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
Related
For a while now, it has seemed like i am the only nudist when it comes to devices. Specifically since the iPhone 3G came out, practically no one *DOESN'T* have some huge ugly bulky plastic monstrosity on their device.
I have had several smartphones (see sig), and have never used a case or screen protector with them. I have also never dropped one; i know what i paid for it, i know what will happen if i drop/smack it, and i know what a pain in the rear setting up a new one would be. I take care of my equipment (i also work in HD productions and have lots of photo/video/audio gear, equipment, and rigs). I hate the otterbox or similar ones (remind me of coffins) and i've seen people crack screens or damage their devices with them on, or simply fall apart in a year. i also hate the feel of screen protectors, and how they affect what should be a fantastic tactile UI experience.
I am not above using one, specifically with this device, as it is very slippery like the iPhone 3G was, but i can't find anything remotely close to what i'm after, which is basically a tight white condom, so i am a nudist. I did have a silicone case on the iPhone for all of 2 days, mostly because my then-GF had bought me the device and case, before i removed it. With the Atrix, the AT&T salesman literally freaked when i said 'i don't use cases'; he told me i would break it in a month. It just started having digitizer dead spots. My GF and i travel extensively for work and fun; we are both device nudists; she's still rockin' her Atrix, and hers had fallen from her purse a few times with no harm done thus far. My Atrix has been to and used on five (counting Turkey as *technically* Asia, and middle east as Africa) continents, the iPhone came with me when i lived in France in 2009, and even the HTC Tilt/8925 made it to Europe and back a few times, back when WinMo6.1 was still kickin' it (Cube .cab!) Point is, crazy high/low temperatures, crazy humidity or totally dry, low pressure, high pressure, whatever.
Basically just wondering what the point of buying a device so light, so thin, and with gorilla glass, if you are going to immediately throw on a thick fat heavy case and a screen protector that is both prone to scuffing and dampens the UI experience. Since the iPhone in '09, i haven't had a laptop and now with Android certainly don't need one; usually all i carry is my mobile, wallet (hope to ditch that soon too), smokes/lighter, and keys. Shoot, half the time i carry only smokes/lighter, mobile, and single car/house/hotel/etc key; and leave everything else.
Of everyone i know, only a surgeon friend of mine became a 'nudist' (he prefers the term 'purist') since we had met; he still has his iPhone 3G.
Any other 'purists'/'nudists' out there?
Cool story bro, but when you dont like accessoires, why bother to post in that particular forum?
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda app-developers app
htcsnap93 said:
Cool story bro, but when you dont like accessoires, why bother to post in that particular forum?
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
because i would love to find a very thin, silicone based flexible case to use mostly so the phone isnt so slippery. literally condom thin. i just dont like accessories that turn the phone into some sort of isometric brick. if a superthin skin existed i would have bought and used it on every device. instead its all hard plastic/rubber/thick silicone. and all my searches have turned up nil.
haha same as you man . with my s1 I used a case for abt a year then took it off as the phone became less valuable (and was a bit roughed up anyway). same with the screen protector. since then I've dropped it a hundred times without cracking the screen (almost all the silver bezel is chipped off lol). the only mod I did was replace the back cover for a colorful fake yelliw one (better grip, less greasy/smudgy).
I've had my s3 for abt 2 weeks and its been sweet. seeing as its already significantly bigger than the s1, I couldnt bear to put a big case on. however, I was interested in the slim flip cover that replaces the battery door - it seems like a good way to protect the screen a little. I have ordered a fake one for abt 5 bucks on eBay, yet to arrive, but maybe you should check it out? the reason I'm going fake first is that the real one is pricey, and I dont know how practical it will actually be yet.
Slade8525 said:
because i would love to find a very thin, silicone based flexible case to use mostly so the phone isnt so slippery. literally condom thin. i just dont like accessories that turn the phone into some sort of isometric brick. if a superthin skin existed i would have bought and used it on every device. instead its all hard plastic/rubber/thick silicone. and all my searches have turned up nil.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
DBA thin grip?
I have an otterbox because I engineer factories. So 50 percent Im on site calling. Also since Im still an Intern I cant afford to break something. So i guess that is why people buy bulk.
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda app-developers app
me to, like phone without case.. but sometime texting in crowded place need more safety..
so i buy GUM for iphone and handlinker for safety, so my phone didnt slip from my hand
I used to use an n8 and that phone was a unbreakable machine, dropped that phone so many times and not one crack on my screen and only small scruff marks on the corners of the back original case (never used protection for it)
The original cover was a thick and sturdy case that protected the device from falling and did its job well.
When I got my s3 after seeing how thin the back was and how easily it would come off if it fell and doubted it would protect the glass the first thing I did was buy a case.
