I have had my obex for less than 24 hours. Since all of the other reviews tend to be stunning and almost all positive. I figured this would be a good one stop shop for everyone looking for the negatives the only premium water proof case on the market.
The experience has been fairly disappointing.
First, I understand the point of a case as being protection and to absorb damage that would normally go to your phone but the way it was finished was poorly done.
The problems I have faced
1) The speaker does have a buzz or some sort of resonance to it making it not as crisp and not as strong for higher pitched sounds. It has a grill in the back and because of it, there is probably sound wave issues with nodes created. but the speaker is on one side then there is the grill. So for simplicity, speaker is x and the grill is | .
|x| | | | | | | | | | | | |
So the sound waves are distorted as they come out and leads to this resonance issue/ wave dynamics.
2) Back: 1 day with keys in pocket, entire back plate is scuffed up.
3) Front: 1 day with keys in pocket, crease and abrasion on the phone. Scratches I expect, but a clear abrasion + crease? The plastic portion of the front is also all scuffed up.
One could argue issues 2 and 3 are purely cosmetic but I feel the following:
The scuffs are indicative of possible issues with plastic wear over time especially with the ends that snap in. The crease and 2 abrasions (not simple scratches - more like little buffs of scratches all bundled together) on the screen protector - well I find that close to unacceptable. I've had multiple screen protectors, built in, cheap plastic ones, and invisi-shield, but never had an actual abrasion and crease.
I've had the otterbox defender for over a month and have none of these issues. I'm tempted to go back to the defender, but I feel if I repeatedly go between cases, wear and tear would render the seidio useless in regards to keeping the waterproof seal.
The sound issue is relatively bad as well. I will see if I can post the sound.
I know it's waterproof because I've done the test. However, just the amount of wear and tear it got in 1 day makes me wonder about it seals. I can see why they don't offer a warranty like lifeproof yet cost exactly the same at a retail level.
Longevity, if I get 2 abrasions a day with this case, it will render the screen very annoying in a matter of a few weeks.
2/5
(originally I had 2.5/5, but I do find it extremely subpar for the cost. My wife has a lifeproof - for over 3 months and has none of these issues that I mentioned above. Her phone is free floating is a giant purse with all kinds of CRAP.)
Phatdawg said:
I have had my obex for less than 24 hours. Since all of the other reviews tend to be stunning and almost all positive. I figured this would be a good one stop shop for everyone looking for the negatives the only premium water proof case on the market.
The experience has been fairly disappointing.
First, I understand the point of a case as being protection and to absorb damage that would normally go to your phone but the way it was finished was poorly done.
The problems I have faced
1) The speaker does have a buzz or some sort of resonance to it making it not as crisp and not as strong for higher pitched sounds. It has a grill in the back and because of it, there is probably sound wave issues with nodes created. but the speaker is on one side then there is the grill. So for simplicity, speaker is x and the grill is | .
|x| | | | | | | | | | | | |
So the sound waves are distorted as they come out and leads to this resonance issue/ wave dynamics.
2) Back: 1 day with keys in pocket, entire back plate is scuffed up.
3) Front: 1 day with keys in pocket, crease and abrasion on the phone. Scratches I expect, but a clear abrasion + crease? The plastic portion of the front is also all scuffed up.
One could argue issues 2 and 3 are purely cosmetic but I feel the following:
The scuffs are indicative of possible issues with plastic wear over time especially with the ends that snap in. The crease and 2 abrasions (not simple scratches - more like little buffs of scratches all bundled together) on the screen protector - well I find that close to unacceptable. I've had multiple screen protectors, built in, cheap plastic ones, and invisi-shield, but never had an actual abrasion and crease.
I've had the otterbox defender for over a month and have none of these issues. I'm tempted to go back to the defender, but I feel if I repeatedly go between cases, wear and tear would render the seidio useless in regards to keeping the waterproof seal.
The sound issue is relatively bad as well. I will see if I can post the sound.
I know it's waterproof because I've done the test. However, just the amount of wear and tear it got in 1 day makes me wonder about it seals. I can see why they don't offer a warranty like lifeproof yet cost exactly the same at a retail level.
Longevity, if I get 2 abrasions a day with this case, it will render the screen very annoying in a matter of a few weeks.
2/5
(originally I had 2.5/5, but I do find it extremely subpar for the cost. My wife has a lifeproof - for over 3 months and has none of these issues that I mentioned above. Her phone is free floating is a giant purse with all kinds of CRAP.)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I apologize about your experience, but we would like to help you troubleshoot or get a replacement.
For the sound, we recommend you turn off the noise cancellation and re-install the case. For the abrasions and creases, this is very unusual and we would appreciate it if you could take a few pictures and send them to us. You can message them to us here or send us an e-mail to [email protected]
We want you to be satisfied with your purchase, so feel free to e-mail or call us so we can help you out.
My issues with cases like this is they are way too expensive. I got the phone totally for free through at&t and last thing I want to do is spend over $50 on a case. If this case was a more reasonable $25 or around there I would go for it.
seidioseidio said:
I apologize about your experience, but we would like to help you troubleshoot or get a replacement.
For the sound, we recommend you turn off the noise cancellation and re-install the case. For the abrasions and creases, this is very unusual and we would appreciate it if you could take a few pictures and send them to us. You can message them to us here or send us an e-mail to [email protected]
We want you to be satisfied with your purchase, so feel free to e-mail or call us so we can help you out.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'll try to get some pictures sent to you. The abrasions and crease is hard to get in focus. The scratches and buff as well, but I will try later after work.
I'll also turned off noise cancellation, but still have this muffled buzzing effect on high pitched sounds.
Thanks for the great customer service.
On a side note, I've enjoyed your extended batteries in the past on previous models of phones I've owned.
Phatdawg said:
I'll try to get some pictures sent to you. The abrasions and crease is hard to get in focus. The scratches and buff as well, but I will try later after work.
I'll also turned off noise cancellation, but still have this muffled buzzing effect on high pitched sounds.
Thanks for the great customer service.
On a side note, I've enjoyed your extended batteries in the past on previous models of phones I've owned.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you very much. We can also replace the case, so feel free to DM me your order number and I can help with that.
I would like to see pictures of the issues that you have with this case. I have read other reviews and it doesnt seem that anyone else has had much of a problem with the case other than a few minor things. I want to get this case but the way you describe it, it doesnt seem to be that good.
zackman2091 said:
I would like to see pictures of the issues that you have with this case. I have read other reviews and it doesnt seem that anyone else has had much of a problem with the case other than a few minor things. I want to get this case but the way you describe it, it doesnt seem to be that good.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's very hard for me to get the phone to focus on the creases. There are 3 creases, one 3-4mm, one about 5-6mm, and one associated with a abrasion (many little scratches). I can get the abrasion to show, but I can't get the creases to show up well on photos.
Here are some pictures. 1st is abrasion, best picture I could get. This is external and can be felt while running your fingertip over the protector. There is also a crease going through it about 1 cm long, can't see it.
Second Picture is of the scuffs from 1 day in pants with keys. That's just one angle to catch the scuffs. There are ALOT more. And there are some on the front plastic areas around the screen.
I know that a case is supposed to defend this type of damage, but I didn't expect the case to GET this type of damage after just 1 day of pocket with keys. I also expect general wear and tear over time. A drop or two on gravel, I would expect scuffs, maybe an abrasion on the screen. But not with keys shifting around in my pants. I think the damage is probably from just the process of sitting down and standing up with keys and shift of the pressure of various parts of the keys.
I have yet to drop this case / phone.
It is however waterproof.
Customer service has asked me to email them the pictures, but they are on here as well. So I hope they can see them and see what I'm talking about.
