At the discounted price right now, I give it a 4*/5*
PRO:
-large enough lip around the edge to allow for perfect face protection.
-all ports are cut away perfectly with enough room for a moderately sized 3.5mm jack
-home button is still accessible
-entire screen is still usable! (shocking that some cases don't allow the entire screen to be used...like my skyrocket's TPU case_
CON:
-side buttons are covered with TPU, which makes the buttons hard to press.
I had to remove a single star for the TPU covered power and volume buttons. The phone looks amazing with the clear case, almost like glass. The case is said to prevent slippage, though I find the case to be moderately slick. It does however have textured side grips to allow better grip. Overall the case is worth the $7 that it is listed at right now. It fits perfectly and it shipped before the device was released, so it was literally the only case I could purchase that fit my order list. Clear, TPU, thick enough to protect against moderate falls, right thickness lip to protect the face, no hard plastic, good looking, and cheap price. This fit my needs perfectly and I'm glad I purchased it. Over all, I would recommend this to anyone looking for a great TPU case.
Here is the link for amazon: CIMO TPU S-line case
Thanks for reading!
I'll also be reviewing two other cases as soon as they arrive. Caseology TPU cases in white (gloss) and white (Matte) as well as Jkase premium TPU matte black.
Image post, self explanatory.
full view
lip size on front.
The textured sides and covered volume rocker
So, My wife has an iPhone5 and had an iPhone4; both with Otterbox Defender cases. The design of this case (and the Commuter series
) is such that there are two hard plastic pieces that snap together around the phone, a back and a front with integrated screen protector, and then a soft silicone type of outer layer plastic that skins the hard plastic inside.
This is a very impressive case on an iPhone because not only is it very rugged. it feels very solid and premium (costs about $50 too!!)
So I bought one for my SGS4, and, while it is still rugged, I am not so impressed, because the case twists and creaks and feels cheap. I believe it is because the Otterbox design must differ from the iPhone version because the iPhone is aluminum cased and the SGS4 is plastic cased. The difference is in how loosely (tolerance) the pieces are designed to fit together for the SGS4 compared to the ones for the iPhone.
Here is why:
The iPhone, being made of aluminum, will not get scratched by a plastic case, therefore the internal hard plastic Otterbox shell can be designed to fit so snugly around the aluminum that it will not flex and creak when you try to squeeze and twist it.
The SGS4, while being pretty solid on its own, is made of plastic and can not hold up to squeezing it very hard like a metal iPhone and can be scratched, so Otterbox designs into the back part of the inner shell a thin foam lining. The foam lining is springy and compressible, which means they have to design in a bit more tolerance (looseness) so that the front and back plastic pieces will snap together before the foam lining is fully compressed. This creates the problem that the Otterbox case on a SGS4 moves and creaks when you squeeze the phone in your hand. It is actually VERY creaky!! Only just pushing the buttons makes the whole think creak and feel cheap.
Unfortunately, I don't think there is much that can be done with such a design, unless they omit the foam insert and tighten up the shell or reverse the design and have a rubbery inner shell and a hard outer shell.
Well, I ordered an i-Blason case that has a soft rubber inner shell and a hard outer skeleton. I think it will feel much more solid and less cheap (and costs 1/3 the price of an Otterbox).
We'll see how it goes!!
gruuvin said:
So, My wife has an iPhone5 and had an iPhone4; both with Otterbox Defender cases. The design of this case (and the Commuter series
) is such that there are two hard plastic pieces that snap together around the phone, a back and a front with integrated screen protector, and then a soft silicone type of outer layer plastic that skins the hard plastic inside.
This is a very impressive case on an iPhone because not only is it very rugged. it feels very solid and premium (costs about $50 too!!)
So I bought one for my SGS4, and, while it is still rugged, I am not so impressed, because the case twists and creaks and feels cheap. I believe it is because the Otterbox design must differ from the iPhone version because the iPhone is aluminum cased and the SGS4 is plastic cased. The difference is in how loosely (tolerance) the pieces are designed to fit together for the SGS4 compared to the ones for the iPhone.
