Full disclosure: The guys over at Cruzerlite helped out Carbon when no one had heard of use by donating a few free cases so we could run some giveaways on our social networks. We went to them because we liked their product and the way that they interacted with the Android community. They were so excited about their new skin product that they arranged to ship a MotoX and one of their skins to me so that I might review it and give them, and you, my honest feedback. The device and skins have been since sent back to them. I was not paid or otherwise compensated for this review. Mostly I just wanted to check out a new product, have an excuse to play with a Moto X, and play with the lightbox I built last week.
I hate cases. To me, they've always been a necessary evil. I generally go with the thinnest TPU case I can find so I know my phone will be protected, and try and find one that actually looks cool. Which is why I've always liked the Cruzerlite cases. Very android friendly, and there were always lots of looks to choose from - android themes, art, etc. My favorite was the Tardis case. I was always very careful with my device. But scratches and things happen, and like many of you I never plan to stay with one device for more than a year or so. That means you gotta keep it looking like new so you can sell it later.
To me, that's the niche that the Cruzerlite skins occupy. If you drop your phone all the time this product isn't going to keep you from denting it or smashing the glass. It's vinyl, not TPU. If you're a purist who insist on rocking a totally naked phone, this product also isn't for you. If you're one of the many who hate cases but want to protect the phone in some way, or are confident in your ability to not drop your phone but want a custom look, then this product is where it's at. It'll protect your device from light damage, give you any look you want, and preserve the size and feel of your device.
The product comes in the form of thick vinyl stickers. As it's a brand new product they don't yet have a set of instructions on the site. They tell me they have that in the works and we should see them soon. With that in mind, I'll overshare my installation process and what I learned for you folks. Cruzerlite clearly wanted to make sure that you'd be happy with the installation of this product, so they've given you a single sticker for the back, two sets of stickers for the sides, and three sets for the front. You can screw this up and try again without ordering a new set. Note that I say stickers, but this is actually vinyl of a nice thickness, not some elmo sticker you'd get from the doctor after a checkup.
So having checked out both the vinyl and the Moto X I setup my lightbox and got down to business. I applied the back vinyl, taking great care to align the camera and microphone. It worked, after a fashion - it looked like a sticker slapped on a phone. A phone with a lot of curves. So far... meh. I stuck the sides on as well. It looked... like a bunch of stickers slapped on a phone. They didn't conform to the curves of the phone at all. So I called up Joel at Cruzerlite and told him that while I thought he had a nice idea, this was probable something that would only work on a phone with simple surfaces like an iphone. I showed him how it looked and he asked me when I was planning to finish the installation. Finish the installation? What? Heat. You apply heat after installation. Ohhhhhh. For a guy who was just told that his half-installed product wasn't very good, he was pretty cool about it. Thanks Joel.
Ok, so with that in mind, I dug out the hair dryer and got to heating. It looked a lot better. With a bit of heat and some pressure with my fingers, the vinyl conformed to the curves of the device and started to look like they belonged there. That said, because I installed them like they were stickers, there were gaps. Teal gaps. It didn't look great - but that was on me.
You might want to color match better than I did. Teal and
wood grain aren't known for being a classic combination.
So the first install didn't look so great. The vinyl was curved to match the phone, but I had ugly gaps that ruined the look. When I put the sides on, I aligned things like I would with regular stickers - not heat shrinking vinyl. But Cruzerlite clearly anticipated that, so I had more! Off came the vinyl on the sides and and back to square one. This time, I made sure there was some overlap so that when heat was applied, it would properly fit. Here's what it looked like:
You can already tell it's going to come out better this time. Out comes the hair dryer!
Now we're talking. No gaps, all the buttons are nicely cut out... it looks great. Again, the color combination shows why I'm not ever going to be a graphic designer, but it certainly highlights just how well the product fits the device. There's a slight edge where the vinyl on the sides and the back overlap. It's not unpleasant, but I'd like to play with this product some more to see if I could even avoid that. I've asked Cruzerlite to send me a few more and another phone, and hope to have a follow up on this in the future.
Yes, it has front stickers. The great thing about this product is it's up to you what you apply - if you don't want the front stickers, don't put them on. You could even mix and match them if you wanted. Get different colors and make the phone version of this:
Yes, that's a real thing. It's a Harlequin Golf and comes
that way from the factory. Please don't do this to your phone.
So after installing and playing with this, I like it. The vinyl is thick enough to feel like a high quality and durable product and on the whole I found it to be easier to apply than a screen protector. Sure, it's a bit tricky to align, but you don't have to worry about dust and the use of heat makes this a relatively forgiving product. I'm certain that I didn't do a perfect job with this, but I don't hate it the way you'd hate a screen protector with a bit of dust under it. I did manage to tweak the back a bit when applying it, and you can see the bulge from it. Again, this is something that I'd be able to differently now that I know how the product works so I'm not particularly concerned about it.
Cruzerlite has a whole range of vinyl to choose from too - 57 at the time of this review. There's wood grain, antibacterial colors, metallic, and leather skins. We're spoiled for choice and if you can't find something you like you might want to ask yourself why you're so picky.
I'd say this is a buy. They look great, feel great, and will do a fantastic job of protecting your phone from light damage. They're easy to apply, and at just under ten dollars you can't beat the price. For those of you who picked up a Moto X before Motomaker was a thing, this is a great way to change your phone's look without buying a new one, or get the look of wood without paying an extra hundred bucks for a single woodgrain option. (bamboo? seriously?) At the time of this review, the skins are available for the Moto X, Nexus 5, Note 3, Galaxy S4, and iPhone 5/5s.
I'll update this thread in the future if I can get my hands on another device and more vinyl. If possible I'll try something other than wood grain, too.
You can check out the rest of their skins at http://www.cruzerlite.com/skins
Related
Stumbled upon this case and hadn't seen it mentioned in the forums here yet. I want something slim and pocketable, yet able to take a drop from waist height. This looks like the best thing I've found so far.
