Build quality - Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion

Just curious what the overall thoughts are on the build quailty. The screen glass seems like their #1 cost cutter possibly? It seems really easy to scratch and crack. Even today I had it in a pocket with a set of Bluetooth headphones, pulled it out and have a fairly deep scratch now it didn't have yesterday deep enough I can feel it with my finger.
That just doesn't happen in my experieces with other phones. I had a nexus 6 for probably about 2 years and never scratched the screen at all really. Also I buy a few used phones to sell on eBay, every essential phone I've seen has scratches.
Also, why doesn't everyone copy Samsung and lg in their phone designs? Every newer Galaxy phone (S6 and above) has the easiest to replace batteries of any phone with the so called "premium" build quality and the obcession with glass and metal on phones. On Samsung and lg phones to replace the battery all you have to do is remove the back glass not the front! If you break it, $15 or less and you can buy a decent replacement on eBay only a very trained eye will catch.
If I was going to keep any modern phone for more than 2 or 3 years it would almost certainly be a samsung or lg for that reason alone. (#1 phone I have ever used is a lg v30 due to build quality and audio quality, if it weren't for lg not knowing what a software update is they would sell more phones than anyone)

It just comes down to inexperience. Essential took on a challenge it had a hard time facing. Building a device with titanium and ceramic. With this, the device has antenna design issues as well as being brittle. Ceramic is a tougher material so it hides scratches better, but it's easier to crack.
I'm hoping Samsung or the other big players start offering sapphire displays. I'd take that over titanium any day.

The PH-1 is great for it's price. I have had one since July when they went on sale for 279.00. I run with it in my pocket, carried it with other stuff in my pockets, and no scratches or any damage. Seems built pretty well to me and has a good display. Is it the level of a S8 or 9 nope, but it doesn't cost that much either.

