I had the chance to try out 2 different "Folio" type cases this week, and decided to do a review comparing them. Here are the competitors:
Samsung Galaxy Note 8 BookCover - $49.99
MiniSuit Classic Standing Case with HandStrap - $14.95
Both cases are generally good, but with weaknesses that would have been easily fixed with more forethought. To start off I will show a few pics comparing the general size and thickness of the two cases.
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Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 BookCover
Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 BookCover
Samsung BookCover is the thinner of the two but also offers less protection. It was only available in white when I purchased is, but there should be other colors available shortly. The BookCover is easily removable, and cutouts allow for access to all ports, buttons, sensors, etc except for the MicroSD slot. There is what I assume to be a magnetic sensor towards the left side bezel of the device, because there is a “Sleep / Wake” feature with the BookCover which seems to work well to lock and unlock the device. Unfortunately there are no magnets that hold the cover closed against the front of the screen, or when flipped to the back to the device. Cover flap is a soft material that will do well protecting the screen, but will also most likely get dirty over time as I have seen with other covers of this type.
The smaller of the two angled views (around 30 degrees) works very well, and stays in place while navigating and typing on the device.
The more upright angled view is a pain to deal with. If you don’t have a perfectly flat surface, forget about using this one. Even when on a flat surface, the back kept wanting to kick out, as it seems the tablet isn’t heavy enough to hold it in place. They really should have developed a method for this view what would attach the folding flap to the body of the case, using a slot or magnets, because the current method does not work well at all.
Pros:
Light and Thin
Sleep / Wake function built in
Access to all ports and buttons
Easy to hold, comfortable feel
Cons:
Little protection from drops / spills
Angled views are difficult to maintain in active environment
No magnets or strap to keep flap closed over front of screen
No S Pen holder
MiniSuit Classic Stand Case with Handstrap for Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0
MiniSuit Classic Stand Case with Handstrap for Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0
I actually purchased the MiniSuite before the Note 8 was even available in the US, and it was at my door the day before the Note 8’s release (thank you Amazon Prime). I purchased the Navy Blue, but there are many other colors currently available. Overall it has been a good case, and has done an excellent job of protecting the device in a household that has 3 children under the age of 5. There are magnets to keep the flap closed on the front of the case, but there is no Sleep / Wake functionality with this case. I also like that they included an elastic band to hold the S-Pen. I personally like using the larger Samsung S-Pen that has the eraser function on the back, and it fits perfectly in the elastic loop. There is another elastic loop on the cover flap that allows you to insert your and when flipped around to the back, and hold the device more secure one-handed. I personally haven’t used this much, but I can definitely imagine some scenarios where this could come in handy. It is thicker than the Samsung option, but the added bulk doesn't make the device any more difficult to hold. The fake leather isn’t slippery and is somewhat soft to the touch.
The smaller of the two angled views isn’t as stable as the Samsung cover, but the more upright view is much better and stable. This is largely due to the fact that the cover slides into a slot that keeps it from moving. I have not had any issues with the device falling over while in this position, even when sitting on my bed with kids jumping around me.
Pros:
Magnets to keep flap closed over front of screen
Built in S-Pen holder
Access to all ports and buttons
Easy to hold, comfortable feel
Will hold up to drops / spills fairly well
Angled views are difficult to maintain in active environment
Cons:
Does add considerable bulk to the device
No Sleep / Wake function built in
Of the two cases, the MiniSuit will be staying on my device, and the Samsung BookCover is going back to Best Buy. I could have overlooked not having magnets to keep it closes, and no S-Pen holder, but not being able to watch movies while propped up unless sitting absolutely still killed any chance of me wanting to keep this accessory. The MiniSuit has been great up to this point, and I have found an application that mimics the “Sleep / Wake” function when the cover is used, so my main gripe has been satisfied. Plus the fact that this case is $35 less than the Samsung option, makes the decision a lot easier.
Feel free to ask any questions that I may not have covered above. Thanks.
Mr_Armageddon said:
MiniSuit Classic Stand Case with Handstrap for Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0
I have found an application that mimics the “Sleep / Wake” function when the cover is used, so my main gripe has been satisfied.
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Name of app?
elmwood said:
Name of app?
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CaseSensor for Tablets
So far its working very well with the Note 8, as long as its calibrated correctly.