Due out mid-may according to the person I spoke with at the company. One thing she couldn't say for sure though was whether or not the power button was covered.
http://www.goballisticcase.com/products/htc-one-ballistic-aspira-series-case
The reason I asked her is if you look closely, you'll see a little bit of rubber sticking off the top... looks like a power button covering to me. What do you guys think? Anyone know more about this case, the company or seen a pre-production model? Maybe this is why it's been delayed* -- due to a mistake?
(See edited pics I attached below)
*Note: "Delayed" being my own personal interpretation as to why the case was not available at the launch of the new phone as most big case companies do nowadays.
The video at 0:29 shows the power button is covered. It could be that they will fix this like Poetic is.
On second look, I see that the video is a general one for their line and not for the One specifically.
Long813 said:
The video at 0:29 shows the power button is covered. It could be that they will fix this like Poetic is.
On second look, I see that the video is a general one for their line and not for the One specifically.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah... I still am thinking along the same lines as what you were suggesting.
These cases are available now. Called and had a rep go find out that even though the picture looks like it's covered, that the IR functionality is not impaired. I'll report back if I get one.
its like you are carrying a soap on this case
ad78 said:
its like you are carrying a soap on this case
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Find out in next week's exciting episode who I'll choose.... will it be, the slim yet protective answer... or the slimmest, most pocketable answer?
From the posts, comments and effort placed into details, information and thoughts people provide on these forums in general, we're all kinda part of a soap opera it seems. Makes sense, phones are a total love/hate relationship!
I can attest that Ballistic make some really good Cases. I had the Ballistic Smooth Case on my HTC One S and I loved it, it looked Stylish yet protective.
While the Ballistic Aspira looks good i still prefer the Smooth, too bad its not available for the HTC One.
That said, i would definitely give the Aspira a Try, the only thing that worries me is the hard plastic, looks scratchable...
Anyone tried this case out yet? I've got one on the way, looking for an ideal, attractive case with good protection all around (without being overkill and covering all the ports and adding unnecessary bulk). Not into the UAG case... hate the milspec/ruggedized styling.
I hope it looks like it does in the photo... has a very "Portal"-esque aesthetic to it
lol it does remind me of Portal as well.
But really, tbh... this looks far from slim and pocketable o_o
The UAG looks smaller than this.
Judging by reference dimensions and proportions, I figure the corners of the Aspira stick out a tiny bit more than otterbox Commuter, whereas the waists are a bit slimmer. UAG outside dimensions are about the same as Commuter, the real differences seem to be in how deep/thick the case is... UAG is the slimmest there, Commuter feels thick due to the rear and side profile, I expect the Aspira will feel better in that regard, even with the higher edges around the screen. Hopefully they don't get in the way of typing etc. I'd love to do a full side by side review with Commuter, Aspira, UAG with professional comparison and specific measurements, anyone got a UAG to send me?
ordered one, will report back in a few days...
jodeltje said:
ordered one, will report back in a few days...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Awesome, look forward to it. Very interested in comments regarding the lip around the screen and overall pocket-ability. Cause you can tell it would take a drop it better than a thin TPU or Seidio Surface.
Also make sure you take a photo of a very dark environment to engage the flash and let us know about any wash-out (if present). The design looks like it accounted for it in two ways by keeping the opening far away from the flash & lens + blacking out the rings around them.
Lauski said:
Also make sure you take a photo of a very dark environment to engage the flash and let us know about any wash-out (if present). The design looks like it accounted for it in two ways by keeping the opening far away from the flash & lens + blacking out the rings around them.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Will do
Ballistic Aspira = Great bloody case.
Wow, just arrived and got it on the phone, fantastic case! Quick first impressions review here, I'll make a real review thread soon as I can, this case deserves the attention.
-The case feels much, much slimmer than my otterbox Commuter, comparing the depth (thickness) and width of the cases the Aspira is a hair smaller in both dimensions, but it FEELS much smaller due to the superior ergonomic contours and curvyness. This is the exact criteria I was hoping for with this case, I'm a product design engineer myself and love good simple, ergonomics above all, favouring natural curves to fit the hand. Very impressed with the case in that regard, the glossy white back with grippy forward edges handles extremely well and much less likely to slip from my hand than my Commuter case.
-Built quality is fantastic, the plastics used are top quality with perfect finish, the overmolded one-piece design is right on the money, and the blends where the two materials meet are very precise and no hanging burrs, overlaps etc. Cutouts couldn't be better... they look fantastic and the size and placement is bang on. Nothing in the way of the power button IR blaster, no issue using 90 degree headphone connector, best looking camera cutout I've seen. To top that all off, the volume rockers function perfectly, a clear step up in function and feel from the Commuters which are too stiff, and there are no slots or cutouts around the rocker to let dirt in. Also, the Ballistic text logo molded into the one side looks really bloody clean... I dig it.
-Lip around the screen is about 3mm height, same as the Commuter. does not interfere with typing or swyping near the outside of the keyboard. the lip is raised the slightest bit in the four corners, adding some extra bounce protection there and does not get in the way, additionally it means when laying the phone face down, it's standing up the littlest bit on those corners, which I really like.
-Criticisms: don't have any yet... which is fantastic as I'm a severely picky perfectionist. initial impressions is top score in appearance, handling, and build quality... I don't think this case could be made any thinner without sacrificing protection, I feel it offers an excellent level of protection especially if combined with a glass screen protector.
Durability test will come throughout the week, I keep my phone in coveralls pocket all the time and work in a busy machine shop, my phone does get dropped from time to time and usually gets dirty with aluminum dust, coolant residue, etc from handling. the HTC One tends to pick up tiny steel filings around the speakers (magnets yo), the commuter was a PITA with this cause I had to take the case off the phone to clear them away... this case has just the right bit of flex around the speaker grills so it should allow me to wipe them away with the case on. Will report end of the week, and do a photo test with flash in the dark to check for reflection in the cutout.
