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Case-mate barely there - - mini review

I just received my Case-mate barely there case today from play.com & thought I'd give a mini review ago.
It comes in a smartly packaged box, upon opening the box you have in your hand a moulded abs plastic shell & a sealed packet containing a screen protector, micro fibre cloth & a piece of soft card.
The shell is easy enough to put on, it's just a simple push to fit design that works really well.
The actual fit of the Case-Mate barely there is superb with the power & volume buttons being easy to access as are the mini usb port & 3.5mm socket while also giving the camera & speaker unobstructed access.
I didn't fit the screen protector, well seeing as Samsung used gorilla glass & the fact that a screen protector isn't going to do much good if you drop it face down (I've seen a few on here with cracked screens) & that someone can do this to one with no ill effect then I see no need.
The Case-Mate barely there itself was purchased to improve the grip of the phone which as we all know is a little slippery & protect the rear cover from getting scratched & knocked, well the Case-Mate barely there does improve my hold on the Galaxy S but not like I was hoping it would .
The case wraps around the rear of the phone following the Galaxy S contours like a second skin, I can see this case giving great protection to the corners & rear of the phone.
So in all a well made case that fit's superbly, gives easy access to the various button & connectors whilst saving corners & back cover from scratching & knocks. And like it's name implies you'll barely notice it's on the phone.
My only gripe is it feels a little to silky for my liking, I was hoping it would have a rubberised back for improved grip something a little like a silicon case feel.

nice review. i just ordered mine, so it's gonna be a long wait before i get it.

Thanks for the review. I also purchased mine, it was shipped today, can't wait to get it.

I know what you mean about the feel of the case. I have one on my ipod touch but only because I couldn't get a Flexishield case for it. I have a Flexishield on my Desire and am about to get one for the SGS. For me it has a better feel to it and fees less slippery.

Great review, I ordered mine about 2 weeks ago. Hopefully it comes in soon

Anyone has pictures of the silver one ? I ordrered it but it won't be there before three days or so.

Very nice case

jonni3 said:
I didn't fit the screen protector, well seeing as Samsung used gorilla glass & the fact that a screen protector isn't going to do much good if you drop it face down (I've seen a few on here with cracked screens) & that someone can do this to one with no ill effect then I see no need.
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Seriously that keything doesn't mean crap. You think it's the BIG things in your pockets that do the scratches? It's not. Take any sandpaper and swipe ONE time over the glass of the SGS and you'll have tons of scratches, you don't even have to press very hard. It's generally not your keys, a screw or a screwdriver in your pocket that cause scratches, it's tiny grit that does. Every time you wipe the screen you risk scratching it if there's the wrong kind of dirt on either the screen or the cloth you use. That's why people can be however careful and still get scratches, just read around, you'll see. Everyone doesn't bull**** you when they tell you they take good care of their phone.

Ok recieve my silver casemate, some low res pictures here. I'll take very good ones later when I get back a hold of my APN charger.
http://picasaweb.google.com/114505993397088135290/CasemateBarelyThereSilver#5524273441974319986
Anyway just imagine OP's picture with that kind of grey/black/silver reflections.

It looks kinda glossy, how is the feel of the case?
I've noticed with mine it's started to feel a bit more rubberized now it's been handled.
@ mickeko
About the screen protector you have a valid point & I am now going to have to rethink not having one.
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA App

Yea the screen protector looks ugly ^^ it breaks the harmony of the phone in the area around the front facing camera, you can clearly see the protector cutout that is quite ugly. You do not have this problem on silicon cases as they often cover the side cutout. However I would never go without a screen protector without a pouch, the dust level of my pockets are way too random to take the risk of the godamn dust scratches (the silver case also has that little problem, but they are only visible if you search for them micro scratches of doom).
The case feels good, no creaks.
It's not very glossy, or at least I won't call that glossy, in fact it acts like a mirror if you face it at 90° incidence. But if you tilt it even by 5/10 degrees in mid light conditions, it takes a very nice and not glossy dark/grey silver tint similar to the one of the original chrome bezel of the SGS. They both blend very very well. It is really a BARELY THERE experience. very thin, very stylish. Nearly to the level of a naked iphone 4.

