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There is nearly only 3 types of cases out at the market.
First the hard plastic cases that are coming in 2 parts. There are the glossy ones and the trubberized ones in a wide variety of colors and styles at ebay or Amazon. The quality is OK but not perfect. What I like is the good protection in combination with the acceptable increase of size. The problem is that you nearly can't remove the front part of the case without breaking the very small bars fixing the case to the device. I like the rubberized ones most. They are looking more stable to me than the glossy ones. With the case it's more difficult to slide out the QWERTY keyboard. But it's acceptable. What I like very much is the protection of the on/off button and then loudness buttons. Because without the case I öfter press these keys withooany will.
Then there are the leather cases. There are horizontal and vertical ones. I tried to use the ones for the Samsung Galaxy S2 also, they fit. But of course not together with the hard plastic case together. For that I will try cases made for the HTC Sensation XL. I will share my experiences as soon as I get the cases.
The third category are cases that are blocking the hardware keyboard. That unacceptable for me. I tried rubber cases for the Samsung Galaxy S2 and it worked for one but the fitting is not not really good. The thickness of the device is quite different from most other smartphones.
Hope I could help a little bit and will share my upcoming experiences.
Thanks for checking out the cases, did they the leather/rubber ones block the camera at the back or did it have the correct position for the opening?
The leather ones I tried are for pulling out the device before use.
The rubber one I tried had a big camera hole on the back. But I forgot to check the other connector holes but if I remember correctly some cutting work has to be done. But this is possible with the right tools. Sharp knives and hole cutters for leather/paper.
Best thing is to try the case at a shop. Surely some fits better than others. But I think the Galaxy S2 category is the best you can get. The Galaxy Note ones could be also work, because it's taller but thinner.
The first category cases are made for the device and aren't blocking anything.
I wonder if anyone has tried the one-piece Speck cases yet (can't post links yet, but a Google search for "speck captivate glide" should bring up the page on Speck's site). They look good, but I'm curious if they restrict the sliding mechanism or block the keyboard at all.
fatxdad said:
(edited for brevity)
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Just wanted to share my review, got a hard rubberized case on Amazon from ezbuy123. It's a 2-piece, snap-on. In the past, I've used Otterbox on EVERYTHING, but since they dont have an i927 case out yet, I figured I'd take a chance. The build quality is probably a 3.5/5 - it's hard, it's plastic, it's rubberized, that all is true. The edges of the case around the keyboard area are already starting to get chewed up, and the rubberizing doesnt have any real texture to speak of, I feel like I'm going to drop it when I use it. On the plus side, it isnt a weird neon color, and it doesnt add much bulk or weight to the phone.... All in all, I'd be pressed to give it 4/5 overall, it will definitely be replaced with an Otterbox if they ever decide to make a case for the i927.
Speck Sureslider Case
So I just received the Sureslider case today. I bought it for 24 dollars (from versiomobile before they charged 35 ).
Here's my review on it:
It's a one piece piece that has a hard plastic back with polycarbonate. On the front, it's made up of TPE (thermoplastic elastomer). The TPE gives the case a lip from the screen of the phone. It still slides when you put it on its face but not by much. Only the top part actually clips onto the phone. The back plate just kinda sticks to the phone.. somewhat. There's basically no restriction when you're sliding it, it feels like it's not even there. Regarding the top keys of the qwerty keyboard, it might've moved a nanometer, but not to significant to affect your typing.
Honestly, I don't think the price of $35 is worth it. I'd say it'd be more fair around 13 dollars. It also comes with a one-year warranty, so maybe that's where the high price came from?
The Sureslider case is technically a "one-piece" but when I got it, somehow the connection between the bottom and top part became loose and the top part came out. Needless to say, i thought it was going to be an easy fix. It wasn't . You can't just "slide" it into one piece since there's a hook and a little clip at the bottom to provide stability. After I managed to get the piece together, I went through the packaging, and there was this small instruction slip. It said "If the case becomes separated by mistake, align the two pieces and fit back together."
If you have any questions, feel free to ask.
I got the rubberized texture case from ebay (shop4phree*). 5 bucks included shipping. Just to get something on the phone quick before I scractched it. I have to say for being so cheap it has help up surprisingly well. I was going to go for a higher end case at a later time but it's now going on 2 months and I haven't felt the need to switch. The only drawbacks I can see is it interferes with the smoothness of the slide out keyboard (requires a little more finger power to push it up) and the extra bulk it adds makes your top row of keys a little tight when typing(especially with big fingers).Ive dropped my phone a couple of times and it has held intact.
