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Case-mate tough case

Hi all i would just like to share my experience with this case..Last week i had the unfortunate accident of dropping my Samsung galaxy s phone in the toilet at home...
The phone fell out of my pocket and straight in too the pan and finally landed in the u-bend.
The phone was in total water submersion for not more that 3-5 seconds..my heart fell to the floor...
I quickly grabbed the phone from the toilet..turned phone off and removed the battery..water was all inside the phone.
I shook the phone and lots of water came out..my thoughts at this time was phone was well and truly buggered.
I proceeded to dry the phone on my radiator at home..sim-card,sd-card,battery and back plate all removed to aide drying.
Left the phone to dry for a full 24 hrs...before attempting to turn phone back on.
There was condensation inside the phone which all dispersed after 24 hrs. of drying out the phone.
And the big moment arrived of putting the phone back together to see if it would ever work again....
My heart was pounding at this time hoping and willing the phone back to life..pressed the power on button and the phone came to life.
Apart from having to do a reset on the phone and re-installing all my apps there has been no problem with the phone working 100%.
Phone has been working for well over a week now with no problems.
How lucky was I??...Im not saying that the Casemate Toughcase is the be all and end all in cases but im sure it went some way in helping reduce the damage that would have been caused by water ingress in to the phone.
happy case hunting...

Ewwww That Dirty Samsung Galaxy S

Lol..must add the water in toilet was clean...

The tough case was not the parameter influencing the luck in this case. As long as the rear speaker hole is not sealed, the water will always have a way inside the phone, no matter how many shock protection layers you have o the phone.
And generally speaking, tap water is not dangerous for the electrical parts of low voltage powered devices (like watches, phones and so on). The main issue with phones dropped in water is that the water will infiltrate in the optical dispersers of the LCD screen and on the screen connectors, generating blurry pictures or no picture at all.
I've learned something from your experience ... the water will not go in between the OLED screen and the digitizer .. which is a GOOD thing.

Great! I'm glad your SGS survived!
just take more care of it, ok? and don't drop it on Sea Water!

any waterproof supplies for galaxy s?

alex.bacer said:
any waterproof supplies for galaxy s?
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Zip-lock bag?

I've almost fell from my seat reading the end of your story. I am glad to read that everything went Ok. But does the phone smell .... hmmm different?

Truly lucky.
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA App

There are better ways to change the colour of the phone

Update phone still working a OK two and a bit weeks on...

I have toughcase as well. Not the prettiest case, the phone loses it's "luxury" feeling, but you can certainly throw around the phone no problem.

I dropped my Galaxy S (with Tough Case) today, it fell directly on my hard tiles floor at a height around 70cm. I was really freaked out! I picked it up and it was still there like nothing happened (no crash, no slow, no reboot, no nothing) really happy that I chose this case!

thanksss a lot for content

Close Call Today

I dropped my Arrive onto a tile floor. As it slipped out of my hand a quick thought shot through my mind - should have bought the insurance. As pieces went everywhere I reached down to asses the damage.
The pieces were just the battery cover and batter. Since the keyboard was not out during the drop, I was surprised to see the battery cover come off, since I thought it impossible without extending the keyboard.
After putting everything back together and turning on the phone, all was well. Not a scratch or scuff to be found.
Whew!

That's one tough little bugger

tiny17 said:
I dropped my Arrive onto a tile floor. As it slipped out of my hand a quick thought shot through my mind - should have bought the insurance. As pieces went everywhere I reached down to asses the damage.
The pieces were just the battery cover and batter. Since the keyboard was not out during the drop, I was surprised to see the battery cover come off, since I thought it impossible without extending the keyboard.
After putting everything back together and turning on the phone, all was well. Not a scratch or scuff to be found.
Whew!
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Yeah I've dropped mine twice now (!) which are the only two times I've dropped any of my phones in the last 10 years. I think the aluminum battery cover makes the phone very slippery to hold relative to other phones, and opening the keyboard requires enough force that sometimes the little bugger just gets away from me. I'm contemplating a skinomi carbon-fiber body skin to give it more grip, but I hate doing things like that. My only concession has been a screen protector (which I also never use). I think I just need to be more careful.
-R

That's how I saw my battery for the first time. Dropped it the second day I had it. Decided not to get a screen protector because the screen looked too nice. Face down and not a nick or scratch. Agree, this is one tough phone.