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I think my case is lost in shipping
i ordered the obex case by usps and the seidio website stated it was shipped out on the 23rd last friday. The tracking # gives me nothing on the usps website. I called seidio yesterday and they said when they looked up tracking they showed that it was in orlando fl on monday the 26th which is only a 2.5hr drive from my address in ellenton fl. My case has still not come in. I know it does not take 5 days ground to get from orlando to my address which will be 5 days tommorrow if it shows up. I really believe my case has been lost in transit.
Camboteav said:
I think my case is lost in shipping
i ordered the obex case by usps and the seidio website stated it was shipped out on the 23rd last friday. The tracking # gives me nothing on the usps website. I called seidio yesterday and they said when they looked up tracking they showed that it was in orlando fl on monday the 26th which is only a 2.5hr drive from my address in ellenton fl. My case has still not come in. I know it does not take 5 days ground to get from orlando to my address which will be 5 days tommorrow if it shows up. I really believe my case has been lost in transit.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had the same problem.
USPS took 8 days to get to me.
Normally anything takes at most 4 days.
Here's more pictures:
Phatdawg said:
I had the same problem.
USPS took 8 days to get to me.
Normally anything takes at most 4 days.
Here's more pictures:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow. That's not handled very well. Did they use the package as a soccer ball or something trying to test the integrity of the case?
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using xda app-developers app
The way I see it I have a shock dust and water proof case, I could care less about the scuffs on the back, I have had one indention on the front I think from me messing with it, the voice quality I haven't had any problems from callers, but on my end it does sound like it's in a tunnel, but I use a bluetooth now so don't really care.
Posted from a Galaxy S4 it was.
I can see how the plastic will scratch easy, I have a couple very minor scratches and I take care of it. I think the screen protector is pretty good. It is raised from the screen so I can see how it would crease easier than one that sits flush but I dont put my case around sharp objects. I take care of my stuff that I pay a lot of money for.. I don't think the sound is that bad for being a sealed case. Im sure as time goes they will improve the sound issues on future cases and from my understanding this case has the best sound out of any other waterproof cases for any phone. (Not a fact but from what I have heard and reading reviews) It does sound a little wierd sometimes, if you turn down the volume a bit it sounds really good. Overall im happy with it so far but I do see how the case scratches easy to be a problem. They should have made it out of something else or have some kind of protective coating.
Sent from my SGH-M919 using xda app-developers app
Mr. bird said:
I can see how the plastic will scratch easy, I have a couple very minor scratches and I take care of it. I think the screen protector is pretty good. It is raised from the screen so I can see how it would crease easier than one that sits flush but I dont put my case around sharp objects. I take care of my stuff that I pay a lot of money for.. I don't think the sound is that bad for being a sealed case. Im sure as time goes they will improve the sound issues on future cases and from my understanding this case has the best sound out of any other waterproof cases for any phone. (Not a fact but from what I have heard and reading reviews) It does sound a little wierd sometimes, if you turn down the volume a bit it sounds really good. Overall im happy with it so far but I do see how the case scratches easy to be a problem. They should have made it out of something else or have some kind of protective coating.
Sent from my SGH-M919 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, but the point of having a case is that it's generally durable especially something that going to be IP-68 and MIL-F/G grade right? For 80 dollars I expect scratch resistant and durable case in addition to waterproofing.
If the plastic scratches easily, that is the same plastic that the waterproofing end seals snap onto, that means routine wear and tear can be significant. Hence, there is no 1 year warranty on your DEVICE like the lifeproof (if it makes a version) because I'm quite certain in their wear and tear tests it probably doesn't stay as waterproof after a few hundred times of opening and closing the charging side of the case.
Secondly, my keys aren't "sharp" but I think anything including a style that has an edge - octagonal shaped - can create a crease in the screen protector. The screen protector also got an abrasion. A few scratches here and there. Again, I've never had this creasing or abrasion problem with some of my cheapest screen protectors.
Again this is from _ONE_ day with keys in my pocket.
Since then I have kept the case alone or with my wallet, and it's not had any significant issues.
I don't know about you, but an 80 dollar case should be a bit more resilient than what has happened to me. It shouldn't be worse than some of my cheapest screen protectors. I should be able to toss it into a pocket and not worry about it being with keys.
And the sound thing, it's not a deal killer obviously, but it's still rather annoying to hear your high pitched sounds with an odd muffled vibration.
But it is waterproof and Seidio has great customer service.
I like my Obex case. Yes, the black plastic on the back gets shiny if it's scraped, but I think that's honestly normal...? I mean, it's a slightly rough surface, and when you compress it a little bit, it gets shiny. I don't think it will affect how waterproof the case is at all - that is mostly handled by the red rubber seal, right? My tiny complaint is that the bottom door that the USB port is behind is so hard to open that I have to use my teeth so I have little dings on that door from that.
skinote said:
I like my Obex case. Yes, the black plastic on the back gets shiny if it's scraped, but I think that's honestly normal...? I mean, it's a slightly rough surface, and when you compress it a little bit, it gets shiny. I don't think it will affect how waterproof the case is at all - that is mostly handled by the red rubber seal, right? My tiny complaint is that the bottom door that the USB port is behind is so hard to open that I have to use my teeth so I have little dings on that door from that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It reflects the plastic body. The weak points will end up being the bottom and top door. Each time you open and close it, you will cause wear and tear at a microscopic level. Eventually the seal can be affected.
Yes, it is true what I'm saying about the wear and tear is pure speculation. However if the plastic can easily be scratched/worn down, what will hundreds of openings and closings of the bottom door do as you charge your phone every day over the course of a year?
Those of you who game know that this happens to mouse buttons all the time. The plastic eventually gets worn down on some models and it becomes difficult to click correctly. The little tab under the plastic piece wears down where it engages the sensor.
My case has not come in today.
I have filled out a lost shipment claim form. I'm very upset at this point.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using xda app-developers app
Dude you are NEVER supposed to have keys in the same pocket as your phones. UNLESS getting it scratched is not an issue.
That's just like saying you don't want to get wet but you jump into a pool.
My OBEX is doing well so far after a week of use.
your complaining about scratches on your case... just imagine what your phone would look like without it... I mean, isn't that what you bought it for? to protect it.
Related
Buy a case!
I was showing off how well my phone took Asphalt 5 and as I was unlocking the phone and about to slide to my second page of apps to show my friends a video I recorded, the super-slim Captivate slid out of my hands and onto the ground! I'm not a short guy at all so it fell about five feet onto bare concrete on its corner, bounced, and fell again on its side before landing face down.
So now I have beautiful cracks running through the glass on my Captivate. The touch sensing layer seems to be undamaged as is the display (and the rest of the phone? there were no scratches or dents anywhere except the screen..) which STILL managed to stay fingerprint and scratch free. Just too bad it didn't handle a drop too well.
I realize this is an extreme scenario but if you find your self fumbling with your phone because it's so thin (the last phone I had was a HTC Tilt2) you should really consider buying a case!
Thankfully I had insurance from AT&T and I got it from Costco so I have a 90-day exchange policy. I think i'll take the latter since it's free.
The moral of the story is that the Gorilla glass on the Captivate CAN be broken, so get a case if you're not confident about being able to keep the Captivate from hitting the ground!
Keep your phone safe!
EDIT: Pictures
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I got one of those body glovea from the at&t store the day I got it. Never regretted it.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
Invisible Shield for me. Adds no bulk, gives it grip, military grade with lifetime warranty. Im lovin it.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
shinji257 said:
I got one of those body glovea from the at&t store the day I got it. Never regretted it.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Be careful. I understand that the body glove cases can cause superficial scratches to the exterior of the phone too.
Got a $3 black silicone case from Amazon. I love it.