Also I will get photos of it on the phone! it really looks fantastic :good::good:
Can anybody comment on how this case will fit into Slim (not skinny) jeans? Does the silicone part catch in pockets? Does it not wrap properly in some places? I had a ballistic for GS2 until I realized that thing was a tank and only needed a TPU case.
Also, the back is just polished polycarbonate as opposed to the Aspira's big bro, the GS, which has a TPU back that is virtually unscratchable. That's closer to what I had for the GS2. Can anybody tell us if the back is prone to scratches?
I'll give you detailed field report in a few days time, I keep my phone in jeans pocket usually and always taking it out to browse on transit, two hours a day, plus shop time. Should have an idea about scratch resistance and pocketability by Friday
Ps, did some low light flash photo tests, no signs of whiteout/reflective effects from camera/flash cutout.
ApoC_101 said:
Wow, just arrived and got it on the phone, fantastic case! Quick first impressions review here, I'll make a real review thread soon as I can, this case deserves the attention.
-The case feels much, much slimmer than my otterbox Commuter, comparing the depth (thickness) and width of the cases the Aspira is a hair smaller in both dimensions, but it FEELS much smaller due to the superior ergonomic contours and curvyness. This is the exact criteria I was hoping for with this case, I'm a product design engineer myself and love good simple, ergonomics above all, favouring natural curves to fit the hand. Very impressed with the case in that regard, the glossy white back with grippy forward edges handles extremely well and much less likely to slip from my hand than my Commuter case.
-Built quality is fantastic, the plastics used are top quality with perfect finish, the overmolded one-piece design is right on the money, and the blends where the two materials meet are very precise and no hanging burrs, overlaps etc. Cutouts couldn't be better... they look fantastic and the size and placement is bang on. Nothing in the way of the power button IR blaster, no issue using 90 degree headphone connector, best looking camera cutout I've seen. To top that all off, the volume rockers function perfectly, a clear step up in function and feel from the Commuters which are too stiff, and there are no slots or cutouts around the rocker to let dirt in. Also, the Ballistic text logo molded into the one side looks really bloody clean... I dig it.
-Lip around the screen is about 3mm height, same as the Commuter. does not interfere with typing or swyping near the outside of the keyboard. the lip is raised the slightest bit in the four corners, adding some extra bounce protection there and does not get in the way, additionally it means when laying the phone face down, it's standing up the littlest bit on those corners, which I really like.
-Criticisms: don't have any yet... which is fantastic as I'm a severely picky perfectionist. initial impressions is top score in appearance, handling, and build quality... I don't think this case could be made any thinner without sacrificing protection, I feel it offers an excellent level of protection especially if combined with a glass screen protector.
Durability test will come throughout the week, I keep my phone in coveralls pocket all the time and work in a busy machine shop, my phone does get dropped from time to time and usually gets dirty with aluminum dust, coolant residue, etc from handling. the HTC One tends to pick up tiny steel filings around the speakers (magnets yo), the commuter was a PITA with this cause I had to take the case off the phone to clear them away... this case has just the right bit of flex around the speaker grills so it should allow me to wipe them away with the case on. Will report end of the week, and do a photo test with flash in the dark to check for reflection in the cutout.
Also I will get photos of it on the phone! it really looks fantastic :good::good:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the first impressions!, I'm glad that mine is on the way! . Looking forward for the pics ! Cheers
Just a little mid week update: case has totally grown on me, it's been perfect for me so far. Been working on a batch of small aluminum parts at work with machining and polishing, made sure to handle the phone plenty with my dirty hands.. dirt will barely stick to the glossy back, and wipes off easily. It will stick to the silicone but it wipes off that too. So far it's great for dirty job! Someone asked about or mentioned case materials of other ballistic cases, I believe the base material of this case is PA or PV based, most likely acrylic based. It's a super fine gloss finish in a solid milk white colour, with just enough flexibility to get on the phone. Poly-Acrylic makes sense since it feels great but also keeps enough tack for good handling, and depending on the blend and curing it can have excellent scratch and abrasion resistance, which this case appears to have. It should also exhibit good UV and sunlight resistance, as not to embrittle and change colour over time, which TPU can do. The lining material of the case is a silicone type rubberized plastic, it has a good solid cure and shouldn't shred like the softer durometer grades like some otter cases tend to do.
Off topic but funny cause of the irony, those aluminum parts I'm working on are fiber optic parts for the bad guys (Samsung). I believe Intel uses them too. I actually have no idea what they are for.
I just got this case today (gift from my boss who got it from out Ballistic rep). Having had it on for a few hours, I can tell you that it feels good , even though it's a little slick, not too thick, not as thick as an Otterbox Commuter. The power button is open, all the openings are where they're supposed to be. Seems like a good case
I just got mine in today and I really like this case! I have a zillion different cases and this one seems to give me the best of everything I want. I was using Case-Mate tough case before which I really like too.
Sent from my HTC One with hi-fi stereo and the Now Network.
Full disclosure: The guys over at Cruzerlite helped out Carbon when no one had heard of use by donating a few free cases so we could run some giveaways on our social networks. We went to them because we liked their product and the way that they interacted with the Android community. They were so excited about their new skin product that they arranged to ship a MotoX and one of their skins to me so that I might review it and give them, and you, my honest feedback. The device and skins have been since sent back to them. I was not paid or otherwise compensated for this review. Mostly I just wanted to check out a new product, have an excuse to play with a Moto X, and play with the lightbox I built last week.
I hate cases. To me, they've always been a necessary evil. I generally go with the thinnest TPU case I can find so I know my phone will be protected, and try and find one that actually looks cool. Which is why I've always liked the Cruzerlite cases. Very android friendly, and there were always lots of looks to choose from - android themes, art, etc. My favorite was the Tardis case. I was always very careful with my device. But scratches and things happen, and like many of you I never plan to stay with one device for more than a year or so. That means you gotta keep it looking like new so you can sell it later.
