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Hi guys,
I tend to keep my phone in the same pocket as my keys so clearly it'll need some kind of protection to avoid the screen getting scratched. For my old phone, I bought a leather case which worked really well for this, but it didn't have a touchscreen so it was easy to find a case that protected it well and allowed full functionality while the case was on.
So my questions are:
1. Is a screen protector (and perhaps thin gel case) sufficient for the HTC Desire, or do I need a proper leather case again?
2. Is there really that much difference between the different screen protectors? I've ordered 2 unbranded ones for under £2 on eBay but there are branded ones costing up to £10 each. Would one of those really be that much better?
3. If I were to buy a proper case, which leather case would you recommend that allows me to fully use the phone (and camera) while keeping it in the case? This includes being able to charge the phone while in the case. Obviously I know I'll have to take it out of the case to use in any kind of docking device, but the case should at least allow any cables (USB, headphones) to be plugged in.
Thanks in advance for any help.
Hi Alex.
You have several options open to you.
When I first got my Desire, I bought a neoprene pouch which had a nice mirco-fibre lining. This protected my phone completely, and the lining served to give my screen a wipe putting it in, and taking it out of its case.
However, obviously you have to take the phone out of the case to use it, and if you drop it now, it's unprotected. It'll be keyproof in yer pocket though.
I never keep keys in my phone pocket, and was worried about dropping it when it was out the case. But because I bought my phone pretty much straight after it's release, there were not many options available. (Different for you of course!)
After a couple of weeks, alternatives started popping up on eBay. I have gone with a rubber gel case (gloss black) and a screen protector. Now the only exposed parts are around the Home, Menu, Back and Search keys. Acceptable for me. Looks good too.
Screen protectors are a tricky issue. I waited for the offical HTC ones to come out. Somehow this took HTC 2 months after the release of the phone! They are an expensive waste of time. Avoid them. Instead, go for the cheap ADHESIVE FREE ones. The HTC ones have a sticky backing, which attracts air-bourne dust the second you peel the backing off to apply it to the phone. This means that no matter how careful you are, the dust particles prevent the protector from lying flush against your screen, creating lots of bubbles you can't smooth out. It also means the dust is now securely glued to the thing, and trying to remove it adds yet more dust and your finger prints!
Go for the £2 washable & reusable ones, and when they start to lift off and get dust under the corners (and they will) just peel it off, throw it away an put another one on. They say washable and reusable, but I've found they never go back quite the same after a wash. But when it's £2 for 5, and each one lasts a month, why bother? It just means that they do not use glue to stick to your screen and wont leave a residue.
From experience, avoid the ZAGG "Invisible Shield" full body protectors you may stumble across. The small bits that protect the sides peel away, and the screen protector part has an orange peel texture, and its kind of 'grippy' meaning your finger wont swipe across the screen very well. Plus it is a real bee-hatch to apply, and takes 24 hours to 'cure'. (you have to use a solution to float the pieces into place.)
I would recommend doing what I have done, and using a gel case/screen protector combo for general protection. If you are still worried about your keys marking the remaining exposed areas, buy a neoprene pouch too. Just buy one for a slightly wider phone than the Desire (HTC HD2?) as the gel case will make it too tight a fit, and the gel case will 'grip' the pouch lining to some extent. But hey, your phone will remain pristene.
Search for "Case Mate Torque HTC Desire". It is a well made rubber case, which comes with a screen protector. Can be found on eBay for £20. Can't say how good the screen protector is, but the case looks nice. Getting one myself soon. Plenty of low cost alteratives available of course. Mine cost £2.50 and is absolutely fine.
Hope I've helped some.
Will.
Edit: Forgot to cover your leather case queries. Sorry. I have not used a leather flip case for this phone, but I did have one for my last phone, a Nokia 5800, and I found the Proporta brand had the best build quality. It is even lined with aluminium plate to fend off even the most severe of knocks. The low cost ones from Honk Kong were not leather, and the plastic clips that held the phone in place snapped off after a couple of weeks of removing/replacing the phone. Be prepared to spend at least £20 again if you want a decent leather one.
wnp_79 said:
Hi Alex.
Search for "Case Mate Torque HTC Desire". It is a well made rubber case, which comes with a screen protector. Can be found on eBay for £20. Can't say how good the screen protector is, but the case looks nice. Getting one myself soon. Plenty of low cost alteratives available of course. Mine cost £2.50 and is absolutely fine.
.
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just ordered one of these off ebay, got a best offer of £16.01 accepted if you are trying. Should arrive tomorrow so I'll let you know how it is.
I've got loads of cases I tried, currently just using a cheap gel case although I've actually got 3 leather ones as well offering full protection. I used to be paranoid about the screen with all my devices but now I've just got a Martin Fields screen protector on and its been fine for months. The only trouble with the cases is removing them constantly to fit into a Brodit car mount, its quicker to get it out of a leather pouch than a gel case
wnp_79 said:
Hi Alex.
You have several options open to you.