Im a cheap bastard so my $5 case works great for me.
Amzer cases
Well i managed to snap the feelers on my first case (the black rubberized one), so I've moved on to an Amzer case from Amazon. It's a 2-piece, snap-together advertised as "one piece". The build quality is probably a 3/5 - it's hard, it's plastic, it's rubberized on the back half, but the front half is clear hard-poly that looks awful (definitely not at all like what the pic on Amazon makes it look). It doesnt add much bulk or weight to the phone, but it is slightly bulkier than the previous case I reviewed. Hopefully Otterbox will come up with a case for the i927 soon, I'm quickly tiring of these cases...
L4T
http://www.daydeal.com/home.php?cat=6439
Haven't tried any of them but their stuff is good.
Body Glove Captivate Glide
I just received the Body Glove two-piece case for the Glide. It's $30 from AT&T, but I got it from All4Cellular for less (it's also on Amazon for even cheaper, which is a bit annoying as it was out of stock when I last looked there). It's pricey, but highly reviewed on AT&T's site.
It looks high-quality (none of that gummy rubber sort of stuff) and fits snugly. A bit too snugly, actually, as it was fairly difficult to get on and (according to other owners) nigh impossible to get off. On the plus side, that means it's not going to just pop off in your pocket.
The case fully covers the back of the phone (except for holes for the camera, flash, microphone, speaker, and buttons), and on the front, it covers the bezel. It doesn't interfere with the sliding at all, though the front cover does stick out enough to potentially cause problems with the top row of physical keyboard keys. That said, the keyboard side of the front cover has a little cutout at the bottom that may alleviate that problem a bit. I haven't noticed any major difficulties typing so far.
As with any two-piece case, there's a gap between the pieces where the phone slides, so it's not going to protect from anything getting between the phone halves. Also, it only comes in one color--a metallic blue sort of look--so if that's not your thing, you're out of luck.
I'd give it four out of five stars, knocking off a star for the difficulty in getting it off, though I'd recommend it for the build quality.
Does anyone know of a otterbox case from another phone that would fit this one for protection? (commuter or defender)
And what about silicone cases? Soft ones I mean..
There's a Case Mate Barely There case now available for the Glide, you can find it on Amazon. Did anyone try it?
Mom is with ATT so she picked the Captivate Glide cuz I have Epic. LoL Basically, she also want a slide-out keyboard.
I ordered this for her on eBay.
http://www.daydeal.com/product.php?productid=64678
One problem, the sellers posted different quality. Some say hard plastic and some say rubberized. I went with a seller that said rubberized with good reviews. $7 with free shipping. I'm waiting on that to arrive and see how it feels
Just a question, since I'm not a native english speaker:
what does 'rubberized' mean? Does the term refer to a hard case with soft grip or to a flexible silicone-like case that you can even bend and it keeps the shape?
Thanks
clpo13 said:
I just received the Body Glove two-piece case for the Glide. It's $30 from AT&T, but I got it from All4Cellular for less (it's also on Amazon for even cheaper, which is a bit annoying as it was out of stock when I last looked there). It's pricey, but highly reviewed on AT&T's site.
It looks high-quality (none of that gummy rubber sort of stuff) and fits snugly. A bit too snugly, actually, as it was fairly difficult to get on and (according to other owners) nigh impossible to get off. On the plus side, that means it's not going to just pop off in your pocket.
The case fully covers the back of the phone (except for holes for the camera, flash, microphone, speaker, and buttons), and on the front, it covers the bezel. It doesn't interfere with the sliding at all, though the front cover does stick out enough to potentially cause problems with the top row of physical keyboard keys. That said, the keyboard side of the front cover has a little cutout at the bottom that may alleviate that problem a bit. I haven't noticed any major difficulties typing so far.
As with any two-piece case, there's a gap between the pieces where the phone slides, so it's not going to protect from anything getting between the phone halves. Also, it only comes in one color--a metallic blue sort of look--so if that's not your thing, you're out of luck.
I'd give it four out of five stars, knocking off a star for the difficulty in getting it off, though I'd recommend it for the build quality.
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I got the same one from AT&T.
