Database Info

Otterbox over rated?

I work selling phones.. So I get asked for the otterbox all the time.. despite never having any..
However, I am wondering if anyone else out there feels the otterbox is over rated... I mean sure it may protect your phone from a nuclear holocaust.. However, if your buying a phone that is a half an inch thick.. it probably adds two and a half inches to it.. (exaggerated I know but, you get the point).
While while I know everyone wants their phone to be protected..It seems sort of ironic that you find a phone that you like... (I personally love the style of the nexus one from what I've seen.. I'll judge it more in real life when/if I get one)... However meandering back on topic.. If you like the style of your phone.. why get a huge bulky case for it? I mean I see it every day.. people want the iphone and love the way it "looks".. (iphone is best example I can think of atm).. And then they turn around and want an otterbox to protect it..
I know accidents happen and we are willing to do what it takes to make sure our investments stay pretty.... However, Lately I've come to wonder if thins like otterbox are really the answer....
*edit* I also laugh because people keep telling me it is waterproof.. and with a name like OTTER box you would think it is... but, the majority of them warn "not protective against water"

You're assuming people buy fancy phones because of how they look and not functionality. I bought a Nexus One because of it's power. It's looks are a nice plus since it's so sleek, but really i just want a great phone that can do the things i want it to do.
When people go buy an iphone or any other smart phone sure they think it looks cool and its a factor in their decision to buy said phone but at the end of the day does it matter how it looks? Or is it more important to make sure your $200-$500 investment stays protected?
I have the otterbox commuter series for my N1 and although it makes it slightly larger i love it and am glad i got it. Helps me put my head at ease since i'm afraid of dropping it and whatnot

Don't mistake me I'm not putting anyone down for buying an otterbox..
However, I've noticed the ones for the iphone multiply the size alot..
And for what you pay for an otter box it does do its job I don't think there is any denying that..
However, while you do buy smartphones for functionality, I think it is safe to say we expect them to look nice as well...
My main concern when dropping more or less any phone is scratching it not it breaking altogether.. However, there in lies the irony.. Huge bulky case which adds considerable size to the phone..
Or worrying about having it scratched or possibly break.. with that said any sane person would go for some form of protection.. However, I suppose I just see an irony if the phone is comfortable before the case and less so after.. when comfort of use is something I imagen most of us would demand from a phone.

For us N1 owners, remember that we bought it sight unseen (going solely by pictures). So I think a large majority got this phone because it was (and still is) the badass world changer... Sleakness and style were just a bonus.
Particularly for me, I have big hands (i wear size xl gloves), so having this ultra thin phone in my hand just doesn't feel comfy.
I had the body glove first and liked out alot, but when I saw the pics for the Otterbox Commuter, I had to have it!
The little bit of extra thickness is actually welcome and fits beautifully in my hand now. It's also one of the few (maybe only) cases that plugs the power and headset ports.
Anyway, your point about the irony of people buying a phone because of its sexy sleekness, to only put some case on it is valid... Just no so much so for us N1 folks that bought it for what it can do, not so much how it looks!

Using the iPhone as an example I think people get cases because you can't get decent insurance for the phone from AT&T (may change with iPhone 4, who knows). If you break your iPhone you are out a sizable lump sum which some people can't afford. A case is inexpensive protection against some of this risk.
Since you can get a $6/mo full replacement insurance on the Nexus One this risk is less of a problem, but even with lower risk dealing with insurance claims are inconvenient. A case then boils down to how abusive you are to devices. I have friends that drop their phone *all the time* so a strong protective case is mandatory or their phone wouldn't last a month.
It's all a trade-off. I usually don't use a case on my phone but if I'm doing something higher risk having a case around to pop-on is a nice option.

That is a very good point. Things can appear very differently once you see them in real life from the glamour shots on google.
With that said, I suppose it is because I do find the nexus one aesthetically pleasing that I am so easily able to ask. It was a logically fallacy to think that others had the same views on aesthetics I did.
And if in the next week or two I pull the trigger, I will be pulling it for what I want the phone to do.. not for how it looks.. Although if a phone looked "unacceptable" in terms of aethetics.. It better be a marvel of modern science.
I am not obsessed with looks by any means but, I suppose I expect things to have some sense of style.