Posted from my Captivate
Ebay has some that ship straight from Hong Kong that are molded perfectly for the phone and they throw in a screen protector also. I have a black silicon one but they sell all colors and it's a nice case. I may get one more for a spare but I think one will last pretty long. It even covers the side buttons but is molded to have them stand out from the case.
I second the recommendation for the Body Glove case. Bought mine online for $18. It's grippy, doesn't become sticky, keeps it shape, and allows me to easily remove it to change the battery when needed. After getting this case, I learned the Galaxy S face is made of Gorilla Glass. Upon seeing the wacky Korean video showing the level of abuse it can take, I pulled off the BodyGuardz film.
rickzotz said:
Upon seeing the wacky Korean video showing the level of abuse it can take, I pulled off the BodyGuardz film.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That made me want to cry
shinji257 said:
I got one of those body glovea from the at&t store the day I got it. Never regretted it.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Bought one of these too, like the second day I had it. Also bought some screen protectors.
As far as the BG case causing scratches, There are some minor spots on the darker gray parts (like the one you slide to open the back) where it looks like the case has rubbed a bit onto it. Not that big of a deal for me. I'd rather have some minor scuffs on a part of the phone AI never see than some scratches/cracks on parts I always do.
I don't normally use cases as I bought the phone partly because it is slim and slides into the pocket without a lumpy feel. I carry keys a penknife and coins in my pockets as well so I cannot worry about body scratches. My phones are not "pretty" after a year. LOL But this guy is slippery and i have already dropped it a couple times with no ill effect. So I have decided to skin only the battery cover for a better grip.
I do use good screen protectors though (and a small over over the camera lens) to prevent scratches there.
keeng james said:
Invisible Shield for me. Adds no bulk, gives it grip, military grade with lifetime warranty. Im lovin it.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I tried the Invisible Shield and BSE on mine, AT&T's screen protector on my wife's. Comparing both side by side mine had a yellow tint and looked ugly when looking at the same things on both screens. Distored somewhat by the orange peel look. I kept the body skin and put the AT&T screen protector on mine along with the body glove. Body glove fits great. Plus I found my finger sliding easier for swipe with the screen protector and not BSE or IS. Messed me up plenty.
I got one of those cases thats like the material between hard plastic and the soft silicone. I think its called a TPU skin case. Its awesome stuff. Got an all black one off ebay for $7 total and people cant even tell i have a case on the phone.
I know its good for drops too cause my friend dropped his htc incredible onto the ground with one of these cases on, the phone bounced a few times ended up on the screen, basically same thing that happened as OP, and it did NOTHING to the phone. He had a cheap $1 ebay screen protector on too. His phone is perfectly fine not even a scratch.
Highly recommend these cases over hard cases and silicone.
Good thing you have the insurance policy..other wise it would have been a expensive lesson for you. I didn't like any of the cases AT&T had when we got ours..so at my youngest sons urgings we headed over to Best Buy to find him (and us) a case. He had the Seido case for his i-pod and that thing is as rugged as a Timex watch. His Ipod was in good shape..but that case looks like it went through hell and back.He got one for his new 1-4 phone and the wife and myself got the one for the Captivate..I love how it protects but without all the bulk. It's not as well protected as in an Otter Box defender I had on my Hero..but I plan on being much more careful with this phone..
Mac
I had an AWFUL experience just the other day. I was walking to the kitchen with a glass of water and my phone in my hand and somehow I dropped the glass of water. I thought it was my phone so I went to fumble for it, just making a bigger mess and my phone got drenched. Bounced a couple times on the floor landed screen side up. I grabbed it so fast and stuck it in my shirt to dry, ripped the battery door off and dried it as fast as I could to make sure the litmus paper inside and battery didn't get wet. I'm definitely getting a good case now, and maybe I'll just vacuum seal my phone too for extra protection
I had an AWFUL experience just the other day.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's SOOOO funny, because it sounds exactly like something I would do.
I was so used to putting my old phone in my flannel pocket.. with this phone if I do that it'll squirt out faster than a greased pig.
Def need to get a case for this thing.
I got a Zagg screen protector at bestbuy and they put it on using a squeegie. You can barely tell it's there
For a case (at least for the first few months) I got a slide on hard shell. It has a cell phone holster which I got rid of and then it's not that much more bulky. It seems much more sturdy with it. I did the same thing with my iPhone 3g. It didn't add a ton of extra bulk and in the case of my iPhone it made it last until I was ready for my upgrade (to this sweet machine).
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Platinu...121&skuId=1222771&st=captivate case&cp=1&lp=2
I recommend a hard shell
Gorilla glass is scratch resistant, not crack resistant, there's big difference you know...
shishir95 said:
Buy a case!
I was showing off how well my phone took Asphalt 5 and as I was unlocking the phone and about to slide to my second page of apps to show my friends a video I recorded, the super-slim Captivate slid out of my hands and onto the ground! I'm not a short guy at all so it fell about five feet onto bare concrete on its corner, bounced, and fell again on its side before landing face down.
So now I have beautiful cracks running through the glass on my Captivate...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Guess this phone doesn't take asphalt too well after all. In all seriousness though, I dropped mine face down from shoulder height (I'm over 6' ) onto a sidewalk about 2 weeks after I got it (don't drink and text), and with the body glove case and the at&t screen protectors it turned out none the worse for wear (the screen protector was trashed though, grit embedded in it). I haven't noticed any scratching of my phone from the case, either. Highly recommend it.
This sentence contains thirty-six letters
iamjester said:
Guess this phone doesn't take asphalt too well after all. In all seriousness though, I dropped mine face down from shoulder height (I'm over 6' ) onto a sidewalk about 2 weeks after I got it (don't drink and text), and with the body glove case and the at&t screen protectors it turned out none the worse for wear (the screen protector was trashed though, grit embedded in it). I haven't noticed any scratching of my phone from the case, either. Highly recommend it.
This sentence contains thirty-six letters
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Run-on sentences ftw!
But I had the same thing happen on my iTouch. Dropped it in the street (with a case!) and the only damage was to the screen protector. Which I promptly took off and replaced when I got home.
Review:
The HTC Desire HD is a great phone in every way except for the only Achilles' heel, also known as the battery cover. That piece of flimsy plastic that HTC calls a cover is known to break easily, slide off accidentally, not of the same material to that lovely metal body.
Ive always used cases for my HTC Desire HD to cover that battery cover, having tried about 5 different types, I have to conclude that I disliked the TPU because of the flex on the sides which could potentially trap dust and other crap that might be the pocket (the Momax TPU case has been the best so far that I have used), I had a look at a couple of the snap on cases, most of the ones on Ebay are cheap and ****, I am the sort of careful user, never dropped my phones, I dont run about in the rain or take my phone on hikes but an aesthetic freak.
I recently purchased the Case-Mate Barely There HTC Desire HD case for a fair bit of money, I have to admit, its not the cheapest case, but for those who want the quality feel without feeling up that battery cover, this is the case for you. The overall quality is sublime, the plastic mold edges are smooth without any imperfections, coating over the case is of excellent, even and thick to feel like a quality product. The fit the good, as it was design specifically for the HTC Desire HD, good clearance of the volume buttons as well as for the headphone jack. Overall, Ill highly recommend this product to all that is keen for that high quality feel of a snap on case...I didnt manage to find any decent photos to show the product in detail before purchase so for it, Ill say I was lucky, so for those that may be interested, Ill let the photos do the justice.
Drop Test:
It has been a few months since I have got my own Case-Mate - Barely There, whilst the other day at McDonalds, I accidentally knocked my HTC Desire HD from the table onto the ground. The fall was more than 1 metres and onto some relatively harsh and hard surface aka concrete tiles.
