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So I'm looking at Note 2 cases and want something not too bulky but provides protection from accidental drops.
All these "I've dropped my Note 2 and it cracked" threads are freaking me out.
No case review site has test drops, so I'm looking to you and asking that you share your stories about dropping your phone, if it survived, and what case you had on.
I haven't seen a thread like this before so hope others will find it useful.
I personally have seen the Otterbox Defender on a friends Note2 and he dropped it many times with no problems.
However, that thing is ginormous, and doubles the size of the phone.
I'm looking for something that'll still fit in my pocket.
So my question to you:
1) what case?
2) dropped on what surface as how high?
3) what happened?
- nothing, works great!
- cosmetic damage, but screen good, works well.
- screen cracked...
- screen fine, but internal damage affecting functionality...
Thanks for your time!
go look at note 2 otterbox vids.on youtube... dude throws it out the second story window etc.
Cruzerlite. Had dropped out of the hip pocket of my sweats and I bent over to pick up a piece of mail I dropped out of the mail box. Was a pretty short drop, probably less than 2 feet as I was fully bent over when it fell out, and never in a million years would have imagined that small drop would have broke it. Not a bad break, just a hairline crack going from the home button to the ear piece.
FIREONHIGH said:
go look at note 2 otterbox vids.on youtube... dude throws it out the second story window etc.
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Read the OP, he doesn't want anything that large.
Back on topic: I've dropped my note 2 about 3 or 4 times now, all without a case, all I have is a small, barely noticeable scratch in the chrome bezel and what I noticed the other day is on the bottom right corner the chrome seems to have been rubbed off somehow. I'm now using a samsung the case, seems like it'll provide pretty good protection for its size. It completely covers the chrome bezel, and the outer edge is a softer material so it should do some (albeit not much) shock absorption while the back of the case is hard plastic (and a fingerprint magnet, this must be why there's no black note 2 although one would have looked brilliant.)
I should also add that I've pretty much always dropped I on a wooden floor, which is a bit more forgiving than tiles or concrete
Sent from my GT-N7100 using xda app-developers app
DeoreDX said:
Cruzerlite. Had dropped out of the hip pocket of my sweats and I bent over to pick up a piece of mail I dropped out of the mail box. Was a pretty short drop, probably less than 2 feet as I was fully bent over when it fell out, and never in a million years would have imagined that small drop would have broke it. Not a bad break, just a hairline crack going from the home button to the ear piece.
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Hope that doesn't happen to my diztronic case that I bought. It's pretty similar to the cruzerlite case that you have
Sent from my SPH-L900 using Tapatalk 2
The problem with this thread is all drops are different. Unless you get enough sample of a certain drop for a specific case , you can't really generalize. The best you'll get here are a bunch of anecdotal samples.
For the most part though, the thicker the case, the better the protection. So get the thickest case you're willing to tolerate.
swyped all these spelling errors from my galaxy note 2
http://www.tech21.uk.com/Category/samsung_galaxy_note_2
Supposedly Tech21 has a line of cases for the Note 2 that has D3O strips that turn rock hard on impact to prevent damage to the phone on drops. The D3O material works much like cornstarch and water, which turns hard when you press on it.
Review of the case without cover:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Af_AARLbKeA
Here's a youtube video of it in action being thrown onto the floor on another phone:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jw0Kky6sZCA
If you're super scared of your note 2 breaking, maybe get a wallet type of case?
I've dropped my note 2 three times. The first and second one, it was in a wallet type flip case, after the drops, it was scratch-less.The third time I dropped it was when it was on a jelly case. I had it gripped by my armpit when it fell on the ground face down!! It was raining then too so I did panic quite a bit. Fortunately, my note 2 survived that fall without a single scratch too >
I'm only 5'2 so that may not be much of a fall. -__-
ichibanjay said:
http://www.tech21.uk.com/Category/samsung_galaxy_note_2
Supposedly Tech21 has a line of cases for the Note 2 that has D3O strips that turn rock hard on impact to prevent damage to the phone on drops. The D3O material works much like cornstarch and water, which turns hard when you press on it.
Review of the case without cover:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Af_AARLbKeA
Here's a youtube video of it in action being thrown onto the floor on another phone:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jw0Kky6sZCA
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oh wow, that's actually pretty amazing, are the strips enough though? looks like they're the thickness of sticky tape.
is the entire case not made of the stuff?
they make cases/bumpers made out of d30..how come the note only gets 2 tapes on the back?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CtMNfSHfkv4
I bought the Tech21 D30 for my Note 2 before watching those videos, and I'm extremely happy with the case. I don't drop my phone often or anything, but I like to have something on the back to prevent scratches and dings from laying it on various tables, etc. The two times it has dropped 3-4, there are virtually no signs of it. The case grip could be better but then it wouldn't slide out of my pocket easily so there is always that trade-off to consider.
I'm ordering a wallet case from Story of the but I'm sure I'll continue to use this case as well due to how it keeps the phone fairly thin and manageable.
Sent from my Note II using the XDA Premium app
finalhit said:
oh wow, that's actually pretty amazing, are the strips enough though? looks like they're the thickness of sticky tape.
is the entire case not made of the stuff?
they make cases/bumpers made out of d30..how come the note only gets 2 tapes on the back?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CtMNfSHfkv4
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Thanks for the videos. To think I was starting to believe their hype.
Sent from my SGH-T889 using xda premium
Why don't they make a bumper style case with a pinky-finger-thick bead of this stuff around the edges? Might add bulk, but I'd think it would be far better than any silicone or hardshell case.
