Database Develop

Aluminum Metal Case

I received yesterday my protection for Leo. I share with you the results of this:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/show/with/4210742282/
For shipping this protection:
http://www.pdair.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=10100000_900000_11000801&products_id=26364

Thanks for sharing; however you would have been better off posting in the Cases thread where we all go to see what's happening in the world of cases.
WB

Agree with above poster, can a mod fix this?
Nice case! ive also ordered 1 last week at PDAir, the 1 without a screen, so easy acces, but fewer protection. I am hoping its more solid so i can put it in my back pocket without getting a red face everytime i realize i accidently put it there...
When did you order it and did it took long (i am eager to get mine, but now hope is gone till monday or tuesday...)

I disagree.
The "Cases" thread is too long and too complicated for discussing any one specific case.
Anyway I ordered mine just a moment ago and would very much like to hear how quick was the shipment, how snug is the fit and how reassuring the neoprene feels
It's a shame they opted for a plastic screen protector instead of either a window-less aluminum door or a transparent cover that lets you work with the touchscreen.

mohasea said:
I received yesterday my protection for Leo. I share with you the results of this.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
mohasea,
How thick is the plastic cover over the screen?
Does the plastic cover flex?
Do you think the plastic cover would prevent the screen being cracked if dropped screen down on ummm concrete?
Duperman said:
It's a shame they opted for a plastic screen protector instead of either a window-less aluminum door
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I totally agree, wish they had a solid aluminum front door instead of the window cut-out covered in plastic or the other option they have of no plastic window cut-out. I would order one now,even not having my Leo yet, just because the front door was solid aluminum.
I am going to contact PDair and see if they would leave a few front doors out of the cnc cutter and have a full cover aluminum
Would you like one too, Duperman ?
Thank you,
Monnie

I have ordered an open screen case despite it may not fully protect the screen. HD2 has a glass screen and it is hard enough against scratch as what has been in iphone.

Would you like one too, Duperman?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Absolutely

Mine, the one without screen plastic, is supposed to arrive between now and Jan 27th next year...(sometime)
take care

Anyone got theirs yet?
Would love to see some detailed photos and a review of the case pros/cons
Thank you,
Monnie

I'm debating whether to go with their leather flip case or this aluminum case...

I got this case and immediatly wished there was no plastic screen on the front door. So, I held it over some boiling water for about 2 mins and and then used my thumb nail (not kidding it was easy) to pry the plastic from the metal. The whole lot peeled off easily, i replaced the foam into the case and BAM perfect case. (be careful not to rip the foam, but if you do it will still stick back. also the foam stretched out a bit but pushed back into shape no problem. TIP: Work from the front side of the case, wedge your nail into the seem and loosen it all the way around. If it starts to get tough again, hold it over steam for a while longer.
Also.. when the plastic was still inplace and the case door was closed, there would be random screen presses and that was not cool, however now that the plastic is out, i can leave the door closed, press when I want too, AND there is no random case presses
I know this sounds like a poor fix, but it worked awesome and it looks like it was SUPPOSED to come this way.
Now all i need is for my zag shield (front only) to show up and im perfectly protected (minus water damage dammit)
awesome case guys im not kidding. you dont have to put the nubbin on in the back either so it doesnt add much bulk to teh phone. good luck yo.

Got mine too and I use the black open faced aluminum for local use and insert the whole unit;
aluminum case and all into the Maxpedition "Rat" wallet for carrying on belts etc.... http://www.maxpedition.com/store/pc/...&idcategory=11
Like it alot....
FWIW

well, do not kill me if I say so .. but it is ugly as hell.
I do not say that it does not protect the phone, or the the finishing it's not ok .. but from a slim phone with a huge screen, it looks like a bullet proof brick with a screen.
The whole idea of an elegant smartphone it's gone.
Small question: what do you hate about the original leather case?
It is elegant, slim easy to use and protect the phone in normal use conditions or small accidents.

Capdase Alumor Metal Case
Bought this silicon w/ aluminium backcover case by CAPDASE in Hong Kong, adding a more "solid" feel over the pure silicon case. It comes with a CAPDASE screen protector as well.
http://www.mobimega.com/capdase-alumor-metal-case-htc-hd2.html
Beware that the silicon case may not glue well to the aluminum backcover (I think it's the factory problem) which may leave a small gap between them when you put the phone in. I have to apply some glue to fix that myself. Apart from the case is nice and not too costly.

byronlee said:
Bought this silicon w/ aluminium backcover case by CAPDASE in Hong Kong, adding a more "solid" feel over the pure silicon case. It comes with a CAPDASE screen protector as well.
Beware that the silicon case may not glue well to the aluminum backcover (I think it's the factory problem) which may leave a small gap between them when you put the phone in. I have to apply some glue to fix that myself. Apart from the case is nice and not too costly.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi,
I am seriously thinking about ordering one for my Desire (A8181).
But what I'm not able to find, is how it works. I mean, you seem to describe the case as a silicone skin, with a metal plate sticked to it.
I thought it was more like a silicone skin with another semi-case to "clip" over the silicon....
Can you confirm if I am right or wrong?
And can you post multiple angles pictures?
Thank you, it would be much appreciated!

thanks but
so uglly

Ohh Great!