At first I thought I screwed up big time. As I picked it up, I realised the phone was still switched on, luckily it fell back first so there were no scratches or imperfections to the front of the HTC, I suspect this might be due to the camera shaped mound that enforced a flat surface for the fall. The case had several scratches around all corners of the case, with several scratches and dot shaped imperfections on the base of the case. The scratches inflicted due to this drop can only be best described as if someone had key'ed your car sort of scratches.
After further analysis, the is no fault with the phone, everything works as before but the case did scratch, barely anything as I had considered a much more harsh damage. There was no structural damage to the case only relative aesthetics. The case does live up as a protection to our HTCs. Refer to the photos once again and thanks for reading.
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The small dots are not dust particles but very small dents and scratches
Relative scratches due to intial contact of the fall, you can barely see the black plastic of the base material, indicates a decent level of paint.
Another imperfection on the top right corner of the case, very similar to the photo as above.
Nice summary, I have one too, though I'm now using the Case Mate Tough...
I don't know just how much you use the GPS, but do check out your reception with & without the case.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=998102&highlight=barely+there
fyi, the GPS antenna is in the flash module.
There are another couple of threads here on this issue, specifically with the silver finish case - the good news is that Case-Mate are responding responsibly to consumers' complaints.
I have the barely there case n bought it when I got my DHD n never looked back. True it was a fair bit o money but I have to say it has a great feel to it n suites all my needs that a case can do. Highly recommended.
Sent from my Desire HD using XDA App
Got this case today due to this thread. Absolutely love it. Cheers
I have the case and I love it, went through some tough times (falling out of my pocket in a club, into a puddle of beer and being stepped on after that) and the phone is fine! One thing I have noticed. The corners of my phone are rubbed off as if the fit isnt perfect and some of the paint has come off!
It looks really elegant.
I´ve used this case with my HD2. A big problem was, to remove it when you have to exchange the sd card or the battery. It has got scratches at the edges. Have you tried this...think about flashing... Also i fear, that the battery cover can break, when the case has to be removed...What is your experience?
Neo XL said:
It looks really elegant.
I´ve used this case with my HD2. A big problem was, to remove it when you have to exchange the sd card or the battery. It has got scratches at the edges. Have you tried this...think about flashing... Also i fear, that the battery cover can break, when the case has to be removed...What is your experience?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Typically I am not one who takes my case off, I havent done so since I got the case about 2 weeks now, so basically I dont have any issues. With regards to the battery cover, the actual case is very flexible so flex the case rather than the phone, other than that, I dont think that it will break the battery cover, as I mentioned, I hate the DHD battery cover.
Have been using this case since I got the phone over 6 months ago. Would never buy anything else, does it's job very well and most importantly it is very discrete, people are often shocked when they look at my phone to discover it actually has a case on.
I've had a barely there case on my Desire and now on my Desire HD. I've tried a lot of cases and you CANNOT get better than this case. It makes the phone feel so much better and keeps my antenna case firmly locked on
Coupled with a pouch it is fantastic and still fits in charges, car docks, etc.
This case looks very nice. I like the metallic look.
Grant Barker said:
This case looks very nice. I like the metallic look.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just for you to know, its actuall of very high quality, feels very thick layer yet even. Whilst the actual case itself is not metal the actual coating consists an actual harder clear layer. Ive absolutely used it intensely for a few weeks now, just cleaned it, I cannot find any obvious scratch marks. I am very impressed. It does smudge a little with any oily or grubby fingers but what is gloss and doesnt?
0semaj0 said:
Just for you to know, its actuall of very high quality, feels very thick layer yet even. Whilst the actual case itself is not metal the actual coating consists an actual harder clear layer. Ive absolutely used it intensely for a few weeks now, just cleaned it, I cannot find any obvious scratch marks. I am very impressed. It does smudge a little with any oily or grubby fingers but what is gloss and doesnt?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
can you rate the protection its providing to your desire hd?
do you pair it with a pouch?
chardd23 said:
can you rate the protection its providing to your desire hd?
do you pair it with a pouch?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I used to have a pouch for my HTC Desire, similar to that of the Nexus One. But the hassle was the fact that both your hands would be occupied at anyone time in the operating of the phone, having to take it out and putting it back. Yes, that in fact offered the best possible protection because only the bottom of the phone where the USB connection side of the phone was exposed.
The HTC Desire HD is already as big as phones will get in my opinion, so idealistically lets not make something BIG any BIGGER than it has to be, so I ditched the plans for pouches and went for basically slim and/or TPU cases, essentially becoming an integral part of the phone, also as I mentioned before to cover that hideous battery sim/SD/battery covers.
With the protection of the existing case, I also have it paired with a good matte screen protector, so as the photos in my original post will show, very little of the actual phone is exposed, once again where the USB connection side of the phone was exposed but this cannot be avoided.
So I mean, I guess an out of 10 Ill say a good 8~8.5? though keep in mind I am a bloody mean **** when it comes to things like this...so yea. =D
I have the matt black version of this case and love it.....
Prior to buying the CM Barely there i had the Otterbox Commuter case which was just made the phone much too big for my liking! As well as making it too big it also made the volume rocker and power button extremely difficult to operate. The CM barely there though, the buttons are all easy to get to and use, and as the name suggests, hardly adds anything to the size of the phone. Granted it may not be protective enough for those that are rough on they're phones, but if your like me and take care of stuff anyway then it will be just the ticket for protecting it from scratches and general knocks.
I have the silver mirror version of this case (same as op) and while very nice and sleek, it completely blocks GPS signal. No big issue for me since i have a dedicated unit in the car for navigation but still something to consider. i dont think this is an issue with other colors of this case though, although i love the silver finish too much to switch it for a different one.
As for the person saying the edges on their phone were scratched.. I havent noticed any wear and tear on my edges and I consistently remove the case for sim changes and battery pulls on bad flashes. Keeping index finger on top edge of the phone and thumb on the bottom edge, prying the edge of the case off from the top left by pulling it away (case seems slightly bendable) and lifting the phone out seems to be the most gentle way to remove it.
I had the Pdair luxury silicone case. It was a good case I felt that it protected my phone really well. The thing was that it was a real pain to get the phone in and out of my pocket. I bought the barely there case about two weeks ago and I'm very happy with it. this one is highly recommended...unless you play fetch with your dog with your HD
Just noticed this review, thanks OP!
I'd like to add my two cents, I have the matte black version of the barely there as well and unfortunately I was not so pleased with the fit. Luckily as I have the matte black version I was able to trim it down to suit my needs. The areas that needed trimming were around the volume keys, I cut off the bar that ran across the top/face of the keys. Now I can actually adjust the volume without having to cram my finger in the slot. Also I noticed pressing the power button at the top was a little difficult as well so I trimmed the entire top piece running behind the power button and now both the volume and power buttons can be pressed with ease but don't get pressed accidentally. After cutting I buffed it down with some fine grit SP and it still looks stock. I used the included barely there screen protector which already has a few nicks and scratches but overall has done the job of protecting my precious DHD. One more mention, the OP said she doesn't like getting dirt behind the case, this case lets in a bunch of dust and dirt, I take the case off maybe once a week and just clean off the back of the phone, but because the case has a bit of space between the case and the phone, nothing gets scratched. Great case overall as everyone else states, just needed a bit of adjusting. I attached a pic so you can see my handy work on the case.
I have one of these cases also,Very happy with it.
this case really has a quality feel, and i'm quite pleased i spent the money on it. couple of complaints though: the volume button is harder to use when the case is on, and the case is difficult to take off.
Take mine off when i place it im my charging dock at night,Forgot to put in on the other morning....DHD felt naked without it.........lol
Part 1
I got it for around 22 dollars with free shipping from china on ebay. There are quite a few listings for it.
First, it's obviously a fake. My wife has a real lifeproof iphone5 (yes I live in a split household). Her lifeproof has some rubbery aspects to it, this one's rubber is a bit more stiff and isn't as pliantthis one is made all of plastic. The clip at the bottom is slightly loose, but it has a similiar rubber in-lay to keep the phone dry.
