Hi everyone,
I was asked by Blake from RearthUSA.com to evaluate their new rubber case for the Sprint EVO 4G. I have the white EVO really wanted to get a good case for my favorite little everything device.
There are things that I was looking for. From my past experiences with other types of case I had some requirements.
1. I hated the hard cases, because they were very difficult to get off. So hard that eventually the face plate of the hard case will break. You have to pry them off and that cause scratches and nicks and scars on the edges of the seams of the case.
2. The silicon cases fit and give great grip, but everything sticks to the surface. The material grabs the lint and crap in your pockets and out of the air. It is very hard to pull out of your pocket. This make it more annoying when the phone is ringing and you are trying to get it out in time. You have to force it out and grab tighter, this causes you to accidently push buttons on the screen or the hard buttons on the phone.
3. I did not want the case to add to much thickness to the phone. I love how thin it is. Can’t understand why people want a thin sexy phone, but then add on these thick cases that give huge protection.
4. I don’t want it to look cheap. Most generic rubber cases look so plain, cheap, and non-sexy. They are like a potato bad on a sexy runway model.
5. I am also very concerned about the back camera lens. I am still trying to figure out what was on the designers mind when they thought it was a good idea to push the lens farther than the body. To be exposed to damage.. being on the back.. which will always hit all surfaces when you put it down.
Now for the Ringke cases that Blake wanted me to evaluate. They sent me 2 case to evaluate.
http://rearthusa.com/products-page/ringke-gadget-cover/htc-evo-4g/
I asked for the Red Wine and the Aqua Black.
Colors:
The colors are a little miss leading.
In normal indoor lights the color is lighter than you would think the name suggests. In the sun, it is looks more like cherry red. It is fine for me.
The Agua Black is completely miss-leading (unless I got the wrong color). Based on the only 2 dark colors available: Slate Gray or Aqua Black, what I have can not be Slate Gray because it is darker on the website. I wanted a “black/dark” cover. From what others that have gotten the Slate Gray, they said it it was too gray. The Aqua Black is partially transparent and the color is Gray! On the back side, you can see the my white EVO cover; and can read the “Sprint 4G” logo right above the kick stand.
Fit:
The 2 cases are different . The Red fits perfectly. All ports and buttons are aligned. All the edges hug the phone just enough. The phone is snug. Red case “fit” is perfect.
The Gray is slightly too small. On the front screen, the sides; the tight fit causes the lip to LIFT off the glass screen and pulled outwards to the sides. This causes the sides to not have clean straight lines. Around the kickstand the opening does not hinder it function, but lines do not match up right. I even used the Aqua for a week so that it might have time to “work itself in”, but it never changed it’s fit or shape. This also means that the Red case will keep it’s great fit; and not loose it over time.
Finish:
All the sexy lines of the EVO are not lost by this case. It highlights all the sexy curves. The detail is very good. I like the extra line that follows the battery cover. The add opening for the “htc” logo is a good touch and give it a quality design image. The added texture of the skin is nice too and give a plush feel while providing better grip.
To my 5 requirements listed above:
1. Check: it is a rubber case and is easy to get on and off. Simple.
2. Check: it has a great feel. Not sticky or grabby. Goes in the pocket and slides out clean.
3. Check: it adds a minimum of extra thickness, but still provides a good add rubber protection.
4. Check: the design and attention to extra detail keeps my EVO sexy and slim.
5. Check: they added a little extra padding around the back lens for protection.
Price:
The price is $16.99 with free shipping. This may seem a little high.
We all know we can buy generic rubber or silicon cases for $5 plus $3 shipping all day online. But at that low price, I still say they are not even worth the $8. For a good quality case that you will want to use daily, $17 is a good deal.
Conclusion:
The quality is great. (don’t order the Aqua Black unless they remake the mold)
The price is good, because you can spend more in retail stores.
Ringke case is a must buy for anyone that has the same concerns and requirements as I do.
Suggestion for RearthUSA.com:
They should have a 2 pack deal for $19.99 with free shipping.
With each color selection, it will include a solid jet black case.
Thanks and I hope this review is able to help others.
Special thanks to Blake at RearthUSA for his help to get these awesome cases to me for review.