Related

My horrible S4 experience

First of all, let me say that I really like the S4. I sold my iPhone 5 and be able to buy it at full price when it was released. I like the size, it's just about perfect size for me, fits well in my hand. The air gestures and air views are pretty nice, they come in handy. Coming from an iPhone, having a replaceable battery is priceless, I liked being able to swap out my low battery with a full charged one.
My first S4 broke while in my pocket on 5/6, I wasn't doing anything out of the ordinary, was just doing things around the house, when I pulled it from my pocket there was a crack from the upper right corner down the middle of the left side. The AMOLED display under the glass is what broke, device was unusable, nothing showed on the screen except some colors on top left above the crack.
After fighting with AT&T and Asurion the entire next day, AT&T agreed to give me an early upgrade. So I bought a new one on 5/7.
I received my new S4 on 5/10, then this morning, 5/15, while at work I was squatted down, texting, and dropped it from around knee level on carpet with padding over concrete and it cracked the AMOLED display, this time in the upper right corner, with 4 cracks from the side to about an inch into the display.
This S4 had a Spigen Ultra Thin Air case on it, as well as Spigen's Glas.t Slim screen protector.
I don't expect manufacturers to make phones that are indestructible, but this seems ridiculous to me.
I was a long time Apple user before I bought the S4, I don't think I will ever go back, but I'm regretting going with Samsung now. I've spent over $900 between both devices and now they are both in the mail (as well as almost $200 in accessories that are worthless now), for Samsung to evaluate, so for the next two weeks I'm stuck with using an old S2 that likes to reboot every 15 minutes.
I've read a few posts on here about people breaking the screen under the glass like I did. So I'd be careful if you own one.
Ryanmp said:
First of all, let me say that I really like the S4. I sold my iPhone 5 and be able to buy it at full price when it was released. I like the size, it's just about perfect size for me, fits well in my hand. The air gestures and air views are pretty nice, they come in handy. Coming from an iPhone, having a replaceable battery is priceless, I liked being able to swap out my low battery with a full charged one.
My first S4 broke while in my pocket on 5/6, I wasn't doing anything out of the ordinary, was just doing things around the house, when I pulled it from my pocket there was a crack from the upper right corner down the middle of the left side. The AMOLED display under the glass is what broke, device was unusable, nothing showed on the screen except some colors on top left above the crack.
After fighting with AT&T and Asurion the entire next day, AT&T agreed to give me an early upgrade. So I bought a new one on 5/7.
I received my new S4 on 5/10, then this morning, 5/15, while at work I was squatted down, texting, and dropped it from around knee level on carpet with padding over concrete and it cracked the AMOLED display, this time in the upper right corner, with 4 cracks from the side to about an inch into the display.
This S4 had a Spigen Ultra Thin Air case on it, as well as Spigen's Glas.t Slim screen protector.
I don't expect manufacturers to make phones that are indestructible, but this seems ridiculous to me.
I was a long time Apple user before I bought the S4, I don't think I will ever go back, but I'm regretting going with Samsung now. I've spent over $900 between both devices and now they are both in the mail (as well as almost $200 in accessories that are worthless now), for Samsung to evaluate, so for the next two weeks I'm stuck with using an old S2 that likes to reboot every 15 minutes.
I've read a few posts on here about people breaking the screen under the glass like I did. So I'd be careful if you own one.
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That sucks dude. But hey, a little advice...fix that S2! If it's rebooting like that, there's something wrong. There are several super-stable Jelly Bean roms available for flashing these days. I come from that world, so I know it like the back of my hand...PM me if you'd like me to help you make your S2 awesome.
Before anyone says this isnt a necessary thread, I think it is.
Having a 32GB and having spent money on my device and screen protector and cases I'd like to know this too, so I would love to hear from anyone else that has broken their device easily
Damn that sucks OP. I think you have bad luck with the S4, I remember when you mentioned the S4 screen cracking while it was in your pocket. I would get another phone if I were you.
I have a really hard time "feeling sorry" for people who drop and break their phones and complain.
I don't know what kind of response (pity?) that you want from people.
Drop the iphone 4 in just the right spot and it'll crack too. Every phone is the same more or less.
Don't want a broken phone? Don't drop it. You break it that way, the fault is no ones but yourself.
Felixpau86 said:
I have a really hard time "feeling sorry" for people who drop and break their phones and complain.
I don't know what kind of response (pity?) that you want from people.
Drop the iphone 4 in just the right spot and it'll crack too. Every phone is the same more or less.
Don't want a broken phone? Don't drop it. You break it that way, the fault is no ones but yourself.
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That's kinda of an ignorant comment, the OP had his screen cracked and it was just in his pocket so no drop at all. The second time it was a drop but it is his experience and I understand it especially when you purchase a device this expensive twice. Don't be rude man.
His story for breaking in his pocket was "while around the house". So whats to say he didn't accidentally smash it again something while doing housework or anything else like a table?
Dropping your phone - what do you expect? Go buy a Nokia if you plan on dropping it. Even then im sure drop proof isn't part of any phone's warranty.