To me, that's the niche that the Cruzerlite skins occupy. If you drop your phone all the time this product isn't going to keep you from denting it or smashing the glass. It's vinyl, not TPU. If you're a purist who insist on rocking a totally naked phone, this product also isn't for you. If you're one of the many who hate cases but want to protect the phone in some way, or are confident in your ability to not drop your phone but want a custom look, then this product is where it's at. It'll protect your device from light damage, give you any look you want, and preserve the size and feel of your device.
The product comes in the form of thick vinyl stickers. As it's a brand new product they don't yet have a set of instructions on the site. They tell me they have that in the works and we should see them soon. With that in mind, I'll overshare my installation process and what I learned for you folks. Cruzerlite clearly wanted to make sure that you'd be happy with the installation of this product, so they've given you a single sticker for the back, two sets of stickers for the sides, and three sets for the front. You can screw this up and try again without ordering a new set. Note that I say stickers, but this is actually vinyl of a nice thickness, not some elmo sticker you'd get from the doctor after a checkup.
So having checked out both the vinyl and the Moto X I setup my lightbox and got down to business. I applied the back vinyl, taking great care to align the camera and microphone. It worked, after a fashion - it looked like a sticker slapped on a phone. A phone with a lot of curves. So far... meh. I stuck the sides on as well. It looked... like a bunch of stickers slapped on a phone. They didn't conform to the curves of the phone at all. So I called up Joel at Cruzerlite and told him that while I thought he had a nice idea, this was probable something that would only work on a phone with simple surfaces like an iphone. I showed him how it looked and he asked me when I was planning to finish the installation. Finish the installation? What? Heat. You apply heat after installation. Ohhhhhh. For a guy who was just told that his half-installed product wasn't very good, he was pretty cool about it. Thanks Joel.
Ok, so with that in mind, I dug out the hair dryer and got to heating. It looked a lot better. With a bit of heat and some pressure with my fingers, the vinyl conformed to the curves of the device and started to look like they belonged there. That said, because I installed them like they were stickers, there were gaps. Teal gaps. It didn't look great - but that was on me.
You might want to color match better than I did. Teal and
wood grain aren't known for being a classic combination.
So the first install didn't look so great. The vinyl was curved to match the phone, but I had ugly gaps that ruined the look. When I put the sides on, I aligned things like I would with regular stickers - not heat shrinking vinyl. But Cruzerlite clearly anticipated that, so I had more! Off came the vinyl on the sides and and back to square one. This time, I made sure there was some overlap so that when heat was applied, it would properly fit. Here's what it looked like:
You can already tell it's going to come out better this time. Out comes the hair dryer!
Now we're talking. No gaps, all the buttons are nicely cut out... it looks great. Again, the color combination shows why I'm not ever going to be a graphic designer, but it certainly highlights just how well the product fits the device. There's a slight edge where the vinyl on the sides and the back overlap. It's not unpleasant, but I'd like to play with this product some more to see if I could even avoid that. I've asked Cruzerlite to send me a few more and another phone, and hope to have a follow up on this in the future.
Yes, it has front stickers. The great thing about this product is it's up to you what you apply - if you don't want the front stickers, don't put them on. You could even mix and match them if you wanted. Get different colors and make the phone version of this:
Yes, that's a real thing. It's a Harlequin Golf and comes
that way from the factory. Please don't do this to your phone.
So after installing and playing with this, I like it. The vinyl is thick enough to feel like a high quality and durable product and on the whole I found it to be easier to apply than a screen protector. Sure, it's a bit tricky to align, but you don't have to worry about dust and the use of heat makes this a relatively forgiving product. I'm certain that I didn't do a perfect job with this, but I don't hate it the way you'd hate a screen protector with a bit of dust under it. I did manage to tweak the back a bit when applying it, and you can see the bulge from it. Again, this is something that I'd be able to differently now that I know how the product works so I'm not particularly concerned about it.
Cruzerlite has a whole range of vinyl to choose from too - 57 at the time of this review. There's wood grain, antibacterial colors, metallic, and leather skins. We're spoiled for choice and if you can't find something you like you might want to ask yourself why you're so picky.
I'd say this is a buy. They look great, feel great, and will do a fantastic job of protecting your phone from light damage. They're easy to apply, and at just under ten dollars you can't beat the price. For those of you who picked up a Moto X before Motomaker was a thing, this is a great way to change your phone's look without buying a new one, or get the look of wood without paying an extra hundred bucks for a single woodgrain option. (bamboo? seriously?) At the time of this review, the skins are available for the Moto X, Nexus 5, Note 3, Galaxy S4, and iPhone 5/5s.
I'll update this thread in the future if I can get my hands on another device and more vinyl. If possible I'll try something other than wood grain, too.
You can check out the rest of their skins at http://www.cruzerlite.com/skins
Full disclosure: The guys over at Cruzerlite helped out Carbon when no one had heard of use by donating a few free cases so we could run some giveaways on our social networks. We went to them because we liked their product and the way that they interacted with the Android community. They were so excited about their new skin product that they arranged to ship a MotoX and one of their skins to me so that I might review it and give them, and you, my honest feedback. The device and skins have been since sent back to them. I was not paid or otherwise compensated for this review. Mostly I just wanted to check out a new product, have an excuse to play with a Moto X, and play with the lightbox I built last week.
I hate cases. To me, they've always been a necessary evil. I generally go with the thinnest TPU case I can find so I know my phone will be protected, and try and find one that actually looks cool. Which is why I've always liked the Cruzerlite cases. Very android friendly, and there were always lots of looks to choose from - android themes, art, etc. My favorite was the Tardis case. I was always very careful with my device. But scratches and things happen, and like many of you I never plan to stay with one device for more than a year or so. That means you gotta keep it looking like new so you can sell it later.