Up close of the front. Came with a sticker over the prior galaxy s3 (lol). You can see I pealed it off to see what it said.
Back
The front of the box opens up with a flap. The middle image is what's on the top flap. The bottom is the main box - a window into what the case looks like.
Opening it, we have the case and this card is behind the case itself. There is a waterproof earplug adapter of course.
Inside of the top aspect of the case.
Everything inside of the box. A small manual.
Top and bottom parts put together.
Placing it in water and putting a couple double shots on top to keep the case down.
After taking off the double shots, it rose to the top, no visible water inside of it.
I found no water after 6-7 minutes minutes of submersion with 2 double shots on top
Fake lifeproof next to Seidio Obex
Part 2 I will report sound quality after using it for a couple days.
Stay tuned! Ask any questions I'll try to answer them for you.
Took about 3 weeks to get it.
As far as the two cases go, I prefer the obex at this point. It's rubber is softer and has a better feel. Although I complain about Obex's easily damaged case and protector, I think this one is no better. I just shouldn't put expensive cases with my keys ever. Although I never had a problem with keys + defender or keys + tpu case / cheap screen protector - so go figure.
For 22 dollars and waiting 3 weeks, it's cheap.
Since I use my phones for work and work tends to get a bit messy, I need splash protection and shock protection, running up stairs, bodily fluids splashing etc. Also the occasional cell phone drop into the urinal or toliet has occured.
My phones are warrantied through verizon, so I don't mind taking the chance with this case. Hopefully, I don't loose a device to water damage lol.
How is the audio quality? The obex i had on my s3 produced horrible audio quality.
Prime said:
How is the audio quality? The obex i had on my s3 produced horrible audio quality.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sound is okay, minimally diminished but it's better than the obex. Don't get the vibration type sound interference.
The distance from the screen to the screen protector feels about 2-3 mm's. Doesn't register all touches easily and well, it's a bit further than my wife's life proof.
Cut outs are spot on.
The back of the case has a bit of design. After feeling the case more, there isn't really any rubberized parts. it's just more plastic. Compared to my wife's definitely cheaply made - as to be expected.
Unlike the seidio obex where they use a rubber overlay on the home button - the home button on this lifeproof knockoff is just covered by the screen protector albeit it's black with a circle around it. My wife's lifeproof iphone5 is similiar but has an indention to the home button.
The volume rocker and power buttons are slightly off and take about 2-3 hard pushes to get a response.
Haven't had a chance to take a call with it yet. Will test it later today.
Had a couple phone calls. People can hear me without a problem. Haven't noticed any issues with it.
So in regards to the positives:
1) Sound seems to be basically intact, both microphone/speaker.
2) Waterproof - Case does appear to have the same or similiar waterproofing sponge-like material for the seals.
3) Cheap
Negatives:
1) Cheaply made (lol) compared to the real life proof, no rubber aspects to the external case.
2) Clip at bottom doesn't clip in as tightly as I would want it to, might just be this case though.
3) The Volume rocker is in the right place but needs a harder than usual push on it to work, so you'll push it 2 to 3 times to get it to respond.
4) The Power button is situated feels 0.5 mm to 1 mm below where it should be and also requires harder pushing.
5) Screen protector doesn't come in contact with the phone directly, there is about 2 mm gap, most of the touches register, about 95 percent or so. If you touch something at the edge, it's more lightly it won't register.
What I didn't test:
1) the water test for 1 hour, I did it for about 6-7 minutes like the obex recommended.
2) any drops, the plastic seems a bit brittle and stuff, I imagine that the case would probably crack or break, possibly transmit shock forces directly to the phone - doubt it's 6 feet drop rated as a knock off.
Compared to the Obex:
Prefer the obex, feels better in hand, better screen response. Sound is a little off on the obex, but I do think it offers better protection from a real fall and serious submersions.
Recommendation:
I would recommend this case for anyone who's on a budget <25 dollars and wants something that's going to be basically waterproof.
Otherwise, go find something else - bfree? Obex? Or wait for the real lifeproof to come out.
Here's a few ebay links:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Waterproof-...Cell_Phone_PDA_Cases&var=&hash=item4d10397178
US location
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Waterproof-...Cell_Phone_PDA_Cases&var=&hash=item3cd5113bdb
just got mine from newegg for 20 bucks. idk why i got the green one but i did lol. anyway its water proof. andddddd i can hear ppl fine on it and ppl can hear me fine and its VERY light. i had a trident kraken on it before which was very heavy but protected it like a beast.
jerrah said:
just got mine from newegg for 20 bucks. idk why i got the green one but i did lol. anyway its water proof. andddddd i can hear ppl fine on it and ppl can hear me fine and its VERY light. i had a trident kraken on it before which was very heavy but protected it like a beast.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Link please? 3 weeks sounds like a long wait I want my case now! Torn between Lifeproof obex and now love mei which I found isn't waterproof smh...
Sent from my SGH-M919 using Tapatalk 4
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA1PU0ZX3701 it came in less then 2 days from cali to ny
I've had my Z1C a little less than a month. I started using a screen protector immediately because of all the warnings I saw here. In the first case I used one of those thin plastic protectors; I didn't like the look or feel. I'm currently using a glass protector; better look and feel. BUT, I really would like to use the phone without any screen protector. I had a Samsung Galaxy S2 for 3-1/2 years that I used without a screen protector (or case). The screen had NO scratches on it when I donated it to charity (the case was a bit roughed up). If any of you have had the Z1C more than 3 months and DON'T use a screen protector, can you tell me how well the screen is holding up? Do you have regrets about NOT using a protector? What is your opinion of all the "must use a screen protector" warnings.
I really like this phone, except for the whole screen delicacy issue. Your opinions are valued. Thanks.
Until they start making Phones with 100% scratch proof/resistant glass then I'll never be without one, the first task before even switching a new Phone on is to apply the provided or pre purchased screen protector because each scratch on the screen directly or even the ASF lowers resale value imo.
I don't believe anyone can properly use a Phone for 3 years and not get a single scratch.
My I9001 (Galaxy S Plus) also didn't have any scratches without ever having used a case or protector. I'm just using one with the Z1C because it was twice as expensive, I don't really think I'd need one.
XperienceD said:
I don't believe anyone can properly use a Phone for 3 years and not get a single scratch.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not sure what your definition of "properly" is, but I did use my Galaxy S2 for more than 3 years in both the jungles of Costa Rica and the urban jungles of the US, with nary a scratch. ? Never used a case or protector and always carried it in my front pants pocket. Made sure it was the only thing in that pocket. Am I unique? I doubt it. There must be at least one other soul out there with the same luck. ☺
Iruwen said:
My I9001 (Galaxy S Plus) also didn't have any scratches without ever having used a case or protector. I'm just using one with the Z1C because it was twice as expensive, I don't really think I'd need one.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Glad to hear our Galaxy experiences were similar. And like you, with all the negative comments on screen scratches, I'm using a protector too. Just would prefer not to. In my case, I paid much more for the S2 than this new Z1. Still, I'd like to keep the screen as undamaged as possible. It's hard for me to believe screens have gotten softer, rather than harder. Might the issue be a bit exaggerated? That's why I'm looking for responses from users not using protection.
rebecker said:
Not sure what your definition of "properly" is, but I did use my Galaxy S2 for more than 3 years in both the jungles of Costa Rica and the urban jungles of the US, with nary a scratch.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmm...
...(skip to 1:00) well that's interesting. I think the main problem with Sony is that the logo is baked into the ASF so if you remove it you remove the logo which I certainly don't want to do, but even then given the search results for gorilla glass scratched, I still wouldn't want to be without one.
XperienceD said:
Hmm...