Here is why:
The iPhone, being made of aluminum, will not get scratched by a plastic case, therefore the internal hard plastic Otterbox shell can be designed to fit so snugly around the aluminum that it will not flex and creak when you try to squeeze and twist it.
The SGS4, while being pretty solid on its own, is made of plastic and can not hold up to squeezing it very hard like a metal iPhone and can be scratched, so Otterbox designs into the back part of the inner shell a thin foam lining. The foam lining is springy and compressible, which means they have to design in a bit more tolerance (looseness) so that the front and back plastic pieces will snap together before the foam lining is fully compressed. This creates the problem that the Otterbox case on a SGS4 moves and creaks when you squeeze the phone in your hand. It is actually VERY creaky!! Only just pushing the buttons makes the whole think creak and feel cheap.
Unfortunately, I don't think there is much that can be done with such a design, unless they omit the foam insert and tighten up the shell or reverse the design and have a rubbery inner shell and a hard outer shell.
Well, I ordered an i-Blason case that has a soft rubber inner shell and a hard outer skeleton. I think it will feel much more solid and less cheap (and costs 1/3 the price of an Otterbox).
We'll see how it goes!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have a defender case and I don't have these problems. The plastic doesn't creak when I squeeze it. Takes a bit of pressure to actually get the plastic tabs to snap around it. The rubber molding is spot on.
You might have a bad case, or slightly off case.
Dunno.
Not to mention the iPhone case has the foam in the back too.. my case just recently started feeling a bit loose but i believe i didnt but it on all the way snapped, when i first bought it, it was extremely snug
I think you might have a defective case OP. AFAIK, you're the second person I've seen make this complaint but neither mine nor my husband's otterboxes are creaky in anyway. Not only that, but the plastic shell fits our phones fairly snug which works in our favor because these are the best cases we could've gotten on the ground and I'm not too worried about the whole samoled cracking issue.
(S/N: Did I just write a run-on sentence? lol)
Mine was creaky also and Otterbox replaced it.
I havent used the replacement yet. I switched to a different case because I didn't like the creaking.
I always remove the screen protector and don't know if this makes it less rigid.
The Defender on the my wives Iphone is really solid though.
Do you keep the factory screen protector?
Also, My GS3 did the exact creaking.
gruuvin said:
So, My wife has an iPhone5 and had an iPhone4; both with Otterbox Defender cases. The design of this case (and the Commuter series
) is such that there are two hard plastic pieces that snap together around the phone, a back and a front with integrated screen protector, and then a soft silicone type of outer layer plastic that skins the hard plastic inside.
This is a very impressive case on an iPhone because not only is it very rugged. it feels very solid and premium (costs about $50 too!!)
So I bought one for my SGS4, and, while it is still rugged, I am not so impressed, because the case twists and creaks and feels cheap. I believe it is because the Otterbox design must differ from the iPhone version because the iPhone is aluminum cased and the SGS4 is plastic cased. The difference is in how loosely (tolerance) the pieces are designed to fit together for the SGS4 compared to the ones for the iPhone.
Here is why:
The iPhone, being made of aluminum, will not get scratched by a plastic case, therefore the internal hard plastic Otterbox shell can be designed to fit so snugly around the aluminum that it will not flex and creak when you try to squeeze and twist it.
The SGS4, while being pretty solid on its own, is made of plastic and can not hold up to squeezing it very hard like a metal iPhone and can be scratched, so Otterbox designs into the back part of the inner shell a thin foam lining. The foam lining is springy and compressible, which means they have to design in a bit more tolerance (looseness) so that the front and back plastic pieces will snap together before the foam lining is fully compressed. This creates the problem that the Otterbox case on a SGS4 moves and creaks when you squeeze the phone in your hand. It is actually VERY creaky!! Only just pushing the buttons makes the whole think creak and feel cheap.
Unfortunately, I don't think there is much that can be done with such a design, unless they omit the foam insert and tighten up the shell or reverse the design and have a rubbery inner shell and a hard outer shell.