When I first got my Desire, I bought a neoprene pouch which had a nice mirco-fibre lining. This protected my phone completely, and the lining served to give my screen a wipe putting it in, and taking it out of its case.
However, obviously you have to take the phone out of the case to use it, and if you drop it now, it's unprotected. It'll be keyproof in yer pocket though.
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Firstly, thank you very much for the detailed reply. And yeah, at the moment I have an official leather pull-case/pouch which protects the phone well in my pocket but obviously not when it's in use.
wnp_79 said:
Screen protectors are a tricky issue. I waited for the offical HTC ones to come out. Somehow this took HTC 2 months after the release of the phone! They are an expensive waste of time. Avoid them. Instead, go for the cheap ADHESIVE FREE ones. The HTC ones have a sticky backing, which attracts air-bourne dust the second you peel the backing off to apply it to the phone. This means that no matter how careful you are, the dust particles prevent the protector from lying flush against your screen, creating lots of bubbles you can't smooth out. It also means the dust is now securely glued to the thing, and trying to remove it adds yet more dust and your finger prints!
Go for the £2 washable & reusable ones, and when they start to lift off and get dust under the corners (and they will) just peel it off, throw it away an put another one on. They say washable and reusable, but I've found they never go back quite the same after a wash. But when it's £2 for 5, and each one lasts a month, why bother? It just means that they do not use glue to stick to your screen and wont leave a residue.
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The screen protectors I ordered off eBay (£1.98 for 2) claim to be adhesive-free, washable and reusable but we'll see. I'll post back here when I get them for anyone else looking.
wnp_79 said:
I would recommend doing what I have done, and using a gel case/screen protector combo for general protection. If you are still worried about your keys marking the remaining exposed areas, buy a neoprene pouch too. Just buy one for a slightly wider phone than the Desire (HTC HD2?) as the gel case will make it too tight a fit, and the gel case will 'grip' the pouch lining to some extent. But hey, your phone will remain pristene.
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I'm more concerned about the keys scratching the screen, even with a screen protector. I can live with the other parts of the phone being scratched.
wnp_79 said:
Hope I've helped some.
Will.
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You've been very helpful, thanks again.
wnp_79 said:
Edit: Forgot to cover your leather case queries. Sorry. I have not used a leather flip case for this phone, but I did have one for my last phone, a Nokia 5800, and I found the Proporta brand had the best build quality. It is even lined with aluminium plate to fend off even the most severe of knocks. The low cost ones from Honk Kong were not leather, and the plastic clips that held the phone in place snapped off after a couple of weeks of removing/replacing the phone. Be prepared to spend at least £20 again if you want a decent leather one.
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Yeah, I'm prepared to spend that much for one provided that it will last. I'm looking at the Alu and the Noreve at the moment (£20 and £30 respectively on MobileFun.co.uk).
Dave G said:
just ordered one of these off ebay, got a best offer of £16.01 accepted if you are trying. Should arrive tomorrow so I'll let you know how it is.
I've got loads of cases I tried, currently just using a cheap gel case although I've actually got 3 leather ones as well offering full protection. I used to be paranoid about the screen with all my devices but now I've just got a Martin Fields screen protector on and its been fine for months. The only trouble with the cases is removing them constantly to fit into a Brodit car mount, its quicker to get it out of a leather pouch than a gel case
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Thanks for the reply - let me know about the case when you get it. Have you found the Martin Fields screen protector to be worth the price? And have you been keeping the phone in the same pocket as keys/similar?
I'm wondering if it would just be easier if I found a way of not having my keys and phone in the same pocket, but I've had it that way for years and it would take a bit of adjustment not to.
Dave G said:
just ordered one of these off ebay, got a best offer of £16.01 accepted if you are trying. Should arrive tomorrow so I'll let you know how it is.
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arrived today, nice looking, softer than the cheap gel cases so easier to get on and off. Seems to attract dust because its soft - don't know if its worth £16 compared to the £2 ones !
alex_hk90 said:
The screen protectors I ordered off eBay (£1.98 for 2) claim to be adhesive-free, washable and reusable but we'll see. I'll post back here when I get them for anyone else looking.
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I received these (they were branded 'MobileGUARD') yesterday and they seem to be OK - quite easy to apply since they had tabs to prevent you having to touch the actual protector, and looks fine once on. The only issue was that the tab did not remove properly so I had to clean the residue, but it was on the exposed side (not in contact with the screen) so not too much of a problem. There is a slight difference in feel (it's a bit 'harder') but the touch screen is just as easy to use as before. Only thing so far I've noticed against it is that it seems to smudge easier, but that may be because of the warm weather (i.e. I don't know if this would've happened without it), we'll see. I'm still unsure as to whether it would be sufficient protection against keys though...
I tried a 'Noreve Tradition' leather case (£30 off MobileFun) and though it fits well, is slim, looks alright, seems to have good construction quality and protects the phone, it's not that convenient to use it in the case (it's hard to hold the phone in the case, and the USB port isn't accessible). So I'm still looking for a solution (at the moment I'm using a leather pouch with screen protector).