Dont know how you guys avoid scratches on your screens. My screen protector is covered in them! But then again... its probably is more sensitive than the screen.
To access the battery, we need to slide out the keyboard so the part that holds the screen up, uncovers the notch to take the cover off. Obviously it doesnt actually hold the cover in place. Must be purely an aesthetics thing.
Nice to hear they can take a beating though

Just had my close call today a little while ago; it was a two foot drop from my hand in a chair to the tile ground with it landing right on its face. Still a bit paranoid but looks like everything is fine on the exterior, but the cover flew off too. Right now trying to do everything I can think of to make sure the internal components are still in working order, particularly the mic and speakers.

ScottSUmmers said:
Just had my close call today a little while ago; it was a two foot drop from my hand in a chair to the tile ground with it landing right on its face. Still a bit paranoid but looks like everything is fine on the exterior, but the cover flew off too. Right now trying to do everything I can think of to make sure the internal components are still in working order, particularly the mic and speakers.
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Frankly, the most fragile part (as far as impact damage goes) is the screen/casing. So if cosmetically it looks fine, it probably is fine.

Didnt you just see it going in slow motion the whole time? lol Glad you faired well.

I tossed mine off the desk (accidentally -- swept my arm while talking, caught the cord, phone came unplugged)
The slow-mo with the long too-deep-to-be me "nooooooooooooo" followed by the beautifully artsy smash into the wall. Battery cover and battery left their normal homes.
Reassembled, everything's fine. It's like the first scratch in a new car. Sucks, but it'll happen.

I drop my phone so much....

It's amazing this thing still works..... These htc phones are built like tanks. I mean it flies apart cover goes flying the batterry goes flying I must drop this thing from a height of no less than 3 feet bout 3-4 times a month and usually its in my lap and i stand up and it gets launched with a bit of velocity too. sheeesh

Some_dude36 said:
It's amazing this thing still works..... These htc phones are built like tanks. I mean it flies apart cover goes flying the batterry goes flying I must drop this thing from a height of no less than 3 feet bout 3-4 times a month and usually its in my lap and i stand up and it gets launched with a bit of velocity too. sheeesh
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lol, I will refrain from making any sexual innuendos...

Let this be a big Finger to every review for this phone. Drop a sensation once, it's broken. Drop this 1000 times, and it'll still be good as new.

drop an iphone and the screen will crack before touching the ground

gtmaster303 said:
lol, I will refrain from making any sexual innuendos...
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Yea , every time i see this thing bounce across the floor im like " awww man time for a new phone " now matter how hard it hits or how many times. noooooo problem

Says you guys. I used my phone with my face and got the backlighting dislodged from the LCD which was in turn dislodged from the digitizer. I haven't dropped my phone once, I just used it like a phone. ;_;

Limewirelord said:
Says you guys. I used my phone with my face and got the backlighting dislodged from the LCD which was in turn dislodged from the digitizer. I haven't dropped my phone once, I just used it like a phone. ;_;
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Well everyone makes a lemon once in a while ... I mean ive dropped this thing 30 times atleast since ive owned it . ATLEAST as i said from no less than 3 ft and it works perfect.
Maybe it's the rom? I am running bulletproof xD

I've had mine since August 6th of last year - in all that time and being in the legitimate top % of time actively being used, i've dropped it exactly 1 time, and that was because a bucket fell off of a scaffold onto me.
It was in the trident case when it happened, and it's okay - that ate the force of the fall.
You sound like you need to put it on a lighter leash man, or something like that
You need at minimum a trident case, and you should probably get some kind of padded pouch to keep it in. (well, that's what I do, and most don't - but it might be worth you looking into)
I lol'd at the bulletproof comment. Glad it's serving you well ( the phone, and the ROM)