I have the Otterbox commuter case. There not to bulky mostly use it when im at work other than that I don't use a case for my Nexus.

I couldn't justify anything bigger than an invisible protector for daily use....but that's because anything else would interfere with the car dock
-------------------------------------
Sent via the XDA Tapatalk App

My N1 lives in the neoprene sleeve it came with as I'm paranoid about it getting damaged. I hadn't heard of Otterbox until now, after having a look I think I may have to get one

Namuna said:
For us N1 owners, remember that we bought it sight unseen (going solely by pictures). So I think a large majority got this phone because it was (and still is) the badass world changer... Sleakness and style were just a bonus.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So true!
Just like when I bought my G1.
It was rectangular. Had this silly chin thing on it. And it was thick!!!
But I didn't care about how thick it was, or how it looked, or how it was perceived by anyone. I KNEW, that with support from Google, it would be the best device I ever owned.
AND THENNNN, came the announcement of the Nexus One
My heart just about stopped!
Both phones were and are ahead of their time (in my opinion).
Both my G1 and N1, only have a screen protector.
I've never been afraid of dropping my phone, because I never have.
It's never in my top shirt pocket. Never in a belt holster. It's always safe in my pocket, safe in my palm, or safe sitting on my desk.
As for bulky protectors?
That's why I don't dare buy one.
I've yet to read a 10 star review for a protective thing case.
Until then, I'll continue to baby my N1
Namuna said:
Anyway, your point about the irony of people buying a phone because of its sexy sleekness, to only put some case on it is valid... Just no so much so for us N1 folks that bought it for what it can do, not so much how it looks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My buddy heard about the Quadrant benchmark app, and wanted to compare the results of his EVO to my Nexus.
He was shocked that my 6 month old device kicked his ash, hahaha.

Clear Smoke Snap-On Case for T Mobile G2

So today I receive my Clear Smoke Snap On Case from DAYDEAL.COM on Ebay. I always like the smoke look on my phones when purchasing a case, so my decision was no different this time around. The case overall does not restrict the phone functions or slide out keyboard. Phone is protected well from the top and bottom, sides vary because of the large volume key on the phone. The case is more design to protect your phone from scratches, nicks, and knee height drops. Personally I believe major drops like, phone falling when leaving your car, might be pushing it. Case does fits well onto the phone, so you don't have to worry about it falling apart when in use.
Overall I give case a 8/10 base on value, minor protection, and overall design and look on the phone.
I have posted some pictures on my gallery using image shack, see below.
h t t p://img443.imageshack.us/gal.php?g=clearsmokecase.jpg

http://img443.imageshack.us/gal.php?g=clearsmokecase.jpg

Thank you

Thanks for including the pics!
I just have a couple questions:
How much bulk does it feel like it adds to the phone?
Does it collect a lot of finger prints?

Troggie81 said:
Thanks for including the pics!
I just have a couple questions:
How much bulk does it feel like it adds to the phone?
Does it collect a lot of finger prints?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can answer your second question without a problem, I work doing vinyl manufacturing so grease, dust, and dirt are a daily routine for my phone. So far it has pass the test with two days under these conditions, NO PRINTS, scratches, or stains. Adds no bulk what so whatever, which is a plus. Only complaint is that it's really hard to take off, but that's a good thing also.

Where you get it?
Edit:nvm found out
Sent from my HTC Vision G2

I have the clear version of this... well the place where I got my phone provided me one for free. It's pretty decent for free... as with all cases it'll make your phone look prettty lame but that's the price for protection.
Easy put on, the part that is on the screen is easily taken off but the part attacked to the keyboard and battery are a little harder.

Just got this from daydeal and got to say its fantastic for the price better than the seidio one I had for my milestone thanks op

Just received mine today. Most cases look pretty stupid but I think the "smoke" appearance to this unit actually make the whole thing look pretty nice.

Have the same (?) model and my experinence is the same. The phone feels really protected, but adds bulk and makes it look a bit silly. Almost feels like my old SE P990.
Still it fits snuggly and can't think of a better solution if one wants more than scratch protection.