Mobile fun are very good with returns. I had the same problem with my nokia leather case with the leather flap getting in the way. Bad case design not to allow usb access tho.
I have taken dave g's advice and gone for the case-mate torque case and screen protector combo. As advised they accepted a £16 offer. Its in the post so will advise on suitability after a bit of hands-on time.
Try out the cheap amazon or ebay rubber/gel cases. There are ones that cover over the front hardware buttons exposing only the optical pad.
Go to amazon and search for "Black XYLO SuperTuff Soft Silicone Shell / Skin / Case for the HTC Desire Mobile Phone".
Combine that kiddy with a screen protector and you could play hockey with your phone and not mark it! Ok maybe not but you'd be doing well to scratch it.
Sent from my HTC Desire using XDA App
My torque case just showed up. Very nice. Gives the phone a slightly chunkier look, but personally I like it.
Nice soft rubber, and offers much better protection for the camera lens than my other case. Pleased.
Have not tried fitting the screen protector yet, as the one already fitted is doing ok for now. Looks like it is a decent one tho, with a cleaning cloth and application card.
Sent from my HTC Desire using XDA App
wnp_79 said:
Mobile fun are very good with returns. I had the same problem with my nokia leather case with the leather flap getting in the way. Bad case design not to allow usb access tho.
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Yeah, I used their online form and they sent me a reference number for the return. I've just sent it back so hopefully I'll get a refund soon. Did they refund you for delivery costs? I heard something on the news that online retailers were legally obliged to do so.
wnp_79 said:
Try out the cheap amazon or ebay rubber/gel cases. There are ones that cover over the front hardware buttons exposing only the optical pad.
Go to amazon and search for "Black XYLO SuperTuff Soft Silicone Shell / Skin / Case for the HTC Desire Mobile Phone".
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Thanks for the tip. That one looks pretty good, and at £2.95 is worth a try.
wnp_79 said:
Combine that kiddy with a screen protector and you could play hockey with your phone and not mark it! Ok maybe not but you'd be doing well to scratch it.
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I'm not too bothered about marks or scratches, as long as they don't affect functionality (i.e. on the screen or the camera, which is why I'm concerned that my keys could scratch through a screen protector if they just happen to become lodged at an unfortunate angle in my pocket...).
wnp_79 said:
Go to amazon and search for "Black XYLO SuperTuff Soft Silicone Shell / Skin / Case for the HTC Desire Mobile Phone".
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I received one of these today. It looks OK and has indents/marks for the buttons and cutouts for the connectors so you can fully use the phone while it's in the case, but I feel the case is too loose - if you push the sides to make it tight there's a 5mm gap from the phone to the case above the optical trackpad. It does however make it easy to put the phone in and take it out of the case. Also, I'm not really sure how much protection it adds to the phone - it seems quite soft. So while it isn't bad for the price, I'm going to return it and keep looking for something better.
there's loads on ebay, you should try there.
I just use neoprene pouch (£3.50 on ebay) and it is quite good. I've recently discovered that it is waterproof as well - phone was on the desk and I spilled glass of water - pouch got wet slightly on the outside but desire was bone dry ;-)
For screen protection I use a Clear Armor screen protector. It has a lifetime warranty and self heals almost all marks and scratches.
Got mine here: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=390220617200
Whil at work I use a cheap leather belt case, http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=120563838769&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT and if I don't want it on my belt I use a slim brown leather slip case. http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=280512213140&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT
I use the screen protectors linked to below with my old G1 pouch, works fine, no scratches yet!
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B003JCUKGK/ref=oss_product
Thanks for all the suggestions.
I just tried a (Proporta) Alu Leather Case and again while it was well-made, looked and felt good, I didn't find it satisfactory functionally (hard to use while in case, USB port not accessible for charging/sync). So I'm sticking with the cheap screen protector I got (which seems fine) and the official leather pull case. That and putting my keys in another pocket to be safe.
I had a previously typed review for this that went into a lot of depth but I lost it accidentally. I was thinking about doing the same thing again but I figure it isn't worth it. Instead I'll give this brief review.
The screen protector(s) are shipped in a regular envelope with only a receipt (no instructions, spray bottle or microfiber cloth). The receipt guides you to a URL for installation instructions which are in the form of a youtube video.
Anyway, long story short I put the SP on my GF's Bold 9700 first (as she doesn't really care about the look and feel of it). The end result was absolutely pathetic. I was able to get out the large air bubbles but there are mini air bubbles everywhere which will not come out no matter what I do. The texture is absolutely awful. It has an orange peel texture and it's rather rubbery so I would definitely not recommend it for a touch screen phone. The material is somewhat elastic and will bounce back to a certain degree, although there are numerous spots where something has pressed against the screen and the dents are still clearly visible.
On the up side I got plenty of material to cut a home button protector out of.
Conclusion:
Protection [5/10]
It's quite a durable material but the pieces were not even cut correctly to size.
