This case can compliment your phone quite nicely, and it is also a really nice excuse for you to play with your phone WITHOUT even turning it on!
The case arrives in a generic packaging along with a cup mat. By generic packaging, I mean a simple plastic bag that is sealed.
First Impressions: First time seeing this case, it actually feels and looks nicer in person than online. The hard plastic seems pretty durable. Already I have spent ten minutes just turning the case from one side to the other. It truly is mesmerizing and fun at the same time!
After using it for a while, I noticed that the fish tend to get stuck near the corners. I noticed how when you push on the back of the case while it is on your phone, you can squeeze the small gap which has the liquid and make it move. I did this repeatedly until I accidentally pushed on the fish and got them stuck together in the middle of the case. I pushed on them again to get them free and as I did that, the red fish broke in half. This was very unfortunate indeed. I feel like the fish need to be made out of something more durable. What if you had your phone in your back pocket (with this case), and you sat on the back of your phone? The same thing could easily happen. That is one thing I really am disappointed about. Some good things are the cut outs. They are placed to where you can easily access all of your ports and buttons. This case does offer some minimal protection, but if you dropped your phone while it was in this case on something like asphalt, I would have my fingers crossed hoping that my phone is okay.
I have to admit, this case is very unique compared to others out there. Before I broke one of the fish and had the case on my phone, people would ask where I got it from and would take my phone from me and would immediately start playing with it. They all thought it was really cool!
Overall, I think this is a really neat case, even though the fish broke. Nothing is ever perfect, and I feel like if they made the fish inside more durable, than this case would be great for those that just want a decorative accessory for their phone instead of a case that protects it.
I was provided a unit for testing purposes and I promised to provide a completely honest and fair review.
I have attached some pictures.
Unfortunately, I cannot post the link to this product on Amazon because posting commercial links is forbidden, but you can find it on Amazon by searching for the product's name that is in the title of this thread. Thanks!
Related
I have been carrying the JJ around without a case now for over a week. It fits perfect in my shorts pocket, jeans pocket and in my suit coat so I just go without the case. I have the unit closed so the screen is protected and I am careful to not put keys or coins in the same pocket.
Do you think the JJ will hold up without becoming worn looking? Is anyone else doing the same thing?
I have had a ton of pda's, Palm, Sony, HP, Imate and I have always used a case but until I see one that doesnt add so much thickness to the unit I plan on just carrying it without a case. I hope I am not making a mistake. If the screen wasnt covered I would not be debating this.
BTW, I have a proporta case, very similar to the one sold for the JJ, I bought it for my old HP 6315 and it is nice and well made but THICK and adds way to much to any PDA. I hope Vaja makes a thin case but unfortunately it seems they do not make super thin cases anymore. They did years ago for the Sony Clie that had a rotating screen. It was great but more recent cases by them for example for my Ipod is too thick in my opinion.
Interested to hear your thoughts.
Darrin
I think it is a mistake. After the case for my previous pda broke I carried it without a case for a while, and a lot of accidents happened.
First of all, things fall out of pockets. Ok, if you have the right kind of pocket on a garment that is the right kind of fit, it may not in all likelihood, but with a $1000 gadget, I am not taking a chance.
Second, I always find things in pockets get banged around more. Things attached firmly to my belt don't.
When sitting down, it is hard to take it out of the pocket. So, you may decide to take it out before you site down and put it on the table. Then you are likely to forget it, or just go get a napkin at the Starbucks for 2 seconds. Sometimes it takes only 2 seconds.
Without a proper and definite place to put it (like a case on your belt) you are likely to put it in this pocket or that pocket one time or another. Just put it in your shirt pocket for a minute as you are gathering your things to get out, then bend over to tie your shoes. Happened to me more than once (although I still believe it was a subconscious attempt to break the old one to justify the new one).
I also think the proporta (or PDAir, or some other names, they all seem to be the same) book case is clumsy and thick, so I got the pouch case until a better choice comes out. Vaja is bound to make one.
Thanks for your thoughts, you make a lot of sense. I agree a lot of accidents can happen since its not attached to my belt in a case.
I would love to see more pics of the pouch case you mention. Are there any on the internet? Once you receive it I would love to hear what you think about it.
Darrin
This is the info about the case:
http://pdaden.com/shop/cart.php?target=product&action=view&product_id=17394&substring=jasjar
As you see it is the same case Proporta is selling, and is made by PDAir.
Someone posted pictures of their proporta case, and it said PDair on it too. So I am sure they are all the same case, but this one is half price.
They are shipping from HK, and charged me $8 to mail it to US.
Great, thank you for the link. I had only seen one picture of the case, that looks perfect. Lot of pics to really see case. I purchased some other cases from that retailer in the past. I was already registered.
I ordered one. Thanks again. This case looks like the best choice for now, maybe can be only case. Fits so close to body in picture, not even noticeable under a shirt or suit jacket.
Darrin
Haven’t ordered mine yet but when I do, its naked for me
I have had and XDA II for just over a year now and apart from a screen protector it went naked too. I work in an office so it lives on my desk all day. I try to be careful not to put keys in the same pocket when travelling but I don’t get paranoid about it. If it scratches, oh well, it will get replaced as soon as something better comes along
Sena Cases just released their Ultraslim for the Captivate a couple weeks back, and I ordered one in black today. If you're looking for a high quality leather pouch, this one can't be beat.