...well that's interesting. I think the main problem with Sony is that the logo is baked into the ASF so if you remove it you remove the logo which I certainly don't want to do, but even then given the search results for gorilla glass scratched, I still wouldn't want to be without one.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So, it seems that the issue is not the softness of the glass, it's the softness of the ASF. So, once the ASF is damaged (a week, a month, a year, perhaps 3 years ) it can be removed and a glass protector or oleophobic coating liquid could be used to "refresh" the screen. So, what to do, what to do, hmmm? 1. Add a protector right away. 2. Remove the ASF once it gets damaged and add a protector. Or... 3. Remove the ASF once it gets damaged and use the coating liquid. None of these are really options I was looking for. So...again...anyone out there having good success with the Z1C's screen after 3 months of use who hasn't added any type of protection?
its like sex without a condom. much more fun without the protection, but you are afraid all the time
I've had mine for about 7 months and there has begun to appear small 'smudge-like' blemishes on the ASF. They're practically unnoticeable in daily use, partly because they're so small and 'light', but mostly because they're covered up by all the fingerprints. This is how I came to this thread, I noticed the fingerprints and thought perhaps I should test a scratch-protector, decided to wipe the phone to show off my 'protector-free spotless screen', but lo and behold, there are (albeit very slight) imperfections below the smudges!
While considering the period of use (7 months, not long, but not short either), these 'scratches' are hardly noteworthy, but I could definitively image it becoming a "problem" after 2-3 years, though it certainly depends on the care of which you handle the phone. I too keep my phone alone in the pocket as I'm sure keys would make quick work of the seemingly malleable ASF. I've twice during this period dropped the phone behind the bed, but never any significant (read: pavement) or high-height drops. But if you want your phone to stay mint then I'd probably have to recommend a scratch-protector. Perhaps even wiping the phone with certain kind of fabrics create these slight blemishes as well, or at least worsens prior scuff-marks.
But I'm worried about your opinions on the screen-protectors since I too have always disliked them (from afar, I've never actually used them myself.) I used my phone without any sort of protection for the first 6.5 months, just recently I received a semi-thin (terrapin) case because I noticed how bad the plastic backside was getting scratched for some reason -- worst part is I like the terrapin, which I didn't think I would, so I wish I'd gotten around to it earlier. When compared to the plastic backside, the ASF is pure diamond.
Think I'll order some type of scratch-protector to see if I can live with it, but I'm also not too worried about making the screen unreadable by not using one.
Tograd said:
I've had mine for about 7 months and there has begun to appear small 'smudge-like' blemishes on the ASF......
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for your reply. As I've read the responses here, I've become convinced that a screen protector is probably generally needed. Sad . I currently have the Skinomi Techskin Carbon Fiber applique on the back. It looks good. I tried the Skinomi screen protector, but disliked the look and feel. I'm now using the Brando Tempered Glass Rounded Edition. It looks great and feels right to the touch. Other than 2 tiny flaws (one in the glass and one caused by my not getting all the dust off), it's nearly perfect. (And Brando's customer service is second to none!) So...I guess I'm going to use the protection, as much as I think it is a serious flaw on Sony's part. Not sure what their rationale was in using ASF. I expect more from them.
That being said, I love this phone.
Agree and I appreciate the suggestions/recommendations.
I was hesitant to upload a photo of my phone because everything looks way worse than it really is.
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B6xEhyXR0UeEN2JZZll3OERQQ28/edit
95% of what you see in the picture is invisible in real life. So it's not as bad as it might seem, and a lot of it is probably just grease/dust rather than physical marks, but a lot of it is real (regardless if you can see it with your eyes or not) and is bound to accumulate further over time. The bottom left scuff is real but it does not look anything as bad as it does in that picture -- might have come about while phone was sliding around under my bed or something, though it looks more like 'pocket-wear' rather than a 1-time-accident. Perhaps most of if could have been avoided by having a raised-edge case.
Tograd said:
Agree and I appreciate the suggestions/recommendations.
I was hesitant to upload a photo of my phone because everything looks way worse than it really is.
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B6xEhyXR0UeEN2JZZll3OERQQ28/edit
95% of what you see in the picture is invisible in real life. So it's not as bad as it might seem, and a lot of it is probably just grease/dust rather than physical marks, but a lot of it is real (regardless if you can see it with your eyes or not) and is bound to accumulate further over time. The bottom left scuff is real but it does not look anything as bad as it does in that picture -- might have come about while phone was sliding around under my bed or something, though it looks more like 'pocket-wear' rather than a 1-time-accident. Perhaps most of if could have been avoided by having a raised-edge case.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the picture.
I used my phone for 4 days without screen protection. The accumulation of finger prints was extreme. But even more extreme was the way the phone acted as a dust magnet. Again, I'm assuming the ASF was the issue. The screen protection eliminated most of the dust issue and a good deal of the finger print intensity. And, of course, the back protection eliminated all of the dust and finger print issues.
So... I guess I'm beating a dead horse. ? This phone requires protection.
My experience is really bad... I got scrathes 2 hours after i got my phone (both on the back and on the front)... I applied a protector on the back. But i found a site that sells original Sony ASF (it has the Sony logo printed on it). So I decided that once this one looks too bad I'll replace it.
I can search for the link if you want me to.
Sent from my D5503 using XDA Free mobile app
I guess you missed the "NOT".
I'm using the Z1c since release and got a new one in June (warranty). I never used a protector on any of my phones. The first Z1c I had got many small scratsches (not visible when the screen was on) - but still had many scratches. Since the new one I'm really careful and that helps a lot: not visible scratch since June:
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Iruwen said:
I guess you missed the "NOT".
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Who? Me?
Sent from my D5503 using XDA Free mobile app
Seems like all the "Reviews" are nothing more then install video's of people saying oh its so amazing. But if you dig deeper you will find issues that a proper review would of find easy. So lets review it.
Little about my self. I am and Engineer in the fiber optics industry. I wonk on the absolute faster detectors available. We use UV optical adhesives every day. So needless to say i know a thing or two on this topic.
The concept is great and when done right the best way to attach a screen protector. But this comes at a cost. Cheap out on anything and it will show. So lets look at this.
-Full cover. errrr not really Notch cut for the camera and sensors. Odd because optical adhesive you can go full over and have zero impact on those.
-9H Hardness. "Shakes head" No..Its not. They need to stop claiming this every company. Its not 9H.
-Beveled edges. This is a must. Ask anyone who has one that is not beveled how easy they chip.
-UV curing light is a good design and has plenty of LED's to cure the adhesive. "5w max" Honestly im not seeing those being close to 1w LED's. If people want i'll take apart the light but no heat sinking as far as i can tell. So im guessing 3v 60ma .5w each total max output 3w. And honestly 3w is fine. Its very thin and easy to cure.
Fixture is great and works very well. No complaints on that. Just watch a few videos and read the instructions and you will do fine. The Fixture is well thought out so hats off to engineers who did that.
The ugly. This is where things get bad. This is where you can see the corners that were cut and boy did they cut them.
-Dust removal sticker. Don't use them. Cheap sticker and will leave residue on the screen. Save your self some time and just put them in the trash.
-Cleaning cloth. Not optical quality. Again put it in the trash it will just put stuff on the display. Cheap fabric not a quality optical cleaning cloth.
-Alcohol wipe...Well the directions say that but the wipes included are Ethanol...Please tell me these are not medical grade. If so then they have some additives. Well again trash it and use some 95% or higher Isopropyl alcohol. Make sure no color or sent has been added. You want as pure as you can get.
-Absorption pads. Now i would love to say trash them. But you need them. Make sure you give them a good rub down to remove all the lose fibers on them. And give the long fibers that hang off after a little trim. You do not want one to get under the screen or at the edge.