Thanks for the pictures! To me is one of the best cases i've ever seen.

Scratch Removal for Nexus S Plastic Housing/Backcover

I've been noticing scratches on the plastic backcover of my Nexus S that apparently comes about when the phone is placed on a hard wooden surface. Is there any product available that removes scratches and safe to use on this type of plastic?

Rango85 said:
I've been noticing scratches on the back of my Nexus S that apparently comes about when the phone is placed on a hard wooden surface. Is there any product available that removes scratches and safe to use on this type of plastic?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hope that you find an answer, meanwhile have a look at this? http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=871308

Excellent find. Although the scratches aren't as bad, I'm thinking of using a plastic polish (even the Meguiar's NXT Generation Tech Wax 2.0) to see if that removes them.
Edit: Bought Mothers Plastic Polish instead. Will keep you guys updated when I try it.

Rango85 said:
Excellent find. Although the scratches aren't as bad, I'm thinking of using a plastic polish (even the Meguiar's NXT Generation Tech Wax 2.0) to see if that removes them.
Edit: Bought Mothers Plastic Polish instead. Will keep you guys updated when I try it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Any luck? can you take pictures before and after? Thanks much

Using the Mothers Plastic Polish on the Nexus S plastic backcover didn't remove them and actually introduced more scratches, but they were very fine and the phone needed to be held under light to notice.
I would advise anyone who gets this phone to order a case with it. My 2 year old Samsung Galaxy Spica takes more beating than this and still looks like new (without ever using a case too!)

yeah, the only solution for me seems to be order a throw around extra back cover if I were to go without a case, but they are not easy to find.

E-Cell Luxury Protective Leather Case [BAD Magnet]

Well after a good review by another user here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1892017
I decided to buy the brown one last week, I had it this morning and tried it immediately. The case looks professional and feels nice to the touch. I thought the only complain I have is that it has no ridge on the inner side of the flap to stop the Nexus from sliding front/back when positioned in landscape mode.
But I discovered a flaw that plagued the earlier Poetic and other similar cases from amazon, in that the magnet is so strong, it put the device in standby mode when folding the front flap all the way to the back.
Watch th video here:

That's strange, my case does not do that? I can upload a video if you want?

I don't know...it's a shame as the case is really lovely but that's the first thing I noticed after I put my nexus on the case. Please do try it with yours.

nm8 said:
I don't know...it's a shame as the case is really lovely but that's the first thing I noticed after I put my nexus on the case. Please do try it with yours.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I tried it earlier and I could not get it to turn the screen off, I was mimicking what you were doing. Maybe ask the seller and see if they can send you a replacement?

spooke said:
I tried it earlier and I could not get it to turn the screen off, I was mimicking what you were doing. Maybe ask the seller and see if they can send you a replacement?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
cheers, will contact them about it.

im getting a refund for the case and I get to keep it too. I have compared the magnet location on this case and it is a little lower than the magnets on the other cases that I already have. tried relocating the magnet but it still has the same issue so my guess is the magnet is quite strong.

nm8 said:
im getting a refund for the case and I get to keep it too. I have compared the magnet location on this case and it is a little lower than the magnets on the other cases that I already have. tried relocating the magnet but it still has the same issue so my guess is the magnet is quite strong.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ah that's good. I guess my case's magnet must be in a different location to yours as it works fine on mine.

Obviously nobody should have to modify a case they bought advertised with a smart function to get it to work the way it's supposed to, but for anyone dealing with a case that shuts the screen off if the front flap is folded all the way back because the magnet is too strong, I have a quick/cheap/easy solution if you don't want to mess with returns/replacements:
You can tape a little piece of metal between the case and the back of the Nexus in the same area as the magnet. This should stop the magnet from turning the screen off when the flap is all the way open and touching the back of the case.
I did this for my ASUS travel case. I taped a magnet to the front flap so I could use it as a smart case, but the magnet was too strong and kept turning the screen off when folded back. I added the little piece of metal and now it works perfectly. For the metal I just I cut a small square out of a tin can lid a little larger than the size of the magnet I was using. I just used a tin can because it was the nearest piece of thin metal I had, but anything small and thin enough that the tablet will still fit in the case while sitting on it will work. The tape will keep the metal in place and protect the back of the Nexus 7 from scratches. Haven't had a problem yet. It's not the most polished looking solution in the world, but you can't even tell it's there unless I remove the Nexus from the case. Just throwing it out there for anyone having magnet issues.

