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.
When i bought my HTC One Stealth Black, i made sure that i got a perfect model (no defects). I took about an hour in the shop examining all the black HTC One's (they agreed to open 3 boxes for me) before i finally made up my mind. I paid for my phone off-contract and went home perfectly happy with a 801e model (it also has a sticker on the side of the phone that says UKR and on the box as well, so i guess it's from Ukraine and i got a 3-pin power adapter in the box together with the standard 2-pin charger plug) and also got a free TPU case with screen protector, as gift from the shop. Well, i put my phone in the TPU case as soon as i got home for fear of any drops/bumps/scratches, put it in my jeans pocket and went through the rest of my day moving around. Later that afternoon, i pulled the phone out of its case to touch the cold aluminium back and to my horror, i found a scratch (there were no scratches whatsoever before) that matched the contour of the TPU case around the camera. The scratch is around the flash.
Conclusion: The cheap unbranded TPU case seemed to fit the phone snugly but apparently not, as the constant movement and rubbing of the phone within the TPU case from inside my jeans pocket had caused the sharp edge of the TPU case to slowly erode the paint coating. It's a good thing that i noticed it after only one day usage or the etching would have definitely gone deeper, possibly even exposing the aluminium colour after a couple of days. It says "nothing but the best" on the packaging of the unbranded case, which is ironic.
So, my advice (and the reason for my endless rant in this post): stay away from cheap TPU cases, even if it says TPU, which might be true about the material itself but the fact of the matter - without a tight fit of the phone inside the casing, the resulting inside friction between the phone and its casing will damage your phone, causing the paint to wear off. This is probably not applicable to those of you who chose/use the Glacial Silver HTC One, since any scratch will probably not show up. But with time, the constant friction might cause the scratch to become visible. I've attached pictures so you can understand why i'm *****ing about my One By the way, i apologize for my dirty camera lens.
Lesson learnt - i've already ordered 3 casings (the best i could find after hours of searching, for cases that offer a balance between compactness v/s protection); Cimo Grip Back Case Flexible TPU Black, Otterbox Commuter Black and UAG Aero. I wouldn't bother with any other cases, unless you want even more protection, then you should be satisfied with the Otterbox Defender case.
My friend .. ANY case you put on the phone has the potential to scratch the aluminum on the edges. It is simple physics: if you get some dust/sand in between the case and the aluminum (where in other locations can the dust/sand/lint settle ?) any slight pressure or movement of the case will cause a small surface defect. You can not hide from that and you can not prevent that.
Live with it ! It is called reality.
electronical said:
When i bought my HTC One Stealth Black, i made sure that i got a perfect model (no defects). I took about an hour in the shop examining all the black HTC One's (they agreed to open 3 boxes for me) before i finally made up my mind. I paid for my phone off-contract and went home perfectly happy with a 801e model (it also has a sticker on the side of the phone that says UKR and on the box as well, so i guess it's from Ukraine and i got a 3-pin power adapter in the box together with the standard 2-pin charger plug) and also got a free TPU case with screen protector, as gift from the shop. Well, i put my phone in the TPU case as soon as i got home for fear of any drops/bumps/scratches, put it in my jeans pocket and went through the rest of my day moving around. Later that afternoon, i pulled the phone out of its case to touch the cold aluminium back and to my horror, i found a scratch (there were no scratches whatsoever before) that matched the contour of the TPU case around the camera. The scratch is around the flash.
Conclusion: The cheap unbranded TPU case seemed to fit the phone snugly but apparently not, as the constant movement and rubbing of the phone within the TPU case from inside my jeans pocket had caused the sharp edge of the TPU case to slowly erode the paint coating. It's a good thing that i noticed it after only one day usage or the etching would have definitely gone deeper, possibly even exposing the aluminium colour after a couple of days. It says "nothing but the best" on the packaging of the unbranded case, which is ironic.
So, my advice (and the reason for my endless rant in this post): stay away from cheap TPU cases, even if it says TPU, which might be true about the material itself but the fact of the matter - without a tight fit of the phone inside the casing, the resulting inside friction between the phone and its casing will damage your phone, causing the paint to wear off. This is probably not applicable to those of you who chose/use the Glacial Silver HTC One, since any scratch will probably not show up. But with time, the constant friction might cause the scratch to become visible. I've attached pictures so you can understand why i'm *****ing about my One By the way, i apologize for my dirty camera lens.