-Dimples on the underside of the protector. You don't need these. They do nothing but put 4 contact points to your phones display. The adhesive will flow an even coat.
-The worlds cheapest UV adhesive...Guys its bad...Real bad. Give you an idea. In bulk the quality optical adhesive is expensive. Well you get what you pay for or in Whitestone's case you don't get what you do not pay for. I searched and i found the supplier for there adhesive. How cheap is it? Well its $1 per 30ml. Stuff we use is $30 per oz. or 29.9ml. Yup that explains everything. This is why they can give you so much and still keep that price point. But for this you want less but higher quality. Combine that with tubes that are not 100% air tight and you are begging for problems. Also keep in mine UV Adhesive's have a shelf life and exposure to oxygen age them faster.
Lots of people complain about the delamination. This is from bad UV adhesive. Keep in mind you have a bare glass surface you are attaching to a glass surface with an oleophobic coating. This coating does after the adhesion of the adhesive. So you really need the proper quality adhesive. The adhesive they use never fully cures. If you check out my video in the Deamination topic you can see even after curing then putting 200w of UV on it for an addition 20sec with a proper industrial UV curing station it never fully cures. Multiple kits i have tested they all do this. But its $1 per 30ml so what do you expect.
You will see pictures of the optical property's of the adhesive. It is my opinion that it is not optical grade. Also you will see a picture of the delamination.
Overall this is a 4-10. Held back by the extremely low quality UV adhesive. The most important part is the cheapest. This is why they cut the notch in the protector. Because it would affect the caners where a proper optical adhesive would have zero affect. I'm disappointed. This was hyped so much but no one really looked at it. It's a great concept held back by cut corners. The proper adhesive this would be a 8-10. This method with the proper optical grade adhesive could do a true full cover screen protector then it would be a 10/10. But i do not recommend this. Price is to high for the corners that were cut. The adhesive issue really needs to be addressed because i would take a few other protectors over this.
Message to Whitestone.
I tested Adhesives from 3 kits. Results were all the same. All the kits were ordered at different times as 2 were from Amazon and one was direct from you. I have identified this adhesive not long ago and this is typical for it. However if you want to play we only use the highest quality materials card then you can go ahead and send me a tube of it. It can be in the manufacturers tube or the tubes that come in the kits. I do not want another kit im only interested in testing this adhesive and i will give you one chance to test some prior and send it to me. I will then report my finding's on here and make a note of it here. If you would like to work together on finding a cost effective quality optical adhesive i have contacts with not only the distributes for these but also with the companies that make the highest quality optical grade UV adhesives in the industry. I do not want nothing in return i will work with you for free to fix this product so that future phones can benefit from it and i have the option to easily order a quality kit. I want a 100% coverage protector and working together this can be done. There is potential here and it is with the system developed for the install and that is what makes the product stand out. My work has a building in SoCal. I go out there a few times a year and i am more then willing to come visit your office why i am out there and we can talk.
Now i know i will get the "Mines perfect best ever" post. But those post mean nothing. You have not tested the adhesive. I have. You just have not had any issues with it yet and you may never have them. But i went ahead and i tested this. Same results every time and i know what adhesive they use now.
So, would you say this thing is a pass?
Thanks for the detailed review and focusing on everything, not JUST the adhesive.
I still got mine applied to my phone, and well.. it is there. The time it starts wearing off the edges, maybe I will apply the second spare one just because I already bought it. But yeah, a full, really full screen coverage one with perfect optical properties would be awesome to have!
felloffthetruck said:
So, would you say this thing is a pass?
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I won't advise anyone to buy or not to buy this. Thats for you to decide. I'll answer any questions you have thought. I will say that I will not use this for reasons I posted. I won't buy another one until changes are made at the minimum in there selection of adheasive.
Could you point me in the direction of a good adhesive that you would recommend? (That I can buy online)
irieblue said:
Could you point me in the direction of a good adhesive that you would recommend? (That I can buy online)
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Will post that when I finish testing the samples I have.
bignazpwns said:
-Full cover. errrr not really Notch cut for the camera and sensors. Odd because optical adhesive you can go full over and have zero impact on those.
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Me a bit nitpicking here, but...
Weird, the part of optical physics that I learned back ... long ago.. taught quite clearly that if there are any surfaces with different optical properties on each side, it will have an impact. And I'm pretty sure the adhesives do not match (optically) exactly with either glass it touches (let alone both). Whether those effects will be significant enough to be visible in the photos depends on the whole optical path (and sensor's properties), though.
Since none of the surfaces have proper coatings aimed for optical performance (more for anti fingerprint etc.), and especially the protector glass (the internal material, not the coatings) not designed for optics, I'd expect ever so slightly more lens flaring and similar effects. (If there would be a flash LED for the front camera, it could get really messy, but Note 9 seems to use the whole display for front side "flashing", which reduces the spot brightness near the camera lens compared to a LED flash.)
The adhesive filling the space between the phone's glass and protector's glass does make the effect much lesser than with a protector that sits a tiny bit above with a tiny air gap. So in that sense, with these liquid adhesive type protectors, I'd expect the effects to be indeed mostly ignorable. But not zero, per se.
For the other sensors than camera, the effect can be considered zero, since they are measuring mostly (more or less) spatial averages to begin with. A bit of fuzziness doesn't change their results. Hmm. though I don't know how the iris-camera works.
All that said, I'd still say to choose a protector that covers the lens area(s). A single scratch on the phone's glass over the lens can make a worse effect than a protector does.
Also, (me partially countering the point of having an effect): I have currently a really bad example of a protector myself; a normal cheap protector with a typical dot grid on bottom surface, a normal (non-smooth) adhesive even on the area of the front camera lens, not a perfect fit by shape, etc. That is, I can see the non-smooth stuff between the glass layers (when display is black, and on the sensor spots). Yet, the photos come out ok, so things can obviously be pretty darn crappy and still be ok for the front camera needs. Though, I haven't zoomed in or done comparative tests in more challenging lighting situations. (I will do better tests once other protectors arrive; I need to keep this one on for now, for its main task of protecting.)
Nice review, but the whitestone still beats having nothing on the phone. I did the ghetto "whitestone" on my Note 8 using a generic glass protector and LOCA glue bought on Amazon. Served its purpose and protected my phone when I dropped it on a gravel surface. Phone looked brand new when I replaced the glass with a whitestone version because the ghetto glue method was too time consuming to ensure no bubbles. I have installed 4 more whitestone glass screens on mine and others phone with no issues and would not hesitate to recommend it. The issues you bring up have merit, but do not deter the protective elements of the tempered glass screen. I would like a better glue solution as well. But until then, my whitestone paired with a quality case will have to do. So far it does just fine.
Bullitt3309 said:
Nice review, but the whitestone still beats having nothing on the phone. I did the ghetto "whitestone" on my Note 8 using a generic glass protector and LOCA glue bought on Amazon. Served its purpose and protected my phone when I dropped it on a gravel surface. Phone looked brand new when I replaced the glass with a whitestone version because the ghetto glue method was too time consuming to ensure no bubbles. I have installed 4 more whitestone glass screens on mine and others phone with no issues and would not hesitate to recommend it. The issues you bring up have merit, but do not deter the protective elements of the tempered glass screen. I would like a better glue solution as well. But until then, my whitestone paired with a quality case will have to do. So far it does just fine.
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I can't get the same protection from a $12 protector. So how does it beat those in terms of protection? It offers no more protection then any other on the market. Infact the Zag elite offers more protection for the same price. The thicker gel adheasive offers significantly more impact protection. Much harder to put on and remove air bubbles but in terms of protection this is vastly superior. Where zag went wrong is not telling people how soft the adhesive is so they push down on it as hard as they can to get a bubble out and it cracks. And then they had to gimp it with some unnecessary bezzles that cover a bit of the display
Bottom line is the Dome is $20 over priced. The adhesive is trash and the olophobic coating is the worst I have ever seen. No excuses for this on something that sells it's self as premium. It's not. It's the same quality as the $12 Alibaba's and personally I would get one of those. Warranty is nothing since you could still get one on Alibaba shippped for the price you will pay for the warranty replacement. And it uses the same trash adheasive.
