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Galaxy S4 Cases and covers!

Absolutely LOVE this case! As other reviewers have mentioned, they look a lot better in person.

My short review on Amazon.

Great case! Comes in nice retail packaging. Fit and finish are superb! Case has a nice stiff rim around the screen, very little flex, unless putting pressure on it. Looks a LOT nicer than the photos. I got the grey/clear for the black S4 and it makes an already beautiful phone, look even better. The clear portion, is more opaque... however you can still see the design/logos on the back of your phone. Case feels firm around the phone, no slippage. A bit harder to get on, than it is to pull off. Just start at the corners, work until it pops in or out.

All the inputs, sensors, mics, speakers are perfectly aligned. Some have complained about the headphone opening, not being big enough. For the included headphones, which IMO work quite well, the fit is fine. Something you'll just have to keep in mind, if you want to use this case. Any bigger and you're sacrificing more area of your phone, to potential damage. Not why I bought this case, or any case, really.

If you're thinking about it, just do it. Cheap enough, it won't hurt that much, expensive enough... you're not getting the cheapo ill-fit, TPU stuff. Nice looking enough, to catch peoples' eyes.
Click to expand...
Also, ordered this on on the 17th. It was in my mailbox, today the 20th.

Poetic Atmosphere Case for Samsung Galaxy S IV S4 GS4 4 Clear/Gray (3 Year Manufacturer Warranty From Poetic)
 

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jdCaptivate said:
Absolutely LOVE this case! As other reviewers have mentioned, they look a lot better in person.

My short review on Amazon.

Also, ordered this on on the 17th. It was in my mailbox, today the 20th.

Poetic Atmosphere Case for Samsung Galaxy S IV S4 GS4 4 Clear/Gray (3 Year Manufacturer Warranty From Poetic)
Click to expand...

That appears identical to the Minisuit Kinnect case. I bought one of these along with a Minisuit bumper case. They fit the GS4 fine. The Kinnect case is the tightest fitting case of any I tried.

Amazon.com: MiniSuit Samsung Galaxy S4 Kinnect Rubber Trim Case + Screen Protector (Frost/Gray): Cell Phones & Accessories
 
masturblastur said:
Now THIS is a case:
SPIGEN SGP Slim Armor View for Galaxy S4 ← Galaxy S4 Accessories
41CksiKQkxL._SY300_.jpg
Click to expand...

I wasn't a fan of the Samsung case that had a front cover and window like that,
but I have to admit this was I kinda like.
Probably because its an actual case, and I also like how the screen cover actually secures into the closed position rather than just being loose all the time.
I might consider giving that one a shot.
***But not for $50....it will have to come down to at least $30 for ME to buy it***

Does anyone know if you can text and email through the viewing window?
I imagine you could read a text through the window but I don't know if the phone is set up to much more than that while in that window mode.
 
deslock said:
I usually forgo using a case, but it's just dumb luck that I haven't broken a screen thus far. I chose a Rocketfish silicone shell after trying a bunch of cases at the Verizon store and Best Buy.

+ quality fit and finish
+ tactile
+ convenient (compared to a flip cover or bulkier case)
+ significant shock protection
+ translucent
+ minimalist (thin and light)
- a little pricey for such a simple case

Could've saved $20 by getting a $2 case, but I decided not to wait (and I'm not sure about the quality of those).
Click to expand...

They have a tpu case from fasttech (under $2) that works great BTW. Have one in hand. That silicone case must be a PITA to get out of your pocket! :D:D
 
The S3 doesn't have anything so I am sure nothing will be available for the S4 until 2014. That is if they don't scratch the plan to make a case all together.
 
andyacecandy said:
Pretty awesome case. Think I'm gonna order ($30 the cheapest?)

Trying to decide between silver or metal slate
Click to expand...

That's the cheapest for the real thing. There are knock offs available but I don't recommend them. I ordered thru spigens amazon store so I can have 2 day shipping
 
Brand new to the forum, however I come here often for help in searches.

I am reviewing several cases and will be posting my findings soon
 
I have been going through the cases with my Galaxy S4. First let me say I am an Otterbox fan for the most part until now, I question it… Here is my findings so far:

1) Otterbox Commuter - bought it on day one of the S4 release just to get me by temporarily. It was ok, nothing exciting about it. No holster, no front protection. So I sold it, soon as I found a Defender on eBay.