Sincerely
Dan330
great review....looks like a nice case
Great review. I have been contemplating buying one of these cases and one of my options was going to be the wine color or slate grey. Looking at it in your pictures it looks more red than I thought I would be. I have to agree that their colors are deceiving. I notice they sell a solid black for other phone but the Evo only gets dark grey. If they had a solid black I would have purchased already. The slate grey is just a dark grey. I want this case but the colors are keeping me back.
The price is also a concern and should be changed to two for 19.99 like you stated. That would be a great deal.
Let me know if your looking to sell these if your not looking to keep them.
Ordered two as well. Should get them soon and will have my review. I got the white and dark grey for my white evo. Sold my otterbox commuter so I can buy one.
mikfroyo evo!
Good work (as always) Dan... love the write-up.
I agree: they make good stuff, and customer service is top notch.
Jjday7 said:
Great review. I have been contemplating buying one of these cases and one of my options was going to be the wine color or slate grey. Looking at it in your pictures it looks more red than I thought I would be. I have to agree that their colors are deceiving. I notice they sell a solid black for other phone but the Evo only gets dark grey. If they had a solid black I would have purchased already. The slate grey is just a dark grey. I want this case but the colors are keeping me back.
The price is also a concern and should be changed to two for 19.99 like you stated. That would be a great deal.
Let me know if your looking to sell these if your not looking to keep them.
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I will be keeping them. I think it would be wrong if I sold them.. and they loose a sale.
They will be sold with my EVO.. when the time comes
stricklerjosh said:
Ordered two as well. Should get them soon and will have my review. I got the white and dark grey for my white evo. Sold my otterbox commuter so I can buy one.
mikfroyo evo!
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why did you sell the Otterbox? what was it that u did not like?
Tre Lawrence said:
Good work (as always) Dan... love the write-up.
I agree: they make good stuff, and customer service is top notch.
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thanks dude.. after I was done writing it.. I was surprised it was so long. sorry
Alright time for my review of the rearth case:
My biggest issue was lint on my otterbox commuter, and the added weight and thickness.
I really liked the protection the commuter provided but it was a lint magnet. Was constantly wiping lint off as well as attaching the bottom flap.
I own a white evo and I didn't like the fact that the commuter completely hid that. I ordered the white cover to accentuate the white back.
I think it looks excellent. Also got a black one and you can see the white accents and it looks very good. All the cut outs are perfect.
Fit it very snug, the sides could be a little tighter but overall great fit.
Camera protection is perfect.
Most importantly for me it slides perfectly in and out of my pocket with no lint. I love it!
Came packaged very professionally.
Price is a little high but shipping is included, it is a local usa seller, and the build quality seems excellent. If you have any questions feel free to pm me.
Great job rearth on a great evo case!
mikfroyo evo!
mikfroyo... what color did you order? my Aqua Black was not like that! it was gray transparent.
update:
Blake from RearthUSA.. said that they are looking into my 2 pack deal... they liked it.. and are considering it. NO actual word to when or if they will.
Told him the same thing about 2 pack. I think it should be for the $16.99 though. I think that is aqua black. I like my white one best.
Dan330 said:
mikfroyo... what color did you order? my Aqua Black was not like that! it was gray transparent.
update:
Blake from RearthUSA.. said that they are looking into my 2 pack deal... they liked it.. and are considering it. NO actual word to when or if they will.
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mikfroyo evo!
So the red isn't a dark red? Any pics of the white one? How does this case compare to the otterbox impact?
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App
http://androidforums.com/evo-4g-reviews/238720-rearth-usa-silicone-case.html
there are 2 pics of the white.
I have never used an otterbox... to me they are just too big!... they make phones look frankenstien-ish
Dan330 said:
http://androidforums.com/evo-4g-reviews/238720-rearth-usa-silicone-case.html
there are 2 pics of the white.
I have never used an otterbox... to me they are just too big!... they make phones look frankenstien-ish
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Thanks, leaning toward a white and red one but ill hold on to see if they have a bundle option soon. Would you say the red is a good choice?
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App
i would have liked the red to be darker... more "wine" color.
but still nice. of course that is a totally opinioned answer. I think my pics are very accurate to real world looks. so base it off that.
waiting....
he only said they are looking into it... it may or may not happen and maybe not soon.
and if your phone is walking around naked... hate for it to be damaged.. while you wait.