Melarsa said:
Obviously nobody should have to modify a case they bought advertised with a smart function to get it to work the way it's supposed to, but for anyone dealing with a case that shuts the screen off if the front flap is folded all the way back because the magnet is too strong, I have a quick/cheap/easy solution if you don't want to mess with returns/replacements:
You can tape a little piece of metal between the case and the back of the Nexus in the same area as the magnet. This should stop the magnet from turning the screen off when the flap is all the way open and touching the back of the case.
I did this for my ASUS travel case. I taped a magnet to the front flap so I could use it as a smart case, but the magnet was too strong and kept turning the screen off when folded back. I added the little piece of metal and now it works perfectly. For the metal I just I cut a small square out of a tin can lid a little larger than the size of the magnet I was using. I just used a tin can because it was the nearest piece of thin metal I had, but anything small and thin enough that the tablet will still fit in the case while sitting on it will work. The tape will keep the metal in place and protect the back of the Nexus 7 from scratches. Haven't had a problem yet. It's not the most polished looking solution in the world, but you can't even tell it's there unless I remove the Nexus from the case. Just throwing it out there for anyone having magnet issues.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Cheers, I alreay tried a few sheets of aluminum foil, but it did not help, and
the Nexus did not fit snugly because it was too thick.

I'm looking forward to cheaper altearnatives of this one (http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B008NMCPTQ/ref=cm_cd_asin_lnk) which looks like it has the best design, and offers the best protection.

Made my Asus cover a smart cover

I had an ipad smart cover laying around from an ipad 2 so I cracked the cover open to take out the magnets. Not as easy as it seems with just a pocket knife. One of then cracked into 3rds so i took one piece, found where the on screen magnet is and then traced out that area on teh asus cover, then used a knife to dig a spot that size about as deep as the magnet to make it fit. I am using tape right now to hold it but plan to use a dab of model glue when I get some.
It works perfect and closes flat. Bit ghetto I know, but heck better then paying for a whole new case when I got mine free.

Nothing wrong with ghetto if it works

I've been thinking of giving this a go as well. I've been considering heating the magnet up so it melts into the cover to get it as flush as possible.
Another one here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2075663
Has anyone experimented with size and strengths of magnet required?
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/50-Neodym...851?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item1c2f051e33
http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2047675.m570.l2736&_nkw=thin+magnet
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sheet-Self-Adhesive-Magnetic-0-7mm/dp/B00835LB6G/ref=pd_sim_sbs_kh_7

I used a drill to bore a hole straight through the front cover and then placed a magnet in it. Then I taped a thin piece of sheet metal inside the bottom left corner of the case to block the magnet from triggering when folded back. Works like a charm.
Sent from my Nexus 7

I'm wondering if a surface-mounted thin Neodymium magnet (10mm x 0.5mm thick) would do the trick?

Aleemz said:
I've been thinking of giving this a go as well. I've been considering heating the magnet up so it melts into the cover to get it as flush as possible.
Another one here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2075663
Has anyone experimented with size and strengths of magnet required?
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/50-Neodym...851?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item1c2f051e33
http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2047675.m570.l2736&_nkw=thin+magnet
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sheet-Self-Adhesive-Magnetic-0-7mm/dp/B00835LB6G/ref=pd_sim_sbs_kh_7
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The one I used is REALLY small and it doesn't effect from the back. It also doesn't stick through the front of the cover.

I think these magnets would work well.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Rare-earth-...330?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3f1cf0176a

I was looking at the same type of magnet too, then I thought about using the rubber magents like these, which could be left exposed on the cover without risk of marking the screen:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/A4-Sheet-...UK_Crafts_Other_Crafts_EH&hash=item33714ffbc3
(Magnetic Disks 9.5mm X 0.75mm)
I wonder of the rubber magnets would be strong enough, or the neodymium magnets too strong?

ive got a ****load of small magnet discs if ya'll are interested. you pay for shipping, ill do USPS + $2 for the disks (3 of them). shoot me a PM.
i will *not* ship outside of the USA. :highfive:

Is this something that you can get locally???
Sent from my LG-P999 using xda premium

Great job, pretty smart way to recycle old accessories.