Sent from my SGH-I317 using Tapatalk 2
So being that not having a magnet to deliver the Sleep / Wake function is my biggest gripe against the MiniSuit, I am looking at a way to fix it.
After a bit of experimentation, I found the location that activates sleep / wake. I had originally assumed it was along the bezel, but turns out its behind the screen edge. The location is shown in the attached screen shot. Going to adhere a tiny magnet to the cover and see how it responds. Its below the level of the bezel covet, so shouldn't scratch the sceen at all (although I do use a screen protector just in case).
Sent from my GT-N5110 using Tapatalk HD
The magnet install works great, and the Sleep / Wake function is dead on. Took about 5min to install the magnet, and the backing so the magnetic field didn't effect the device when the cover is folded around to the back. Also has no effect on the S-Pen, which is good to see.
Now the main negative of this case is no longer an issue.
Sent from my Samsung Galaxy Note 8 with Tapatalk HD
Thanks so much for this. I'll be getting my Miniskirt tomorrow. Where did you get that magnet?
watzone69 said:
Thanks so much for this. I'll be getting my Miniskirt tomorrow. Where did you get that magnet?
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At a local fabric / craft store for ¢79. :laugh:
Be careful ordering from this supplier (linked in above post)! Shipping takes forever even with their "airmail". I placed an order on the 18th, and just got shipping notification yesterday (11 days later), with a shipping number, but no way to track it (Hong Kong air mail tracking doesn't seem to recognize it). So I still have no clue to when it will arrive, or even if this is a legitimate business. I am willing to give them 10 more days before I raise the issue with my credit card company since shipping from China does have a tendency to take a couple of weeks or even more, so it's probably nothing to be concerned about, just slow mail.
Sent from my GT-N5110 using xda app-developers app
I have the original Samsung BookCover (green). Keeping it standing is difficult but you can have this http://www.amazon.com/Targus-Design...=1367327608&sr=8-1&keywords=targus+ipad+stand
Or if you have Note 2 (or S3 or S4) with extra battery charger, you can use the stand to hold it.
Thanks for the comparison. I want the Samsung model, but it seemed overpriced and I went with the MiniSuit. Its been pretty good, with three minor complaints.
Like you, I was disappointed it didn't do automatic turn-on/lock functions when the cover was opened or closed. Your magnet mod looks pretty simple, so I'm gonna give that a shot.
When folding the front cover to use it as a stand, the device is pretty unstable in either position. When vertical, a stiff breeze would knock this thing over face first.
The other thing that really chaps my hide is the orientation. When its laying prone but propped up, the home button is on the left side of the case. Its really a "me issue", but the tablet I've been using for the last few years was the opposite, and I find myself constantly reaching for the home button and only hitting the Samsung logo on top. A little annoying, but really no problem.
Not the last case I'll ever buy for this thing, but for $15 its great. I'd definitely recommend it, especially if you're waiting on an Otterbox or Trident solution. This'll keep your Note intact till the real protection comes out.
kisrita said:
Be careful ordering from this supplier (linked in above post)! Shipping takes forever even with their "airmail". I placed an order on the 18th, and just got shipping notification yesterday (11 days later), with a shipping number, but no way to track it (Hong Kong air mail tracking doesn't seem to recognize it). So I still have no clue to when it will arrive, or even if this is a legitimate business. I am willing to give them 10 more days before I raise the issue with my credit card company since shipping from China does have a tendency to take a couple of weeks or even more, so it's probably nothing to be concerned about, just slow mail.
Sent from my GT-N5110 using xda app-developers app
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normally Hong Kong post is like that, I order from ebay on another item and seller use Hong Kong Post also, so tracking number is like invalid too.
my last order from another seller who use hong kong post took like 4 weeks for the item to arrive lol and i am in asia, wonder why it took them so long
I'm in for 1
Just got it for 6.95 instead of 14.95 :good: :good:
Thai Damen said:
normally Hong Kong post is like that, I order from ebay on another item and seller use Hong Kong Post also, so tracking number is like invalid too.
my last order from another seller who use hong kong post took like 4 weeks for the item to arrive lol and i am in asia, wonder why it took them so long
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Ugh 4 weeks! Thats even worse than I thought. But thanks for the heads up!
Sent from my GT-N5110 using xda app-developers app
Worth the wait!