I agree with your comments. This case is much better quality than the no-name clear ones I've seen elsewhere. It is a pain to install / remove, but I like it tight, lol. I've had cases for other phones where it comes off easy, and they become a pain in the @ss.
They are the most expensive I've seen, but worth the price if it saves your phone from just one concrete ground fall.
-Am
hard case with soft grip
or you can call it a "grippy" hard case
rafeee2 said:
hard case with soft grip
or you can call it a "grippy" hard case
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Thank you
just ordered the 3 in 1 combo case/holster for about $18 with free shipping...hoping its worth the money, i like the idea of the holster but i have a feeling the case and holster will be made out of cheap plastic....
rafeee2 said:
There's a Case Mate Barely There case now available for the Glide, you can find it on Amazon. Did anyone try it?
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in their official site i cant find anything about that case, strange.
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.
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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
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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...
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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.
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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:
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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.
I was looking for a handmade book-style case for the Nexus 7, but I'd rather not pay the high prices for a Portenzo or DODOcase alternative, but this is a pretty decent alternative.
The case itself is like those from Portenzo and DODOcase, a book-style hardback cover surrounding a wooden shell which holds the device. This particular case is built with a Birch Plywood shell unlike the other two which use materials such as Bamboo. As intended it bears an uncanny resemblance to a sketchbook. This case usually costs £30 with £3 first class shipping (Not recorded) though during the winter sale I bought this case for £25.50 total.
It uses an elastic strap to keep the case shut, and a small plastic clip can be attached to the strap to let the case stand up. It also has a magnet built into the case so it acts as a smartcover. Just above the magnet is a plate which has a unique number for the case, which adds to the unique feel the case has. It's available in three colours: Skye Blue, Welsh Slate Grey and Pillarbox Red. This case is hand-made in Manchester with traditional book-binding methods, and as you can maybe tell from the names of the colours, they're pretty proud of that
To keep the device secure in the case, instead of using foam pads or adhesive this case uses 'Tommy Clips' which work pretty well. Admittedly it looks tackier than it being held in by pads, but it gets the job done. There is no intrusion to the Micro-USB port and 3.5mm headphone jack, but the power and lock buttons are slightly hard to reach as with the Nexus 7 they are slightly offset to the back of the device. This can be a little problematic as you can sometimes find it difficult to tell if you're pressing the button or not.
There is a hollow area behind the tablet, but apart from that there is no way for sound to get from the speakers. This results in a somewhat muffled sound, not too much of a problem for me because I listen to music with headphones but it's still an issue that Portenzo and DODOcase address. I'm not sure what about the quality of the wooden shells with the other two companies, but with this the Birch does have some imperfections. It doesn't affect the functionality, and to me it just adds a more homely feel to the case. The back of the case has a cutout for the camera, but no black-ring around it so glare may be an issue (But I've yet to meet someone who uses a 5 megapixel snapper for serious photography).
To conclude, it's a nice case, you certainly get your bang for your buck. It's about half the price of a rival case, but it's still reasonably good. Of course if you have the money to spend you should probably buy a Portenzo/DODOcase, but I like having a case that was handcrafted about an hours journey down the road from me, even if it does have some significant drawbacks.
After I bought that BUKcase and reviewed that I wanted something which let me access the volume keys easier, so I decided to go with Caseable. This will be my third purchase from them.
If you haven't heard of Caseable, they make custom cases with either images provided by the customer or a selection of artwork from their site. This particular case was made with some of my photography. This is the typical tablet case they offer, a folio style cover with elastic straps to hold the device in place and keep the case closed. It's reasonably functional too, on either side of the case there are thin rubber strips. These act as 'feet' to keep the tablet secure when it is propped up as a stand, and it works surprisingly well (Though when you initially open the package, the rubber 'tyre' smell is pretty potent)
This case costs £39.90, though caseable offer a 15% student discount which I used. Postage is free for orders above £30.
As I said, the images on the front and back can be customised. The quality of the printed images is very good. With my Caseable orders, I use high-resolution photos and the result is fantastic. The material on which it is printed on is also very nice, it's a kind of soft almost-neoprene like material. It has a certain 'sponginess' to it, I imagine to cushion it against falls. As well as the graphics on the front and back, there is a choice of inside colour, white or black. This case is handmade for you in either Berlin or Brooklyn, depending on where you live.
