I have been looking for a case that had a soft silicone inside layer with a hard plastic outside layer. I narrowed it down to the Seidio Innocase Active and the case-mate tough case. There were a lot more people using the Seidio and it had pretty mixed reviews. The little I found on the tough case seemed pretty good so I ended up getting the case-mate tough case.
Package Contents:
Screen Protector
This is the screen protection kit. It includes...
Screen Protector
Application:
The screen protector covers the entire screen including the buttons on the bottom. At the top there is a cut out for the front camera and ear speaker. The screen protector has a little pull tab to pull off the backing. Directions state to start and the bottom and work your way up. I was more concerned with lining it up for the camera and speaker so I peeled the whole thing off and started at the top. It applied very easily. I did mess up once and pulled it back off and lined it back up no problem. All of the air bubbles came out very easily and there are no bubbles on the screen right after application.
Feel and review:
The screen protector is a very high gloss smooth film. It looks just like the stock screen and like there is no protector on the phone. With the screen off under certain light conditions and angles there appear to be a slight rainbow pattern. This is not seen at all however with the phone screen on and is really of no concern. The protector feels just like the stock screen except slightly more resistance as nothing can really be as smooth as a naked screen. If you use a light touch it feels very similar. The harder you push the more you can feel the resistance over a naked screen. The protector does show finger prints like the stock screen. Maybe not as bad but it does show them. I would say if you like everything about the stock screen and just want more protection this is very nice.
Installed:
Shows the outline at the top. The very edges at the top and bottom look like they do not stick as well. Overtime it should clear up. They are covered by the case but hopefully they don't peel up.
Case:
Install is obviously very easy. Slip the rubber case over and then the hard cover. The hard cover is a very nice material and the textured back is awesome. Phone feels very secure in your hand. I was concerned about the phone cover being too soft and getting caught in my pockets. This is very nice. The front is soft but the hard case keeps the sides very tight. The top and bottom can move a little when going in and out but not nearly as bad as an Otterbox Commuter. The case ads a little thickness but not really any width.
Fitment:
Everything fit together nice. All the cutouts for the camera, kickstand, mic, charger, hdmi port, ect line up perfectly. I am a fan of the cutouts and not having plugs for everything which usually dont work out well anyway (otterbox). Little details were definitely paid attention to. The headphone cable cutout allows the use of a 90* cable with no interference. The rubber and hard case fit together with no gaps. It doesn't appear that the hard case will separate from the rubber during normal use. It is also pretty easy to remove if you are a person constantly taking off a case for a car mount or changing batteries.
Buttons:
Using the power button is just as easy as stock. It feels a little different since it is now covered in rubber as opposed to the hard plastic stock button but no fussing around at all. A light click is all you need. It does not stick out as far as stock but again no difficulty in using it. The volume buttons are also very easy to use but slightly more difficult then stock. The reason is the buttons are pretty much flush with the case on. They still push no problem but because they barely stick out, if at all, your finger pushes into the cutout.
Protection:
The case definitely adds a lot of protection. You can place the phone screen down and the rubber front will protect the screen )as well as the screen protector film) or you can put it screen up and the case is thick enough to not hit the camera lens. The phone is also much more secure in your hand. I always felt like the naked phone would fly out of my hand at any second.
Overall:
I would give the case a 9.5/10. For $29.99 shipped which includes the case and screen protector you really can't go wrong.
**EDIT**
After about 1 month of use I decided to try the Platinum Case from Best Buy (Seidio Innocase II). My reasoning is the Case Mate Tough Case offers more protection than I really need so I wanted something a little thinner. Other than that the case has been perfect. Fitment of everything is spot on, buttons are super easy to use, screen protector is on great with no bubbles, etc... If you need a strong durable case this is perfect.
Package Contents:
- Impact Resistant ABS Plastic Shell
- Soft Silicone Skin
- Screen Protection Kit
Screen Protector
This is the screen protection kit. It includes...
- Screen protector
- Micro Fiber Cleaning Cloth
- Cardboard Squeegee
- Directions
Screen Protector
Application:
The screen protector covers the entire screen including the buttons on the bottom. At the top there is a cut out for the front camera and ear speaker. The screen protector has a little pull tab to pull off the backing. Directions state to start and the bottom and work your way up. I was more concerned with lining it up for the camera and speaker so I peeled the whole thing off and started at the top. It applied very easily. I did mess up once and pulled it back off and lined it back up no problem. All of the air bubbles came out very easily and there are no bubbles on the screen right after application.
Feel and review:
The screen protector is a very high gloss smooth film. It looks just like the stock screen and like there is no protector on the phone. With the screen off under certain light conditions and angles there appear to be a slight rainbow pattern. This is not seen at all however with the phone screen on and is really of no concern. The protector feels just like the stock screen except slightly more resistance as nothing can really be as smooth as a naked screen. If you use a light touch it feels very similar. The harder you push the more you can feel the resistance over a naked screen. The protector does show finger prints like the stock screen. Maybe not as bad but it does show them. I would say if you like everything about the stock screen and just want more protection this is very nice.
Installed:
Shows the outline at the top. The very edges at the top and bottom look like they do not stick as well. Overtime it should clear up. They are covered by the case but hopefully they don't peel up.
Case:
Install is obviously very easy. Slip the rubber case over and then the hard cover. The hard cover is a very nice material and the textured back is awesome. Phone feels very secure in your hand. I was concerned about the phone cover being too soft and getting caught in my pockets. This is very nice. The front is soft but the hard case keeps the sides very tight. The top and bottom can move a little when going in and out but not nearly as bad as an Otterbox Commuter. The case ads a little thickness but not really any width.
Fitment:
Everything fit together nice. All the cutouts for the camera, kickstand, mic, charger, hdmi port, ect line up perfectly. I am a fan of the cutouts and not having plugs for everything which usually dont work out well anyway (otterbox). Little details were definitely paid attention to. The headphone cable cutout allows the use of a 90* cable with no interference. The rubber and hard case fit together with no gaps. It doesn't appear that the hard case will separate from the rubber during normal use. It is also pretty easy to remove if you are a person constantly taking off a case for a car mount or changing batteries.
Buttons:
Using the power button is just as easy as stock. It feels a little different since it is now covered in rubber as opposed to the hard plastic stock button but no fussing around at all. A light click is all you need. It does not stick out as far as stock but again no difficulty in using it. The volume buttons are also very easy to use but slightly more difficult then stock. The reason is the buttons are pretty much flush with the case on. They still push no problem but because they barely stick out, if at all, your finger pushes into the cutout.
Protection:
The case definitely adds a lot of protection. You can place the phone screen down and the rubber front will protect the screen )as well as the screen protector film) or you can put it screen up and the case is thick enough to not hit the camera lens. The phone is also much more secure in your hand. I always felt like the naked phone would fly out of my hand at any second.
Overall:
I would give the case a 9.5/10. For $29.99 shipped which includes the case and screen protector you really can't go wrong.
**EDIT**
After about 1 month of use I decided to try the Platinum Case from Best Buy (Seidio Innocase II). My reasoning is the Case Mate Tough Case offers more protection than I really need so I wanted something a little thinner. Other than that the case has been perfect. Fitment of everything is spot on, buttons are super easy to use, screen protector is on great with no bubbles, etc... If you need a strong durable case this is perfect.