Sounds pretty good & seems like your more than happy with it
These case's really complement the phones shape & add very little to the overall dimensions, know what you mean about the screen protector it's not really that attractive, I'm looking for one that covers the entire screen from edge to edge so it doesn't notice.
Looking at your pic's on the pc & it does seem to have that smoked chrome effect like the bezel on the SGS

Indeed but the SGS bezel is a little more greenish/blueish in tint but it is barely noticable (you had to get me to check it closely in white light to notice it), both have the same reflection behaviour however which is why it blends very nicely.
I also notice a very faint rainbowish halo (probably there from transparent coating material used over the silver layer) in the backplate reflections, well, it's kind of cool actually.

My barely there case just came in, I must say very nice case.
My girlfriend has a cheap ebay one, and this is definitely worth the price.
Good job case-mate

epicfailguy2 said:
Anyone has pictures of the silver one ? I ordrered it but it won't be there before three days or so.
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Just a heads up. I had a metallic 'silver' case-mate barely there on my Desire and it murdered the 3G signal strength. Swapped it for the plain black and it was fine. Dunno if you have that issue with the SGS.

Signal is the same, didn't notice any change 4bars in town.

Just picked mine up today and couldn't be happier with it. Slides in and out of my pocket fairly easily and adds some structural support to the phone which you could argue is a little lacking.
So far I'm very happy with it; I was quite skeptical as I was a long time iPhone (indestructible 2G model) owner and have never used a case.
Haven't had a chance to add the screen protector.

Told you I was going to make it up for the crap ass webcam pictures
http://il.youtube.com/watch?v=OHLglrlRsrw

Where did you guys purchase this at?

EarlZ said:
Where did you guys purchase this at?
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Asking about Barely there case?
http://shop.ebay.com/?_from=R40&_tr...rely+there+galaxy+s&_sacat=See-All-Categories
Although I see there are no black ones or metallic at the moment, only pink
Just got mine two days ago and must say this is the perfect case for my SGS, could be a little less slippery, but still definitely worth it's money.

[Q] Anyone notice the copper on the outer rim starting to flake

starting to notice a few scratches/flakes on the outer edge of the copper....only opened the thing up a few hours ago and haven't bumped it or dropped it. Maybe it came that way and i'm just noticing it. Might have to find a copper sharpie, the small white speck in the lower left hand corner is starting to drive me crazy (i'm guessing a sleeve would cover that area).

Judging from lots of threads I've read about the overall finish, it seems that some people have units built with different materials and of varying quality levels. With my bezel it's a fairly thin, but solid, piece of metal around the edge, so it won't flake, but can get scratched. It sounds like yours was coated in a protective surface, if it's 'flaking' as you put it. And mine isn't made of copper, just a dark coppery colour.

yeah looks like a thin layer of copper paint, or whatever they used. I can see white where the paint flecked off. Also notice discoloration where it looks rubbed away in a few other areas.