Cruzerlite Skin review (x-post from general accessories)

Full disclosure: The guys over at Cruzerlite helped out Carbon when no one had heard of use by donating a few free cases so we could run some giveaways on our social networks. We went to them because we liked their product and the way that they interacted with the Android community. They were so excited about their new skin product that they arranged to ship a MotoX and one of their skins to me so that I might review it and give them, and you, my honest feedback. The device and skins have been since sent back to them. I was not paid or otherwise compensated for this review. Mostly I just wanted to check out a new product, have an excuse to play with a Moto X, and play with the lightbox I built last week.
I hate cases. To me, they've always been a necessary evil. I generally go with the thinnest TPU case I can find so I know my phone will be protected, and try and find one that actually looks cool. Which is why I've always liked the Cruzerlite cases. Very android friendly, and there were always lots of looks to choose from - android themes, art, etc. My favorite was the Tardis case. I was always very careful with my device. But scratches and things happen, and like many of you I never plan to stay with one device for more than a year or so. That means you gotta keep it looking like new so you can sell it later.
To me, that's the niche that the Cruzerlite skins occupy. If you drop your phone all the time this product isn't going to keep you from denting it or smashing the glass. It's vinyl, not TPU. If you're a purist who insist on rocking a totally naked phone, this product also isn't for you. If you're one of the many who hate cases but want to protect the phone in some way, or are confident in your ability to not drop your phone but want a custom look, then this product is where it's at. It'll protect your device from light damage, give you any look you want, and preserve the size and feel of your device.
The product comes in the form of thick vinyl stickers. As it's a brand new product they don't yet have a set of instructions on the site. They tell me they have that in the works and we should see them soon. With that in mind, I'll overshare my installation process and what I learned for you folks. Cruzerlite clearly wanted to make sure that you'd be happy with the installation of this product, so they've given you a single sticker for the back, two sets of stickers for the sides, and three sets for the front. You can screw this up and try again without ordering a new set. Note that I say stickers, but this is actually vinyl of a nice thickness, not some elmo sticker you'd get from the doctor after a checkup.
So having checked out both the vinyl and the Moto X I setup my lightbox and got down to business. I applied the back vinyl, taking great care to align the camera and microphone. It worked, after a fashion - it looked like a sticker slapped on a phone. A phone with a lot of curves. So far... meh. I stuck the sides on as well. It looked... like a bunch of stickers slapped on a phone. They didn't conform to the curves of the phone at all. So I called up Joel at Cruzerlite and told him that while I thought he had a nice idea, this was probable something that would only work on a phone with simple surfaces like an iphone. I showed him how it looked and he asked me when I was planning to finish the installation. Finish the installation? What? Heat. You apply heat after installation. Ohhhhhh. For a guy who was just told that his half-installed product wasn't very good, he was pretty cool about it. Thanks Joel.
Ok, so with that in mind, I dug out the hair dryer and got to heating. It looked a lot better. With a bit of heat and some pressure with my fingers, the vinyl conformed to the curves of the device and started to look like they belonged there. That said, because I installed them like they were stickers, there were gaps. Teal gaps. It didn't look great - but that was on me.
You might want to color match better than I did. Teal and
wood grain aren't known for being a classic combination.
So the first install didn't look so great. The vinyl was curved to match the phone, but I had ugly gaps that ruined the look. When I put the sides on, I aligned things like I would with regular stickers - not heat shrinking vinyl. But Cruzerlite clearly anticipated that, so I had more! Off came the vinyl on the sides and and back to square one. This time, I made sure there was some overlap so that when heat was applied, it would properly fit. Here's what it looked like:
You can already tell it's going to come out better this time. Out comes the hair dryer!
Now we're talking. No gaps, all the buttons are nicely cut out... it looks great. Again, the color combination shows why I'm not ever going to be a graphic designer, but it certainly highlights just how well the product fits the device. There's a slight edge where the vinyl on the sides and the back overlap. It's not unpleasant, but I'd like to play with this product some more to see if I could even avoid that. I've asked Cruzerlite to send me a few more and another phone, and hope to have a follow up on this in the future.
Yes, it has front stickers. The great thing about this product is it's up to you what you apply - if you don't want the front stickers, don't put them on. You could even mix and match them if you wanted. Get different colors and make the phone version of this:
Yes, that's a real thing. It's a Harlequin Golf and comes
that way from the factory. Please don't do this to your phone.
So after installing and playing with this, I like it. The vinyl is thick enough to feel like a high quality and durable product and on the whole I found it to be easier to apply than a screen protector. Sure, it's a bit tricky to align, but you don't have to worry about dust and the use of heat makes this a relatively forgiving product. I'm certain that I didn't do a perfect job with this, but I don't hate it the way you'd hate a screen protector with a bit of dust under it. I did manage to tweak the back a bit when applying it, and you can see the bulge from it. Again, this is something that I'd be able to differently now that I know how the product works so I'm not particularly concerned about it.
Cruzerlite has a whole range of vinyl to choose from too - 57 at the time of this review. There's wood grain, antibacterial colors, metallic, and leather skins. We're spoiled for choice and if you can't find something you like you might want to ask yourself why you're so picky.
I'd say this is a buy. They look great, feel great, and will do a fantastic job of protecting your phone from light damage. They're easy to apply, and at just under ten dollars you can't beat the price. For those of you who picked up a Moto X before Motomaker was a thing, this is a great way to change your phone's look without buying a new one, or get the look of wood without paying an extra hundred bucks for a single woodgrain option. (bamboo? seriously?) At the time of this review, the skins are available for the Moto X, Nexus 5, Note 3, Galaxy S4, and iPhone 5/5s.
I'll update this thread in the future if I can get my hands on another device and more vinyl. If possible I'll try something other than wood grain, too.
You can check out the rest of their skins at http://www.cruzerlite.com/skins

