Ringke Case (56k warning)

[Thefoodman52]

I received an email a few days ago from rearthusa, asking if I'd like to do a review on one of their products, and being me, I simply couldn't refuse.

Well, it just got in today. Think... a slim, stout, silicon cover.

Out of the box, it holds it's shape very well, doesn't have the loose and floppy edges that many do, and it doesn't pull your pocket inside out when you remove your phone from your pants.

There's a few colors to choose from, but I went with the red one. They're $16.99 from their website, here. Free shipping as well, last I checked.

The cut outs line up nicely, and there is extra around the camera protrusion, so it doesn't touch when set down on it's back. It's not really much worth mentioning, but there is a cut on the back to show the 'HTC' logo on the back cover of the phone. The kickstand cut out doesn't get in the way of the kickstand, the speaker cut lines up perfectly, as does everything else.

Small gripe, but nothing major, the areas that are over the lock and volume keys are concave, in that they don't make it any easier to hit the buttons. It makes it slightly more difficult to hit the power and volume buttons, and you can't tell if you've hit them (can't feel the click), but it's functional.

I'll report back next Saturday with my final opinion.

Pictures.

In the box.

Side by side.

Side shot.

Bottoms.

On the phone and propped.

Inside of the volume rocker.

 

[overclock]

Who's on 56k any more?

Looks like a nice, snug case. Interested in the full review.

 

[dan330]

i am waiting for mine too..
i got the red wine.. is that the same color as yous?

does it make the phone feel fatter?
does the edges, next to the screen, affect your abillity to touch the side of the screen? does it cover any screen realstate?

I am happy it will help to protect camera lens!

 

[Rigmaster]

Someone beat me to the first review. Darn! Well, I'll add some comments, but I'm not going to have time to add to the pix.

1) Color and feel: I got mine in black. The color itself seems a bit dull, but that always seems the case for silicone cases to me. The case is not as "grabby" as other silicone cases, and I've used it in a lint enhanced pocket just for testing. It came out completely lint-free each time so the maker has done something pretty good. One note to be careful though - the silicone's a bit slicker than others so you have to be careful about your phone slipping out of your hand. Very easy to put onto the Evo without feeling like there's any looseness or sliding. It looks like the back will come off, but it's one piece. I guess they're trying to follow the look of the Evo, which it does. Not sure if that matters until you see it next to some of the other silicone options that don't have the Evo look. Nice attention to detail.

2) Size and protection - about the same size as most other silicone cases. I don't normally use silicone, but I do use a Seidio Innocase II. This case is almost as thin (but not quite) as the SI2 so good marks there. The best part of the size is that it fits perfectly into the SI2 holster while providing additional camera bezel protection. I think their camera bezel protection's better than most of the other silicone options because it's thinner than most other options. No purposeful drop test from me, but it I'm not quite as comfortable with the way it feels compared to the SI2 when tapping it against hard surfaces. I used the kickstand, headphone, charging, and mHDMI ports while the cover was on with not fit or other problems. There's even a hole for that tiny hole on the bottom left of the Evo, which is something other silicone options lack.

3) Features and packaging - My case has the same packaging as shown in the other review. The packaging seemed professionally done so those fearing this was a scam can be confident it wasn't some home-wrapped special. Unlike the above posted review though, the silicone buttons fit perfectly on my Evo and allowed for great control. I was easily able to wake up, power down, and use the volume up and down keys while wearing gloves (it's cold in the NY/NJ area now). That matters, and it's probably my biggest gripe about the SI2 and other cases.

If they don't ask for it to be sent back, it's worth keeping. Half the nonsense sold these days is either something to regift or put on eBay or Craigslist. This is a keeper.

Now, the question is the value and would I actually buy this case? That's a tough call since I'm not usually a silicone case person, and at the current price I think they're coming into the market a bit high. But since I have to make a yea or nay, I'd go with yes. For sure, there are other silicone options for less than $16; but it's worth it when you factor in that shipping's included with the price and that it appears to be made and domestically manufactured by an American company. I'd like to see the maker include 2 cases for the price though - it's going to be awfully tough to break into the is market when there are other options available all the way down to less than $1.

I actually respect that they just contacted people here and asked for reviews and comments to be posted here. Sorry it came off a little suspect in execution.

 

[Rigmaster]

i am waiting for mine too..
i got the red wine.. is that the same color as yous?

does it make the phone feel fatter?
does the edges, next to the screen, affect your abillity to touch the side of the screen? does it cover any screen realstate?

I am happy it will help to protect camera lens!

Doesn't make the phone feel fatter. No issues with screen edging or screen real estate at all.

 

[AndroidSPCS]

Nice, quite a few folks got to test out these cases!

I was fortunate enough to be asked to review the case as well, and here are some of my thoughts and pictures. I received the "aqua black" case from Rearth USA | Judge us by the cover!

Overall thoughts - this case is a keeper. I ain't giving mine back!

I've used lots of silicone cases from the very first days of iPhone 2G, my old Sansa e260, to today with my Evo and other devices. The silicone material is excellent - not too thick, not too thin, not too stretchy, not too stiff, not too rigid, not too soft. It's about perfect, in my opinion, for this phone. I love the case with my Evo and it's going to stay on there for the forseeable future!

Here are some pictures with some more thoughts:

The cases is professionally packaged, better than anything else you would buy off of eBay. It's not made in China, but quality made in Korea. The shipping was super fast via USPS priority mail, in a box almost seeming like it was custom made for this package, and it protected the package perfectly.