Pretty straight forward. You may not like my "tone" but you can't honestly count it against the phone if you're not keeping it safe. The error is human in this case. Own up to it and take better care of your phone.
I've cracked iphones and android screens and bodies before, it was probably my fault in handling it; but you definitely won't see me running to a forum and complaining about the manufacturer having shoddy quality when it was clearly human error.
I'm starting to wonder if maybe it's the Chinese models in specific breaking like that because I have seen multiple S4's dropped now WITHOUT ANY CASE from 6 feet and survive with only scrapes to the actual frame and here you have a case AND a glass screen protector, and it falls from half the height and suffers catastrophically.
Has to be something more going on here. Reviews will also show the phone can survive falls just like any other premium metal phone and then some, so quite an odd case here
ALSO to everyone else, stop hating on the OP. Yea I have to agree it's just really vague to say your phone was just up and broken, but I'm willing to look at it as the OP is telling the truth cause at worst, even if he is lying, it really don't matter.
No offense OP, but I'm going to call bull**** here. You have to be leaving out something -- even if it's by accident. I've had smartphones with larger screens for 5+ years now, and not once have i cracked or broken a phone. The last phone that broke was the first nokia clamshell that came out -- and that was after i dropped it from standing on to a concrete floor. Even then it worked still, the plastic just cracked a bit.
There is no way you broke your phone just having it in your pocket -- unless you were wearing super tight hipster jeans with your keys in your pocket. Futhermore, dropping your phone 2 feet on to a padded floor, won't just break your phone either....it just wont.
I've dropped my s3/s4 many times on to my wood floor now without any issues (without a case).
Also, wouldn't your phone be under the 14 day return policy anyway? If anything happens in those 14 days, you get a new one?
Overall, this just doesn't make sense. I think you are omitting some key details here; these phones ARE NOT that fragile.
EDIT-- How did you figure $900 dollars between two phones plus $200 in accessories?
A new line/renewal should be about $200-250 per phone; cases run $30-35, USBs 5-10, screen protector 7-15....
You should have gotten insurance.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using xda app-developers app
I'm not asking for anything, I'm just putting this info out here.
In my experience, the S4 is easily broken.
And it's not glass that broke in both of mine, it was the display under the glass, the device was not usuable after. The glass was pristine on both, for that matter the both phones were as well, just the display cracked.
You can do what you want with the info, I'm just letting people know what happened with my 2 devices.
When you keep you phone in your pocket, make sure you always keep the screen against your leg. I broke my first Galaxy S2 with the screen out in my pocket when I leaned against a table.
I am shocked that the 2nd time with having a GLAS.t tempered glass that it broke.
You spend this kind of money on phone...treat it like your car....GENTLE. I have had a smartphone for years and not even 1 scratch on any phone I have ever owned. It is like your girlfriend or wife...Gently...
Very expensive way to learn.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using xda premium
Let's be realistic. It's no secret this phone is easily broken. And tbh, when you say something like "it's all your fault because you dropped it is a bit ridiculous. I've dropped my gs2 more times than I can count, face down, from up high, sliding across concrete etc, and the screen is still fine, but the build quality on the gs4 is seriously lacking. I'm scared to even buy one after hearing all these stories. For now I'm sticking to my gs2
Sent from my SGH-i777 using Tapatalk 2
artvandalay22222 said:
Let's be realistic. It's no secret this phone is easily broken. And tbh, when you say something like "it's all your fault because you dropped it is a bit ridiculous. I've dropped my gs2 more times than I can count, face down, from up high, sliding across concrete etc, and the screen is still fine, but the build quality on the gs4 is seriously lacking. I'm scared to even buy one after hearing all these stories. For now I'm sticking to my gs2
Sent from my SGH-i777 using Tapatalk 2
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How can you say the build quality is lacking if you don't even have one?
Just to be safe, think of it this way, if you drop it, it WILL crack. Of course, it might not but if you think it will every time, maybe a little more precaution will be taken. It doesn't matter if it was a mistake...just don't drop it. Any phone that is mostly screen will always have a certain level of fragility and should always be treated that way. It doesn't mean the build quality is bad.
TheAxman said:
You spend this kind of money on phone...treat it like your car....GENTLE. I have had a smartphone for years and not even 1 scratch on any phone I have ever owned. It is like your girlfriend or wife...Gently...
Very expensive way to learn.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using xda premium
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Or like telling your wife about your girlfriend... handle it very carefully... like your life depends on it.
Samsung does extensive hard use testing on its handsets so I wonder if this was a bad batch or something. Thanks for sharing your experience. Hopefully we don't see a bunch of these threads popping up.
Sent from my HTC One X using xda app-developers app
Ya my S4 broke too, dropped mine 2 or 3 feet in a case and the screen shattered, build quality is not there imo
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337
well... i was just thinking about investing in a good case.. but now, i think i will buy insurance instead.. or maybe just sell it off.. really cant afford to loose an expensive phone like this.
thanks for the info.