Feel [3/10]
Feels like garbage as described above.
Look [3/10]
Looks like garbage. You can see the orange peel texture and the material isn't very clear.
If it weren't for it being "free" I definitely wouldn't have gotten it. I figure since it was free you couldn't really go wrong, but in this case it still probably wasn't worth it. (I say "free" because they charge you a lot more than it takes to ship the product so you are paying for the product to some degree)
Protection [5/10]
It's quite a durable material but the pieces were not even cut correctly to size.
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I smell a contradictory biased assessment here.
I agree the back doesn't cover enough, and the front is useless for us, but the feel and protection don't deserve 5 and 3.
I can believe this review - I have used Invisible Shield in the past (the original "helicopter blade protector" product, now called Zagg.
I can't comment on the fit for the Galaxy, but this product leaves an unsightly wrinkly finish, not the mirror-quality reflection we'd expect/like. it's actually good for the underside, since the phone won't slide on smooth surfaces, but it's a definite no for the front of the phone.
Fitting these things are a nightmare, I have a feeling the wrinkles may be down to using more liquid than strictly necessary - but just try & use less!!! You will end up with that grippy plastic stuck at odd angles, and you'll then need to pull it off, deforming the protection.
The feeling is sticky, your finger will drag, not glide, across the screen - as well as a matt/orange peel finish.
I would say the ideal configuration would be a crystal clear or oleophobic screen protector, plus a silicone body - or for that matter a Gelaskins back.
sturmeh said:
I smell a contradictory biased assessment here.
I agree the back doesn't cover enough, and the front is useless for us, but the feel and protection don't deserve 5 and 3.
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Maybe the title is misleading. The product is for full body protection which is why I gave it a 5. The protection is quite horrible, in fact I thought 5 was quite generous. 5 is a good rating for the SP alone though.
As for the feel I find the rating quite justified as I've rated the SGP Ultra Crystal Clear SP as well and gave it a 7 and the Stealth Guards SP does not even compare to the SGP one. The SGP one feels quite smooth (very close to glass) and the look is impeccable. The Stealth Guards SP on the other hand feels awful, isn't nearly as clear, it's a pain in the a$$ to put on and is prone to "dents".
I just ordered one. I think I'll use only the back, though.
nice review man, well done
Sorry if you were expecting something great for $2. I think you're mistaken.
At best the back cover is for extra scratch protection if you don't use a case. At worst it's something you should make a personal assessment on and not put it on.
I just use the back, but I even have a thin case on it anyway. The front of mine I have a cheap ebay screen cover which works fine.
Although these Stealth say it's a front screen cover, if you look at the material you should be able to figure out it would be no good on the screen.
FITRS said:
Sorry if you were expecting something great for $2. I think you're mistaken.
At best the back cover is for extra scratch protection if you don't use a case. At worst it's something you should make a personal assessment on and not put it on.
I just use the back, but I even have a thin case on it anyway. The front of mine I have a cheap ebay screen cover which works fine.
Although these Stealth say it's a front screen cover, if you look at the material you should be able to figure out it would be no good on the screen.
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Thanks for your comment but your accusations aren't exactly warranted. You must not have read my review as I clearly said:
nemethb said:
If it weren't for it being "free" I definitely wouldn't have gotten it. I figure since it was free you couldn't really go wrong, but in this case it still probably wasn't worth it. (I say "free" because they charge you a lot more than it takes to ship the product so you are paying for the product to some degree)
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The reason I got the SP was because it was free and because I wanted to get one for my GF's 9700. Since I was getting one for my GF I figured I might as well get some material for my phone as well since it is "free". I've since used the material to make protectors for the home button and what not. I wouldn't dare put it on my screen as I already have an SGP Ultra Crystal Clear, + I have Realooks in the mail.
Thanks for the review
SGS has allready gorilla glass screen protector
i think it's okay to get a screen protector but i prefer nothing.
about 1.5 months allready in use and no scratches on the screen
I had one of these Stealth Guards on my HTC Legend and thought it was great. It didn't stay adhered for long before the edges started to peel though. I would just cut the peeling part off with an xacto knife to slow the progress, which worked okay but looked like crap. I won't be getting one for my SGS but do think it was worth the price (free).
Sent from my GT-I9000M using Tapatalk
I am absolutely loving my Fascinate (rooted, lag fixed, and de-Binged of course). Awesome upgrade from my Droid Eris! However, I have one major gripe with it so far, and that's the battery cover, or back plate, whatever you wanna call it. I am definitely not a fan of the glossy finish on it. If my fingers are the least bit wet or greasy, it makes it very hard to hold onto. The battery cover on my Eris had some kind of slightly rubberized matte finish, and I never, ever had trouble holding onto that phone.