I just had a chance to get online again after a couple of months. I have been extremely busy.
Anyhow, I logged on to xda as I am looking for reviews about minisuit's cases. I have been an online shopper since 2009 and I am totally used to shipping delays lol. For me its no big deal. What really made me purchase items from minisuit was the fact that this company offer great discounts on almost all of their items and even if you are a new customer you can still avail big discounts when you purchase more items online.
Just last week I purchased 5 pieces of different gadget cases from minisuit. Apart from offering low prices to customers this company also sell durable and lasting cases.
Thanks and Best wishes everyone!
I also have this case I got from Amazon It's the MiniSuit 8.0 case right? It's really lovely
Mr_Armageddon said:
The magnet install works great, and the Sleep / Wake function is dead on. Took about 5min to install the magnet, and the backing so the magnetic field didn't effect the device when the cover is folded around to the back. Also has no effect on the S-Pen, which is good to see.
Now the main negative of this case is no longer an issue.
Sent from my Samsung Galaxy Note 8 with Tapatalk HD
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Can you use a magnetic tape instead of a magnet ?
I guess these too are easily available in a hobby shop and are a bit softer compared to a magnet..
ghatothkach said:
Can you use a magnetic tape instead of a magnet ?
I guess these too are easily available in a hobby shop and are a bit softer compared to a magnet..
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I have wondered about that too.
I also have high strength rare-earth magnets, (real tiny ones), I guess I can stick these to the case with some gaffers tape, but do we need a faint magnet or a strong magnet.
My note is in shipping, should get it next week... I gave up on waiting for the 32GB version.
G
I bought this on Amazon for $8.99. It is your standard "Book Type" case. It is PU Leather of a good quality and I didn't notice any of the smell a lot of PU Leather has. All the cut outs line up perfectly. The case comes in 5 colors. I chose Black and it looks well enough to pass for leather.
My only gripe with the case is that it has an external elastic loop to hold the pen. (???) It seems that all the cases on Amazon had the loop, which is unneeded. The elastic loop does interfere with the volume rocker and the IR blaster. I plan on cutting it off.
I was only planning on using this inexpensive case until more cases hit the market. After all it's only $8.99. But after using it the past week I see no reason to look any further. It's a well built case that looks good and offers a lot of protection to all the edges...even that protruding camera.
Thanks for the review! The stylus loop is a little silly and just goes to show that they didn't really think about the device when they received the dimensions and started production.
Here's the link if anyone is curious: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BR8PX6U/
I think the SD card slots are more useless than the stylus loop (I have a full sized wacom digitizer I plan to use so having a full size pen loop would be nice.)
I have two similar cases and find that one of the SD slots and the pen holder can be useful features;
I use the SD card slot to keep the SD card adapter that the mini SD card came with that's in the Note 8. I will probably never use it, but since I have it, I might as well keep it there.
I use the Pen loop to keep a normal sized S Pen. I don't like using the built in pen for two reasons:
1. Too skinny to be comfortable
2. I'm afraid that repeatedly pulling it in and out will loosen it to the point that I will lose it. At least that was my experience back in the Palm days. I want to keep the S Pen that the Note came with as a back up, but nothing more. Also, one of my cases (Moko) has the pen loop on the back, which doesn't interfere with IR.
I would also love to have a card holder pocket (instead or in addition to the SD card slots), so I could keep my work ID in it. (Where I work, the work badge/ID is used as a key to open doors and would work through the cover. Since I'm always carrying the Note 8, this would allow me to just hold up the Note 8 to open the lock instead of finishing my ID out of my pocket...
But I will probably switch to a thinner case that has none of the above features anyway, just to reduce the bulk... Or I might 'doctor' a slimmer case like the Poetic case and add the above.
This may be super particular, but has anyone found a wallet-style case that holds at least 2 credit cards (1 id 1 credit card), some cash, kicks up for media watching, AND has a full TPU-type housing on the inside of it? I don't care if it shows the "edge" or if it has a clasp. I've had a wallet case for my Note 4 that didn't have a full housing inside of it and the bezels were completely scratched because of that. I can't seem to find one with all of the specifications, they're all missing something
I ended up finding one!
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00PYIBY3K/ref=gno_cart_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A3VODXGBJ323R7
Has a TPU interior that covers the entire bezel, slots for money and cards, and pops up.
