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[Review] Stealth Guards Screen Protector

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

Solution for battery cover?

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.

My $0.02 comparison of Skinomi and XtremeGuard

So, I've had my N4 since the beginning of December and since then I've gone back and forth between the two skins. I've been using the XtremeGuard skin for about a month now. Before that I was using the Skinomi full body protector, even the sides. Both were wet applications, but the Skinomi came with its own spray bottle and applicator tools. The XtremeGuard came came in an envelope and instructions only: Basically, put drop of dishwashing soap in a small bowl of water, then dunk the skin and apply on the phone. The end result was a great fit, but.... the skin ended up being too sticky for my own taste. The price was unbelievable cheap. I just couldn't get away from the stickyness and of course the extreme orange-peel effect. But, I had already purchased a second set as a "backup" just in case I needed a set. Like I said, it was very cheap, like almost $9, shipped.
Now, the Skinomi was much more pricier, but I'm sure it was worth it. Like I said, a spray bottle, squeege, and large black felt wipe with the Skinomi logo. The front and back application was a breeze, like most front and back screen protector applications. The little trick to get the skin to stay down over the edges, or curved corners for that matter is the same: to get the curved sides and corners to stick down you have to wait a few minutes for the skin that is going to touch the screen/phone to dry up a bit. It needs to become sticky in order to stay down. I wait another minute or two and keep trying to keep the edges down. Eventually the skin stays down on the curved edges. For the front skin, I lined up the top perfectly, and the bottom is a little over 1 mm from completely covering the front. The back is even a better fit, less than 1 mm missing from all four edges. Really great coverage. Now the sides, eh, it's a ***** to get the curved corners. The pieces are long to apply and keep slipping. Eventually I got the corners to stay down, but over time from using the phone the corners would start to come up and then collect lint. I think I've given up on protecting the sides and corners that I just ordered the stock bumper and will use that to protect the edges before they get more dinged. Now that it's been 24 hours, WOW! I am very impressed. I can barely feel that there is a skin on top. Yes, it feels a little stick, but I have to put emphasis on "little". It's nowhere near sticky as the Xtreme. And the finish! WOW! The only problem is my oily fingers. I guess that's what the skinomi wipe is for?
That just my 2 cents. oh, btw, the Skinomi was very very little orange-peel look, and it's almost like a mirror. The best skin I've ever used so far (Xtreme, Skinomi, and Zagg).

Had an extreme guard on my s3, didn't like it just like you mentioned, it felt "sticky".... But it is very durable. Also don't like the wet application.
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda app-developers app

I personally thought xtreme guard was garbage. There's a night and day quality difference between skinomi and xtreme guard. You really do get what you pay for here. You can even see it in the packaging.

kcbboy said:
I personally thought xtreme guard was garbage. There's a night and day quality difference between skinomi and xtreme guard. You really do get what you pay for here. You can even see it in the packaging.
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I didn't know. Please forgive me. I didn't know. I was lured in by the cheap price, but I've seen the light!

Just ordered the skinomi one.. I also debated to order XtremeGuard but saw the reviews weren't so good.
I'm going to try and take a different approach and try to let the sides heal and for all the bubbling and haze to subside, then I will put my bumper on, hopefully that should eliminate the issue of the edges raising up?

I bought a Skintomi way back for my Galaxy Nexus just randomly because I was having so much trouble sorting out which brand was worth anything from all the conflicting reviews, and boy am I glad I did. It is still awesome. I liked it so much I ordered the full body model for my Nexus 4. I got a great deal from a guy on ebay, I think the front cover model was like 8 bucks and the full body Nexus 4 model was less than 17.

I have to agree with the stickiness of wet applied screen protectors.
I've only used xtremeguard for for my N4 cuz I didn't really see a need to buy another/ different screen protector afterwards, so can't say anything about the others. For the first couple of days after application (like a week or so), it was almost impossible to push your thumb across the screen (dragging thumb across the screen fared a little better). After a while however it became significantly easier to use the touchscreen because the oil on my finger started to make the screen more slippery, but no where near the slipperiness of a dry install. I can easily swipe on the default keyboard but it could be better.
Right now I'm contemplating whether to spray some dust repellent on the screen protector; playing air hockey on the kitchen table is a breeze after spraying some.
Just my $0.02

N4 skinomi are hit and miss. The sides do not stick very well and lift up easy. The solutions tends to leave large bubble markings between the screen and the skin. After a month, the skin has lots of scar indentations, like worms or ants traveling in sand leaving trails. Much like those you create when pressing down too hard when applying the skin with the squeegee. Any cover or case that touches the top will lift push or cause the skin to bubble.
I've use skinomi on several devices, first one that's not "good". Same results on 3 replacements. Gonna try another brand.
I've used xtremeguard on other devices and they've worked well too. Loved it on my s3 . After some cure time it's not as sticky as when applied. But black specs in envelope and lately the material of the skin has changed. So it's quality has been randomly lacking.
---------- Post added at 09:47 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:23 AM ----------
masterchung89 said:
Right now I'm contemplating whether to spray some dust repellent on the screen protector; playing air hockey on the kitchen table is a breeze after spraying some.
Just my $0.02
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Anti static spray? Wonder how that will affect the touch screen.