I drop mine more than [your provider's name] drops calls in rural Ethiopia. I mean the thing is like it's slippery as Hell, but every time, it hits the ground, the back comes off flying, the battery slips out, the keyboard slings open. I was just as bad with my old G1 and it worked for 3 years. Then one more drop to the asphalt and the radio lost about half its signal in all bands. Couldn't keep calls or data for more than a few seconds at a time. Anyway, I have been impressed by HTC for the two phones I've had.
On an aside, my father in law has a G1 still. Bronze. Got it the same day I got mine. Mine looks like R. Lee Ermey (or maybe Gary Bussey on a good day); his still looks like a very young George Clooney.
I don't know what it is, but I think it's the fact I'm always trying not to smudge the screen so I pick it up by the edges like a CD. Come to think of it, I drop CDs a lot too.

OMG, I dropped my phone today
Sitting in lecture, slipped right out of my pocket and hit the rough plaster floor behind the chair. Battery cover came off and battery was out.
The first time I have dropped a phone in nearly two years
God is crying today
Bottom corner of steel rim has a small scuff now about the size of a pencil eraser :'(

Man, if you all seen my phone, you would swear I bought it at the scratch and dent special.
At least twice a week I leave it on my lap and hop out the car and there goes my phone, the outer green edge on my camera lens is chipped to hell and back, all 4 corners are destroyed now to the 3 falls it took just today and this thing still runs like it came from the box yesterday.
Sent from my myTouch_4G_Slide using Tapatalk

skyrocket water damage fix

my skyrocket got dropped in water i pulled it out put it under a hair dryer and it works, kind of. i use it as my primary phone right now but sometimes it freezes and the touch sensitive keys dont work the it either a) shuts off or b) i have to take the battery out.
any idea what replacement part or parts i could possibly change to fix this?

A new phone you prolly toasted the pcb
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I727 using Tapatalk 2

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1582881
Link to thread with link to AdamOutler video recovering from water. Take apart if you can. If left as is, you may expect further deterioration of the internal components and connections.

dac1227 said:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1582881
Link to thread with link to AdamOutler video recovering from water. Take apart if you can. If left as is, you may expect further deterioration of the internal components and connections.
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Issue is he has been running it already
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I727 using Tapatalk 2

nrm5110 said:
Issue is he has been running it already
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I727 using Tapatalk 2
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Right. All the damage is already done. He didn't care for it properly immediately after it got wet.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I727 using Tapatalk 2