2) Otterbox Defender - several issues I had - The inner two plastic shell halves click together. The tabs which hold them together are very thin and breakable. I take my case off my phone weekly, cleaning purposes (work related). Every tab all the way around the two halves are broke off. The outer rubber skin does hold the phone case together but the plastic halves are not clicked together. Next issue found was the plastic screen protector. I went outside is a very light drizzle rain and one rain drop hit right at the top edge of screen protector by the earpiece and spread down the whole front of phone face behind the screen protector. Therefore, I had to take case apart and dry off screen because of one rain drop. Then there is the holster issues. The issues found are the design. The Defender for the S3 was designed great but the S4 holster is different. When you put the phone in the holster you have to lineup the 2 back corners perfect or you miss. The holster for the S3 has a long sided tray and phone falls/fits right in place. You have to physically look at the S4 holster to line it up. Having the small corner tabs to hold it in place are weak and going to break off. The long side of the S3 holster would not do that. The click lock tab that holds the S4 in holster is very shallow & small, barely clicks in secure. Make sure you tug on your S4 to make sure it is secure. My phone falls off my holster getting in and out of the car or office chair multiple times a day. I have removed the Defender and on to the next. Both side buttons are hard to push in and function.

3) Trident Kraken - Bought this case thinking it would be as durable as the defender and be a great replacement. I was wrong, I used it for less than 10 minutes before I decided , sell it. Here we go. The case is bulky which is no big deal, as long as it protects the phone, which the Kraken sure seems to kick butt in the protection field. The case itself is similar to the Defender with reverse protection. The Defender is plastic inside and rubber outside. The Kraken is rubber inside and plastic outside. This made no difference to me at all. Both would do there job for dropping the phone. No way was the Kraken going to be carried in your pocket though. At least the Defender was a pocket case if you wanted it to be. The Kraken has large bumpers on the corners which hang up in your pocket. So that makes you use the belt clip, what a disaster the clip is. First off it is very small and offers no front screen protection at all. The phone sits off your belt a long ways. With the phone only clipped in the middle it teeters back and forth, anything that touches either end of the phone makes the phone pop off the clip. Not to mention the clip points are small and T-shaped, which have to line up perfectly and once again requires eyes and two hands to line phone up and attach to clip. No way was this a good design. So yep you guessed it, I sold the Kraken the same day. The buttons do work fine and easy.

4) UAG - My first Urban Armor Gear aka UAG. I just loved the look of it, I am a holster person but figured I could work around the holster for now and pocket carry it. It fit’s the phone great and seems to offer great protection to everything except the front. It does come with a standard adhesive protector, which is minimal protection from much more than scratches. The front rim edge could be a little higher but its not bad. All of your port holes are exposed, so be aware of that with inclement weather. Photos make the case look slick, but its not and the design is easy to hold and all the buttons work well. The UAG is thin and hardly adds any bulk to the phone at all. So here is my plan from here… purchase a ZAGG screen protector and hope the UAG still fits snug like it currently does. This should toughen up the protection for the screen area. All the buttons and holes line up and work perfect. As far as a holster for the UAG. The company does not make one so you have to figure out how to carry on your own. A few suggestions are the plastic holster for the Note 2. I have heard they work for the S3 unsure on the S4. Someone on the forum suggested the holster that comes with the Samsung Galaxy S4 i9500 black case and belt clip on eBay for $8
1
http://www.ebay.com/itm/171026179909?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649 . It looks just like the I-Blason Prime holster which also may fit the UAG.

So there you have it for now, will update if I find anything else that works well for the S4. I am trying to stay in a durable outdoors type case with full protection and holster. I will figure it out at some point. Good Luck in your choices and searches for that perfect case.
 
Review of: Speck Smartflex Card Case
http://www.speckproducts.com/smartphone-cases/samsung/smartflex-card-for-samsung-galaxy-s4.html

First, let me start by saying that I chose this case specifically with the purpose of trying to eliminate my wallet. I hate carrying things in my pockets and try to avoid it as much as possible. Narrowing things down to a single cell phone would be awesome. Now on to the Speck Smartflex;

Build quality feels really good in hand, you can tell its well made. It offers a much better grip then keeping the phone naked. The material does not feel tacky, but stays in place when placed on the center console of my moving vehicle. Slides in and out of the pocket easily. Since the card holder on the back adds a slight thickness to the case, IMO it actually adds increased shock protection if dropped on its back. In fact, since the phone is slightly raised up from the surface when placed on its back, it also adds some protection from wet surfaces (I’ve actually seen somewhere spill a beer on a table, and watched all the phones laying on the table get wet).