So, I'm looking for a solution. Ideally, it would be in the form of a direct replacement for the OEM battery cover that is made of the grippy material like the Eris had, but I might settle for some kind of stick-on skin, if there's a good one that will eliminate the slipperiness. I've searched a bit, but haven't found any good solutions yet. Anyone suggestions would be appreciated. Oh, but please don't suggest cases of any kind. I have a good leather belt holster already that the phone fits in perfectly, and adding a wraparound case of any kind would be redundant, and also would prevent the phone from fitting in my current case.
Actually, I think I found a solution, thanks to a thread on the Android Central forums. Stealth Guards is apparently giving away all their screen protectors away for free for a limited time. You pay only the cost of shipping, which for me was $2.85, and the protector was originally $14.99. It's actually a full body protection skin, not just a basic screen protector. I'll probably just use the part for the back, and not mess with the front screen protector part at all. Here's the link:
http://www.stealthguards.com/index.php/cellphones/samsung-fascinate-full-body-protection.html
Note that they have free protector kits for most all the popular phones available right now, and if you like their Facebook page, you could win prizes (such as iTunes or Best Buy gift cards) on the way to 1000 likes, and after they top 1000, they'll hold a drawing to give away a new 6th-gen iPod Nano.
ivorycruncher said:
Actually, I think I found a solution, thanks to a thread on the Android Central forums. Stealth Guards is apparently giving away all their screen protectors away for free for a limited time. You pay only the cost of shipping, which for me was $2.85, and the protector was originally $14.99. It's actually a full body protection skin, not just a basic screen protector. I'll probably just use the part for the back, and not mess with the front screen protector part at all. Here's the link:
http://www.stealthguards.com/index.php/cellphones/samsung-fascinate-full-body-protection.html
Note that they have free protector kits for most all the popular phones available right now, and if you like their Facebook page, you could win prizes (such as iTunes or Best Buy gift cards) on the way to 1000 likes, and after they top 1000, they'll hold a drawing to give away a new 6th-gen iPod Nano.
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THANKS!!! Just ordered one for me and one for my girlfriend... I didn't want to add a case, but this will keep our phones looking fancy!
hey this looks really cool. can you let us know how this works out after you get it? i was just at the bar the other day (you know how when ur holdin a cold beer and ur hands get wet) i was like god this phone is slippery
I got full body invisible shield.
I removed the SP and got realook because i didn't like the rubber feel on the screen.
But i left the back piece on it makes the back feel allot better and gives it a kind of rubbery feel and reduces finger prints and also helps protect from scratches
It and makes the over all phone feel solid.
Thanks for the link. Picked up 2 of these for my phone.
Thanks for the link too, got one for me and two coworkers. Hell of a deal even if it's mostly crap. I just want it forthe back cover too. Way too slippery.
I'd like it if Seidio's innocase for this phone just protected the back/sides and left the front alone. I like the soft touch on those...
Even my HTC TP2 had a soft tough battery door stock.
Oh dang, I forgot to reply back to this. I got my Stealth Guard as expected (just an envelope in the mail, almost thought it was junk mail at first). Sadly, there NO instructions (except for a YouTube video on their website, which was a joke), but after digging up some info online, I washed and dried the battery cover, sprayed it with some slightly soapy water, and applied the skin. I rubbed out most of the bubbles fairly easily, and as others have said, after 2-3 days, all remaining bubbles and odd-looking film went away, and if not for the ridge at the edge of the skin, you wouldn't know it was on there. Oh, I did have a bit of trouble getting the corners to stick down to the curved corners of the battery cover, but I kept working on them, and they did eventually stick as the water started to dry up a little. So far there's no evidence of peeling or anything.
I do have to admit that it's not as grippy as I expected, but it is some better than the bare surface, and should prevent the back from getting scratched up, which I was starting to see evidence of, even with careful treatment of the device. I'm undecided if I'll ever apply the front piece or not at this point, but seeing how clearly the back piece applied, I wouldn't expect it to affect visibility at all.
I ordered another one of these for my brother-in-law's Droid Incredible, and would recommend them to anyone else as well, unless you want to try a different brand, in the hopes of getting an even grippier surface for the back side. But I think that for a mere $2.85, you really can't find a better deal anywhere.
Sent from my SCH-I500 using XDA App
Well, I ordered the Verizon / OEM, "kickstand" hard case in hopes of a good solution for the slippery back. Looks like this case only covers the back and sides of the phone and leaves the front untouched which is what I wanted as far as a case, and it looks quite thin too. Plus, it has a kickstand built in which I really wanted since my TP2 had a sliding/tilting screen. The back of this case is grooved with like a patchwork pattern so I'm sure it's a lot grippier.
Verizon wants $20 for them, but I got it for $10 including shipping on eBay! I'll post back how it is when I get it, but I think it's the best solution i've seen.
Have the kickstand case & it's pretty good. It also has 4 raised "feet" at the corners on the back which give it some speaker clearence when flat & act as friction points for your hand or loose pocket. The kickstand is a good alternative for a desk cradle & makes utilizing the alarm clock easier.