Well, I ordered an i-Blason case that has a soft rubber inner shell and a hard outer skeleton. I think it will feel much more solid and less cheap (and costs 1/3 the price of an Otterbox).
We'll see how it goes!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try getting it replaced. A sample size of one is not is any way considered enough to pass judgement on the tolerances and construction of a case and even moreso with a high end phone.
ricktat said:
Mine was creaky also and Otterbox replaced it.
I havent used the replacement yet. I switched to a different case because I didn't like the creaking.
I always remove the screen protector and don't know if this makes it less rigid.
The Defender on the my wives Iphone is really solid though.
Do you keep the factory screen protector?
Also, My GS3 did the exact creaking.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, but I was told that stuff gets between that protector and the screen and cause abrasions. I have both the outer one and a cheap film one under. I don't have any problems with multitouch.
I've had the defender before on my droid x and I dropped it on some gravel, and being that it's uneven, having lips doesn't help. The gravel didn't do any damage to the screen protector. However, I have dropped my droid x before with cheap films and they always get holes in them.
i never liked otterbox. way too bulky. for iphone i guess it's ok coz it's a small phone.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using xda app-developers app
I was pleasently surprised with how slim the GS4 defender was.
I have had otterboxes for all my phones, BB and smartphones.
They have always been big and bulky.
ohh and I LOVE otterboxes warranty policy, send them an email with a picture of the defect and they mail you a brand new case.
I picked up this generic case called Tank series, and it's a two-piece case with a outer hard plastic shell and a inner TPU layer. There's a kickstand attached to the back, works pretty well. The S5 feels pretty secure in this case, so I would trust this case if I dropped my phone to protect it well. Looks aren't the best but it is a rugged case and looks the part. For the price, I am happy with the amount of protection I get with this case.
http://www.amazon.com/Exact-Series-Rugged-Protective-Samsung/dp/B00IRL1NT6
This case is unusual because of the way it features dual protection. Most cases with soft silicone or TPU have a separate case that then snaps into the hard case. Sometimes (like the Otterbox Defender), the soft case is outside the hard case. The Speck has a soft case inside a hard case, but they are a single piece. I expected it to be hard to get the M9 into the case, but in fact it was easy. Removal is a bit more difficult, because rigid back makes it a bit hard to bend - but you won't want to remove it!
The case fits like a glove - probably better than just about any other case I've seen. The hard shell combined with the soft rubber provides great drop protection, and the rubber wraps around the screen to protect it when face down. There is a cutout for the IR sensor on top and the power / earplug jack on the bottom, plus a place for the microphone and camera in back. The volume and power keys are integrated into the case with rubber extensions. Everything works great.
The case holds very well with a single hand because of the rubber grips on the back, and it looks simply outstanding - I have the gunmetal gray M9, but because the design covers the entire phone, it will look the same with the dual tone color model.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00UV3V34I
I was thinking about getting the candyshell as well but I was torn between the UAG case and the Candyshell. They both work the same way but I went with UAG instead because I was scared the rubber grips at the back would pick up lint in my pockets. Does it pick up lint in your pocket as well?
Androidian10 said:
I was thinking about getting the candyshell as well but I was torn between the UAG case and the Candyshell. They both work the same way but I went with UAG instead because I was scared the rubber grips at the back would pick up lint in my pockets. Does it pick up lint in your pocket as well?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry, I just saw your post. I never carry mine in the pocket, but the rubber is not the same as the "lint magnets" I have used in the past. I think it will be OK.
For one thing, the rubber is in small strips - less area to pick up lint, but when combined it is great for gripping.
I received this case today and have to say that it is better than I thought it would be. Firstly the packaging is very professional and inviting as shown in my photos. On opening the box I am greeted by the case and a screen protector with a nice grey microfiber cloth with the melkco branding on it.
The case is a dual layer type the outer layer is a hard durable plastic which feels nice in hand without being slippery but is smooth. The inside layer is a black very soft silicone which again feels nice to the touch.
With the case on there is a little bulk but worth it for the protection and the buttons are still easy to press through the case. All the openings are spot on and all the functions are unaffected.
I would recommend this case overall very good value for money.