Lesson learnt - i've already ordered 3 casings (the best i could find after hours of searching, for cases that offer a balance between compactness v/s protection); Cimo Grip Back Case Flexible TPU Black, Otterbox Commuter Black and UAG Aero. I wouldn't bother with any other cases, unless you want even more protection, then you should be satisfied with the Otterbox Defender case.
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I had the black for a while. I think that it is prone to anything. Apart from light scratches sustained by using the double dip case, the camera cut out of an incipio case left a watermark on it as well. Now using a silver one and not a single scratch. Rotating between three cases.
Forgive me if I'm wrong, but isn't anodized AL WAY harder than TPU?
If it is, then isn't it PHYSICALLY IMPOSSIBLE for the case itself to scratch the phone?
Either a) there was dust/dirt in the case or
b) it's not a scratch, try wiping it with mild soap, water and a soft cloth.
Interesting thread...you were writing this 3 years ago, I just picked up two pristine condition used m7s, both with nearly all day batteries. Yesterday I got two cases of the first type described below.
I just love these phones so much. They are such a huge upgrade from any phone I have had since I had a droid 2 from motorola before knowing anything at all about these nifty little computers.
I just came in here to say that I will be getting the hard glass protection from now on for every phone I get. Would also recommend to anyone as it is far superior to foils.
Also three good types of cases:
- the hardened shell with no button coverage, and brushed metal exterior
- the clear plastic back, black bumpered semi hard with plugs and accurately designed button enhancers (distinguished by black surface lines on the back coming in from upper and lower edges about a cm each, towards the antennas)
-and believe it or not I really liked the ordinary rubber sort of cases with wavy line down the back and dual texture... as long as they have button covers. But those wouldnt be good for people who have a hard time with the buttons already.
Just picking up these phones starting in June 2016...has made my android experience so much more enjoyable...now being able to play top 3d heavy performance requiring games...and so much different development for the phones.
here's a couple pics of my phone cases I was describing. no scratches whatsoever on the two used like new phones, although its a used case on goldy. the other phones are for family and such, but also loving the cases on them. red looks good in red but it obscures the back... so take clear
kruc Ire said:
here's a couple pics of my phone cases I was describing. no scratches whatsoever on the two used like new phones, although its a used case on goldy. the other phones are for family and such, but also loving the cases on them. red looks good in red but it obscures the back... so take clear
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Link please?
Saf98 said:
Link please?
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www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=spinner
Rearth Discover Wallet Case Review
Im a little surprised that no one has done a review of this product for the Nexus 5 yet but its hard to plop down a good chunk of change for a phone case especially if the point of getting said phone was because it is a bargain. I usually don't buy cases which cover the phone completely with a flap (wallet style) but I really love my Nexus 5 and this case looked like the best I could find and at around 50 bucks I hoped for the best...
The Box
Sorry no pictures of this because I opened it in an unboxing video and didn't think to take pictures of it. The box was very flimsy, almost looked as if it was damaged. The plastic window showcasing the phone had been pushed in creating a hole which you could stick your fingers into. That didn't really bother me much as long as the contents weren't damaged.
There were a few items in the box:
-The case
-Little card explaining the features of the case
-Screen protector and screen protector accessories (I didnt use any of these because I have a Spigen screen protector on my Nexus 5 already)
The case was held in place inside the box by a thin piece of cardboard with a weird paper strap which had adhesive on the very and which was stuck to the phone case. Peeling off the piece of paper with adhesive on it left a mark which I first thought was just stuck adhesive (Turns out this actually damaged the leather leaving marks)
The Case
The case felt very nice to the touch as it is real leather, It made my phone look like a little book. This case obviously adds a lot of bulk but its meant to replace your wallet in addition to protecting your phone.
Front of the case
Back of the case, notice the damage to the leather? Cutouts are fine with the exception of a little piece of plastic left over from the molding process with by the camera hole at 11 o'clock.
Great stitching and some branding.