Bestskinsever LG G3 Skin

Recently applied bestskinsever.com front and back skins to my D850.
http://www.bestskinsever.com/lg-g3-skin
I ordered the glossy front and the matte rear. The glossy front keeps the phone looking exactly like it does from the factory. I ordered the matte rear because the phone does not have a glossy rear finish like many other smartphones. The matte rear goes very well with the "brushed metal" look of the back plate. It even creates a slight pearling/frosting effect with the white. I am happy with my choices.
Bestskinsever is such a better buy than the other brands...I got mine for $11.99 shipped to my door which is a fraction of what other brands charge for just the front! It comes in a flat envelope with instructions.
You need to make your own application solution out of water a dish soap, but that's not a huge deal at all. I won't really go into the whole installation process because there are tons of videos out there detailing how to install wet phone skins.
Front:
It is well made and is the same quality I have always expected from them. The cutouts for the camera, light, and motion sensors were perfectly positioned as well as the cutout for the speaker.
I was a bit apprehensive about the overall size of the front skin though. It was slightly smaller than the front of the phone on all four sides. I thought that as a result, it would be obvious that the phone has a skin on it since the skin wouldn't reach all the way to each edge.
My worries quickly subsided once I applied the skin to the phone though. Being slightly smaller made it easier to position the skin on the screen without the edges of the skin hanging over the sides of the phone...making them more susceptible to capturing dirt or peeling off. Once finished, it was an excellent fit. The only way you can tell this phone has a skin on the front is by looking closely at the camera/sensors where the skin has its cutouts. SATISFIED!
Back:
The back was a less pleasing experience. Yes, the cutouts for the laser sensor, camera, flash, buttons, and speaker are positioned perfectly. However, do you remember how the front was ever-so-slightly smaller than the actual front of the phone, which made installation easier? Well unfortunately, bestskinsever did not create the back piece this way. The piece is pretty much exactly the same size as the back plate of the phone.
Lining up the skin perfectly as intended with all the cutouts exactly in their places made it very difficult to keep the corners of the skin adhered. This is due to the curvature of the phone and was most prominent at the top corners. To combat this, I removed the skin and placed it slightly lower on the phone so the top edges would have a fighting chance of staying stuck down. I achieved a reasonable amount of success at the top of the phone, while keeping the cutouts reasonably in place.
The bottom of the phone definitely has a small amount of overhang as a result, which in my opinion is not as bad as the top corners were looking prior to re-positioning. I'm curious how the overhang is going to hold up over time. I'm anticipating that it will probably begin to collect grime/lint but we will see. Hopefully since it is the matte finish that anything it does collect will be less apparent. If I hear from bestskinsever that they will be revising the rear skin to make it slightly smaller like the front, I'll definitely pick one up.
You can see the imperfections at the top and bottom. I do love the slight pearling/frosting effect that it creates though.

is this just a clear vinyl wrap?

Yup, that's correct.
I have never been a fan of phone cases because they make the phone bulky and heavy. Plus I just like the way today's smartphones look...they are pretty lol.

Update on the skin after being installed for a few weeks now.
The front is still acceptable. The edges have stayed completely stuck down and there is no dirt starting to accumulate on any of the edges. When looking at it with the screen off at certain angles, you can see that there have been some imperfections that have developed randomly across the surface. I'm not sure what has caused them. They aren't scratches at all...more like indentations, but when rubbing your finger over the surface, it's still perfectly smooth.
The rear is a different story. Just like I predicted in my review of the back, the bottom edge that is overhanging has collected some dirt and grime. It has peeled away from the phone slightly as well. While the other there edges are staying adhered to the phone better, they are still accumulating grime and beginning to look dirty. Additionally, the large cutout for the buttons/camera is beginning to collect grime on the edges as well. The back of the phone doesn't look clean. Just seems kind of dingy.
Due to my dissatisfaction, I've ordered a Spigen Ultra Hybrid case (which will be arriving today). Definitely looking forward to peeling off the back skin and cleaning the phone. Liked this particular case because it has a clear polycarbonate back which should still allow the phone's "beauty" to show.
I'm glad bestskinsever gave me this skin for free just for writing a review, so I haven't really lost out on anything and I still have a decent screen protector.

Poetic Quarterback Case for Note 7 (with pictures w/ Note 7 Coral Blue)

I received this case and used for few days now and here is what I feel about this case. The case is made out of polycarbonate and it feels like same material is used as Affinity, TPU area, which is very sturdy and high quality. There are contoured grips on both sides and top and it prevents from sliding off your hands. There are also honeycomb texture area near both sides on the back. Combining these two features should help a buyer who constantly drops the phone while holding.
The edges around the case on front have beveled edges and top and bottoms are great, but sides can be more beveled, few spots can feel a little sharp, but usage overtime will make this issue go away. Back cover can be detached and replaced if you want to. I am not sure why this feature exists, but if you would like to combine with different colors, you can do it. Given the price of this case being relatively cheap, that is possible. I personally like the case overall, doesn't add much to its thinness and I can still feel like holding a thin phone. Back cover is plastic and replaceable as mentioned above.
This is an excellent case for someone who doesn't have to see the phone natural color obviously because it covers the whole area, or someone who is looking for a case for your BLACK phone. I have coral blue as you can see in screen shots, but this will go great with black ones. But, honestly, this case with coral blue is not bad in my opinion.