To me, that's the niche that the Cruzerlite skins occupy. If you drop your phone all the time this product isn't going to keep you from denting it or smashing the glass. It's vinyl, not TPU. If you're a purist who insist on rocking a totally naked phone, this product also isn't for you. If you're one of the many who hate cases but want to protect the phone in some way, or are confident in your ability to not drop your phone but want a custom look, then this product is where it's at. It'll protect your device from light damage, give you any look you want, and preserve the size and feel of your device.
The product comes in the form of thick vinyl stickers. As it's a brand new product they don't yet have a set of instructions on the site. They tell me they have that in the works and we should see them soon. With that in mind, I'll overshare my installation process and what I learned for you folks. Cruzerlite clearly wanted to make sure that you'd be happy with the installation of this product, so they've given you a single sticker for the back, two sets of stickers for the sides, and three sets for the front. You can screw this up and try again without ordering a new set. Note that I say stickers, but this is actually vinyl of a nice thickness, not some elmo sticker you'd get from the doctor after a checkup.
So having checked out both the vinyl and the Moto X I setup my lightbox and got down to business. I applied the back vinyl, taking great care to align the camera and microphone. It worked, after a fashion - it looked like a sticker slapped on a phone. A phone with a lot of curves. So far... meh. I stuck the sides on as well. It looked... like a bunch of stickers slapped on a phone. They didn't conform to the curves of the phone at all. So I called up Joel at Cruzerlite and told him that while I thought he had a nice idea, this was probable something that would only work on a phone with simple surfaces like an iphone. I showed him how it looked and he asked me when I was planning to finish the installation. Finish the installation? What? Heat. You apply heat after installation. Ohhhhhh. For a guy who was just told that his half-installed product wasn't very good, he was pretty cool about it. Thanks Joel.
Ok, so with that in mind, I dug out the hair dryer and got to heating. It looked a lot better. With a bit of heat and some pressure with my fingers, the vinyl conformed to the curves of the device and started to look like they belonged there. That said, because I installed them like they were stickers, there were gaps. Teal gaps. It didn't look great - but that was on me.
You might want to color match better than I did. Teal and
wood grain aren't known for being a classic combination.
So the first install didn't look so great. The vinyl was curved to match the phone, but I had ugly gaps that ruined the look. When I put the sides on, I aligned things like I would with regular stickers - not heat shrinking vinyl. But Cruzerlite clearly anticipated that, so I had more! Off came the vinyl on the sides and and back to square one. This time, I made sure there was some overlap so that when heat was applied, it would properly fit. Here's what it looked like:
You can already tell it's going to come out better this time. Out comes the hair dryer!
Now we're talking. No gaps, all the buttons are nicely cut out... it looks great. Again, the color combination shows why I'm not ever going to be a graphic designer, but it certainly highlights just how well the product fits the device. There's a slight edge where the vinyl on the sides and the back overlap. It's not unpleasant, but I'd like to play with this product some more to see if I could even avoid that. I've asked Cruzerlite to send me a few more and another phone, and hope to have a follow up on this in the future.
Yes, it has front stickers. The great thing about this product is it's up to you what you apply - if you don't want the front stickers, don't put them on. You could even mix and match them if you wanted. Get different colors and make the phone version of this:
Yes, that's a real thing. It's a Harlequin Golf and comes
that way from the factory. Please don't do this to your phone.
So after installing and playing with this, I like it. The vinyl is thick enough to feel like a high quality and durable product and on the whole I found it to be easier to apply than a screen protector. Sure, it's a bit tricky to align, but you don't have to worry about dust and the use of heat makes this a relatively forgiving product. I'm certain that I didn't do a perfect job with this, but I don't hate it the way you'd hate a screen protector with a bit of dust under it. I did manage to tweak the back a bit when applying it, and you can see the bulge from it. Again, this is something that I'd be able to differently now that I know how the product works so I'm not particularly concerned about it.
Cruzerlite has a whole range of vinyl to choose from too - 57 at the time of this review. There's wood grain, antibacterial colors, metallic, and leather skins. We're spoiled for choice and if you can't find something you like you might want to ask yourself why you're so picky.
I'd say this is a buy. They look great, feel great, and will do a fantastic job of protecting your phone from light damage. They're easy to apply, and at just under ten dollars you can't beat the price. For those of you who picked up a Moto X before Motomaker was a thing, this is a great way to change your phone's look without buying a new one, or get the look of wood without paying an extra hundred bucks for a single woodgrain option. (bamboo? seriously?) At the time of this review, the skins are available for the Moto X, Nexus 5, Note 3, Galaxy S4, and iPhone 5/5s.
I'll update this thread in the future if I can get my hands on another device and more vinyl. If possible I'll try something other than wood grain, too.
You can check out the rest of their skins at http://www.cruzerlite.com/skins
Wow that looks like a great quality skin! How do you keep the termites from eating away at your phone? lol
The quality for the Moto X one may be good but the quality for the Nexus 5 one is pretty bad from my experience.
The cut outs for the nexus lettering are bad and uneven and to thin and different sizes and the back skin was longer in some corners from others. I was pretty disappointed..
I'm getting a replacement from them soon but I don't expect any different because I sent a picture of the back to CL but they said that the manufacturer said they didn't think it was defective but it "got stretched somehow" I know I didn't stretch it and it didn't look stretched to me cause others people with the skin from them had the same looking cuts just not as bad as mine. But I'll see how the new one I get is.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using xda app-developers app
Nocturnal86 said:
The quality for the Moto X one may be good but the quality for the Nexus 5 one is pretty bad from my experience.
The cut outs for the nexus lettering are bad and uneven and to thin and different sizes and the back skin was longer in some corners from others. I was pretty disappointed..