Branding on the rib.
Inside the case, four pockets, some subtle branding.
How the phone is held in, some branding, Ringke Fusion case with a leather cover. All holes are nicely cut out and all buttons are covered and responsive.
The Conclusion
In conclusion it's a flawed beauty, it is so close to being perfect for me. I think this is a great start for Rearth, they usually make much cheaper products, but for the cost I don't think the adhesive should've left a mark like that (I feel its not acceptable), I think they should at least remove the "Ringke Fusion" on the case and it's missing one key feature that turns me off, there is no wake function for this case.
I will be contacting Rearth to see if I can get a replacement or if they will be updating this case at least with a sleep wake function.
Thanks for reading/watching guys!
Wanted to share with you all, a really good case that is worth the money for this phone, and I am really happy with it.
The case is intended to put on and leave on, hence the adhesive films on the inside of the front cover, the back (with yellow cushioning) just clips on with a strong solid tight fit. The front cover bezel/lip looks to be about 2.5-3mm deep, but accessing the right side soft menu still good. My finger size is about average/medium size and I have no problem also accessing the power button and fingerprint sensor on the side beside the s-pen.
Used the glue adhesives on the front screen that were already applied, just had to pull off the backings (They also included an extra set of glue adhesive strips for a second mount if you ever need to take off and put back on) and it fits perfect, lines up with all the holes and speaker grills. The back piece with the hinge cover (with 2 spring loaded hinges), protects the back and fold hinge while the lip around the camera protects the camera lenses. It too also has perfect alignment with holes and has lots of clearance with the USB C port fitting. The hinge cover protector also gives you something to hold/grip when the phone is unfolded.
Suggest you first get a front glass screen protector (I used the Spigen Glastr Ez Fit for perfect alignment and easy application) for the front and camera lenses protectors also before applying this case.
This quality case feels very good, smooth, solid, elegant, and provides a great grippy feel. More importantly, I feel more confident holding the phone with this case on, as it feels like it could weather some accidental mishaps and protect the phone.
In my pictures, you will notice I also put a pop socket on the back centre for four reasons:
1) use for general holding in hand, even more support than the hinge cover protection bump when fully open
2) use as a kick stand for front screen and/or the unfolded full screen
3) use for a magnetic mount that I have in my car - so phone can sit in folded vertical or horizontal orientation and also unfolded orientation, using a pop socket flat mount with the metal plate stuck on the back of it- I just slide my pop socket into the pop socket flat mount holder and then attach to the magnetic mount, which also allows me to:
4) wireless charge at home, by twisting the top half of the pop socket half a turn to remove, when it is pushed in, which will allow a closer clearance for wireless charging through the case as it is all plastic
One critical point based on the design of the spring loaded hinge cover protector, when you do unfold/open the phone to full screen, and you are using the back screen for taking a selfie, you loose about 1 cm of view area on the left of the front screen. This minor con is something I can live with as this is in only this situation and for the design, it is a great compromise having that hinge protection.
In closing, I am really happy I got this case. I was originally worried that it might be too bulky, eventually ending up removing it for a thinner/smaller case, but I think it has a great balance of protection, holds the s-pen on the front side of screen keeping it's thickness down (compared to the Samsung pen/kickstand case, or others in some cases), and one of the few cases that protects the hinge, allowing the phone full protection around the whole phone. Hopefully you found this helpful for your situation.
used to have slim armour pro on my fold 3. i thought same as you and glued the front and back to the phone. i didnt removed for 2 months as theres was no need but after 2 months i wanted to clean the phone as dust clogged in corners, dam that case bonded with phone like a rock. no matter how much i pulled it wont come off lmao. i had to use some 70% alcohol and slowly pried it off. there were several scraches on the front screen border where the case was contacting the phone. also its weighs so much, i dont know why they named it as slim as it aint slim at all. but i have to say that case is like BUNKER and protected my phone from several hard falls
this time thinking of going with latercase as i rarely fold my phone unless im going outside.
eswar539 said:
used to have slim armour pro on my fold 3. i thought same as you and glued the front and back to the phone. i didnt removed for 2 months as theres was no need but after 2 months i wanted to clean the phone as dust clogged in corners, dam that case bonded with phone like a rock. no matter how much i pulled it wont come off lmao. i had to use some 70% alcohol and slowly pried it off. there were several scraches on the front screen border where the case was contacting the phone. also its weighs so much, i dont know why they named it as slim as it aint slim at all. but i have to say that case is like BUNKER and protected my phone from several hard falls
this time thinking of going with latercase as i rarely fold my phone unless im going outside.