Why do people complain about build quality if there going to use a case?

Is it just me or does it this annoy you to? when people are comparing phones and lets say for example the galaxy s4 to something like the HTC one. They would say the galaxy s4 is made out of plastic and the HTC one medal. They say the HTC ones build i hands down better. Now why does that matter if 4 out of 5 people with each phone will put a otter box case or something else on it.
Sent from my SCH-I545 using xda app-developers app
It could potentially impact the durability of the phone I suppose, but I agree, it's largely irrelevant. People will just take any reason they can find to try to prove that their phone of choice is the 'best'.
I got a Lumia 521 for $79 (total cost) which is about the worst in build quality. Got the best case I could find for it and it helped tremendously. So this can work for you also. Hide low build quality with a decent case!
Really, the only concern I have with build quality is how sturdy the phone is. I'm a clumsy guy and I'm prone to drop my phone a bit. I want to know then when I drop the phone, it will stay in one piece. Maybe even be resistant to scratches/dents. The last think I want is for the thing to shatter like brittle glass.
Other than that, a case will hide any shortcomings.
Sewrizer said:
i personally prefer a plastic device with removable barttery and sd card slot than a full metal body with these limitations. it would be best though if samsung replaced the plastic on the next S flagship with aluminum(something like htc sensation). however this would mean to return to square one and redesign everything, therefore making it more expensive. i believe that they don't want to risk their good sales and do something that may leave a scar on their reputation. in addition, i don't know of any samsumng device made of metal, so it would be a huge change for them.
we, as users, would have to take into account some other disadvantages of a metal body. i put an sgs3 in a metal locker and it lost almost all the signal, it even missed a few calls, it caused huge battery drain (when in low signal area devices lose batteruy faster) so the antennas will have to be placed accordingly. plus, scratches and marks are more visible on metal, you can't really put a plastic case on a metal device(in most cases it is really inestethic, imho. but it depends on the case), hard cases can affect connectivity and if dust or sand is caught between the phone and the case it will produce nasty marks on the phone.
so, practically, plastic devices are better. it's just the common opinion that they look and feel cheap. i look forward to reading further replies on this matter.
Sent from Area 51 using my p1000.
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The reason I love my s4 is the removable battery. if I know I'm going to need it I use my 7500 mAh battery if not I use my stock battery. I hate when people say its made of plastic. So then I show them my extended battery and then they become amazed LOL
Sent from my SCH-I545 using xda app-developers app
yea
bcs the sucks ball n too judgemental mayb haha kidding its just their personal preferences n still some tend to use phones/tabs witht tab n they've enjoyed/used to using/holding devices with premium quality thats y they complain it feels like sth missing
case quality
I'm always amazed at how expensive some cases are - £30 for a case is really unreasonable imo. My I9000 was protected really well in a £3 case I bought off eBay!
I think it does not matter, but my Sony Xperia P is constructed of metal, and in my opinion it feels better than plastic:fingers-crossed:
How is it possible to be so much expensive! I pay only US$20 for mine. I use switcheasy colours. nice to touch, but only last 1 year and then cuts appeared in case. had to get new 1. sorry for any bad english.
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Simply because casing adds bulk to the device. If the build is great, there is no need to use any case at all because we are assured that it is fine with heavy duty usage ang rough environment.
It's usually Apple fans that claim Android phones have poor build quality...and then put their delicate iPhones in a protective case.
Sent from my SGH-I747M using xda app-developers app
Well Iphones are meant to have 'superior build quality' but I think that is debatable
Brand new they look amazing, with a bit of use, not so much. I suppose it all depends on the care taken by the user, but my personal experience with Iphones holding their looks isn't great. My Iphone 4 had numerous scratch marks on the glass. My Iphone 5 was covered with marks on the bezel.
Whilst my samsung phones didn't look as premium, they didn't mark up like the Iphones.
If build quality is based purely on durability, I don't know if a phone being metal makes a difference. If it's based purely on looks, perhaps, but then as I mentioned, the looks of a metal phone don't necessarily hold up.
Also on the subject of 'build quality'. I am definitely in the minority it seems, but I don't like the look of the silver HTC one. Sure it's aluminium, but for whatever reason I just don't think it looks that good? Just thought I would put it out there because everyone goes on and out about how good the HTC one looks
because people in their nature don't like to waste their hard earned $ on something made of chew-able toy plastics, especially far an expensive flagship phones
its like questioning or undermining everything fine in life, why do u pay for that expensive leather or well designed wallet, its just a wallet after all
or why do you pay good money for a good quality car with fancy dashboard, a crash is a crash after all
i am sorry but this makes no sense
justifying lack of taste or quality by the "case" argument is just like hiding your head in the sand
there real question is: Why is the richest Android builder of them all so dead cheap with it's loyal customers?
and the answer is: LEMONS
Alternative answer: it's all wasted on marketing
Stop justifying lemons, currently Samsung is sitting at the rock bottom when it comes to design or quality, you name it, Apple, Sony, HTC, LG, Nokia even Huwai are all building better than your (un)precious Samsung
Personally I couldn't care less what the phone is made of, because at the end of the day the phone is a productivity tool. What matters is what I can *do* with the phone, not what it looks like or feels like. I could understand if metal was more durable than plastic, but that is debatable. My phone is plastic and it's in the same shape as the day I bought it. My iPod touch is metal and has tons of scratches on the back. I've treated them the same.
The problem with phones made of metal is that they typically have a non-removable battery and many of them don't even have a microSD slot! When it comes down to form vs. function, I'm going to choose function every time.
It's about material choice and balance for the money spent.
Plastic is good, like the Nexus 5 but glossy plastic is bad as it is fingerprint magnet and fugly (S4). Aluminium also dents, Check out all the 6 months after of HTC One and iPhone.
Also price matters too, you don't wanna spend a lot of money just to get a cheap looking and feeling plastic.
And most people use cases but it's always good to have a great built quality inside.
A sound phone dwells within a sound built quality, and a sound case.
Sent from my blazing fast Nexus 4
Build quality and using a case are 2 different issues, using a case doesn't mask the build quality....like poor headphone sockets that go wrong, or buttons that get stuck (hard to press).
Personally I always drop my phone - clumsy in nature! So have to have a case. Now i'm looking for one which has a battery built in to double my usage time for the Samsung S4. That chomps up battery like nobody's business. I am a heavy user to be fair. Just my 2 cents