The appearance is clean and functional. I wasnt fond of the matte black color on the Speck website, but in person it looks much better! The edges of the case have a thin black glossy line, and the embossed Speck logo is also glossy, giving the case a nice look. Smudges and fingerprints are almost non-existent on the case due to the matte color and material.

Cutouts are precise and clean. More than enough room to plug-in charging cable or large headphone jack. There is a nice lip over the front of the screen giving it scratch protection when lying face down.

And now to the part we’ve all been waiting for…

The credit card holder easily fits 3 cards, or 2 cards and some folded bills. Regardless of 1 or 3 cards, the holder (which is tension based) keeps the cards in place with no worry of them ever sliding out. I tried several times, shaking the phone aggressively, to get the cards to slide out and they never budged. I noticed each time I added a card, the case actually seemed to grip around the phone even better, which was a nice surprise.
The only way the card will come out is by using the thumb-push cutout on the opposite side of the card opening, and even with that the card only comes out about pops out about
 

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zombie69 said:
UAG - My first Urban Armor Gear aka UAG. I just loved the look of it, I am a holster person but figured I could work around the holster for now and pocket carry it. It fit’s the phone great and seems to offer great protection to everything except the front. It does come with a standard adhesive protector, which is minimal protection from much more than scratches. The front rim edge could be a little higher but its not bad. All of your port holes are exposed, so be aware of that with inclement weather. Photos make the case look slick, but its not and the design is easy to hold and all the buttons work well. The UAG is thin and hardly adds any bulk to the phone at all. So here is my plan from here… purchase a ZAGG screen protector and hope the UAG still fits snug like it currently does. This should toughen up the protection for the screen area. All the buttons and holes line up and work perfect. As far as a holster for the UAG. The company does not make one so you have to figure out how to carry on your own. A few suggestions are the plastic holster for the Note 2. I have heard they work for the S3 unsure on the S4.

Someone on the forum suggested the holster that comes with the Samsung Galaxy S4 i9500 black case and belt clip on eBay for $8
1
http://www.ebay.com/itm/171026179909?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649. It looks just like the I-Blason Prime holster which also may fit the UAG.
Click to expand...

Hey Zombie69,
I was the one who posted that particle holster works, and imho it works very well.:)
I also posted a picture of it with the UAG/S4 attached to the windshield of my Jeep.
(that is where I like to keep it secured to while riding)(I'll attach it again below)

The way I look at it is this:
If that holster can hold the UAG/S4 (full face screen protection)
securely while I'm bouncing down the trail...
it should be more than adequate for the average users hip. :D
The other thing that I like about that holster is that it has a nice "felt" type of material
that your screen sits up against while in the holster.
The only thing about that holster that kinda annoys me a little is having to slide the
phone into position rather than it clipping in, but that's just me being a prick.
That holster wasn't designed for the UAG case, so why would it clip in to position?:smokingsomb:

The truth about that holster is that it's really good quality in general,
but especially for $8 and fitting the UAG perfecty = Awesome! :D
I plan on buying a couple more myself while they are still available.
**The actual case that comes with that holster though is garbage,
so basically its just a purchase to make if your looking for a holster
to work with the UAG Case.**

UAGinHolster_zpsee938ccf.jpg




I've also found that this Seidio Dock works perfectly with the S4 in a UAG Case.
SEIDIO | Desktop Charging Cradle for Samsung Galaxy S III, Galaxy Note 2, LG Nexus 4

IMAG0110.jpg


IMAG0108.jpg


IMAG0109.jpg


(pictures of the seidio dock where provided from gadzooks64)
(his pics came out alot better than mine of the all black UAG and S4. ;))
 
Wondering if anyone has both the Neo Hybrid and a Seidio with holster?
If so, I'm curious if the holster works with the Neo Hybrid. I don't care to wear the holster...I use it to protect my phone when I travel (throwing it inside my bag, using the clip to hang it on the seat back pocket on the plane, etc...).
Thanks in advance.
 
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