I bought this case before realizing that the reviews i've been reading about it have all been sponsored by Rearth... oh well. It was a good choice. I'm a case eilitist and silicone cases suck due to the "grippiness" of them.
TPU cases are pretty good but I found mine to be too thick.
The Seidio Innocase is really nice but their first round of production were too big, cases too expensive and even after they fixed production to make it fit better I still found the case to feel larger than the advertised "1mm' thickness. It made an allready wide phone super-wide.
This Ringke by Rearth is damn good. Best of both worlds imo. I've never felt a material like this before. I'm not stoked about the overlap on the front of the case--how it covers the borders around the screen--but I'm trying to look at it as a feature, that is, it keeps my screen protector's corners down and protected.
This thing is so thin, yet strong and smooth = no lint, no inverted pants pockets. It will, however, slide on a smooth surface so that may be a drawback for some. Off the phone it is as floppy as it looks in the video but reliably stiff once it's on the phone.
This message was not sponsored by Rearth
ALSO...
I emailed Rearth asking if they'll ever have a true black colored case, not grey, not transparent and they said they may have it as soon as one month from now.
Is it a tight fit case? I like tpu cases because of their tight fit no bulk.
Sent From My HTC Evo 4G On The Now Network From Sprint Using Tapatalk Pro!
yes.. it was sponsored.. but i was totally honest.. did not hold anything back.
yes.. it is a very tight fit.. the phone is hugged from all sides.
Dan330 said:
i would have liked the red to be darker... more "wine" color.
but still nice. of course that is a totally opinioned answer. I think my pics are very accurate to real world looks. so base it off that.
waiting....
he only said they are looking into it... it may or may not happen and maybe not soon.
and if your phone is walking around naked... hate for it to be damaged.. while you wait.
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I have the commuter from otterbox, seidio white, and the impact as well. Red would be a nice color change and looks like they would be easy to swap out if I get a red and white one.
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App
yeah... very easy to swap.... simple...
scirio said:
ALSO...
I emailed Rearth asking if they'll ever have a true black colored case, not grey, not transparent and they said they may have it as soon as one month from now.
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did he ever respond? about the black case?
Dan330 said:
did he ever respond? about the black case?
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Yes. He said he sent his supplier (manufacturer) in Asia an email inquiring whether they would produce it in a (what I called) "true black."
He responded that they might and to check again and that he'd let me know at the end of the month. Haven't heard anything since, today's the last of the month and I understand these things take time.
Nice video.. was going to buy this case for mine next week.. cos i dont like bulky cases..and that non slippery texture just caught me... i have heard that it comes in grey and purple and some other colour.. i have the blue galaxy s3.. which one do you think would suit that??
get the dark blue or grey one.
Chillz88 said:
Nice video.. was going to buy this case for mine next week.. cos i dont like bulky cases..and that non slippery texture just caught me... i have heard that it comes in grey and purple and some other colour.. i have the blue galaxy s3.. which one do you think would suit that??
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Definitely go with that charcoal black or grey.
Great video dud. I hope you don't mind but i link your video to the american forums.
I got the same case in grey and it is very nice, just make sure you dont get a 'copy' as theres quite a few on ebay (it should say 'ROCK' on the back).
Even though this case might not be as protective as some TPU cases, I find the texture to provide superior grip and in- hand feel.
I've had the dark and light gray cases (authentic) for about two weeks now and they hold up well with no signs of wear.
I think I'd go so far as to say that the Rock Quicksand is THE best case I've ever had for ANY phone. And like most of you XDA folks, that's a lot of phones and cases!
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda premium
Chillz88 said:
Nice video.. was going to buy this case for mine next week.. cos i dont like bulky cases..and that non slippery texture just caught me... i have heard that it comes in grey and purple and some other colour.. i have the blue galaxy s3.. which one do you think would suit that??
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Go with the Black one....which is actually a DARK GREY. Not sure why Rock even calls it Black....maybe they're color blind?I'm sure whoever created the color codes in China just called the Dark Grey Black....and the Light Grey....Grey. They should actually be Dark Grey.....Light Grey.:victory:
I bought the Generic Grey initially and thought it looked MUCH too light on my Blue GS3....kinda reminded me of the underbelly of a Stingray or even a Great White Shark....but now it's grown on me.