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I read a lot about people having a challenge to pull the case cover off on the Z fold 3, some had glued the back on also which the current 4 version doesn't have or need, as it snaps on pretty good, but some with the 3 did use the glue strips which made it a challenge to get off. I can't speak to this Z fold 4 vs the 3 case, but having used it a couple of days, I still think it is a solid quality case.
It is a "little" thicker than the Samsung pen case, but not by much, and the pen holder on the Spigen sits in a nice place compared to the Samsung making it thinner right away, even with the hinge on the back when opened up. I understand why they need the glue adhesive on the front protection cover, as it needs to stay locked on especially when you are pulling on the s-pen constantly. What I really like is that it does protect the Fold's hinge area also... the Latercase is super thin, so less protection and the hinge is susceptible when folded with mishaps and for me I use both the front and the inside about the same. I can't see me taking the front cover off for a long time and don't think I will need to clean from the inside on the front panel as the fit is super tight, but the back can be snapped off easily if necessary. There are a lot of people that have used the Latercase as it is thin and has good grip, but doesn't have the "bunker" safety. As I mentioned in my closing casual review, I was afraid the size of the case would be too much for the protection it offers, but it is a lot better than I thought it would be in terms of weight/thickness and with the hinge protection and great pen storage location, I am very happy with it.
I recommend stick for example transprant tape for hinge to protect before scratches from this case. Every unfold and fold device i saw more scratches on the tape and thanks for it no on the hinge
I did it on my fold 2 from first days and now look like new.
eswar539 said:
used to have slim armour pro on my fold 3. i thought same as you and glued the front and back to the phone. i didnt removed for 2 months as theres was no need but after 2 months i wanted to clean the phone as dust clogged in corners, dam that case bonded with phone like a rock. no matter how much i pulled it wont come off lmao. i had to use some 70% alcohol and slowly pried it off. there were several scraches on the front screen border where the case was contacting the phone. also its weighs so much, i dont know why they named it as slim as it aint slim at all. but i have to say that case is like BUNKER and protected my phone from several hard falls
this time thinking of going with latercase as i rarely fold my phone unless im going outside.
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Had the same issue with mine. Damaged and scratched my z fold 3 due to the case adhesive.
Tried to go another route for my fold 4 and got the vrs terra guard modern case, It looked alright & initially I was happy as it had Good Protection. It felt more plasticy than the spigen version but i liked the design so ignored the finish.
Over my 4 days of use I found that the magnets in the hinge created big dead spots in the inner screen where the S-Pen wouldn't register.
Screen protector included is much smaller than the active screen area. (So basically useless)
The hinge created a weird noise while opening and closing which i ignored and it eventually broke after 4 days of use (the hinge created tension in the plastic holding it and lifted the inner base of the case and broke).
Thankfully no damage to the phone.
I'll probably try the iblason or supcase I saw on some youtube channels they looked solid and only had one small piece of adhesive tape for the top cover.
Syd91 said:
Screen protector included is much smaller than the active screen area. (So basically useless)
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Spigen screen protector for the outer small screen is very good. Although its not edge to edge which will hinder with cases.
_GRIZZLY_ said:
I recommend stick for example transprant tape for hinge to protect before scratches from this case. Every unfold and fold device i saw more scratches on the tape and thanks for it no on the hinge
I did it on my fold 2 from first days and now look like new.
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So far, I don't see anyone has managed this on a fold 4! The hinge film gets pushed off when you open the phone as the tolerances are much tighter than the 2 and 3
jonstatt said:
So far, I don't see anyone has managed this on a fold 4! The hinge film gets pushed off when you open the phone as the tolerances are much tighter than the 2 and 3
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Interesting, so in this case scratches problem can be unfortunetly hard to resolve.