Any site that sales/makes Custom battery covers?

I'm not looking for a custom case for my note 4, because I don't use cases or screen protectors for any phone I have ever owned. (all of them still look almost brand new after having owned them for over a year) What I am looking for is a website that either sales, or will let me design a nes controller back cover for my note 4. I know that I can goto a site like skinit, and design a sticker that I can put on my phone, but the back cover is removable, so why can't I just completely replace it? It'll not only make my phone look even cooler, but also remove the AT&T logo on the back (which isn't even the reason for do this. I just want a fancy back cover) I know that this probably isn't that popular since most people put a case on their phone, but I don't want to put a case on my phone. Yes I know it isn't smart to go without a case on an $800 phone, but I don't care. I like how the phone looks and feels without it.

I was wondering the same thing. I found an R2D2 one which was awesome but I have the charcoal one. Right now I'm just going with the stock white cover.

I used to be all about skins and such on my phones, ordering a couple from.... I forget the site, it's not DecalGirl, but the other pretty popular one (much better quality). Then I was about to order a new one one day, and it struck me; "I don't really want to spend $15 and wait 2 weeks for this... I bet I could get myself a pack of vinyl adhesive inkjet paper, put together a template in PS, then print whatever design I want on high quality paper..." Well, that's a bet I would have won.
To really print up a nice looking skin, first make sure your template's perfect, good paper isn't super cheap, but again, you can find a pack of 10 for about $15, so I could print out a new one... ya know, in the interest of keeping it fresh, then cut very carefully... I use high quality scissors for most of the outline, then break out the exacto knifes. To cut out some holes, I attach a super sharp exacto knife to a compass, and for really small ones, sometimes I'll use an old soldering iron which works quite well. Last thing before application, I highly recommend 2 coats of this "finishing" spray. It both protects the image from degrading, and makes the colors pop nicely. The stuff I use is called Modge Podge super acrylic sealer. Two light-ish coats letting it dry after each, and using a brush to smooth out the spray on the image immediately after each coat.
Depending on your... "arts and crafts" skill,s a skin that you order will likely be higher quality, but with a little practice you can make your own that are close enough, then you can change it up whenever the mood strikes you. Just a suggestion, but personally I ended up preferring my own OG work, plus I've got a stash of vinyl sticker paper just in case anything else happens to be in need of some decoration. If you decide to go that route and need some advice, don't hesitate to hit me up

iAmkin9 said:
I was wondering the same thing. I found an R2D2 one which was awesome but I have the charcoal one. Right now I'm just going with the stock white cover.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Where did you find this r2d2 back cover?

