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cases blocking 90% of the rear speaker's volume??

so i've had a couple of cases lately, one hard snap on by rearth ringke slim and the other diztronic tpu. when i have the case on, screen facing up on a flat table/surface, the sound/volume is almost completely gone, meaning the case has blocked the speaker?! without any cases, the volume is ok because of the little raised lip from the speaker cutout. so i'm wondering, is it only my phone that is a little bit flawed from design or what? does anybody else have similar experiences? i've previously had the s2 and s3 (all US t-mobile version), and none had this problem.

I have the same issue with the Cruzerlite cases I have. I have to put the phone screen down at night so I can hear my alarm in the morning.

here is what i did, I took a lighter to soften up the case, then i pushed the top of the hole up so what it does not seal when you put it on flat surface.
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The spigen slim armor doesn't have that issue. Other cases I used did.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk 2

wifey and I havent had any issues with our ballistic cases... the cutout is a little larger than the speaker itself is. attached pic is my i337 in the ballistic case.
sent from my black at&t sgs4

Have this issue with a cheap tpu case as well as the Neo Hybrid. Quite annoying and never had the issue with any other phone which has the speaker on the back
Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk 2

nismo35 said:
here is what i did, I took a lighter to soften up the case, then i pushed the top of the hole up so what it does not seal when you put it on flat surface.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i see what you did there, but not sure if i'd wanna go that route. thanks for the input though.

i ordered a different case, hope it doesn't have this issue, I got this case because it was cheep and wanted a case on it when the phone got here.

Is it me or does this seem like a major oversight on the part of case makers? The case I got suffers from the same issue. After some brainstorming I came up with a solution. If your case is black, this will work great. Just a small piece of electrical tape. It's just thick enough to keep from sealing the hole for the sound on a hard, flat surface.

Sideman7 said:
Is it me or does this seem like a major oversight on the part of case makers? The case I got suffers from the same issue. After some brainstorming I came up with a solution. If your case is black, this will work great. Just a small piece of electrical tape. It's just thick enough to keep from sealing the hole for the sound on a hard, flat surface.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I won't disagree with that temporary solution, but probably won't do cuz it makes the case look ugly and it'll be sure to come off from going inside and out of pockets. I'm just using anything in the house that I can find to lift the phone up, currently using some post-it sticky notes. I'm also waiting for the spigen Neo hybrid case to come, some has said it doesn't kill the speakers.
Sent from my SGH-M919 using Tapatalk 2

are cases worth it?

I hardly drop my phone, and no I'm not being ignorant or cocky and saying "I'll never drop my phone". So I don't know can't find any cases of my like

If you can't find any you like, you dont HAVE to buy a case...

You'll wish you had one the moment you drop it
Sent from my SGH-M919 using xda app-developers app

phantasybm said:
You'll wish you had one the moment you drop it
Sent from my SGH-M919 using xda app-developers app
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But then again, I don't want to spend to much. I want a stylish case. any recommendation?

neo hybrid is probably one of the more stylish cases (though costs $30)
Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk 2

It is like you buy insurance, if you know when you will drop it, there is nothing to talk about, but $20-30 to protect your $600-700 investment I think really is worth it.

Check out the Poetic Atmosphere case, here's my review on it
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2280103
It's a nice looking case and it's cheap too.
Sent from Flip's S4

I've been through two feature phones and three smart phones and I never used a case until this one. For previous phones I would at most put a skin on them. I dropped my last two phones (Palm Pre and Nexus S) from ~2 feet a few times and each time it landed on a corner. No major damage, just scuff marks. The reports across the web are that the S4 doesn't hold up too well in comparison to other phones when dropped. The screen runs right to the corner which makes me worry. That plus the phone being so much larger (and harder to hold on to) made me decide to go for a case. I went with the Spigen Neo Hybrid, and I think it's great. Doesn't add much thickness, looks great and should protect the phone.

If you're looking for something stylish, I'd recommend either Verus Oneye - http://www.zoarah.com/by-brand/verus/#ty%3Bpagination_contents%3B%2Fby-brand%2Fverus%2Fpage-2%2F
Or
Spigen Slim Armor - http://www.spigen.com/galaxy-s4-case-slim-armor.html
Or If you dont mind a big case(with better protection), a Trident Aegis - http://www.tridentcase.com/shop-products/samsung-galaxy-iv-i9505/aegis-case-samsung-galaxy-iv-i9505.aspx

Today I went shopping for alternatives while waiting for the Spigen Neo Hybrid I ordered from across the atlantic, and stumbled across Samsungs own Protective Cover +. I had no idea what I was buying, but thought it could be worth the 20 bucks. Turns out it's actually a pretty solid case, with a sturdy polycarbonate back and what looks like TPU all around the sides. It even has holes on one of the corners to fit wrist straps and such.
I'm not a big fan of the grey TPU for the white version, but other than that I'm really impressed. Despite its name it's probably no more protective than a basic TPU shell though, in particular because it doesn't add more than a millimeter height to the edge of the screen.