Durability

Before I post this, I have a Pixel 2 on order and am in no way bashing for the sake of it. That being said, its pretty disappointing that the pixel 2 fairs so much worse that the original pixel. The bend at the end is especially sad to see, not sure why they put a weak point in the frame almost in the middle of the one side. That being said, not planning on cancelling as it ticks all the boxes I care about and I certainly don't plan on bending/sitting on my phone.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVKnt7H4zVc&t=0s
What are your guys thoughts?
i am getting the 2 xl but
i am somewhat disappointed in the bend test the rest was ok
After seeing the jerryrigeverything test, I definitely feel more cautious about how I handle the phone. I didn't want to get a case and instead opt in for just dbrand skin and screen protector. Now it looks like I at least need to purchase a bumper case
I find most of his points not something I care about.
He spent a ton of time scratching the hell of a lot of time etching the back of the phone when he made the point quickly at the beginning.
For me the phone is too slippery to not use at least a minimal case, then what is going to do all that damage.
If I put the phone on a pocket, it is a front pocket screen in with nothing on the pocket with it. I don't sit on it etc
All of my phones look almost brand new after using for a long time. I am very cautious with my equipment.
krelvinaz said:
I find most of his points not something I care about.
He spent a ton of time scratching the hell of a lot of time etching the back of the phone when he made the point quickly at the beginning.
For me the phone is too slippery to not use at least a minimal case, then what is going to do all that damage.
If I put the phone on a pocket, it is a front pocket screen in with nothing on the pocket with it. I don't sit on it etc
All of my phones look almost brand new after using for a long time. I am very cautious with my equipment.
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The point he made was pretty crucial though. If material of pockets etc can discolour the paint on the phone, thats a disaster from the start.
The OG Pixel was very poor when it came to durability due to the soft aluminium used as opposed to the harder aluminium of more premium devices like iPhone and OnePlus 5.
The paint used will fare even worse, and unlike anodized aluminium, minor scratches wont simply "rub off", and rather, will likely be permanent.
Thats not even considering the fact that it will chip from any impact.
Also the OG Pixel suffered even when protected with the best case. A tiny piece of dirt can cause chaos if it manages to get in between the phone and case due to the soft metal, so the same will likely apply here.
Baffles me that Google have dropped the ball on hardware again.
To be honest I am a bit disappointed that Google charges so much for these phones and they still not as strong as should be.
Saying that, 6p snapped in half and during my 2 years with it not had a issue with durability so I believe my Pixel 2 will serve me well till Pixel 3 is out
wazka2 said:
To be honest I am a bit disappointed that Google charges so much for these phones and they still not as strong as should be.
Saying that, 6p snapped in half and during my 2 years with it not had a issue with durability so I believe my Pixel 2 will serve me well till Pixel 3 is out
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I agree I had a 6 plus when bend gate went down. I thoroughly in a UAG case and didn't worry about it. I the. Gave it to my 13 yr old daughter and she had no issues. Really I cant recall even snapping a phone ever.. this is a non issue. I feel good about going with the Pixel 2 over the XL I feel it's been less issue prone.
I am in construction, and my phone sits in my pocket all day while I am working. It was in my pocket without a case all day on Friday, since my Otterbox hadn't arrived yet, and it did just fine. Since then I have had the case on it, and I don't worry about it.