It ain't over till it's over.
I had the proverbial "Bad Day" yesterday, or rather, my poor Skyrocket did. It went from being perfect, not so much as a scuff on it to: a) Dropped onto my CEMENT driveway from a height of almost 6 feet. How is this possible, you may ask? I was leaning over the porch rail to open the recycling bin, instead of going around and down the stairs... PURE LAZINESS is what it was! Anyway, it slipped out of my top pocket, in spite of the fact that I was trying to hold it with my fore arm. Why of WHY did the Skyrocket have to be so slim and sleek! The phone hit the cement, bounced once or twice, and then slid, ON IT'S FACE about 3-4 feet, with me making that scream you do while breathing in; kind of a "Uuuoooaaarrrrggghhhh" is the best I can describe it. I followed this by grabbing the phone, taking it inside and throwing an ever loving **** fit. I proceeded to throw the phone on the couch (Even during a full blown hissy, I try to protect the damn thing!) and as I examined it, it was one of those "It could have been much worse" things, that we try to comfort ourselves with, and amazingly they do help, even if it's BS. The damage was 100% to the front black chrome bezel (around the front edge of screen) - A part that in fact CAN be replaced, but requires COMPLETE disassembly, including separating the Screen from the digitizer, which I have no clue how to do. It may NOT be possible, in fact without breaking a layer of adhesive. EVERY other part of the phone is replaceable, in modular sections, I know, and will explain in a moment.
So... bad day right... well that would had been enough since I love my phone as many folks on XDA understand, but nooooooo. I had to then drop it in 8 inches of standing water. Yep.
Was in the bottom of my above ground pool trying to restart a siphon for draining it, when, "SLIP" I %&*&#@ DID IT *@#&$% AGAIN!! *#$%&!!
Phone drops STRAIGHT TO THE BOTTOM OF THE HALF FOOT OR SO WATER IN THE POOL!!!!!!!!
Ok, so I almost NEVER keep my phone on me when doing physical work of any type. When I work on my cars engine compartment, or crawling around under it, I put my phone in the car. Even when I dry my car after pulling out of the car was the phone gets taken OUT of my top pocket and put somewhere safe. I guess I got complacent, since I hadn't had "an incident" in several years. Even with my 5" Dell Streak, beast that it was, I never let it slip from my standard place of Top shirt pocket. Every time I lean forward, my hand or forearm holds the phone from slipping. It is a motion as natural to me as shifting while driving, without even thinking about it. But even I know that "**** happens" so, lesson learned: I am going to bite the bullet and get a nice slim cover for the Skyrocket. NOW THAT IT WORKS AGAIN....
So after I pulled it out of the water I was in full panic mode: I quickly patted it in my shirt, but even while it was still wet and dripping, I RIPPED the back cover and battery out. In hindsight, I wish I had worked to dry the exterior quickly, and THEN opened it. The battery liquid detector wen bright read... CRAP! The PHONE liquid detector stayed WHITE… Ahh, finally caught a break. So after a basic dry everything I can reach (and the Sim came out wet, and the microSD came out wet, not good signs) I tried a quick power up.... The SkyICE animation began, then suddenly changed colors and turned pink/red.. WHOA.. STOP THE BOOT! So I yanked the battery.
After quite a bit of further drying, warm gentle air across the back for a venturi effect (sure!) another try and the screen behind the Samsung logo was bright, blood red, instead of black...
THIS convinced me to take the sucker apart, and for the most part I did really well. I did break ONE tab on the "body" of the phone - that holds the back section over the PCB on, but fortunately there are 7 screws, and it fit tightly when reassembling. I DID frin s coupe drops of water, though they did not seem to be in spots that would short anything, like on the stainless cover over the Qualcomm Processor, but those were just what I could see, without magnification. I dried those, blew warm gentle air over the PCB, and then gently warmed the parts over a low wattage bulb in a lamp.
I am SO impressed with the construction of this baby! I WOULD prefer more alloy, and less plastic for frame, shell & body parts, but what AMAZED me were the connections for all the ribbon cables, between modular PCB's (Like the one on the bottom with a antenna, USB port, Speaker, Mic and capacitive touch buttons, and others... The ribbon just comes around from behind, and attaches via a snap in connection to a receptacle soldered onto the corresponding PCB. In the video of the guy taking it apart, he just goes around and pops up 5 or 6 of these in about 10 seconds total time elapsing. Anyway, check out the middle section of the video I post here, right after he pulls the rear frame off... you'll see...
Bottom line? It's maybe NOT too late for the OP... Granted the more he runs it with a short or worse, the more potential damage. But in my experience it is REALLY difficult to get ALL the water out of a current design phone. It just travels from section to section, His best option (besides either trashing it or paying for repairs is doing what I did. Parts are readily available from Hong Kong, and short of the Screen/Digitizer, most are reasonably priced. Good luck with it. Get a jewelers screwdriver, and a plastic "separator" before starting. My only warning: When separating the main frames, after removing the 7 screws holding the two main frames together, use a CURVED separator, and try to bend the frame that’s the back of the phone OUTWARD a little bit. In other words, pull it OUT as well as spreading the two halves. I did not have a curved plastic tool, just a straight one, and as I pulled the two halves apart, I did not bend it out (away from an inner opening, that tabs go into from the back frame, and I snapped one of the inner openings edges. Think of it as tiny tabs that you want to pull up out of a depression before pulling the parts directly away from each other.
Aww, hell, just watch the video closely, I repeated some sections a few times before trying the procedures.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vf6jqYejWNU
Sorry for the lengthy post, but if I can save ONE person the pain of losing a good friend, then I think my life van finally have true meaning. Or something like that.