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Yes!

twicerheular
Abhi97 said:
I hardly drop my phone, and no I'm not being ignorant or cocky and saying "I'll never drop my phone". So I don't know can't find any cases of my like
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Maybe a slim back cover is your like, covers are form-fitting snap-on covers that protect your cell phone without adding a lot of bulk, have openings for camera, volume/ side buttons, headset, charger jack and kickstand which allows access to all phone functions.

Nope, they aren't worth it when there is need for cheap Black Market spare parts.

Not a case man either but this case made me keep the S4. lol As far as being worth it ummm yea it's a 500 + phone. Only takes one drunk night. hehe

EXO Skin review (with pictures)

I love skins for my devices. It gives them a custom look while preventing scratches. That is why I jumped at the chance to receive a free EXO skin of my choice. They have quite a variety to choose from on their site. For me, it always comes down the the wood designs, this time I chose the wood grain bubinga. The skin itself also has a slight texture with the wood grain that is a wonderful added touch that makes it feel more true to life. I love dark wood looks, as I currently have a skinomi wood grain skin on my Asus Transformer Prime tablet and keyboard dock.
This is the first skin that I have ever applied with a hot air dryer, and it certainly helps form the skin to the back cover. However, the skin isn't perfect in it's coverage of the back. I lined up the camera, flash, and speaker holes perfectly. What was left was slightly off for the outer edge of the skin. The right side was too close to the edge, while there was still some white showing on the left side. It's not too bad since its barely a millimeter off, but it is definitely something that I noticed.
The rest of the skin went on smoothly, but I was surprised to notice that mine did not come with the home button piece. I most likely wouldn't have kept the piece on anyway depending on if it caused issues with the fingerprint scanner since I use it daily. The sides have stayed in place pretty well over the past few days without any movement or peeling of the edges. Another thing that is slightly off is the top edge of the screen cover. I have the speaker, camera, and sensors aligned properly, but the notification LED cutout is a little lower than where the light is.
The skin itself isn't too thick, but it does make swiping the fingerprint sensor a tiny bit more difficult. I was even able to put a case back on over the skin, albeit with a little difficulty. Overall, I am quite satisfied with the skin, and look forward to more skin choices from EXO skins in the future. Here's hoping this review fixes the slight errors on the back, as well as possibly introducing more wood grain choices.
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I really wonder how it would look like when you use skin with wireless charger backcover... (it's a bit thicker than normal backcover) anyway thanks for the review, looking to buy one of these also... Any recommendations for the brand? (currently what I found is exo skin and slickwraps)
Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

:good: looks good. But I'll have to give it a pass, judging on how prone i am dropping my phones...

Slow N Stupid said:
I really wonder how it would look like when you use skin with wireless charger backcover... (it's a bit thicker than normal backcover) anyway thanks for the review, looking to buy one of these also... Any recommendations for the brand? (currently what I found is exo skin and slickwraps)
Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk
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That's what I would like to know since I wouldn't be able to get a case that works with the wireless back.
Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

I had one similar (Skinomi) and it doesn't quite fit the wireless back.
The sides are fine but it has trouble covering the corners, they "scrunch" so it's not an even/smooth fit. If you cut slits you maybe able to get it to fit.
I should add that because the sides are ridged and not smooth the side stickers have trouble staying in place if rubbed too much. Particularly around the top/bottom.
-Airax

thanks for the info... i guess i wont be buying it... gosh i hate how wireless charging backcover doesnt have any case >.>

Wow I would probably not have the patience to apply it so gingerly with hair dryers and it would be skewed!

Thanks for the review.
Everyone has their own taste. But yuck.
Reminds me of Walmart furniture with plastic stickon woodgrain.

Rearth Ringke Slim case

I got this case on amazon for $10.99. It comes with a mediocre screen protector.
The case itself is extremely light and fits around the phone securely. It covers every edge which is nice for these light shell cases. The design is similar to OEM look.
The feel is a little slick but better than the phone metal body. I wish it were more rubbery like other slim cases I've had before.
The case I got was gold.
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I have the clear one. Love it. It's the only super slim case case I could find that covers all sides and provides a small lip for face down lay on the table protection.
Edit: the black one has a soft touch feel BTW. I have that one on my M8.[emoji16]

sdotagain said:
I have the clear one. Love it. It's the only super slim case case I could find that covers all sides and provides a small lip for face down lay on the table protection.
Edit: the black one has a soft touch feel BTW. I have that one on my M8.[emoji16]
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Thanks! That's good to know. I was debating on whether to get black or gold and just randomly chose gold.
I wish the screen protector it came with was larger. It doesn't cover the entire surface and it's a weird size in that it doesnt fit the actual screen part of the phone either.

minotauri said:
I wish the screen protector it came with was larger. It doesn't cover the entire surface and it's a weird size in that it doesnt fit the actual screen part of the phone either.
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So true! I've placed many screen protectors on phones over the years and this one was by far the worst. It just didn't fit right at all I had to trash it. But it was free so I can't complain too much. I prefer glass ones now anyway.