Do people really care this much about screen protector brands? I bought one generic one from eBay and it does all I want it to: keep my screen clean.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app

1031Vulcan said:
Do people really care this much about screen protector brands? I bought one generic one from eBay and it does all I want it to: keep my screen clean.
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No, brand should not matter, but quality does. There is a list of personal requirements that I have and Skinomi (so far) meets those requirements, whereas others do not. That's not to say a cheaper cost product is better or as good. I have yet to try Zagg for my N4, but I have used the Zagg HD in the past. I want to try out BSE see how well that works.

1031Vulcan said:
Do people really care this much about screen protector brands? I bought one generic one from eBay and it does all I want it to: keep my screen clean.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app
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Yeah of course we do. Different brands make a huge difference. Spend the 8 bucks on a Skintomi from ebay and try it for a few weeks and you'll see what we mean.

I ordered some skins from xtreme guard, the lower prices got me too, shipping to canada was around $3 which is awesome . Still waiting to get them so I have no reviews yet. Used BSE before, I think they are great, but getting so expensive. now buying for a 3rd phone (waiting for 2nd rma).
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2

The king of ultra slim cases is actually NOT Spigen as I initially thought... RINGKE!

So as many of you waiting for your pre-orders last week I went ahead and looked for an ultra slim case for everyday use. Spigen seemed to be a household name and went ahead and bought their Ultra Fit for $10:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00I3ULRZG
I was satisfied with it, matte white, fit perfect and snug, protected the back camera and sensors when placed on a table, nothing to complain about. I had thrown out the screen cover because the cut outs were not precise at all, in fact there was no cut out for the upper sensors, only for the home button. Why would i ruin front camera quality with the screen protector over it? yuck.
I then came across Ringke Slim. I have never heard of them before but judging by their high number of reviews, it seemed that they were well versed as well in the case game. at this time i also wanted to get an electric blue case because i got tired of plain white super quick. Also, the screen protector actually had the PERFECT cut out for all sensors and front camera. This was super impressive to me and I gladly put it on even though I don't care much for screen covers in general. This is what i ordered for $9 including shipping:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00IPKHP64
Well i received it today and WOW it was made of a far superior plastic. It wasn't because it was thicker but it felt very different. it felt more denser, less paper like. i compared tapping each and the Spigen was very "airy" felt cheap and very "hollow" (best way i could describe it). The sides were completely covered as opposed open which isn't a bad thing but it did feel more complete as a case. Cut outs were perfect as well and charging hasn't been a problem. I quickly realized the Spigen case is actually not as great as I thought now that I had something to really compare it to. I started seeing on the Spigen where the plastic was punched out of the mold (check picture).
Anyways enough talk here's the pictures:
http://dl-1.va.us.xda-developers.co....jpg?key=nBsLK_haY5suFrjdcOa0hA&ts=1397604778
And the gallery plus the Spigen white case for comparison. Notice the inside of the Spigen, wasn't even spray painted completely most likely because they used a clamp to spin it while spraying
http://imgur.com/a/MxMFH
As you can tell Ringke > Spigen in the affordable ultra slim case category.