I'm getting a replacement from them soon but I don't expect any different because I sent a picture of the back to CL but they said that the manufacturer said they didn't think it was defective but it "got stretched somehow" I know I didn't stretch it and it didn't look stretched to me cause others people with the skin from them had the same looking cuts just not as bad as mine. But I'll see how the new one I get is.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you noticed lint getting stuck on the edges, or the corners peeling especially on the thin side strips?
THanks
The kind people at Poetic have given me the opportunity to write a review for two of their cases. I must say, I’m pretty impressed. But if you know Poetic and the quality of their products then you know that’s not anything new. Let’s start with the Revolution Series, shall we?
Amazon Link - My Pics will be up this weekend
The front piece is made of plastic and has a built in screen protector. It sort of snaps onto the front of the phone and leaves the back exposed. And then there is the back piece that brings it all together. This piece is a TPU rubber that actually overlaps the front piece on the side of the phone. This brings the whole thing together in a nice protective package that is actually pretty easy on the eyes. The closest point of reference for this would be an Otterbox style case, but this is not… it’s Poetic. And it’s beautiful.
The quality of this case is pretty stellar to be honest. It’s not cheaply made by any means and I didn’t fear for my phone while this case was on it. While I did not do a drop test, I’m pretty confident this case would protect the phone for nearly any everyday drop. Obviously no one WANTS to drop their phone, but this case could take it if you did.
Opinion: The only improvement that I could see this case needing is the built in screen protector. Due to the type of plastic used on it, it gives a weird rainbow effect on parts of the screen. For most this won’t be a bother. Especially since you can’t see it while the screen is on. If you need an inexpensive, yet quality built rugged case, this will do the trick. It looks great on the phone and it feels great in the hand. Additionally, you can be confident your investment is protected, should you accidentally drop your phone.
And now the Affinity Series case… I am a little biased about this case, and you’ll see why in the photos attached.
Amazon Link - My photos attached to post
This is a one piece, hard TPU case that sort of snaps onto the phone. It’s very minimalist but still gets the job done at protecting your investment. I actually had a friend look at the phone with this case on it and he said, “Damn… This looks like it was designed to come on this phone from the factory.” Can we say OEM quality here?! The sides of the case are ribbed to prevent accidental slipping out of your hand. The case itself is 80-90% clear hard plastic with black accents. The black accents are really what pulls the design together on this case. The accents are raised ever so slightly from the clear to prevent it from becoming scratched and yes, it does an excellent job at that.
The designed quality on this case is like none other I’ve used. It is literally as if the mold is poured on the device and then peeled off. I doubt it’s done that way, but it is that snug and form fitting. That to me is quite refreshing in a world of cheaply made name brand knockoffs.
Opinion: I doubt this case will protect a device this large from a high drop. That’s not any fault of the case, but rather the large phone paired with a minimalist form fitting case. However, if you are like me and want something that will protect it from the everyday toss it on the table scenario, then this is for you. Very thin design that to me actually complements the phone’s design and the phone compliments the case design. I agree with what my friend said… It’s as if this case were designed specifically for this phone to be sold as a pair.
Final Thoughts: Both of these cases are great products. And yet again, Poetic knocks it out of the park with their innovative design and actually building a case around the phone so that they sort of meld as one unit. (That's an opinion of course) Hats off to you Poetic. I work in both Facilities and IT, and these cases are a godsend. Simply put… Poetic designs their cases with the user in mind. And to me, that’s everything. I highly recommend these cases to anyone!
If you have questions or would like better pictures, let me know. I'll answer as many as I can.
Also, I will choose someone at random and send them the Revolution case that I tried out! Free of charge of course!
*Yes it's been used. No it's not damaged in any way shape or form. Yes it will be free and I'll pay shipping.
Well I have to say that the quality of the Revolution case isn't bad, but it defiantly isn't as nice as the Supcase Unicorn Beetle Pro that I had for mu Note 7. I decided to return the Revolution, I personally didn't feel like it would survive a drop if one should occur. I ended up with a Otterbox Defender, I think that I'm one of the few that likes how much bulk it adds to the phone.
My side by sides of those two cases... As you can see, the clear TPU on the Affinity has started turning yellowish after only a few days of use. If you go with the Affinity, I recommend getting the black TPU. I ordered the clear because it was the only one that would've arrived the same day my phone did.
Sent from my LG-H910 using Tapatalk
@spydersilk has been chosen at Random. Spyder, if you want the case, it's yours. Just message me.
tribalartgod said:
The kind people at Poetic have given me the opportunity to write a review for two of their cases. I must say, I’m pretty impressed. But if you know Poetic and the quality of their products then you know that’s not anything new. Let’s start with the Revolution Series, shall we?
Amazon Link - My Pics will be up this weekend
The front piece is made of plastic and has a built in screen protector. It sort of snaps onto the front of the phone and leaves the back exposed. And then there is the back piece that brings it all together. This piece is a TPU rubber that actually overlaps the front piece on the side of the phone. This brings the whole thing together in a nice protective package that is actually pretty easy on the eyes. The closest point of reference for this would be an Otterbox style case, but this is not… it’s Poetic. And it’s beautiful.
The quality of this case is pretty stellar to be honest. It’s not cheaply made by any means and I didn’t fear for my phone while this case was on it. While I did not do a drop test, I’m pretty confident this case would protect the phone for nearly any everyday drop. Obviously no one WANTS to drop their phone, but this case could take it if you did.
Opinion: The only improvement that I could see this case needing is the built in screen protector. Due to the type of plastic used on it, it gives a weird rainbow effect on parts of the screen. For most this won’t be a bother. Especially since you can’t see it while the screen is on. If you need an inexpensive, yet quality built rugged case, this will do the trick. It looks great on the phone and it feels great in the hand. Additionally, you can be confident your investment is protected, should you accidentally drop your phone.
And now the Affinity Series case… I am a little biased about this case, and you’ll see why in the photos attached.