Can't post links but eBay "Star Wars R2D2 Robot Battery Housing Back Cover For Samsung Galaxy / Note Phone"

Making my own sounds like a lot of work. I suppose if I so ever decide to go the stick on route, I'll probably just buy one.

I decided to make a ballistic nylon back like the Droid Turbo.if I ever go through with it I'll post pics.

Closeup pics of the latest Dbrand Prism and Grip

Hi guys, I'm sure you've seen quite a few pictures of those accessories, so I thought I'd post here a few images from very close to some details so you can have a good idea of the finish, etc.
Also a small comparison with an official case (nylon one). I've ordered a skin for it, but it was on preorder and just started shipping today.
Sorry for the lint on some pictures, it does catch it ^^
As for my opinion (one more of those), well the case does feel real good in hand, the phone feels really safe in there. The buttons are real good (miles better than Rhinoshield bumper). Only thing is that the fingerprint scanner is deep and in a small window, so must get a little used to the feeling of really accurately put the finger in there. And is it grippy ? Is fine! a bit better than the official case but not by super much.
Prism is also good, easy to install. Biggest critic is how sharp the edges are (you can see on the pictures). If you don't use a case, you'll feel them and I'd be afraid to lift it by mistake, not sure how securely it sticks. The feeling is like glass, I was using the phone naked previously and no problem with that. Also, it does not affect the screen, I think ; some peops say it makes the screen cloudy, but I do not notice.
Worth the price ? Hmm those things are a rip off no matter what. But they are both good quality products, and the glass screen protector without a black border is a real step up ^^.
There you go!

Thanks for sharing! Would you recommend dropping $$$ on this combo?

silent_freak said:
Thanks for sharing! Would you recommend dropping $$$ on this combo?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, all in all, it is near 60 USD.
The case is good I think, feels good and will protect the phone that's for sure, so if you don't have anything like that, it is a good buy. I also have an official OP cover and the main difference is that the Dbrand case has raised edges.
The glass, while it is good, is not as ground breaking as I imagined (Dbrand's marketing team is good ^^). The plus is that it feels like glass and does not have a black border, is as fingerprints resistant as the bare glass or the official screen protector. The bad is that the glass as you can see on the pictures is really only on the screen and has sharp corners, so you feel it when doing gestures, unless you use a case (because then your finger does not slide from the farther edge of the phone, if you see what I mean).
So out of the two, I would say the actually real good product is the case.

The case looks too bulky to me. I prefer the slimmer ones like the official protective sandstone or the karbon bumper, which are really well made. But I guess it depends on the environment you're working in (etc) which affects the danger your phoneis in, in which case, if it's a place you can easily damage it, this type of case can save you good money on repairs. The prism looks really durable from what I've seen online and I believe you get 2 in the box if I'm not mistaken, so if that's true, that's a big plus over rhinoshield's overpriced 1x black bordered piece of crap that covers at least 1mm of screen on each side, forcing you to just take it off minutes after installation and breaking it in anger.
Anyway, thanks for giving us a look at dbrand's new products. Was really looking forward to seeing someone talk about that.

dragos281993 said:
The case looks too bulky to me. I prefer the slimmer ones like the [...] Was really looking forward to seeing someone talk about that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree as well, it does add quite a bit of bulk.
I have all in all 3 cases. The simple one from OP (carbon one), their thicker nylon one and this one from dbrand. I don't really need a lot of protection (scratches protection is good enough) so it's mostly to change the look. I go naked as well with just a skin.
The result is that with that dbrand case you do feel very confident that the phone is safe.
Yes you do get two prism in the box, so that's actually quite a sweet deal because those are sturdy and nice to the touch really like glass without the border.
I have not been able to try with the simple case from OP, it's still in my boxes after moving house, but do not underestimate how annoying the edges of the prism are. They really really get in the way.
I think it's important to stress this because for example people were downplaying the terrible buttons of the Rhinoshield bumper for op5 and I got it and it was in actuality very bad.