The elastic straps don't block any of the ports, but the upper-right one does cover the power button. It loses a little of its tactility but is still perfectly usable. The volume rocker is also perfectly accessible, which is a massive plus coming from the BUKcase. The speakers are also not blocked, so the sound is not muffled. However, there is no cutout for the camera at all, not much of a problem for me to be honest.
There is a small pocket inside the case for cards and documents, which isn't really all that useful for storing stuff, but it does have another use which I'll come onto later. The main gripe I have about this case, it doesn't have SmartCover functionality. This is strange because the Caseable iPad cases have this, but none of the others don't.
Conclusion, there's no way around it, this is a unique case, the rubber strips for the stand are a nice little touch. Although the main reason I bought this is to have a way to show off my photography, and for that purpose it's great. Although it's still a functional and protective case, it seems a bit basic (And maybe overpriced?) without Smartcover functionality.
Remember that pocket I mentioned? Not useful for storing documents or cards, but It can store a magnet pretty well. I butchered an old Kobo SleepCover I had lying around and extracted the two magnets. I slipped one in that little pocket, and voila, it's a Smartcover! The pocket is pretty tight so I can't imagine the magnet would slide around too much in there, but if it does I might put some light adhesive on it to keep it in place.
hello everyone. i saw the video review of this same case a while back and i found it just a little lacking, so i figured id fill in some details with my own photo review.
First of all, delivery came out of england instead of the usual china or hong kong or whatever, so it was comparatively short (and in royal packaging none the less :victory: )
opening the plastic packaging unveils a fairly nice, faux leather wallet case. it doesn't feel overly cheap to the touch, but you can definitely tell that it isn't real leather.
on the outside, it has Sonivo printed in the lower right hand side and closes with a magnetic flap that does not sit flush with the case. it sticks up from the surface a bit and from what i found, tended to get caught up in my pocket.
the back is plain, with just a cutout for the camera and flash. i have not noticed any distortion in my photos with this case, which was one of the complaints for a few of the other wallet cases out there.
on the inside of the cover, there are two extremely thin credit card holders. i could barely fit one card in each at the same time and they were very hard to pull out, but i suspect that they will break in after a while. there are also two sim card slots on the very front which i can not see a use for unless you are travelling with the phone. behind everything and facing the spine of the case is a pouch for cash. it is an odd shape because of the phone and is still very thin, so i had a hard time fitting any US dollar bills inside of it. because of the weird shape, you have to fold the bills width-wise and either way you slide them in makes them stick out the side. i could also fit only two bills inside the case with my cards before i had trouble closing the case properly. this isn't a deal breaker for me because i usually use my debit card anyway, and nfc payments are getting more popular as well.
on the other side is what i think is a tpu snap cover which is only attached on one side, which allows the whole things to bend into a rudimentary stand. the case fits snugly and allows access to all of the buttons, speakers and the sim tray. no problems here.
nfc and qi charging also work with this case, but i will get to that later. it also has a hall effect sensor, which allows it to turn the screen of the phone on and off. very cool and very useful.
now my main complaints about this case are as follows.
-when the case is folded into its "stand mode," the phone sits at an odd angle, which may make it uncomfortable to see. i wont be using this much anyway, but you might.
-the magnet on the flap is VERY weak. it holds the case closed well, but when it is folded backwards for when you take a call or something, it will not hold itself closed. this does get a little annoying for me, but oh well.
-The flap does not sit flush with the case when it is closed, so it may get hung up on things. this i can understand though, because making it sit flush would make the case much thicker than it already is, which isnt bad for a wallet.
-the small capacity
-the site advertises a white, version, but when i ordered that, they delivered a black one. i dont know if both cases are the same or what, but it doesnt make a difference to me. the black case gives a nice contrast to the white phone.
-finally, qi charging may be problematic for you. this case creates a pretty large space between the qi charger and the phone, which may slow down charging. it may also block the magnets in some of the charging pads that hold the phone in place. most importantly is the odor though. as many of you know, qi charging warms the phone slightly, and with it the case. because of the synthetic leather and the tpu case and whatever the hell they put in it, heating creates a terrible, sweet, plasticy, resinous scent that lingers around the case. if you are using it indoors shortly after charging, you will be able to smell it at texting distance.
overall, even with my many complaints, this is still a very nice case and fits my needs quite well. i do wish it was a little bigger, and that scent can get pretty annoying, but this is probably one of the best wallet cases currently out for the nexus 5. it has a premium feel and is not very expensive.