Amazon Link - My photos attached to post
This is a one piece, hard TPU case that sort of snaps onto the phone. It’s very minimalist but still gets the job done at protecting your investment. I actually had a friend look at the phone with this case on it and he said, “Damn… This looks like it was designed to come on this phone from the factory.” Can we say OEM quality here?! The sides of the case are ribbed to prevent accidental slipping out of your hand. The case itself is 80-90% clear hard plastic with black accents. The black accents are really what pulls the design together on this case. The accents are raised ever so slightly from the clear to prevent it from becoming scratched and yes, it does an excellent job at that.
The designed quality on this case is like none other I’ve used. It is literally as if the mold is poured on the device and then peeled off. I doubt it’s done that way, but it is that snug and form fitting. That to me is quite refreshing in a world of cheaply made name brand knockoffs.
Opinion: I doubt this case will protect a device this large from a high drop. That’s not any fault of the case, but rather the large phone paired with a minimalist form fitting case. However, if you are like me and want something that will protect it from the everyday toss it on the table scenario, then this is for you. Very thin design that to me actually complements the phone’s design and the phone compliments the case design. I agree with what my friend said… It’s as if this case were designed specifically for this phone to be sold as a pair.
Final Thoughts: Both of these cases are great products. And yet again, Poetic knocks it out of the park with their innovative design and actually building a case around the phone so that they sort of meld as one unit. (That's an opinion of course) Hats off to you Poetic. I work in both Facilities and IT, and these cases are a godsend. Simply put… Poetic designs their cases with the user in mind. And to me, that’s everything. I highly recommend these cases to anyone!
If you have questions or would like better pictures, let me know. I'll answer as many as I can.
Also, I will choose someone at random and send them the Revolution case that I tried out! Free of charge of course!
*Yes it's been used. No it's not damaged in any way shape or form. Yes it will be free and I'll pay shipping.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Your screen protector seems like it covers the whole screen which kind is it my I ask ...
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
tribalartgod said:
The kind people at Poetic have given me the opportunity to write a review for two of their cases. I must say, I’m pretty impressed. But if you know Poetic and the quality of their products then you know that’s not anything new. Let’s start with the Revolution Series, shall we?
Amazon Link - My Pics will be up this weekend
The front piece is made of plastic and has a built in screen protector. It sort of snaps onto the front of the phone and leaves the back exposed. And then there is the back piece that brings it all together. This piece is a TPU rubber that actually overlaps the front piece on the side of the phone. This brings the whole thing together in a nice protective package that is actually pretty easy on the eyes. The closest point of reference for this would be an Otterbox style case, but this is not… it’s Poetic. And it’s beautiful.
The quality of this case is pretty stellar to be honest. It’s not cheaply made by any means and I didn’t fear for my phone while this case was on it. While I did not do a drop test, I’m pretty confident this case would protect the phone for nearly any everyday drop. Obviously no one WANTS to drop their phone, but this case could take it if you did.
Opinion: The only improvement that I could see this case needing is the built in screen protector. Due to the type of plastic used on it, it gives a weird rainbow effect on parts of the screen. For most this won’t be a bother. Especially since you can’t see it while the screen is on. If you need an inexpensive, yet quality built rugged case, this will do the trick. It looks great on the phone and it feels great in the hand. Additionally, you can be confident your investment is protected, should you accidentally drop your phone.
And now the Affinity Series case… I am a little biased about this case, and you’ll see why in the photos attached.
Amazon Link - My photos attached to post
This is a one piece, hard TPU case that sort of snaps onto the phone. It’s very minimalist but still gets the job done at protecting your investment. I actually had a friend look at the phone with this case on it and he said, “Damn… This looks like it was designed to come on this phone from the factory.” Can we say OEM quality here?! The sides of the case are ribbed to prevent accidental slipping out of your hand. The case itself is 80-90% clear hard plastic with black accents. The black accents are really what pulls the design together on this case. The accents are raised ever so slightly from the clear to prevent it from becoming scratched and yes, it does an excellent job at that.
The designed quality on this case is like none other I’ve used. It is literally as if the mold is poured on the device and then peeled off. I doubt it’s done that way, but it is that snug and form fitting. That to me is quite refreshing in a world of cheaply made name brand knockoffs.
Opinion: I doubt this case will protect a device this large from a high drop. That’s not any fault of the case, but rather the large phone paired with a minimalist form fitting case. However, if you are like me and want something that will protect it from the everyday toss it on the table scenario, then this is for you. Very thin design that to me actually complements the phone’s design and the phone compliments the case design. I agree with what my friend said… It’s as if this case were designed specifically for this phone to be sold as a pair.
Final Thoughts: Both of these cases are great products. And yet again, Poetic knocks it out of the park with their innovative design and actually building a case around the phone so that they sort of meld as one unit. (That's an opinion of course) Hats off to you Poetic. I work in both Facilities and IT, and these cases are a godsend. Simply put… Poetic designs their cases with the user in mind. And to me, that’s everything. I highly recommend these cases to anyone!
If you have questions or would like better pictures, let me know. I'll answer as many as I can.
Also, I will choose someone at random and send them the Revolution case that I tried out! Free of charge of course!
*Yes it's been used. No it's not damaged in any way shape or form. Yes it will be free and I'll pay shipping.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just installed the Poetic Revolution, and I agree with your review. The thinner cases are still difficult to reliably grasp. I am hoping the case is as protective as it seems. The plastic screen protector is, well, not tempered glass- yet it offers decent protection. With the V20, there don''t appear to be any properly fitting glass protectors out yet. So plastic is the way to go. If that should change, then a lighter case with a glass protector would make sense for me.
Sent from my LG-H918 using Tapatalk
mobilecutzzfa said:
Your screen protector seems like it covers the whole screen which kind is it my I ask ...
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry for the delay... I tried to use a tempered glass protector, but it had a halo effect... So what you are seeing is a naked screen. No screen protector at all. I'm only about a week in to no screen protector of any kind and I have not had any issues... If anything, the phone is actually a bit more appealing to the eye now...