When you buy "Loca" it's trash from bad batches that they sell on places like Amazon or Alibaba or to places like Whitestone at a heavy discount because it's defective. So you are already useing a defective product from the start. These are facts. I tested these and posted those info. It's trash they pay $1 per 30ml of those stuff. And they call it Loca because it's not an optical adheasive. It makes it sound fancy because they can't call it a UV optical adheasive. Because it's not optical. But it's "optical cured" so Loca.
Facts are facts. I proven this adheasive is trash and defective from multiple kits. I'll test any of it. Got any left I'll test that Whitestone can send me some I'll test that because I know it's trash and it's from batches that were not mixed right. Multiple people have committed on this issues that's why I started testing this and looking into it because what they had in the prictures we seen before. Hell I can tell you exactly what is wrong with it. However working with a supplier when we had that issue I signed a NDA as part of them telling us every detail about it. Because we needed to know why it did that, when it started, how to test for it, how it will be fixed etc.
Like I said. If you use it and like it that's great. No problems with it that's even better. Get a case drop it face down. On a hard surface so it only hits the case then protector is unsupported and you will have delamination. I did this as part of the big testing video I'm doing for this. 2 drops it started.
Also I'm willing to work with them. All my test data as well as some samples I'll send to them or take to then when I'm in California. I love there install method and it will be a home run when the corners that we're cut are fixed. They pay $1 per 30ml of adheasive I can get them a bulk order that ends up being $1.75 per 30ml if they buy bulk lots. That's optical grade I'll send them the contract info and the sales rep I know for there. Use that and it's fixed. I tested that adheasive on this also and it works just like it should. I really want them to improve it.
As of right now now on my desk I have 35 different uv optical adheasives and more on the way. One manufacturer is even making a custom adheasive to test for this application. This all started as a simple test it and see what's wrong with it but due to all the people asking it's gotten much bigger. I hope Whitestone reaches out to me and I can get them the test information I have so they can improve the product.
Hi, I have been following your findings and it is an interesting matter for me at least.
Anyway, I wanted to write an update about my using the Gear VR with the default Whitedome / adhesive installation.
Previously I mentioned I got the "bubbles / webbing" permanently at the very bottom part of the protector, on a central area right above the USB connector (about 10mm wide, 1mm tal), after having the Whitedome applied and using the GearVR on the next day. Now it has been a couple of weeks maybe, and the bubbles part is still there (size unchanged apparently).
What I want to add is, something a bit unexpected (for me) happened: I used the Gear VR again yesterday (several days after the Whitedome installation) for around one hour, and and after taking the phone off, there were MORE bubbles / webbing in a different area, almost horizontally oval in shape, around 1.5cm wide by 0.8cm high. It was positioned about 2cm ABOVE the early thin stripe of bubbles, completely separate from it (not a continuation). I was pissed off because THIS was on top of the screen and obstructiong the image, really annoying. As it was late I decided to just go to sleep and deal with it when I had some free time. But to my surprise it was COMPLETELY GONE this morning. The previous thin mark at the bottom remains. But I can see no trace whatsoever of the "new" affected region..
gamekill said:
Hi, I have been following your findings and it is an interesting matter for me at least.
Anyway, I wanted to write an update about my using the Gear VR with the default Whitedome / adhesive installation.
Previously I mentioned I got the "bubbles / webbing" permanently at the very bottom part of the protector, on a central area right above the USB connector (about 10mm wide, 1mm tal), after having the Whitedome applied and using the GearVR on the next day. Now it has been a couple of weeks maybe, and the bubbles part is still there (size unchanged apparently).
What I want to add is, something a bit unexpected (for me) happened: I used the Gear VR again yesterday (several days after the Whitedome installation) for around one hour, and and after taking the phone off, there were MORE bubbles / webbing in a different area, almost horizontally oval in shape, around 1.5cm wide by 0.8cm high. It was positioned about 2cm ABOVE the early thin stripe of bubbles, completely separate from it (not a continuation). I was pissed off because THIS was on top of the screen and obstructiong the image, really annoying. As it was late I decided to just go to sleep and deal with it when I had some free time. But to my surprise it was COMPLETELY GONE this morning. The previous thin mark at the bottom remains. But I can see no trace
whatsoever of the "new" affected region..
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That's delamination from defective uv adheasive. As in my video you can see it cures about 50% and then still leaves some wet uncureable adheasive behind and is in some cases acting as an indexing gel. The delamination is still there you will need a microscope to see but masked by that adheasive that's wet acting as an indexing gel.
I got a gear VR on the way. It's on loan from a user to test it with another adheasive. I'll test this and see how it holds up. Run the phone hot and do multiple install and removals then do a few battery drains why it's in the vr. Glad this is a work phone and not my personal phone.
I actually find the oleophobic coating of the whitestone to be very good.
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harlenm said:
I actually find the oleophobic coating of the whitestone to be very good.
Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk
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Yeah same here.
sefrcoko said:
Yeah same here.
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Then it's more product inconsistency. Friend said his is holding up ok. I know mine had scraches in it after a few hours. And one of them out of the box had a burn in the coating as well as a deep scrach deeper then the olophobic.
Any product recommendation or where we can get the good loca glue?
I personally would be interested in a tube of high quality adhesive if anyone is able to source some. Perhaps the OP would be able to point us to a supplier?
bignazpwns said:
Then it's more product inconsistency. Friend said his is holding up ok. I know mine had scraches in it after a few hours. And one of them out of the box had a burn in the coating as well as a deep scrach deeper then the olophobic.
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Ouch that looks rough. Never had those issues on multiple protectors but inconsistency does happen of course with all products. If they don't provide adequate service or replacement though, well then that's a different issue
sefrcoko said:
Ouch that looks rough. Never had those issues on multiple protectors but inconsistency does happen of course with all products. If they don't provide adequate service or replacement though, well then that's a different issue
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I posted this before. I will say Whitestone sent out a replacement kit for it for free and we're very easy to deal with and gave me very fast responses. So the service is great even though people say it's bad my experience was great. I reached out to them on Facebook and not via website so maybe Facebook is the way to go. And I noted all that when I made that post.
I would do the same for the adhesive but I know they can send out 1,000 kits they will all have this issue because the Adheasive used is from defective batches that had issues with the mixing process. I mean it works...but you will never get a full cure and will have issues under the right conditions and those are relatively common. But some people may never experience this.
But all of them so far have had pretty bad olophobic coating's. One is like it had none at all. One had the coating burned "pic in the previous post" and 2 just meh. Nothing great. But that's fine because I use the leftover ceramic coating I used for my car on my screens since it's better and thicker so I usually get over a year and 1/2 before I see any decrease in preformance. But this Stull is around $400 for a small bottle for a car and after not much is left. But Walmart sells a few kits. One is a great kit and only $12. If people wanna know what kit I'll let you know. Around here only one a almao had this kit in stock. "gerogia" the rest had other brands.
I'm one of the 'lucky' ones who has had no problems whatsoever. Going on three months and still getting compliments on how nice my screen looks. It's like I don't have a screen protector on at all.
I'm completely dissapointed from Whitestone.
I have been using it for weeks and yesterday, (all of a sudden) the tempered glass started to have a small line in the left edge of the phone and it seems like it is kinda lifted.
Unfortunately, the company wont help me, because I didnt bought it from their authorised stores
https://ibb.co/9s7jcV7