Cause I'm a bit clumsy sometimes
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda app-developers app
edit
the bumper obviously protects the screen, however some designer went through a lot of trouble to make sure this phone fits my hand perfectly. why mess with it?
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using xda app-developers app /miui/kt747
I'm not using one right now, but I have 2 cases in the mail. Kids in my town think it's fun to snatch phones (I don't live in a bad neighborhood just some bad kids pass through here) and the extra grip that my Galaxy S2 Skyrocket case provided foiled a would be thief's snatch and run. Not to mention that I have sweaty hands so not having a case for a long time will be my own demise.
Stock ICS on my S3
Why not actually use a condom, one of the non-lubed ones.
If the condom is transparent enough and doesn't interfere with the touch screen, then it's the way to go, isn't it?
At least, now that Android viruses (virii?) are starting to appear, you'll be protected!
Simonetti2011 said:
Why not actually use a condom, one of the non-lubed ones.
If the condom is transparent enough and doesn't interfere with the touch screen, then it's the way to go, isn't it?
At least, now that Android viruses (virii?) are starting to appear, you'll be protected!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had this case: http://www.amazon.com/Acase-Superle...689520&sr=8-3&keywords=Acase+Superleggera+Pro but it made the phone so much thicker and heavier, I stopped using it. I'm taking my chances using it naked for now.
Has anyone checked out IZag it's a thin clear protective skin I had it on the screen of my old att tilt for over two years and never scratched or scuffed it I think they make it for the whole phone now my one friend said best buy puts it on for you and gives you a warranty on the protection if it peels off he had a I phone though but I'm sure they would make it for our phone to. Myself I have a ballistic case for when I'm not at home but as soon as I get home I strip down.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda premium
Ion CarbonGrip Case:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0..._m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=1N7XMPT1EK1PXCEVCHM8
I'm the same way with my phone. I like it the way it comes - slim and beauitful - and just wanted a minimalist case with good impact protection. Couldnt be happier with this case. It fully protects from any angle, and is rigid yet cushioned. It has thick clothlike material glued on both sides of a hard plastic core giving it a gauze bandage type of feeling. Imagine several bandages stacked together on a piece of hard plastic, this is the way it feels. Very shock absorbant. Yet the whole thing is like 1-2 millimeters thick, and you can see how minimalist it is.
I posted some pics and comments about it in a separate thread but not too many people were interested. It's too bad because this is an excellent case and people are really missing out. It doesnt look like much, but man its beautiful and oh so effective.
Dont buy the white one. It has white rubber adhesive along the edges that gets a little dirty. The black one though... Really loving it. It looks better in real life than in the picture. I have a black carbongrip with a white sprint SGS3, never plan to look at another case again.
all i am going to recommend is Wrapsol. IMO, best skin. texture is way better than Zagg IS or any other skin i've dealt with. It is on all of my products (iphone, macbook pro, ipad, galaxy s2) because i dont like cases. no orange peel. good grip for the back. very thin. gives it a matte look. they have replaced my lifted skin for free.
however the one they sell is for the s3 is the international version. theres a cutout in the middle for the Samsung brand. you can always buy an OEM internationally battery cover for cheap and apply it to that and use it on your carrier version.
www.wrapsol.com
I recommend you look at DBA cases. I have the Ultra and I think it's THIN! I have a white S3 and went all white (TPU & PCU). It looks like I don't even have a case on. If you want thinner, I don't own it but from the picture that was posted on here, the DBA Thin is thinner than the Ultra. I originally had a UAG case which I thought was thin. I went with the Ultra instead of the Thin due to the drop protection. The Ultra supposedly has the same drop protection as the UAG. Holding the Ultra in hand, it really is hard to believe it could protect from a drop, but it does.
I like the feel of the phone sans case, but there is always a part of me that worries about that one drop. So I opted for a case that added minimal bulk to the phone whilst giving me the benefit of a kickstand (I travel for work. Need to watch some movies.)
Body Glove Elite case
YUP...I never liked the thought of a case on such nice looking devices. But now I have a thin one.
Why I bought a thin case?
- so I don't have to continually wipe finger prints
- when I lay my S3 on it's back, it doesn't wobble nor touch the camera lens housing
- grip...extremely important (mine has cross hatching on the back)
- the beveling on the edges on a stock S3 when squeezed by your hand, tends to force the phone to spit OUTWARDS out of your hand! On the Htc HD2 I own, it is the opposite angle, the harder you gripped, the more it will snuggle into your hand.
- never really liked the high gloss pebble blue that much, so my case (no pun intended) I now have a dark charcoal matte finish.
- Oh and how about protection? Even the worst case adds some layer of protection. Even just laying the S3 down on a surface day in and day out can eventually lead to scuffs....obviously.