Sent from my SCH-I500 using XDA App
Bulky cases like that don't work for me. I use a belt holster case that I picked up from Best Buy, and any other protector case would make it bulky to put into the holster. That's why this stick-on protector was attractive to me, as it adds no unnecessary bulk. But that's just my preference. If you prefer a hard case, you'll get no argument from me.
Sent from my SCH-I500 using XDA App
I just ordered 3 brand new covers directly from VZ...They are only $3 bux each...Ill just replace them when needed.
suzook said:
I just ordered 3 brand new covers directly from VZ...They are only $3 bux each...Ill just replace them when needed.
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I'd do that if they made some with a matte finish.. Where did you order them from? Just curious..
tcub said:
I'd do that if they made some with a matte finish.. Where did you order them from? Just curious..
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Directly from the VZ site....I am gonna experiment with one...Im looking for a sort of rubber spray paint...If i can find one im gonna spray it.
Maybe with the white fascinate coming out at best buy I can buy the white back. Looks nice.
Ok, got the OEM/Verizon Kickstand case in and the $2 Stealth Guards films. The kickstand case is THE solution for the battery door IMHO, but I got both mainly for this reason. Mini review of each:
The Kickstand case, I got from eBay, for $11 shipped w/ tax (just search for "fascinate kickstand"), which is half off the in store price you'll find. It is THE solution to the slippery battery door IMHO, and the best case out there right now. The case has a slight rubberized / soft touch finish, and has a grip pattern in it, which makes it much easier to hold onto. It's quite thin, except for a bump caused by the kickstand, which is leveled so the phone lays flat, by some "feet" on the back. That slight bump I actually like, because I can easily tell which way the phone is oriented in my hand without looking at it. It provides nice protection to the sides and corners and back, so I think it will provide added drop protection. It fits very tight, I wouldn't expect it to come off ever. What I really like, is that it barely protrudes above the front of the phone at all, it adds a very slight lip at the sides, and that's it. This keeps the phone quite flat/thin still and doesn't change how you'd interact with the screen at all. The slight lip should help protect the screen though. All the cutouts are excellent in positioning, and provide nice "cover" for the side buttons against accidental actuation.
Probably the nicest thing of all which I didn't expect, is that the Kickstand works in both Portrait with the phone vertical, and horizontal in landscape, due to the way they positioned the kickstand on the back. It works great - this takes care of one of the things I missed from my Touch Pro2 (the tilting screen). It also has a tensioner, which allows you to tweak the angle in horizontal/landscape a bit because it's "stiff". For the $11 I paid for it, it's worth every penny and seems quite solid/well engineered for the price.
Only downside I see is that it's a bit tougher to take the battery out of course..
The Stealth Guards films are better than nothing, but not much grippier than stock. They come with just two films, front and back. Application and clarity is similar to other "invisible shield" type products. Not a very good screen protector (orange peel, tiny bubbles, not crystal clear), Steinheil is WAY better, but they don't have them yet for our phones so I'll use this in the mean time. Also, they cover the light/prox sensor at the top of the phone, which I found made the automatic backlight adjustment sorta freak out and switch more often than it should (probably because the protector is relatively thick and not crystal clear) - I cut a tiny window out around them with a razor blade and that fixed the issue. They shipped in an envelope, inside another envelope, I ordered 3 sets for myself and friends, and every one came with wrinkling/damage. Fortunately the films are very durable so the films themselves were unharmed - it was the paper backing that was wrinkled. Still, they could of reinforced the envelope with a little cardboard.... Also they come with no instructions or packing at all, just bulk/oem packed. Still, for $2 they were worth it, but not worth much more than that.
suzook said:
I just ordered 3 brand new covers directly from VZ...They are only $3 bux each...Ill just replace them when needed.
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How did you get them for $3? It says they are $5.
I'm in the market for a case, but I'd like something like the silicone case I had for my MT3G. My only gripe with my old case was that it didn't fit as snugly as I wanted, and could come out just from the friction of putting it in my pocket. I'd be OK with a hard case but as long as it wasnt too bulky and had a soft coating on the outside. They sell a hard one that looks pretty nice at the T-mobile stores, but they charge way too much for them.
Anyone know of a good place to get one, or have bought one yourself and like it?
Options:
- Silicone or hard case with soft coating
- Not bulky. No huge rounded edges or 'bumpers'
- Top bezel can be covered for a snugger fit
- Black preferred, but not needed.
- Package deals OK (like this one) I'm also in the market for a battery, case, world peace, screen protectors, better gas milage, cables, etc.
Honestly, the one at tmo is expensive but it's one of the nicest cases I've ever used. No problem getting it in and out of a pocket, it's absolutely comfortable to hold, and offers a nice little ridge around the phone and camera to protect them from drops. Overall, worth the money.
http://www.sgpstore.com/cell-phone/lg/g2/sgp-lg-su660-optimus-2x-ultra-silke-series.html
This SGP silicon one is looking pretty good....would like the black case though, although the blue may be pass-able.