Building a Frankencase: Mk1. (Leather Folio wallet case with rugged-mount insert)

Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. This post will likely end up long and meandering so here are some pictures to help you decide if you are interested in reading on.
Gallery: https://postimg.cc/gallery/3jjlabcpm/
Those that have come across my waffle in this forum or elsewhere before will know that I was (and am) a total convert to ruggedized handsets. I work as a forester, as well as being a keen mountain biker, motorbike rider, kayaker and alcoholic.
To those ends, the S7 Active was the best device I've ever owned by a huge margin. The things that it survived with zero added protection beyond a glass screen protector were out of this world. It is still in daily use in my family. The battery has seen better days but overall the physical condition and functionality of the phone are near perfect.
Why on earth would I trade that device for one constructed almost entirely from glass? Well, I'm not sure. I still have massive reservations about the decision but at the end of the day: no mainstream manufacturer is currently producing a top-tier ruggedized device, and I wanted an unlocked bootloader and glorious custom roms back in my life which ruled out a couple of slightly older options.
I almost went with the AGM X3 but the lack of OIS in the camera, and the unknown quality of manufacture made the now obscene price tag just a little bit too much of a gamble.
Anyway: once the Note 9 arrived I realised just how fragile this thing was. I was filled with regret to the point that I actually considered just putting it on ebay; so sure was I that it would be smashed to pieces in a matter of days.
After installing Dr Ketan's rom, I changed my tune. I committed myself to finding a functional protection solution that would work for me without interrupting wireless charging and without turning it into a brick (it is heavy enough as it comes!).
My office is presently littered with poor purchase decisions; cases that promised the world and delivered a ham sandwich.
I also struggled because there was only 1 case that would match up with the relatively expensive handlebar mounts I already have on all my gear, but that case did not quite meet my requirements on a few fronts.
I tried to find the largest genuine leather wallet case that I could find, with initial plans to simply swap cases to my quadlock case when I wanted to go out for a ride. Unfortunately, I found that the quad lock case was so god damn well-constructed that the mere act of inserting and removing the phone felt like I was eventually going to do some damage. This is not your everyday sleeve case! it is constructed from some sort of hybrid, rubberised material with a massive amount of retained stiffness. It is absolutely tough as nails and has very little flex once the phone is inserted....it is an absolute nightmare to remove once it is on there, which is fantastic to give you a bit of peace of mind once you hit 200km/h!
It also has a little bit of screen protection due to the large protrusions top and bottom which mean that the screen does not contact the surface you lay it on face down. Still, no face protection.
I have no wish to join the legion of people walking around with a cracked screen, and the curved screens that samsung insist on using are well prone to easy breakage...I needed more coverage!
I ordered a hand made 2-part, magnetic, genuine leather BEMFEY wallet case from Turkey. It was not cheap, but the workmanship on the wallet portion is top notch. It also fits cash without having to fold notes, holds 4 cards and will absolutely outlast the device it was built for.
Unfortunately, the leather sleeve portion was an absolute piece of junk: brown epoxy gack everywhere, screen sat flush with absolutely zero protection, thin, no button cutouts: just overall a terrible idea if you had any plans of protecting your investment. Probably ok for desk workers.
Long story short: I did what any good forester would do and started thinking outside the box. Attached a thin iron plate to the rear of my quad lock case with epoxy, and am now using this as an insert into the BEMFEY wallet case. Results so far are impressive.