URL for the case:
http://www.amazon.com/Ringke-Screen...429212145&sr=8-3&keywords=ringke+slim+case+m9

I had gotten the clear one, but I don't recommend it. The cutout for the camera flash is too close, and since the case is clear, the flash will reflect and cause a glare in your photos. The black and gold ones probably don't have this problem though.

Looks really sleek and I kinda like the gold one however it does look like the Huawei Mate 7. Have held this phone with this case and it sure was very light and slim. I agree that it would've been better if the feel is a little more rubbery because I am not that comfortable holding the phone with that case.

I bought this case last month when the phone first came out. I bought the clear one and it was very slim and looked very sharp. This past weekend while walking through a parking lot I went to pull my phone out of my pocket and literally threw it up in the air and it took about a 6 foot bounce off the pavement. The corner of the Ringke case is broken off but there isn't one scratch on my phone.
Now you expect a giant brick of a case like the otterbox to survive these types of falls but I don't expect an Ultra thin case to survive and I was very impressed it was able to protect my phone. Its a good case.

I would'nt had bought this case if I knew it was this slippery lol

I have one in clear and like the way it does not add bulk to the phone at all. You feel like you are holding just the phone and the clear case really shows off the two tone.

IMAK Cowboy Hard Matte Back Shell Quick Review

Figured I'd make a new thread instead so it's a bit more easy to search for than digging through the megathread.
Ordered this on eBay on Oct. 28 and received it on Nov. 2 so that was crazy fast for shipping from China to the SF Bay Area. Didn't expect this to arrive until the end of the month at the earliest.
eBay link HERE
Pictures first because it's more fun!
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Boring words:
Case's color is pretty close to the Graphite back. Similar to the OnePlus One from what I remember. VERY grippy feel with a rough-ish texture. Almost like something that has been Plastidipped.
Lip above the screen is about 1-1.5mm; no more than that. All ports are open and laser autofocus is free to beam away. Buttons are slightly recessed below the cutouts, but this is actually a benefit for me as I kept accidentally pressing the power button any time I fumbled around with the phone. I really enjoy the large cutout for the fingerprint reader as I use the sides of my finger for it to feel more natural instead of poking at it. Larger cutout helps me just rest my finger over the sensor instead of having to poke my finger through a tighter cutout. For someone who said "nothing larger than my Nexus 5, please", this case doesn't make the 6P any more hard to handle than it already is; it's very minimal.

Any problems with it getting caught on your pockets when taking it out or storing it?

MYxdaUSERNAME said:
Any problems with it getting caught on your pockets when taking it out or storing it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is a very tiny bit of resistance but nothing too crazy.

tysj said:
There is a very tiny bit of resistance but nothing too crazy.
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Click to collapse
Very nice setup you got there! I Will order this case as well because it's similar to the Pelosi case for the OPO. Thanks a lot Dude! Now what color....

Thank you for posting pictures and doing a review of the case. I just ordered this case on eBay using my eBay bucks. Basically got the case and a tempered glass for free on eBay

I've always loved the texture of these cases. It reminds me of the oneplus sandstone.
I'm curious though, being that the texture on the inside of the screen is "rough", do you guys think it will scratch the phone over time? Especially taking it on and off?

Thanks for the review. Does the lettering feel like it could be peeled off? I prefer a clean look without the branding.

jal3223 said:
I've always loved the texture of these cases. It reminds me of the oneplus sandstone.
I'm curious though, being that the texture on the inside of the screen is "rough", do you guys think it will scratch the phone over time? Especially taking it on and off?
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Click to collapse
The inside is a little bit more smooth than the outside is. Still textured, though... I'll most likely switch to the Spigen Thin Fit once that arrives and this will just be a back up. I prefer Spigen's soft touch coating.
ssnacks said:
Thanks for the review. Does the lettering feel like it could be peeled off? I prefer a clean look without the branding.
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It's printed on so I don't think it'll be coming off any time soon.

The top and bottom is not protected though if it falls.

I had a similar IMAK case for my Nexus 4. Held up really well until it melted in the hot hot Australian sun (forgot it in a compartment on top of the car's dashboard). I certainly don't blame them for that.
The texture for these things is very unique. If this is the type of protection you are looking for, I highly recommend this.

adeelmysore said:
The top and bottom is not protected though if it falls.
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I'm not too worried. Dropped my Nexus 5 on concrete once with the Spigen Ultra Fit that has an open top. The way these are designed, the top and bottom of the device doesn't make contact with the surface due to the lip around the top of the corners. It's just enough to keep it off the ground if it were to fall that way.

Does the case scuff your phone at all when taking it off / putting it on? I had a similar case for my N5 back around launch and removing the case and putting it back on eventually scuffed the soft touch plastic. I'm worried it might mark up my 6P's chamfered edges or that tiny plastic bezel on the outside of the glass.