 seconds and the blue lights flashed and then hooked it up to the charger. It is charging really slow, did you notice this? Is there anything else I ever have to do? Or do the batteries just start working as one? Another thing I was wondering was about sync/MHL and such. Does this case affect MHL/HDMI at all? I'm looking to buy the MHL adapter so that I can hook the phone up to the big screen and would be bummed if I had to remove the case every time I wanted to watch netflix.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I actually ended up returning it about 3 days later. Without the case my phone gets almost 2 full days of use from me, so the case was unneeded, and it didn't protect my phone as well as I would have liked. When I DID use it though it seemed to charge fine, at least fast enough to counter battery drain (say you're running a very battery intensive app, the battery would "stay" at 80% while using the app, instead of going down.)

Mugen Power 3000mAh Battery Case For The Nexus 5 Review

Link to purchase: http://mugen.co/mugen-power-3000mah-battery-case-for-lg-nexus-5.html
Price: $113 AUD ($89.50 USD)
Pictures: http://imgur.com/BHW2H9x,mlPPPfB,r5...2ZB,1vBEl9z,oOCr1pM,pdGuA2U,QbylPD2,062nnkd#0
So recently ive been given the oppurtunity to test and review the Mugen Power 3000 mAh battery case. Here are my thoughts.
First: The case design. The case is black/dark gray in colour (same as the nexus 5) and has a soft touch matte back which is very touch sensitive (also similar to the nexus 5). I find this a nice addition to the case as the feeling is the same as the phone bare. The case is also has a nice curve to the back and when held fits perfectly into my hand and is also quite grippy. The phone is well protected on the back, however it has no protection at all to the front portion of the phone leaving the screen vulnerable. The case is quite bulky but this didnt bother me as i got better grip (I could still use the phone well with one hand). I also found it to be quite light considering its a battery case. All ports and buttons on the case are easily accessible but the power button is a bit hard to press due to the border of the case. The phone fits into the case well and is held tightly, and can be removed with ease.
Now for the battery part. The additional battery is 3000 mAh and the phone itself is 2300 mAh. The case charges the phone through a small usb port held at the bottom. I found this quite handy because I could also charge my other devices with the case. Ive tested the battery for a couple of days now, and after a full charge of the case, the case can charge the phone to approximately 105% (From 0% - 100%, then 0% - 5%). The case charged surprisingly fast compared to my charger, charging at ~1% per minute (I dont know if the case charges fast or if my charger is crap, or maybe a mix of both lol). On moderate usage without the case, my phone would last around a day with 2-4 hours SOT, but with the case my phone was able to last over 2 days with around 4-6+ hours SOT. The case does take quite a while to fully charge, more than the phone charge time. Sometimes when im using my phone heavily and charging my phone, the case gets quite hot around the bottom, but this didnt bother me too much.
TLR;
Overall, I found this case to be quite cool considering the long battery times and the nice design for a bulky case. Even for the somewhat high price, it's definitely worth it.
Pros -
+++ Great battery life, gives over a full charge
++ Nice design and feel, grippy aswell
+ Charge other devices
Cons -
-- No Front protection
- Bulky
- Price
Here are a couple of pictures in case you missed them

Great

ZeroLemon 5500mAh battery case $39.99 currently

Looks like a preorder to arrive early October.
https://www.zerolemon.com/product/5500mah-battery-case-samsung-galaxy-note-8-black/
I don't usually like bug bulky battery cases, but at that price it's i good investment to keep in my bag for those occasion where battery life might be a concern. Also the 10000mAh ZeroLemons are crazy big and bulky, as to be nearly unusable to me. This is large but manageable for occasional use. Went ahead and ordered one, as I have a trip in November where this will come in handy.
Just though other might be interested.

I already got mine from auction site for less. It looks exactly the same without the branding. It fits well and feels great in the hand, obviously with some added thickness.

Yes, don't like the bulk of these things generally. Definitely won't be using it on a day-to-day basis, but it will be helpful on those rare occasions or it's useful.

Don't get me wrong I love ZeroLemon for their reliable battery cases that have a huge capacity. But nowadays I just rock my Anker 10000mAh battery pack which doesn't add bulk to the phone and fits perfectly in my other pocket.

Just got mine and as expected it pretty big and not something I'd want to use on a day to day basis. I can't imagine how anyone can deal with the 10,000mAh battery cases', they must be MONSTROUS!
Also there isn't much of a lip on the case so no dropping it face down (as if you could control that). I wish it more of a lips to protect the screen. I'm just going to have to be careful.
You can get to the fingerprint scanner ok, it just a bit more odd than the already odd placement.
GallardosEggrollShop said:
Don't get me wrong I love ZeroLemon for their reliable battery cases that have a huge capacity. But nowadays I just rock my Anker 10000mAh battery pack which doesn't add bulk to the phone and fits perfectly in my other pocket.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I understand, I have three different battery packs (20,100mAh, 10,400mAh and a 8,000mAh), but in certain circumstances where I know I will need the extra juice I can throw in the ZeroLemon case and then turn it on when needed. Especially when I need the extra use but will be needing to use my device for phone and pictures at an event, no cables needed and less risk of damaging the USB port while on the go. Honestly I will rarely have use for this, but when I do it will be a nice option. But I can't phantom those that use this or worse the larger version as a daily driver.