Why would you power it on so soon without even taking it apart to dry out?
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I727 using Tapatalk 2

You see this guys pinky nail?!? Whou. I couldn't stop looking at it. I bet i can guess what its for
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I727 using Tapatalk

should've left it off and left it in sack of rice for a day or so. RIP your phone...

Bricks don't fly or float.
Sent from, The Eclectic Chair.

At least he didn't drop it in the water during a mini bath
Sent from my SGH-I727 using xda premium

jnicks510 said:
should've left it off and left it in sack of rice for a day or so. RIP your phone...
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Yeah I was about to mention rice
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I727 using xda premium

Well, I dropped my skyrocket in water a couple days ago but fished it out instantly.
Learning from past mistakes, I immediately turned it off and took the battery, sim and memory card out. After I took a paper towel and tried to dry as many cracks and openings as possible until I saw I could not get any paper towel wet. I put the phone and battery in a sealed bag filled with rice and left it for 3 days. When I took it out, the phone was covered in rice dust so I took compressed air and tried to blow it clean. Praying it worked, I put the battery in and turned it on. Miraculously it booted like nothing ever happened.
I heard online to not use a hair drier as you will blow the water into components which were initially not wet.

"I heard online to not use a hair drier as you will blow the water into components which were initially not wet."
This. Definitely avoid hairdryers. Rice is like magic. I have only dumped one phone in water (it was an iPhone 3GS on and playing a video at the time! Then I had a hellish time getting it to turn off... kept turning back on.) I popped the screen and gave it a rice bath for a couple days. It was as good as new after that. (Well, as good as any iPhone can be, anyway. )

Close calls....Post them!

Everyone share your stories for close calls relating to the potential destruction of your phone. I'll begin.
Today I was on the second story of my home with my phone on the windowsill. There's a highway about 300 yards from this window, and from it I can hear the gentle ambiance of passing motorists. My phone was resting on the windowsill as I heard loud screeching followed by a thunderous crash. I opened my window to see the extent of the damage and my phone fell two stories to the ground below. Luckily it fell right onto a patch of grass, missing concrete by less than 2 feet. The feeling of dread quickly turned to relief as I picked up my face up non damaged phone.
Lets hear your horror stories!

2 stories fall with no damage? Even with grass that's a big fall. Consider yourself very lucky!

Wow. Did you use a case?
I've never dropped my phone from more than waist height.

ECrispy said:
2 stories fall with no damage? Even with grass that's a big fall. Consider yourself very lucky!
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Thats why I felt inspired to post! Everywhere I look I see cracked screens, and I consider myself supernaturally lucky to never have damaged a phone from a fall (although one of my old clamshell's hinge broke once while opening it oddly enough). I want to hear about others who spat in the face of physics and got lucky.
stargate125645 said:
Wow. Did you use a case?
I've never dropped my phone from more than waist height.
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Oddly enough I just switched from one of those bulky otterbox type protectors to a flimsy $2 rubber skin a week or so ago to conserve pocket space. I was mostly mad at myself, I usually handle my phone more carefully than a mother handles a newborn. I did drop my old droid 2 a couple times but never had more than a scratched screen protector.