After over a month with the Spigen Slim Armor Pro Pen Edition case, it is holding up great. Haven't had any close ones or miss-haps to talk about, and the under the hinge protector, minor dust, which is cleaned out easily with a clean micro-fibre. The case gives me the confidence that it has that 100% protection. Very well designed with upgrades to it since the first one they offered for earlier folds, I have to say this is their best design yet. Everything just works well, the case, the EZ glass front protector, the pen holder, the camera lens cover protection, the removable pop socket with the metal stick on that works with my car magnetic mount and the ESR phone boost kickstand. As for the fold 4 itself, no issues and works well with the Watch 5 pro and Buds 2 pro. The only one thing I wish it did have is a wider front screen similar to the Mix 2/Vivo Fold, but with all the pro's, in Canada, it is the clear winner for Folds here.
For its price, its terribly expensive. There are cases just like it for 30% less money that use magnets on the hinge instead of glue, and the material feels better. I feel as though Spigen rips people off and they must have massive profit margins if you see the cases that show up on amazon and aliexpress.
What case do you recommend then?
Q-Prof said:
After over a month with the Spigen Slim Armor Pro Pen Edition case, it is holding up great. Haven't had any close ones or miss-haps to talk about, and the under the hinge protector, minor dust, which is cleaned out easily with a clean micro-fibre. The case gives me the confidence that it has that 100% protection. Very well designed with upgrades to it since the first one they offered for earlier folds, I have to say this is their best design yet. Everything just works well, the case, the EZ glass front protector, the pen holder, the camera lens cover protection, the removable pop socket with the metal stick on that works with my car magnetic mount and the ESR phone boost kickstand. As for the fold 4 itself, no issues and works well with the Watch 5 pro and Buds 2 pro. The only one thing I wish it did have is a wider front screen similar to the Mix 2/Vivo Fold, but with all the pro's, in Canada, it is the clear winner for Folds here.
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Just got my Z FOLD 4 a couple of days ago..(used to have orginal Z FOLD.....then Xiaomi Mi MIx FOLD..now this beast..it is awesome!)....I have the Samsung case with pen holder...but interested in this Spigen one you recommend..you say it allows wireless charging with the case on ? (the Samsung one does not.....)...and looks like it gives easier access to the S pen too...but does the S pen not block the fingerprint reader ? It is kinda damm expensive too for a case ...let's hope it comes down in price in Amazon prime sale next week !
elio321 said:
Just got my Z FOLD 4 a couple of days ago..(used to have orginal Z FOLD.....then Xiaomi Mi MIx FOLD..now this beast..it is awesome!)....I have the Samsung case with pen holder...but interested in this Spigen one you recommend..you say it allows wireless charging with the case on ? (the Samsung one does not.....)...and looks like it gives easier access to the S pen too...but does the S pen not block the fingerprint reader ? It is kinda damm expensive too for a case ...let's hope it comes down in price in Amazon prime sale next week !
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Hey Elio,
Congrats on getting the Z Fold 4,
No issues with the finger print reader, I have average sized hands and thumb works all the time, there is enough room. Yes it is expensive, but well worth it, you wont feel ripped off as it is excellent quality, and there is no other design out there that has this unique set of design features. The case feels really good in the hand (not plastic feel... more of a smooth rubbery feel, so great grip) and it fits like a glove on the case. As for charging wirelessly, no problem... I even have a removable pop socket and an ESR phone boost kickstand, and still no problem charging after I remove the top of the pop socket (just a quick 1/2 twist when it is pushed in). Not only easier access to the pen, but better placement in my opinion, I would rather have a little wider than making it thicker... it already is thick because of the fold design... so why put a storage s-pen on the back... and putting it in the hinge protector like some designs makes the hinge protector a huge bump on the back when open.
I have very negative experience with the Spigen cover cases for Fold 4. The first one, the Tough Armor got broken after 16 days. The second one, the Slim Armor Pro got broken today after 4 months. Totally, I lost almost 150€ for these two cases ;-( I will request replacement. My conclusion is there is no way to make a good unbreakable cover case for Fold 4. For my previous non-foldable phones the Spigen cover cases where perfect.