The inclusion of a high quality screen protector may make me get off the fence. On the leather case, I wish they would have a picture of the flap all the way folded over, so I could see how it would lay in the hand for games and such.
Thanks for the link. That SGP is looking pretty good for the price, and it comes with a screen protector as well. Is that a kick stand or a stylus in one of the pictures, though? That confused me....
BeHarsh said:
Thanks for the link. That SGP is looking pretty good for the price, and it comes with a screen protector as well. Is that a kick stand or a stylus in one of the pictures, though? That confused me....
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1) no quick stand or stylus
2) screen protector not compatible with g2x, its made for su660
BeHarsh said:
Thanks for the link. That SGP is looking pretty good for the price, and it comes with a screen protector as well. Is that a kick stand or a stylus in one of the pictures, though? That confused me....
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It's the antenna on the Optimus. These technically aren't for our phones, hence a hole for the antenna that we dont have.
Ah, thanks for the clarification. Sucks about the screen protector.....
Hey fellas,
I used to post my reviews over on the Galaxy S3 forums (and the Galaxy Nexus, S2 and Nexus S forums before that), but since I've recently gotten my Nexus 4, I decided to start my coverage as soon as possible. As most of you know, brand name cases are still hard to find but should be released in the next few weeks. I decided to pick up a temporary case in the TPU S-Case and wanted to share my thoughts. This is a simple TPU case that offers contrasting matte and glossy portions to create a cool design.
The case offers a moderate amount of protection without adding too much bulk and is extremely affordable at only 5$! I'm happy to take a look at any cases you'd like me to, so feel free to recommend anything! I will be posting a ton more content on the channel. Check out the full review of the S-Case below and let me know what you think:
I remember your vids from the Nexus S and Galaxy Nexus forums. Nice to see you covering accessories for the N4 as well
as for the case, I'm tempted to order one because of the cheap price tag to hold me over until the Rearth slim gets here but then again it might arrive the same time as my N4
FLNexus said:
I remember your vids from the Nexus S and Galaxy Nexus forums. Nice to see you covering accessories for the N4 as well
as for the case, I'm tempted to order one because of the cheap price tag to hold me over until the Rearth slim gets here but then again it might arrive the same time as my N4
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Thanks man! Rearth cases ship on the 30th, so you'd only have this one for a few days. I'm really excited to get the Slim case though, looks terrific and Rearth has yet to disappoint me!
I had one of these for my nexus S and threw it away in the same day.
This is just a piece of rubber bulky trash..
My case came in yesterday from kaycase. I got it for .99 cents!!!
There were several brands selling these on Amazon for various prices. It's hard to pick when there are almost no reviews, because no one has their phone. o.o I ended up buying one from "YESOO" (best name ever) that, for ~$6, came with a stylus too. Sure, why not? I like that they are providing clear options, to keep the N4 sparkle effect, but it's sad that basically no one is making a fully clear case yet. It's all the S design. (Normally that'd be great, but the N4 doesn't need window dressing. ) The Rearth ones look really nice too (very Feather-like) but no clear ones.
kayateia said:
There were several brands selling these on Amazon for various prices. It's hard to pick when there are almost no reviews, because no one has their phone. o.o I ended up buying one from "YESOO" (best name ever) that, for ~$6, came with a stylus too. Sure, why not? I like that they are providing clear options, to keep the N4 sparkle effect, but it's sad that basically no one is making a fully clear case yet. It's all the S design. (Normally that'd be great, but the N4 doesn't need window dressing. ) The Rearth ones look really nice too (very Feather-like) but no clear ones.
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Yeah, I'm on the lookout for a case that shows off the back too! Rearth is sending me their cases out late this week/early next so I should have videos up on those soon. They always make good quality products in my opinion!
I don't think we will be able to get a clear gel case because it would look like it had water under the case like the clear part ot the clear and frosted S case.
xhausted said:
My case came in yesterday from kaycase. I got it for .99 cents!!!
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How did you get it for only .99? It's 9.99 listed now? Curious. thanks.
I actually have this case for my HTC Glacier (MyTouch 4G). It's been a very durable case that has protected my phone very well (from 8-10 foot drops from a ladder). I'm a construction worker, and this case has outlasted more expensive models from Trident Case. There is one thing I would like to point out to anyone that is thinking of picking this case up. As a construction worker, I'm not always in the cleanest of environments. This case will allow dirt, dust, and sand to collect between the case and the back of the phone. The metal back of the Glacier is very ugly to look at now because of this. As anyone who has looked into Gorilla Glass 2 knows, sand is it's enemy. This is true of all materials though, dirt and sand will wreck havoc on anything. Just a heads up to anyone that's "hard" on their device. Otherwise, I have no complaints, especially the fall protection this case has proven.
I drop my phone a lot.