there is one MAJOR flaw with that logic.....The fact is that there are 2 ways to destroy a magnet 1)heat and 2)shock. So if you attempt to melt the magnet all you will have is a puddle of molten metal. Quick lesson, magnets work when all the molecules are lined up in one direction. If those lines are disrupted then it will no longer be magnetic .
QUOTE=Aleemz;36352496]I've been thinking of giving this a go as well. I've been considering heating the magnet up so it melts into the cover to get it as flush as possible.
Another one here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2075663
Has anyone experimented with size and strengths of magnet required?
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/50-Neodym...851?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item1c2f051e33
http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2047675.m570.l2736&_nkw=thin+magnet
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sheet-Self-Adhesive-Magnetic-0-7mm/dp/B00835LB6G/ref=pd_sim_sbs_kh_7[/QUOTE]

rastlin said:
there is one MAJOR flaw with that logic.....The fact is that there are 2 ways to destroy a magnet 1)heat and 2)shock. So if you attempt to melt the magnet all you will have is a puddle of molten metal. Quick lesson, magnets work when all the molecules are lined up in one direction. If those lines are disrupted then it will no longer be magnetic .
QUOTE=Aleemz;36352496]I've been thinking of giving this a go as well. I've been considering heating the magnet up so it melts into the cover to get it as flush as possible.
Another one here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2075663
Has anyone experimented with size and strengths of magnet required?
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/50-Neodym...851?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item1c2f051e33
http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2047675.m570.l2736&_nkw=thin+magnet
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sheet-Self-Adhesive-Magnetic-0-7mm/dp/B00835LB6G/ref=pd_sim_sbs_kh_7
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
[/QUOTE]
I believe his goal is to melt the plastic, not the magnet.

rastlin said:
there is one MAJOR flaw with that logic.....The fact is that there are 2 ways to destroy a magnet 1)heat and 2)shock. So if you attempt to melt the magnet all you will have is a puddle of molten metal. Quick lesson, magnets work when all the molecules are lined up in one direction. If those lines are disrupted then it will no longer be magnetic .
QUOTE=Aleemz;36352496]I've been thinking of giving this a go as well. I've been considering heating the magnet up so it melts into the cover to get it as flush as possible.
Another one here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2075663
Has anyone experimented with size and strengths of magnet required?
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/50-Neodym...851?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item1c2f051e33
http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2047675.m570.l2736&_nkw=thin+magnet
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sheet-Self-Adhesive-Magnetic-0-7mm/dp/B00835LB6G/ref=pd_sim_sbs_kh_7
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
[/QUOTE]
is this a senior moment ?

Aleemz said:
I've been thinking of giving this a go as well. I've been considering heating the magnet up so it melts into the cover to get it as flush as possible.
Another one here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2075663
Has anyone experimented with size and strengths of magnet required?
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/50-Neodym...851?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item1c2f051e33
http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2047675.m570.l2736&_nkw=thin+magnet
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sheet-Self-Adhesive-Magnetic-0-7mm/dp/B00835LB6G/ref=pd_sim_sbs_kh_7
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
rastlin said:
there is one MAJOR flaw with that logic.....The fact is that there are 2 ways to destroy a magnet 1)heat and 2)shock. So if you attempt to melt the magnet all you will have is a puddle of molten metal. Quick lesson, magnets work when all the molecules are lined up in one direction. If those lines are disrupted then it will no longer be magnetic.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
knitler said:
I believe his goal is to melt the plastic, not the magnet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks knitler, thats exactly what I meant. Heat the magnet and press into the cover so it melts the cover with the aim of getting the magnet to sit as flush as possible.
Heating a magnet can alter it's magnetic properties, but the magnetic domains are only destroyed if the magnet is heated past it's Curie temperature. Remember, magnets are used in many high temperature environments - environments which are hot enough to melt plastic, but not destroy the magnetic domains
Anyway, I managed to get hold of some 9.5mm x 0.75mm neodymium magnets with a 3M adhesive on one side. Works a treat

Aleemz said:
Anyway, I managed to get hold of some 9.5mm x 0.75mm neodymium magnets with a 3M adhesive on one side. Works a treat
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nice but it seems like the magnet will touch the screen. Can't that scratch it or even worse make it more likely that a blow to the cover will break it?
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Xparent Purple Tapatalk 2

bsoplinger said:
Nice but it seems like the magnet will touch the screen. Can't that scratch it or even worse make it more likely that a blow to the cover will break it?
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Xparent Purple Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The magnet is very smooth, with rounded edges. I don't think it will scratch, but I'm going to mod this further. I have a vinyl/plastic/leather repair kit that's used to carry out repairs to upholstery etc. It comes with various coloured pastes that can be mixed to achieve an almost perfect colour match. I'm going to try to cover the magnet with some of this stuff once I achieve a good colour match.
I think the case would have to receive quite a hard blow for it to crack the screen, which I'm sure could happen with or without the magnet. The magnet is quite thin and I might even look to embed it into the cover like the OP did with his.
Video: https://www.dropbox.com/s/08q86hzkthnkqts/2013-01-10 21.26.44.mp4