I searched again today for an hour and still cannot find something that is basically just a very thin silicone jacketing; just enough to enhance grip, protect the screen and finish, and yet keep it thin, light, and elegant.
A nudist i shall continue to be, i guess.
I Love my Galaxy s3 nude! so smooth .. so soft. I tried a few cases and screen protectors but had to go back in the nude
Hello there
I am coming from a Samsung Galaxy SIII and the first and only case I have ever used for it was the flip cover, which I absolutely loved, perhaps more than the phone itself. I just realized that there's an official HTC flip cover called the Double Dip Flip. I read some reviews about it on XDA and other websites and as usual some are good and some are bad. There seemed to be a lot of issues with the early units of those covers, like blocking the microphone, which were fixed in the latter units. The one thing that concerns me the most is whether or not it actually scratches the device? My device is silver and I absolutely love its brushed aluminum body and wouldn't want any scratches on it, even though I know that sooner or later I'll get some but I'd rather delay that as much as I can. I might opt for a ZAGG Invisible Shield so I can protect the back and the sides, but I am really interested in the flip cover because it seems very ideal.
What are your experiences with it? Did it ever scratch your device? I am not the type of people who keep removing covers and cleaning, except maybe once every week or two, so I am looking for something that's durable and doesn't need constant care and cleaning.
I have a rubber back at the moment which is actually the only case I have seen for the HTC One in Egypt, or at least in the stores I have been to - it's just not as popular as the Galaxy over here.
Thank you.
TarekElsakka said:
Hello there
I am coming from a Samsung Galaxy SIII and the first and only case I have ever used for it was the flip cover, which I absolutely loved, perhaps more than the phone itself. I just realized that there's an official HTC flip cover called the Double Dip Flip. I read some reviews about it on XDA and other websites and as usual some are good and some are bad. There seemed to be a lot of issues with the early units of those covers, like blocking the microphone, which were fixed in the latter units. The one thing that concerns me the most is whether or not it actually scratches the device? My device is silver and I absolutely love its brushed aluminum body and wouldn't want any scratches on it, even though I know that sooner or later I'll get some but I'd rather delay that as much as I can. I might opt for a ZAGG Invisible Shield so I can protect the back and the sides, but I am really interested in the flip cover because it seems very ideal.
What are your experiences with it? Did it ever scratch your device? I am not the type of people who keep removing covers and cleaning, except maybe once every week or two, so I am looking for something that's durable and doesn't need constant care and cleaning.
I have a rubber back at the moment which is actually the only case I have seen for the HTC One in Egypt, or at least in the stores I have been to - it's just not as popular as the Galaxy over here.
Thank you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The flip cover is cloth on the inside, and does not scratch the device at all. As long as you keep it clean inside (As you need to with any cover), there's no reason for any scratching. The only issue I have with mine is the corners are a bit flimsy. The phone absolutely will NOT fall out of the case no matter how hard you try, but they do have some movement in the corners. Otherwise it works fine and looks good.
I really like the cover overall, especially since I use it as a iPad-style smart cover, turning the phone on and off using Tasker + proximity sensor.
Thanks, the cloth on the inside is definitely reassuring. Ah, so from what I understand the corners don't tightly grip the device and therefore it moves a little bit? Well, I suppose that's okay although it can get a bit annoying if you'll be using it as your daily driver. There is a thread on here in which members posted several cases, and there's a Speck case I really liked for it; there are also some ultra thin ones which seem awesome, but of course they don't seem protective at all but rather just for looks, and this time, unlike when I had iPhones, I am looking for protection rather than beauty - to be honest, a naked HTC One is more beautiful than any device I've ever seen before, so the cover is just for protection, nothing can make it look better. Haha. Thanks for your reply.
I personally love it, and I've had this case since it's launch, protects the phone solidly I guess, the one thing I don't really like is that it doesn't cover the sides but other than that, it makes my One look really sophisticated and sexy haha
I just got back from the HTC store and I got it. It looks and feels solid, as you said, and I love the leather-like material which seems to be durable. I thought it would cover the sides as well but I guess it's better than nothing; plus, it'll make it easier for me to clean the sides every day because white gets dirty rather quickly. I also love the landscape feature which wasn't available the Galaxy SIII's flip cover, it really makes it much easier to watch videos on YouTube and such.
I like it, but it's kind of a pain in the ass when taking pictures.
tapatalkin'
That's true. I don't use the camera often though so it doesn't bother me much.
Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk 4 Beta
There are some things I dislike about this case but I bought anyways knowing the negatives but in general I love this case it's easy to snap on and off because I enjoy having my phone bare at home and the stand is really cool and useful so I'm gonna keep but I do hope they redesign this case as the back looks like a crease mess and camera cut out being a little too big exposing the phone while closed
Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk 2
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
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...