chillsen said:
So as many of you waiting for your pre-orders last week I went ahead and looked for an ultra slim case for everyday use. Spigen seemed to be a household name and went ahead and bought their Ultra Fit for $10:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00I3ULRZG
I was satisfied with it, matte white, fit perfect and snug, protected the back camera and sensors when placed on a table, nothing to complain about. I had thrown out the screen cover because the cut outs were not precise at all, in fact there was no cut out for the upper sensors, only for the home button. Why would i ruin front camera quality with the screen protector over it? yuck.
I then came across Ringke Slim. I have never heard of them before but judging by their high number of reviews, it seemed that they were well versed as well in the case game. at this time i also wanted to get an electric blue case because i got tired of plain white super quick. Also, the screen protector actually had the PERFECT cut out for all sensors and front camera. This was super impressive to me and I gladly put it on even though I don't care much for screen covers in general. This is what i ordered for $9 including shipping:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00IPKHP64
Well i received it today and WOW it was made of a far superior plastic. It wasn't because it was thicker but it felt very different. it felt more denser, less paper like. i compared tapping each and the Spigen was very "airy" felt cheap and very "hollow" (best way i could describe it). The sides were completely covered as opposed open which isn't a bad thing but it did feel more complete as a case. Cut outs were perfect as well and charging hasn't been a problem. I quickly realized the Spigen case is actually not as great as I thought now that I had something to really compare it to. I started seeing on the Spigen where the plastic was punched out of the mold (check picture).
Anyways enough talk here's the pictures:
http://dl-1.va.us.xda-developers.co....jpg?key=nBsLK_haY5suFrjdcOa0hA&ts=1397604778
And the gallery plus the Spigen white case for comparison. Notice the inside of the Spigen, wasn't even spray painted completely most likely because they used a clamp to spin it while spraying
http://imgur.com/a/MxMFH
As you can tell Ringke > Spigen in the affordable ultra slim case category.
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Agreed, i bought both through amazon, and while i didnt care to use any of the screen protectors the Ringke is MUCH better and really sleek looking. Material kind of feels like the back of the phone and even looks like the back. Only downside is i hate trying to get the freaking waterproof flap out at night! Grrrr

I too have this case and am liking it.
It is hard to hook your fingernail to get the charging flap open although I assume most cases will be similar.

Ok...I'll jump aboard. I bought two cases before I got the S5 in my hands. One was the Ringke and the other was the Spigen Tough Armor.
While the Tough Armor is a very solid case and looks great, it makes the S5 feel like a brick in my hands. On the other hand, the Ringke Slim has a similar texture and gripability as the S5 naked. It doesn't even feel like the device has a case on it at all.

Nice! Defo would give Spigen a run for its money! Great to see competition here and there. At the end, we, the consumers, would benefit on it. More options, right?

Yea I just orderd 2 new Ringke cases. Ill post em up when they comr in tomorrow
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

thanks for this review man. Was about to order a spigen case and then saw this and after a little more research i just ordered the ringke. I went with the Dot black, I'll post up some pictures to compare with other colors once it comes in.

I got the DOT black I ordered from their site and got the case plus screen protector for $10 with free shipping
Sent from my GT-I9505G using xda app-developers app

I got this case delivered today.. It is AWESOME and for 5 bucks it was a steal.. I crumbled up the useless screen protector and threw it out
I should have gotten white though, because my phone is white and I got the blue color. It kind of looks funny.. I thought blue and white would look good.
It doesn't

I got the spigen neohybrid case and their glas.tr slim glass screen protector. Had literally the same setup on my s4 lol same yellow trim too
Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk

Paulenski said:
I got the spigen neohybrid case and their glas.tr slim glass screen protector. Had literally the same setup on my s4 lol same yellow trim too
Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk
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I love that spigen hybrid case, SEXY!! but I went through 3 F-#@[email protected]# plastic sleeves, they always broke on the bottom eventually.

So the screen protector is garbage
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chillsen said:
So as many of you waiting for your pre-orders last week I went ahead and looked for an ultra slim case for everyday use. Spigen seemed to be a household name and went ahead and bought their Ultra Fit for $10:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00I3ULRZG
I was satisfied with it, matte white, fit perfect and snug, protected the back camera and sensors when placed on a table, nothing to complain about. I had thrown out the screen cover because the cut outs were not precise at all, in fact there was no cut out for the upper sensors, only for the home button. Why would i ruin front camera quality with the screen protector over it? yuck.
I then came across Ringke Slim. I have never heard of them before but judging by their high number of reviews, it seemed that they were well versed as well in the case game. at this time i also wanted to get an electric blue case because i got tired of plain white super quick. Also, the screen protector actually had the PERFECT cut out for all sensors and front camera. This was super impressive to me and I gladly put it on even though I don't care much for screen covers in general. This is what i ordered for $9 including shipping:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00IPKHP64
Well i received it today and WOW it was made of a far superior plastic. It wasn't because it was thicker but it felt very different. it felt more denser, less paper like. i compared tapping each and the Spigen was very "airy" felt cheap and very "hollow" (best way i could describe it). The sides were completely covered as opposed open which isn't a bad thing but it did feel more complete as a case. Cut outs were perfect as well and charging hasn't been a problem. I quickly realized the Spigen case is actually not as great as I thought now that I had something to really compare it to. I started seeing on the Spigen where the plastic was punched out of the mold (check picture).
Anyways enough talk here's the pictures:
http://dl-1.va.us.xda-developers.co....jpg?key=nBsLK_haY5suFrjdcOa0hA&ts=1397604778
And the gallery plus the Spigen white case for comparison. Notice the inside of the Spigen, wasn't even spray painted completely most likely because they used a clamp to spin it while spraying
http://imgur.com/a/MxMFH
As you can tell Ringke > Spigen in the affordable ultra slim case category.
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Got anymore images? Link doesn't work for me!