I was asked to write a review on XDA Developers, to enable me to receive my case for free, so here I am. If this isn't allowed here, I'm just doing as the company asked. Feel free to delete.
Took Exactly 20 days to arrive, As Jeff said in his email to me (co-founder of ArmadilloTek), I had an option to either buy from Amazon or get sent from manufacturer. I chose the manufacturer (Amazon was out of stock)
Arrived bang on schedule! - If i had ordered from Amazon, had they been in stock, it would have most likely been next/same day.
This is my review after a few days of use, replacing my OnePlus Case
Pros:
- It's very thick. It doesn't make my phone feel too big, but it does make it very pleasant to hold
- Feels very nice to hold - unlike my OnePlus Case that came in the box, it doesn't feel like it is going to fall out of my hand at any point
- Retains clicky buttons on the phone, some cases make the buttons feel mushy - this one does not!
- Very, very clear! Get a nice view of my totally black phone through the case!
- Works better than my OnePlus case for NFC (I'm a diabetic with NFC monitoring sensors) - This one is IMPORTANT to me.
- NO STUPID SANDED CORNERS. So many TPU cases have textured corners. It annoys me - this case doesn't!
Cons:
- Bit of a fingerprint magnet. For someone like me that likes a clean look, I have to pretty frequently wipe the case down - I know it's a clear case, so fingerprints are not as visible, but I still see them!
- Occasionally a corner of my phone slips out of the case. One example I threw my phone (lightly) onto my bed. When I picked it back up, a corner had come out of the case. The case does feel snug though, so that shouldn't be happening but it isn't the first time I've spotted it. I wouldn't want that to happen if I do actually drop my phone somewhere a case matters.
- Doesn't stick well with the set of pop sockets I have - I feel it's a requirement for large phones to make them useable. Mine doesn't seem to stick super well to this case. Could be isolated to me though.
Packaging:
-Pros
- Arrived in good condition
- Professional Packaging
- Easy to Open
-Cons
- Could use less plastic. You could get away with a paper bag or something. It's already in a box, and the case is thick plastic, I highly doubt it's getting damaged in shipping when the box didn't even have a dent - and I live in the UK, getting it shipped from America.
- It wouldn't hurt to include a free, decent glass screen protector. I see a bunch of cases doing this on Amazon. Not saying it's a requirement, would just be nice.
Rating: 4/5
@jinshanghaiaraol you seem to have something to do with this, can you pass this on?
manor7777 said:
@jinshanghaiaraol you seem to have something to do with this, can you pass this on?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks man.
I passed your review to the company.
Don't agree with most thing you talked about package. We have to keep the product sealed perfectly or Amazon might say it is not good enough.
And about the magnet of fingerprint, dude, you are using a clear case, it happens to all of them.
jinshanghaiaraol said:
Thanks man.
I passed your review to the company.
Don't agree with most thing you talked about package. We have to keep the product sealed perfectly or Amazon might say it is not good enough.
And about the magnet of fingerprint, dude, you are using a clear case, it happens to all of them.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
actually the clear case i had for my OP8 Pro wasn't anywhere near as noticeable for fingerprints, but it did have a textured back - just personal opinion! - Fair enough for the packaging though, i don't sell on amazon so i don't know their requirements Love it so far though
Hi guys, I was also asked by Jeff Lin (ArmadilloTek's co-founder) to try the brand new CaseBorn ArmadilloTek S for One+ 9 Pro.
As for me phone protection is very important (my friends call me paranoiac !) I am always very interested in cases but often disappointed.
When I unboxed it, apart that the packaging is perfect and graphically totally my taste, I was a bit disappointed because this case looks really not strong nor special at first glance. And that is the amazing point! This case is greaaaaaaaat but does not let it be seen immediately.
The material is rigid, except in the upper corner of the camera window where it is completely flexible, but being rigid it keeps a certain flexibility as you can see on the pics.
It is not that thick but it is definitely strong, and to break it you'll need to really want it. So I don't feel my phone is bigger but I feel it is protected and very pleasant to touch and to hold in my hand.
I can hold it quite better than without case or with the OnePlus case, and it won't slide off my hand as it might happen with the one+ case coming with the phone or without case.
It is totally clear and transparent and works perfectly with NFC. Not too much fingerprint smudging.
The buttons work perfectly and are totally protected.
The edges of the screen are very well protected without disturbing the touch.
So for me guys no doubt, this is THE case. I threw in the trash can the oneplus case and I think they should work together with Armadillo Tek because even if it was nice from oneplus to provide a case for free, after 3 minutes using the Amadillo's one I don't consider anymore the oneplus case as an effective protection.
Sorry guys I tried my best but I did not find any drawbacks or bad points to this product, not even it soft price ...
Just one thing more to add: Thanks and bravo Armadillo Tek for this case that make my phone and I HAPPY!
I have this case as well and the only negative I'd the gigantic logo on the back. It might not be gigantic to some but it's my opinion. I'd prefer a small, matte company logo over "Caseborne ArmadilloTek". It just seems like a lot for a case.
Other than the branding I really like the case. Provides a great grip for a slick phone and still let's you see the phone itself.
Buttons are still clicky and it has a solid lip around the display to protect it from debris if it's dropped. Has good cut outs for the USB-C port and mics around the phone
BillyxAllen said:
I have this case as well and the only negative I'd the gigantic logo on the back. It might not be gigantic to some but it's my opinion. I'd prefer a small, matte company logo over "Caseborne ArmadilloTek". It just seems like a lot for a case.
Other than the branding I really like the case. Provides a great grip for a slick phone and still let's you see the phone itself.
Buttons are still clicky and it has a solid lip around the display to protect it from debris if it's dropped. Has good cut outs for the USB-C port and mics around the phone
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Love their products and the owners