I ordered one of these from ebay, the clear and frost one for $5 as well. On amazon a lot of the cases were around $10.
jjnova said:
I actually have this case for my HTC Glacier (MyTouch 4G). It's been a very durable case that has protected my phone very well (from 8-10 foot drops from a ladder). I'm a construction worker, and this case has outlasted more expensive models from Trident Case. There is one thing I would like to point out to anyone that is thinking of picking this case up. As a construction worker, I'm not always in the cleanest of environments. This case will allow dirt, dust, and sand to collect between the case and the back of the phone. The metal back of the Glacier is very ugly to look at now because of this. As anyone who has looked into Gorilla Glass 2 knows, sand is it's enemy. This is true of all materials though, dirt and sand will wreck havoc on anything. Just a heads up to anyone that's "hard" on their device. Otherwise, I have no complaints, especially the fall protection this case has proven.
I drop my phone a lot.
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I wonder if one of those front-and-back screen protectors would help with that? I've noticed that with other TPU cases I've had too. (For whatever reason, my Feather on my Nexus S hasn't gathered dirt. It's nice.)
Something else that's kind of concerned me with the N4's dual glass, and a TPU case, is accidental side-crushing. Like if you put it in a pocket and then accidentally run into the corner of something. The hard cases are nice for that... aaahh! Choices! :silly: The TPU was cheap so it'll give me some peace of mind until there's more selection, at least.
So many questions!
Ploone said:
The case offers a moderate amount of protection without adding too much bulk [/YOUTUBE]
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How much bulk? What are the external dimensions of this case?
Do you use a screen protector? If yes, is the case covering it? touching it? pushing against it?
Thank you for your review!
Sinocelt said:
How much bulk? What are the external dimensions of this case?
Do you use a screen protector? If yes, is the case covering it? touching it? pushing against it?
Thank you for your review!
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Hey, I'm the guy that owns this case on his MyTouch 4G. Since your inquiry doesn't have a response, I'll tell you about the version I have. It's the thinnest, sleekest case I have seen for a phone that isn't a skin layer. It actually wraps around the phone, creating a lip for the front of the phone. This is great if the phone ever winds up face down, as it keeps the screen from coming in contact with the surface the phone is lying on.
I would say the case is about 1/32nd of an inch thick, adding a total of maybe a 16th of an inch to the width of the phone (sorry if this isn't helpful, I live in the US and my job consists of a lot of measurements in inches). The sides of the case have a raised diamond plate pattern to it that helps immensely with keeping your grip on the device.
With the case wrapping around the bevels of the screen, I have found that it will push on any full screen protectors I have installed. You can easily wrap the case around the screen protectors to prevent this, but I store my phone in my pocket, so when I reach in there to pull it out, I tend to grip the case which causes it to bend just enough to slip back and push the screen protector again. This of course causes the protector to bow and collect dust. If you can keep the case's edge on the screen protector, I wouldn't see this being an issue, but it is something I have experienced.
As stated, this is my opinion on the version for the MyTouch 4G, though the design seems nearly identical, with the buttons in different places. I hope it's helpful, and perhaps you'll get some information from someone with the Nexus 4 version. I'm hoping to find a durable case for my Nexus 4. With that full glass body, I don't want to hide it, but as stated previously, I'm a construction worker and need to protect it.
$2.30 on dealextreme
I found the standard S-case for $2.30 on dealextreme. I can't post the links because I'm a new member but you can find it if you look it up on their website. Probably cheaper than anywhere else, if you don't mind the shipping times.
I bought one of the ones from Amazon, mainly cause I had a $20 gift card from buying Halo 4 during Black Friday, and so I could use Prime Shipping. Here's the video overview I put together:
Note: I bought this one http://amzn.to/11PmX90 and the photos show the logo on the bottom of the back - this logo is not there on the actual product.
It's really nice. I'd rather have an Otterbox, but this works in the meantime.
where are these on Amazon under 5 bucks. i refuse to pay $10 for a rubber cut out
Lockeskidney said:
where are these on Amazon under 5 bucks. i refuse to pay $10 for a rubber cut out
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I believe Ebay is where they're finding them for $5. You also end up with longer shipping times, etc. Pretty sure it's the same case at the end of the day.
Ploone said:
Hey fellas,
I used to post my reviews over on the Galaxy S3 forums (and the Galaxy Nexus, S2 and Nexus S forums before that), but since I've recently gotten my Nexus 4, I decided to start my coverage as soon as possible. As most of you know, brand name cases are still hard to find but should be released in the next few weeks. I decided to pick up a temporary case in the TPU S-Case and wanted to share my thoughts. This is a simple TPU case that offers contrasting matte and glossy portions to create a cool design.
The case offers a moderate amount of protection without adding too much bulk and is extremely affordable at only 5$! I'm happy to take a look at any cases you'd like me to, so feel free to recommend anything! I will be posting a ton more content on the channel. Check out the full review of the S-Case below and let me know what you think:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanx mate
This is the one I bought. That's my review (Meg), actually.
http://www.amazon.com/Flexible-Google-Exclusive-Aluminum-Silicone/dp/B00AAJ8LZW/
Hmm.. it seems to be up to $8. Still, $8 with free shipping isn't terrible.