I like the case. It feels good in your hand when you hold the phone.
One thing though, on my case the lip around the chrome front trim sides covers more than the lip on the top and bottom. At first I thought I didn't snap it in all the way but it seems like that's just the way it is? Is that how it fits for the rest of you that already have the case?

pgibbons said:
I like the case. It feels good in your hand when you hold the phone.
One thing though, on my case the lip around the chrome front trim sides covers more than the lip on the top and bottom. At first I thought I didn't snap it in all the way but it seems like that's just the way it is? Is that how it fits for the rest of you that already have the case?
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That's how they all are. Actually I really like this design. It's almost as if its spring loaded, its smaller than our phone, it doesn't just fit like a glove, its actually too small. But the cut outs on the top and bottom allow the plastic to "flex" basically its as if its gripping the hell out of phone, holding into place.
The Spigen hybrid I had for my GS4 was awesome looking, but broke all the time (plastic by the bottom) in anycase, this one is just as nice IMO.
Doesn't add much thickness at all, but will save it from a drop and the camera while on a desk.
If anyone is wondering, I just dunked my phone for 30 minutes with this case. So it doesn't effect the IP68(yea, I said 8, because this thing is pretty much water PROOF) rating.

http://m.aliexpress.com/item/1720284970.html
What are the odds of these cases being fake
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@chillsen Hey OP, after I read your 1st psot I figured id give it a shot. I've had bad experiences with her cases and the one that you posted a pic of, is the same one I got as well. I got it 3 days ago, and still haven't put it on, in fear it will scratch the outer bezel while putting it on, and taking it off
Have on had this issue at all? Seems like a real snug fit, thought if ask before I pushed my hone into the car lol.... Thanks bud!
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reverepats said:
@chillsen Hey OP, after I read your 1st psot I figured id give it a shot. I've had bad experiences with her cases and the one that you posted a pic of, is the same one I got as well. I got it 3 days ago, and still haven't put it on, in fear it will scratch the outer bezel while putting it on, and taking it off
Have on had this issue at all? Seems like a real snug fit, thought if ask before I pushed my hone into the car lol.... Thanks bud!
Sent from my SM-G900P using Tapatalk
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i can only say i've had to take the case off and on many times to show off to my friends how thin the actual phone is. i mastered how to take it off by pressing outwards the top left corner. you push it out enough so you can fit a finger through and i just slide it down the side and the whole case pops off. this is the easiest way i found. at first i had a problem because i didn't try a corner but started from the middle of the long side. but to answer your question, no scratches.

LeKtRiCzzz said:
http://m.aliexpress.com/item/1720284970.html
What are the odds of these cases being fake
Sent from my GT-I9505G using xda app-developers app
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I'm 100% sure they are fake. Look at the feedback page, it's full of "Excellent!" and "good quality" multiple times by the same few user accounts.

I just got this delivered today with the white dot pattern. I also ordered the wireless charging back the other day, definitely don't think wireless charging will work with this on - what an idiot I am.

Carved Wood Case

So I don't do a lot of reviews on accessories unless I truly love them. This one comes courtesy of http://www.carved.com/. It is made from real reclaimed wood and are hand crafted. they are reasonably priced at 30 dollars and are beautifully made. They have a nice soft almost rubbery texture on the side that feels great and the star of the show is a wood insert on the back.
It adds a little bit of weight and thickness but no more than most cases. It adds a real nice premium feel to the phone which I think most galaxy benefit from. I have gotten tons of compliments on it so far.
I have uploaded a stock image but if anyone wants more I can take some tonight when I get home

Damn, that looks really good. Different

daroco said:
Damn, that looks really good. Different
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They have all kinds of cool styles, I just ordered the recycled skate board one

Looks cool but that offered almost no protection...that being the point of a case. All the front edges, bottom and top, are still fully exposed. I've tried a case like this before and first drop I scratched the lower bezel and top.

thats pretty unique, i like it

88EVGAFTW said:
Looks cool but that offered almost no protection...that being the point of a case. All the front edges, bottom and top, are still fully exposed. I've tried a case like this before and first drop I scratched the lower bezel and top.
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It's not the most rugged bu any means, but I like how it raises above the camera to prevent the lens from scratching. It does give decent side protection and is raised above the screen as well. It's more for a unique high quality look that I was after. I usually never use a case on my phones but I do find teh S5 kinda ugly to say the least. With my xperia z and Z1 i never used a case because the device was so good looking.

Just a little update after using this case for a while. It still looks great like new, still get tons of compliments of it and it has survived a couple drops