Just for reference the Generic Quicksand case available on Amazon has a more rubberized texture....and it's actually quite nice.
I have a few more weeks to send it back I think I'll keep it....unlike the Rearth Ringke which just doesn't do it for me even though many of the feature are ever so slightly better than the Rock.
I plan on doing a side by side comparison of all three cases right after Christmas and maybe have a few more cases to compare against each other.
Sliver
Silver but only because it looks better with a variety of of different colored watch bands. Black your options are def more limited.
silver
Silver. In my opinion, it looks more refined and understated. Reminds me of a classic watch whereas the anodized black is more trendy and modern. I also agree, the silver model is/will be far more versatile when it comes to strap colors.
Silver ftw
I thought I was going to go with silver, as I definitely liked the look of it in pics better than the black. Then I tried them both on at the store, and I actually liked the look of the black on my wrist better than the Silver. Very tough choice, but I went for black. Love that gray band on the silver one, though.
That watch band is the best damn band I have ever worn. I would probably pay $70 just for the band. LOL. I usually swap to NATO straps, but I will keep this one as is!
I got a silver one but I like it so much I may get a black as well once they are available again.
I want buy a moto 360 but a question is with leather or steel band?
My choice is only to dismiss a problem about a crack on back!!!
Thanks
uninc76 said:
I want buy a moto 360 but a question is with leather or steel band?
My choice is only to dismiss a problem about a crack on back!!!
Thanks
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I found the stone grey leather band stained with sweat and looked a bit crappy after a while.
I bought the official metal band which is really good.
Personal preference though.
I would go with the metal option if you go with the silver 360. The black 360 looks great with the black leather band and it wears well, even with sweat etc. If silver though, as noted above, the stone band does not wear well. I went with the metal band and bought a Cognac brown leather band at Best Buy to go with it. I scrubbed the band down with acetone, let it dry and treated it with 4 coats of mink oil, heat and hand rubbed and it is a gorgeous rich dark brown now that just looks awesome. So I have the best of both worlds with it now IMO. I am looking for someone to trade my new stone band for a black one now lol
Ratman2356 said:
I went with the metal band and bought a Cognac brown leather band at Best Buy to go with it. I scrubbed the band down with acetone, let it dry and treated it with 4 coats of mink oil, heat and hand rubbed and it is a gorgeous rich dark brown now that just looks awesome. So I have the best of both worlds with it now IMO. I am looking for someone to trade my new stone band for a black one now lol
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Got any pics to share of that leather band please?
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk
$50 more for Metal, makes it way worth it. I've noticed its very staple and looks very polished. Overall its a lot better in terms of weight and looks. Plus I'm certain it protects the back of the device way better then leather when its sitting down.
Mine
Sent from my A0001 using XDA Free mobile app
saw429 said:
Got any pics to share of that leather band please?
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk
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Lighting is terrible but this should give you an idea. It is a little darker than it appears in the pictures.
This looks to be similar DZT1968. Got it from Amazon for $9.99 with prime shipping.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01CCIM3O8/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Comes with 2 extra quick release pins which is great as I can use them for the leather straps I wan't to get that did not come with them. Just gotta make a few modification. The material is very soft and comfortable. I can barely tell that the watch is on me. I love the grey color and it makes the watch look more sporty. In some pictures it looks dark grey but the 2 pictures with the watch on me are more representative of the actual color. The strap retainer has a tab inside like the DZT so it can lock in to place and won't move around. Loving it so far.
Looks nice. I might have to pick up another one. I have the Barton one and I like it but it's slightly thinner. But still comfortable.
Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk
I have the black, blue, green and "red".
Unfortunately, the "red" is more of a dark pink. Would like it to be really red/maroon.
If anyone has seen red straps, please drop a link. Cheers.
Nice...
A good alternative:
https://pt.aliexpress.com/item/Hoth...32796095538.html?spm=2114.13010608.0.0.kBn4M0
I had two of these (blue and black). Both broke / tore where the pin is. They were quite comfy though.