Just a quick update on my little mod. I've been using it for a few days now, and the smart feature has been working fine. When the cover is in the open position, it will turn the tablet off if I squeeze the cover with my fingers in the position of the magnet. However, if I hold it normally, the 'hinge' of the cover has enough tension to keep the cover from folding flat on itself, and the tablet stays awake.
If this becomes an issue as the hinge becomes more flexible, I could use a weaker magnet, or embed something in the plastic cover behind the magnet to act as a shield.

Aleemz said:
Just a quick update on my little mod.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Looks completely professional. Did you find some sort of sticky plastic tape disc to cover it?
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk HD

bsoplinger said:
Looks completely professional. Did you find some sort of sticky plastic tape disc to cover it?
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk HD
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, I just used some insulating/electrical tape and cut it in a circle with scissors. I didn't know whether it would stick properly so just used black tape as that's all I had.
Now I know it will stay, I'll get some grey coloured tape that matches the cover better. This should look neater than the original idea of covering the magnet with some liquid plastic type material.

Metal Based Case

I'm looking for a metal based case so that I can use my Mountek magnetic holder.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00MNXAFQ6/ref=s9_hps_bw_g107_i4
I can stick a piece of metal on the back but it looks unsightly.
Thanks.

would any of these work?
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Brushed-M...lePhonesCasesPouches&var=&hash=item540b7c305f
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Ultra-thi...lePhonesCasesPouches&var=&hash=item19f56ab90d
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ALU-COVER..._MobilePhonesCasesPouches&hash=item540bb0d7ca

Pretty sure aluminium is non-magnetic
Sent from my HTC One_M8 using XDA Free mobile app

Just get some thin magnets from your fridge, stick them on your phone and you're good to go

Are you using a case now? I had a spigen, I put the little metal attachment it came with between the hard part and the silicone. Had to bend it and cut down at the silicone a bit but it worked perfect. Only thing is since the phone is curved you need something with a high friction constant on the magnet part.

Thank you all for your replies.
Lost the phone and just got a replacement. I'm thinking of opening up the phone to place the metal plate inside on the battery.
The only issue is the speaker grills keeping their shape afterwards.

bluegrass55 said:
Thank you all for your replies.
Lost the phone and just got a replacement. I'm thinking of opening up the phone to place the metal plate inside on the battery.
The only issue is the speaker grills keeping their shape afterwards.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When you open it up, what you find on the bottom is not the battery, it's the motherboard in the center and two daughterboards top and bottom. The battery is in the middle, below the circuit boards, right behind the display. And there's almost ZERO free space inside that case. Even with a very thin strip of metal, you won't be able to close it properly.
Your best bet is getting one of the slim "barely there" style cases and stick a thin metal plate on the inside of that. TPU cases would work well for that too, maybe even better since there's a bit more flex.

Croak said:
When you open it up, what you find on the bottom is not the battery, it's the motherboard in the center and two daughterboards top and bottom. The battery is in the middle, below the circuit boards, right behind the display. And there's almost ZERO free space inside that case. Even with a very thin strip of metal, you won't be able to close it properly.
Your best bet is getting one of the slim "barely there" style cases and stick a thin metal plate on the inside of that. TPU cases would work well for that too, maybe even better since there's a bit more flex.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Forgot to update.
Removed the back cover and stuck my metal plate in the middle and the back cover closed as before. You have to be careful where you place the metal plate so that the back cover closes properly.
Disassembly was quiet straight forward.

I'm having this issue too. Has anyone tried bending the metal plate to match the phone? Does it affect the strength of the magnet ?
I'm thinking getting one of the hybrid case (seems to be flatter) to use with the mount.

vietn95 said:
I'm having this issue too. Has anyone tried bending the metal plate to match the phone? Does it affect the strength of the magnet ?
I'm thinking getting one of the hybrid case (seems to be flatter) to use with the mount.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You don't need to bend the metal plate. Just place it exactly in the center. the metal doesn't need to be too big. Mine is Length 6cm Width 2.5cm.
Using a case is easier but I like to use the phone without a case. If ever it gets damaged or time to sell I can replace the housing.