kipue said:
I agree as well, it does add quite a bit of bulk.
I have all in all 3 cases. The simple one from OP (carbon one), their thicker nylon one and this one from dbrand. I don't really need a lot of protection (scratches protection is good enough) so it's mostly to change the look. I go naked as well with just a skin.
The result is that with that dbrand case you do feel very confident that the phone is safe.
Yes you do get two prism in the box, so that's actually quite a sweet deal because those are sturdy and nice to the touch really like glass without the border.
I have not been able to try with the simple case from OP, it's still in my boxes after moving house, but do not underestimate how annoying the edges of the prism are. They really really get in the way.
I think it's important to stress this because for example people were downplaying the terrible buttons of the Rhinoshield bumper for op5 and I got it and it was in actuality very bad.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I dropped my OP6 from approximately 2.5meters from the locomotive's door and the phone miraculously survived with the karbon case having one nick in the top right side corner and surprisingly that disappeared after a few days. Very impressive quality. I was also very lucky, I guess, considering the height the phone fell from. THEN I got the bumper case from Rhinoshield along with the garbage black bordered glass. I broke the glass in half after basically donating money to them because that glass was not worth the price, but that was that. I put their bumper on my phone and left it there for a few days. ****ty buttons, poor quality material and slippery too, like a hard plastic you find in those kitchen accessories, but whatever, I liked the alert slider one. Then one day I got in my car and the phone fell from my pocket on concrete (or asphalt) and because it happened right at the edge of the road, one hard little rock managed to touch the edge of the screen at impact and cracked the screen on the middle right side with the crack starting from the bottom and ending in a "C" shape 2 or 3 centimeters above. So it's still ok but the start of the crack can be felt at touch so that's a bummer.
And in the end I could've given the money to the old lady beggar at the corner of the street instead of giving it to Rhinoshield for 2 absolutely rubbish products they made such a big fuss about.
Never again I'll buy from them. Dbrand's products seem a bit different though especially that prism. I might get one and put it on the screen to protect it from getting other cracks if I accidentally drop it, cause the crack is pretty small to make me replace the screen. I don't think it's worth it.

dragos281993 said:
I dropped my OP6 from approximately [...] . I might get one and put it on the screen to protect it from getting other cracks if I accidentally drop it, cause the crack is pretty small to make me replace the screen. I don't think it's worth it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, as usual those things are very often quite a leap of faith. We want to believe that the more expensive it is the better it will be but the truth is that it's probably the same or close to the same with a different packaging :angel:
But need a screen protector at least to maintain the resell value of the devices.
I'll say again, prism is a good one but not perfect (like none of them is).

Can you comment on the alert slider functionality with the case on? I can make it out slightly on one of the pictures and it looks like you can use it with ease?
I'm currently using a Poetic case, I need a solid case with my work conditions. The only issue is the damn alert slider is rendered unusable without a pen or something similar handy.

ahagersr said:
Can you comment on the alert slider functionality with the case on? I can make it out slightly on one of the pictures and it looks like you can use it with ease?
I'm currently using a Poetic case, I need a solid case with my work conditions. The only issue is the damn alert slider is rendered unusable without a pen or something similar handy.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey,
The slider is quite easy to use yes.
You got to get a bit used to it cause its quite nestled in there so you have to make a little effort at first to put the finger the right way.
Same as with the fingerprint reader, a little bit of time to get used to it, because it's deeper so you can't approach it from whatever direction like you would naked or with a different case. It's still easy to use.
All in all out of their two products, I recommand the case with no problem. If you look for safety then for sure go for it.
Will make a few more pics to show you.

kipue said:
Hey,
The slider is quite easy to use yes.
You got to get a bit used to it cause its quite nestled in the so you have to make a little effort at first to put the finger the right way.
Same as with the fingerprint reader, a little bit of time to get used to it, because it's deeper so you can't approach it from whatever direction like you would naked or with a different case. It's still easy to use.
All in all out if their two products, I recommand the case with no problem. If you look for safety then for sure go for it.
Will make a few more pics to show you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you very much for your time!

ahagersr said:
Thank you very much for your time!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sure, no problem.
So here are a few more. The last one is to show how the phone screen does not touch a flat surface when it is put face down. It's blurry but you'll get the idea.
Also some lint, not fighting that anymore