The magnets in the bemfey case are strong as hell, and though I will probably add another tiny iron plate on the top side I have never once come close to the phone coming away from the case accidentally. Even if it did, the Quad lock case is tough as hell and I have a bit of faith in it on it's own.
Together though, I doubt anyone else has got this level of functionality or protection on their Note 9. I've dropped it numerous times already: in the bush, on a plane, onto a tiled floor. Zero problem.
When it's time to ride, I peel the phone out of the wallet, securely lock it to my bars and pop the wallet it my pocket. Winning on all fronts.
It cost me a pretty penny to get there but I think I'm keeping this setup! In the grand scheme of things, it is worth investing 10% of your phone cost to make sure that it doesn't die an early death. If anyone wants to replicate, you can find quadlock on google and BEMFEY can be tracked down on their Etsy store. They will custom make to order including laser engraving if that is your thing.
Hey how good are the Quad Lock cases? Why I’m asking I’m fairly active, and i don’t want my Note 9 falling off my arm! I’m interested the arm band i been waiting for Supcase as they had a awesome Armband case for the S8+!
On that the band would feed behind the case it had a slit cut out so no matter what one would do jump run mountain biking etc. no way is the S8+ falling out! The supcase come in 2 parts soft tpu rubber and hard plastic the plastic as a lip, so when you put in the phone the tpu rubber would wrap around the hard plastic so it locks the phone in
i have been looking at other armbands, but they got a lock system and they kind of suck! i was planning on gluing the lock into the armband this is a supcase one Ive seen , but now i just saw your post and just found out about Quad lock! Could you please let me know, how reliable the lock is or would I need to glue it locked??? Thanks
As stated above, their build quality is epic.
I can't guarantee anything on the armband as I don't use one but it appears to have the exact same mounting hardware as the motorbike mount including the release switch. I can tell you right now, there is no way in hell it will come off if the hardware is the same.
I have crashed my motorbike offroad at speed, bruising myself up fairly impressively and this thing didn't go anywhere.
My gf is getting into running again and I plan to get her one of the quadlock armbands soon. You pay a bit, but you can keep the mount parts for your next phone. Even if you buy something exotic, you can just grab the universal mount or pry it off your old one and epoxy it on to a case.

Just a head ups with this business ( thearmourcase )

First off I want to say its my fault for buying from this company ( thearmourcase ) I should have done a better research beforehand but didn't call it laziness. I thought I was buying a product made in the USA since the company is from there. IMO It's a company acting like a middle person getting their products from China. I made the mistake in purchasing a cell phone case protector from them which turn out to be totally garbage (cheap) . The back glass broke just after 2 days, it fell from my car cell phone holder to my rubber floor mats. The case itself isn't all that comfortable the edges are sharp but the worse is I could have gotten it cheap from Amazon. This is just awareness for others if they are thinking about buying from them do your research beforehand and don't get burned like I did. What I bought was
360 Magnetic Metal Case On OnePlus Phones
PS: They weren't who I thought them too be, I thought they're Armor Ones
The Zizo Bolt cases are good and inexpensive.
Been using them on my Note 10+ for a year and a half. $20 a pop.
When I bought the first one I was skeptical but it's better quality and engineering than cases costing 2 or 3 times more.
I retire them after a few good corner hits to stay on the safe side. The retired one still looks new in spite of a rough life.
Bummer, good to know....

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