It adds minimal bulk to the phone, adds great protection, and makes your phone look damn good. The interior of the case is lined in a velvety cloth that cleans your phone as well (nice for the screen). The cloth does leave some lint on your phone until the case is broken in a bit, but it's not that big of a hassle.
I had two of them for my previous phone, the iPhone 3G, and they were great. Even though the case is super thin, the seams of the leather are on the edges of the phone, so they provide great drop resistance. I dropped my iPhone many times with it on, and not a hint of damage whatsoever. They come fitting snug but loosen up a bit through regular use in about a week so that removal from the case is easy. I'll update once I receive mine, but I already know the quality of it will be outstanding.
I have been waiting for this case for some while now, as I have been using my phone mostly without a case since last August when I bought it. I have the Body Glove Mirage case (hard rubber skin), which is a great case as well, but it just adds too much bulk for my liking, so I don't use it unless I think I'll be doing something that could put my phone at risk. This case is great for those of you that like using your Cappy sans protection, but like having it protected when not in use.
The case comes in 5 colors: Black, Brown, Red, White, and Frappuccino. I had black and beige for my iPhone, and the colors are really durable as well, as the coloring did not wear throughout my use of either case. As with any leather though, the lighter colors are prone to staining if you get it dirty, but that's your fault if that happens. If you don't want to worry about the staining, get black for sure.
I can't post a link as I'm a new user, but just search Sena Cases on google and you can find it on their site easily.
Feel free to ask questions.
i do not like this type of case, it is a case for storage, not for daily usage ...
mengbo said:
i do not like this type of case, it is a case for storage, not for daily usage ...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1
not for daily use. i'll have to keep putting in n pulling out atleast a few hundred times each day.
I don't see how taking an extra second to access my phone makes this case bad for 'daily use'. To me, that extra second is well worth the extra screen protection that I get when the phone is in it. For somebody with an active job, I can see where removing it would be a hassle. However, for a student like me, I don't find myself in situations where this case presents a problem, no matter how many times I need to access my phone. I also find that the case acts as a great place to rest my phone on a table, desk, etc.
My logic for using this case is simple. When I'm using my phone, I like the feel of a bare phone. Also, don't see a need for protection while I'm using my phone, as my attention is enough to keep mind not to drop it or let it be damaged. I find that my phone is most prone to damage when I'm not using it, as I don't devote my attention to it, which is where the case excels with protection, and why I personally prefer this type of case.
Some people, including myself, find just the opposite to be true. My phone is the in the least amount of danger sitting on my desk or in my pocket. It's when I'm taking it out of my pocket or actively talking on it that it slips and falls the most. Hence, I use a body glove case that will protect it from the lofty fall from my hand to the ground.
Yep, just like I said. The case obviously isn't for everybody, but is any case really perfect for everybody? For the way I treat my phone, the case is great.
The case just showed up today, and I exchanged my phone on warranty over the weekend for a faulty external speaker, so I have a completely new setup (already rooted and currently running Paragon 5.1). I might post pics of the case and how it looks with the phone (if I can as a new member?) if I get around to it this week, I have a couple of midterms to keep me busy this week.
Again, questions welcome.
I posted this elsewhere, but I figured Id post it here too.
So, I got my case the other day, and I can say this. This thing has a couple of features that you dont see anywhere else. I like the fit as well as the the look.
So Im guessing I wasnt the only one contacted by them, but Im sure that I wont be the last. I was expecting something cheaply made and nothing near this quality.
Two biggest things that I like about this case are as follows.
They have aux port plugs. I remember when phones actually came with these. My LG enV3 had one, but my Bolt doesnt. These are usefull and sit almost flush with the case without covering the mic hole. Great feature and they come in packs of two.
The other thing I really like about this case is how it was designed. Ive read a couple threads about people complaining about light leaks on the bottom and dust getting into the the phone from the bottom. These guys have brought up the bottom of the case so that it covers the break on the bottom. Thus eliminating dust being pushed in while it sits in your pocket.
The materials that this case is made from I like a lot better than my Seidio to be honest. It doesnt feel slippery or too smooth. It has a bit of a rough finish to it and that leaves you feeling less like its going to slip from your hand and crack. Coming from someone thats already had to have the digitizer replaced, thats a huge bonus.
I like it and overall, this case gets two thumbs up. The price is reasonable as well which is always good. For 20 bucks you can get a good combo deal from them. Even if you dont pick up one of their cases, the plugs alone are worth purchasing.
They gave me a Zune HD case and I fell in love. The moment they got it in stock I ordered one. May end up ordering another one down the line in a different color.
Where could I order just the plugs?
just go to http://www.rearthusa.com/
look up your phone and you should be good
Coupon code
If you type "Ringke Thunderbolt coupon" into Google, it will list a page that has the case, two audio caps and two screen protectors for $21, plus free shipping. I ordered yesterday. The only downside is you cannot choose the color of the audio caps.
The link is the second one on the google search engine: Under dealnews(dot)com
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