The material is JUST RIGHT in terms of thickness, flexibility, and fit. It does fit like a glove, only better.

I tried to show the excellent fit here. The mic opening, which is a tiny pin hole, lines up perfectly with the Evo's mic. So there is no distortion or loss of audio during my calls. This is hugely important. Other lesser cases I've had in the past will often have significant variances on the mic, and my voice will sound muffled or not as good. Not a problem with this case.

Look at the fit and finish on the back. Everythign is perfect. There is an extra "bevel" on the camera, which further protects the camera lens from scratches and damage. A true 10 / 10 for this fit and feature!!!

The package is professionally packaged like very few other cases I have seen. It is ready to be displayed and sold at retail stores, not just online.

I have been using the case for a couple of days and have been extremely impressed with it. It fits my needs perfectly, does not add significant bulk to my Evo at all.

I have the Phantom Skinz matte skin on my Evo. With other cheap cases, they would tend to rip my skin off on the corners being way too tight or ill-fitting. Not this case. It works great with my Phantom Skinz and does not harm it at all. In fact, it protects the existing Skin on the back and corners just fine. I love it!!

The only tiny improvement, that I can suggest, is making the "power" button a bit more extruded, so the power button is easier to press. But as it is, it's not any worse than with no cover at all. The Evo power button is hard to press to begin with, and this case makes it slightly easier to press, but not a whole easier to press. The volume buttons are fine for me, but I think it would be good if they improved the coverage there so it's a big thicker as well. So if they were to make a tiny improvement for the power button, this case would truly be perfect and be the cat's meow for the Evo!!!

Overall though, I'm in love with this case and I would highly recommend it to other Evo owners.

Thanks to the folks at Rearth USA for sending me the case for review! The confidence to allow folks to try out the case for review, whether it is positive or negative, speaks volumes in the quality of the product!! This is a winner.

 

[AndroidSPCS]

i am waiting for mine too..
i got the red wine.. is that the same color as yous?

does it make the phone feel fatter?
does the edges, next to the screen, affect your abillity to touch the side of the screen? does it cover any screen realstate?

I am happy it will help to protect camera lens!

IMHO the proprietary silicone material and the design is key to this case. It is perfectly made with the perfect thickness, so it doesn't make the phone feel fatter at all. The edges on the phone on the front is perfect as well. Just enough coverage to protect the phone, but not interfere with any utility.

The extra bevel or ridge on the camera lens is genius. It eliminates any previous complaints about the Evo's extended camera lens being susceptible to daily scratches and damage.

All the little things, the fit, the material, the perfect thickness, coverage, combine to make this one of the best silicone cases I have ever used on my gadgets.

I would love to see them offer a case for the Captivate, and for the Epic. I would definitely get those considering how awesome the Evo case is. I already have another TPU case for my Captivate, but it's far too thick and rubbery for my liking. This material and case design would be the best for my Captivate.

 

[zombdroid]

I too received the Aqua Black case for review. Directly out of the box it seems to be like most other soft silicone based cases, but I am happy to report it is not.

The fit is nice and the case adds almost no bulk to the phone. I think the best part about the case is the texture of the outer skin. The feel is not rubbery, not slick, but more of a matte texture that does not grab your pocket liner.

The case looks really good on the EVO as well. I like the fact that the manufacturer paid attention to detail when cutting out holes for the phone.

I decided to keep this case on my phone until my wife came home and spotted the box sitting on the table. She immediately liked the feel of the case and proceeded to hijack mine. She asked if she could keep it as it does not pull her hair as her previous Sprint OEM silicone case does.

I have decided to order myself one and now I just need to choose a color. I think maybe the Sky Blue.

 

[dan330]

i am still waiting for mine... I was confirmed last Thursday that he had my info and was being shipped out.

still waiting... funny thing.. we are both in the same state.

 

[Thefoodman52]

After a weeks use, I can say I like it.

It still fits tight, and it's not become sloppy like many others through use. I used it for my last 3 days at work, while running, and I've managed to drop it a few times. I can't say I was as comfortable dropping it in this cover as I am if I accidentally chunk it over the edge of table with my Trident case, but it's just a thin silicon type cover. It'll keep scuffs and what have you off of your baby.

Also, thing to note, the solid color case was a must for me. My Evo has horrid light problems along the bottom (clearly visible in broad daylight), and this does just as good a job as any at hiding my phone's defect.


The ring around the camera keeps it from resting on the cover, and it provides the 'air pocket' that HTC had in mind when they had the lens cover protrude (for sound purposes). Works perfectly. The speaker and flash cut outs are perfect as they are, they don't go over the speaker grill or flash bulbs.

Cutouts still match up after a week of use, and many removals of the cover.



My final thought. The price may not be the best you can find (it's more of a price you'd see in a Sprint store than anything), but I have seen worse. Free shipping, and $16.99 is do able. It does what it does, and that's about all there is to say about it. It's not going to drop-proof your phone, or give outstanding resistance to abuse. It'll stop most stuff, keep your phone looking good, and in some cases, make it feel better in the hand (I love how it feels with this).
"Well.... I don't know... should I get it?" Yes. If you're looking for a thin silicon cover to keep the phone looking as good as it did in the box, this is the one to get in my book.



Good job on this one Ringke, got it right from the get go!