[Review] Schnail Savior Series Clear Case with Aluminum Frame in Black

This review is of the Schnail Savior Series Clear Case with Aluminum Frame Military Grade Full Body Protective Rugged Cover in Black for the Google Pixel 4 XL.
Overall I really like this case. I have been using it for the last few days, and I have to say that I am surprised. I normally use Spigen, Caseology and Otterbox cases, but I really liked the overall appearance of this case and wanted to try it out.
When I first received it, it came in two main pieces. The outer frame, which is a combination of aluminum and TPU, and then a hard plastic inner frame. Assembly is pretty straight forward. Clean your phone really well, insert the phone into the plastic inner case, and then nest it into the aluminum and TPU outer case. You will want to get a small flat tool of some sort to help the lip of the TPU surround on the aluminum frame to clear the plastic inner frame. I wish that a tool had come with the phone in order to do so, but I found that a toothpick worked just fine. Once nested together completely, the case has a extremely solid feel. There is no movement like I have experienced before with other nesting phone cases. While this means it can be a pain to disassemble and reassemble, it also means that if you drop it the case isn't likely to come apart.
The quality construction and build seems to be on par if not better than other well known brands that I have owned and used in the past. The use of the aluminum frame is implemented nicely, which just the right amount of exposure, but not so much that it makes the case slippery. The clear backing is nice thick, and the lens cut out accents the raised camera lens very well. The lip provided by the aluminum frame and the rubber/plastic surround gives ample distance from the glass, which means should I accidentally drop the phone, it should avoid cracking the screen unless I happen to land directly on a sharp corner or raised object that strikes the screen directly. If there is one con to this case, it would be the raised lip, especially if you are using the new "swipe to go back" feature that Google has implemented in Android 10. You can still swipe to go back, but there is a bit of learning curve as you will need to press your finger into the edge of the lip before attempting to swipe. I use my thumb to do so, and found that if I attempt to use the edge/side of the my thumb, it doesn't work as well as if I press my thumb flush before swiping. A small sacrifice to make in order to ensure if I drop this phone that the raised edge will protect the screen from harm.
All in all, this is a case that I can highly recommend and will be my daily driver over my Spigen Tough Armor.

So I was sent this case for review as well, and if OP doesn't mind, I would like to 2nd a lot of what is said here.
The case is difficult to put on, but once the case is on I feel like I could throw it off my roof, and have it survive. Not that I actually did that... I had to use a butter knife to get the inner frame under that lip all the way around the front/top, but once the case was on, it felt very solid. Its difficult to disassemble so hypothetically a big drop shouldn't split the case in 2 like some other 2 piece cases have a tendency to do. If I had JerryRigEverything money, I would have loved to test it like that. The camera is well protected by raised edges, but not actually covered. The screen isn't covered either (like a lifeproof case), but I'm ok with that, it means I can bring my own glass screen protector.
As far as look and feel, it is a bit bulky, but thats the price you pay for this much protection. I like the clear back, since Google makes such a big deal about their colors, its nice to still see the back of my phone. The buttons line up properly, and are a little mushy, but nowhere near as bad as some other big cases. I might be the only one who appreciates the little loop holes on the bottom right of the case for adding a wrist strap or something. A Peak Design anchor is probably going to live there forever now. Wireless charging still works, but your mileage might vary, it does add a tiny bit of distance between the charger and the phone. Like OP, I also found the raised lip around the edge of the screen to be a bit annoying, especially since gestures is the new Pixel default. The gestures are harder to use, and there is a learning curve, or just go back to using the soft buttons at the bottom.
Overall, if a lot of protection is what you're looking for in a case, I have no problem recommending this one! Pictures to come, I just haven't had time to get out my real camera and take any.