Third day I had my GSIII I had it plugged into my home theater with an aux cord, listening to music. Was sitting on a shelf about 6 feet up, landscape mode, propped against a CD book. Don't know if the vibration from music shook it loose, but I turned my back and then heard a nice solid SMACK on my concrete floor. Phone slid off the shelf and landed face down...Not a scratch or crack on it. I was amazed.

eyesxlikexvice said:
Third day I had my GSIII I had it plugged into my home theater with an aux cord, listening to music. Was sitting on a shelf about 6 feet up, landscape mode, propped against a CD book. Don't know if the vibration from music shook it loose, but I turned my back and then heard a nice solid SMACK on my concrete floor. Phone slid off the shelf and landed face down...Not a scratch or crack on it. I was amazed.
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oh geez thats lucky. any case or anything on it? Screen protector?

I am so afraid to even have a close call...The S3 seems so fragile. I wish I could use it neked.

well in theory all cell phones are just as fragile. For the most part they all have the same delicate hardware inside that isn't meant to absord shock. Some of them may have a sturdier exterior than others but they're ruggedness may be in our head.

pwhoeler said:
oh geez thats lucky. any case or anything on it? Screen protector?
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No case, no screen protector, phone was totally unprotected. I've since gotten a case!

eyesxlikexvice said:
No case, no screen protector, phone was totally unprotected. I've since gotten a case!
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Almost makes you want to believe in the phone fairy

pwhoeler said:
Everyone share your stories for close calls relating to the potential destruction of your phone. I'll begin.
Today I was on the second story of my home with my phone on the windowsill. There's a highway about 300 yards from this window, and from it I can hear the gentle ambiance of passing motorists. My phone was resting on the windowsill as I heard loud screeching followed by a thunderous crash. I opened my window to see the extent of the damage and my phone fell two stories to the ground below. Luckily it fell right onto a patch of grass, missing concrete by less than 2 feet. The feeling of dread quickly turned to relief as I picked up my face up non damaged phone.
Lets hear your horror stories!
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So my burning question: why on earth was your phone on a windowsill when the window was open? Were you asking for trouble? Death wish, perhaps?

The first day I had my GS III, I had it plugged in, in the kitchen, my dog came running through the house, and snagged the charger and sent the phone and charger flying, luckily the only thing that broke was the charger.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda app-developers app

Today, I went to pull my phone out of my pocket and fumbled it a bit.
Not an exciting story seeing as I treat and watch over my phone better than my own body.

mustbepbs said:
So my burning question: why on earth was your phone on a windowsill when the window was open? Were you asking for trouble? Death wish, perhaps?
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I was reacting quickly and carelessly to the sounds outside. Should have looked first.

I was taking a morning wiz and sat the phone down to wash my hands and it was a little bit too close to the toilet. Girlfriend rushing to the bathroom after me pushed the door open and my phone almost slid in the toilet. Felt like max Payne slow mo as I nudged My phone away from that open toilet lol.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda premium

blestsol said:
I was taking a morning wiz and sat the phone down to wash my hands and it was a little bit too close to the toilet. Girlfriend rushing to the bathroom after me pushed the door open and my phone almost slid in the toilet. Felt like max Payne slow mo as I nudged My phone away from that open toilet lol.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda premium
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ooo and you know water has a 100% kill rate. I think water based stories will almost always end up in tragedy, even though they're a lot less climactic than a drop

Has anyone else dropped their phone and broke its fall with your foot? I have. It feels awesome.
Sent from CNA

RCOVA said:
Has anyone else dropped their phone and broke its fall with your foot? I have. It feels awesome.
Sent from CNA
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Done that a few times.
My favorite close call though has to be when I was standing next to a pool messing with my phone and it slipped out of my hands. It was over the water and out of instinct (no idea why this was my instinct) kicked the phone. The phone flew across the pool (10-15 ft) and a friend who was on the other side caught it. The case had come off the corner slightly but phone was working perfectly.

RCOVA said:
Has anyone else dropped their phone and broke its fall with your foot? I have. It feels awesome.
Sent from CNA
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Hell yeah lol
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda premium

RCOVA said:
Has anyone else dropped their phone and broke its fall with your foot? I have. It feels awesome.
Sent from CNA
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bet you felt like a ninja lol