Now that I think about it...would it be possible to purchase a bumper case and use it with the official samsung flip wallet case?
With a little modification, I would assume so. That's what I did with my note 2. My edge will be here Saturday and oem wallet cover as well. As soon as I can get my hands on everything I'll report back.
awesome! looking forward to your report
gotzta said:
I ended up finding one!
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00PYIBY3K/ref=gno_cart_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A3VODXGBJ323R7
Has a TPU interior that covers the entire bezel, slots for money and cards, and pops up.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ordered one from UK ebay and once you insert a couple of credit cards the flap does not close. Also occasionally the flap causes the front home button to be pressed which can switch on the Edge.
Z5 arriving in the next few days so need a case to go with it. I've read pretty much all the threads here so thought I'd ask a question...what case meets my needs;
- slim but front & back protection
- folio style preferably with magnetic fastener (but not a magnetic strap)
- credit card holder ( I no longer carry a wallet)
- must allow fingerprint scanner to work properly
- stylish (I suppose)
The best I've seen so far is the Nillkin Qin but haven't seen any comments or reviews on these (does the 'badge' on the front protrude much and catch on clothing as you take it out of your pocket).
Any help appreciated.
Search over (I think) as I've found the Roxfit folio case that I have for my Z1 - would prefer a magnetic catch but IMHO probably the best that meets my needs.
maxip said:
Z5 arriving in the next few days so need a case to go with it. I've read pretty much all the threads here so thought I'd ask a question...what case meets my needs;
- slim but front & back protection
- folio style preferably with magnetic fastener (but not a magnetic strap)
- credit card holder ( I no longer carry a wallet)
- must allow fingerprint scanner to work properly
- stylish (I suppose)
The best I've seen so far is the Nillkin Qin but haven't seen any comments or reviews on these (does the 'badge' on the front protrude much and catch on clothing as you take it out of your pocket).
Any help appreciated.
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I used Qin case with Oneplus 2, the brown. There are no issues with clothing catching. The quality is decent, feels as a rich case.
olegfusion said:
I used Qin case with Oneplus 2, the brown. There are no issues with clothing catching. The quality is decent, feels as a rich case.
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Thanks for this - does the Qin case have 1 or 2 credit card slots ? I want 2 (I carry 3 cards) but the Roxfit only has one slot.
maxip said:
Thanks for this - does the Qin case have 1 or 2 credit card slots ? I want 2 (I carry 3 cards) but the Roxfit only has one slot.
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there are 1 slot. 2 cards can be inserted there without troubles. I am able to insert even 3 cards, but I'm able to get the top of card (one by one).
Sony style cover would be my recommendation. It doesn't have magnetic closure but it is a solid case and the window on the front is quite handy. I've had mine for 3 weeks now and very pleased with it.
Sent from my E6653 using Tapatalk
dbohan1991 said:
Sony style cover would be my recommendation. It doesn't have magnetic closure but it is a solid case and the window on the front is quite handy. I've had mine for 3 weeks now and very pleased with it.
Sent from my E6653 using Tapatalk
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I need a case that can hold credit cards and AFAIK, the style cover doesn't. I no longer carry a wallet, just my phone (with cards) and perhaps some loose change.
This one has a card holder maybe you can squeeze a second.
http://www.roxfit.mobi/collections/...ia-z5-ultra-slim-book-case?variant=7230051587
Mysteoa said:
This one has a card holder maybe you can squeeze a second.
http://www.roxfit.mobi/collections/...ia-z5-ultra-slim-book-case?variant=7230051587
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That's the case I have - you can fit two cards in although the outer edge of the case does lift from the phone slightly. Not enough (usually) to turn the screen on but there's absolutely no way of fitting 3 cards in which is my 'desire'.
http://amzn.to/1VgjECO
I use a brand nillkin pouch which is very good.
https://goo.gl/photos/8Xz9mm5pwYiFpRsZ6
http://nillkin.org/accessories/smar...z5-accessories/nillkin-sony-xperia-z5-frosted
cosminvladu said:
I use a brand nillkin pouch which is very good.
https://goo.gl/photos/8Xz9mm5pwYiFpRsZ6
http://nillkin.org/accessories/smar...z5-accessories/nillkin-sony-xperia-z5-frosted
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I use the same case on same color Z5. Its pretty awesome and slick.