If you find the OtterBox Defender too bulky, try the Commuter. It's thinner and still provides ample protection as it's a two piece case made from a silicone layer and a poly-carbonate hard shell. I can vouch for the level of protection they provide from past experiences (I had one on my GALAXY S II and dropped it by accident, landed face down and I was petrified that it would've damaged something... not so much as a scratch).
I have one on my GALAXY Note II and it fits very well - the buttons retain their tactile feel and "click" and it doesn't make the phone harder to hold or use in any way.
ichibanjay said:
http://www.tech21.uk.com/Category/samsung_galaxy_note_2
Supposedly Tech21 has a line of cases for the Note 2 that has D3O strips that turn rock hard on impact to prevent damage to the phone on drops. The D3O material works much like cornstarch and water, which turns hard when you press on it.
Review of the case without cover:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Af_AARLbKeA
Here's a youtube video of it in action being thrown onto the floor on another phone:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jw0Kky6sZCA
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Click to collapse
in the tech21 case, it works well since its a different layer and it just distributes the force evenly across the layer to minimise damage.
with other cases though, hard cases are a double edged sword. hard plastic and metal cases may be pretty to look at, but hard plastic and metal cases also amplify vibrations, which can cause damage to the internals of your phone and to your screen. normally i'd say avoid cases where most of the hard material is in direct contact with the case. ie. only go for hard plastic if theres a silicone/tpu layer between the plastic and the case. and only go for aluminium cases/bumpers if theres a layer of soft material between the metal and the case. this way, the vibrations are dampened before they reach your device.
I got my new Otterbox Defender case from AT&T today. Only paid $42 with shipping and tax so that wasn't too bad.
I weighed it against my Seidio Active case and holster and the Otterbox with holster weighs 12.5 ounces and the Active case with holster is 10.5 ounces if anybody was interested. Removing the clear plastic protective cover from the Otterbox lightens it by 0.15 ounces or about 4 grams.
I will say this thing feels like it will take a lot of abuse before the phone will break. That is of course, unless the screen is hit by a direct impact that the case can't deflect. Remember, there is a lot of screen area so anything protruding like a rock that makes initial contact with the screen will probably break the screen. No case will stop that.
Things I don't like about the Defender whether I knew about it when ordering or not......
yeah it adds a lot of bulk but not too bad. The volume up and down buttons are not very responsive but I suspect some electrical tape on the inside of the case over the phone buttons should help with that. The power button is actually a little too responsive for my taste. It is very easy to click the power button which sucks because the volume buttons have to be pressed hard and the thumb is usually over near the power button when operating the volume buttons. This leads to easy power button pressing.
The plastic case creaks like a wooden floor in a turn of the century house. What the hell is all of this about. Whether you squeeze the case side to side or twist the phone slightly. I suspect it is the outside case rubbing against the inner hard plastic case. I will try some baby powder on that. Still, the case does not have the rigidity that I was hoping for. If you manually twist the phone case at opposite corners the thing flexes way easily.
I called myself from my home phone, walked away and left the note 2 on the counter. I did not hear any echo from either phone as others have reported. This may show up later thought. If the phones are close together then echo can be present.
The plastic protective cover that comes with the case is garbage. Plain and simple. Yes there is a gap between the plastic and the phone screen. Very annoying. I took the plastic off within a few minutes. I have my own screen protector on it anyway.
I like the charging port and headphone port being covered with the rubber plugs.
When the case is put in the holster there is little leeway where the holster snaps into the detent in the phone edge. Several times I have found that the phone had to be adjusted a bit in order for the case to snap into the holster firmly. This may be a problem down the line or I might just modify it so that this makes a positive connection more easily.
This isn't really a comparison between the Active case and the Defender but I thought I would point out a few things.
I don't like having to use the Defender holster as a kickstand for the phone. The Active case has a built in stand in the case.
I do like the protective lip around the screen of the Defender which is made up of the softer outer shell and the hard plastic inner shell. The outside is not soft and gummy like silicone (like the Active) but a little harder. Kind of like a hard rubber but not as hard as a standard hard plastic if that makes any sense. It has a good feel to it. If the Defender is laid face down the hard lip does nothing to keep it from sliding. If laid on its back it resists sliding a little better depending on the surface. It is the opposite with the Active case. The Active has the silicone lip on the face and keeps the phone from sliding around if place face down. If the Active is placed on its back it will slide because the outside part is hard plastic.
The camera has a nice cutout with a lot of plastic protruding around it. The only way this camera lens is getting damages is if something goes right into the cutout and hits the lens directly. Getting to the stylus is very easy.
Ok, I did take the outer cover off and rubbed some baby powder to the inside. The creaking noise is diminished but still there.
I will try out the otterbox for a while and see how I like it. I work in a factory so it is highly plausible that this could fall off of a 12 foot ladder onto concrete. If I worked in an office I would not be using this case most likely.
I really like the look of the Active case in red much better than the otterbox. Fortunately, I place practicality over fashion generally.
Either way, I will hang on to the case and see what happens. Considering that both of these cases have similar MSRP (prices) the value is definitely in the Otterbox as far as material and engineering. The Active case needs to have a little more engineering and firmer material around the screen. in order to ask as much money as they do.
My biggest issue with the Defender is two fold:
1) Face it, this is an UGLY utilitarian looking case hiding our sexy thin phone. They did NOTHING to add any sex appeal to this case. It's like putting a bikini model in a full length raincoat and buttoning every snap.
2) The plastic screen protector feels cheap, scratchy and provides too much drag on the s-pen.
I got my commuter a few hours ago. It's pretty nice looking, the buttons aren't too hard to press, the cutouts are perfect, and it comes with a screen protector which I choose not to use. I couldn't ask for more from it. I also feel like it's very protective and would survive a 6 ft drop (even though im 5 ft).
Sent from my SGH-T889 using xda app-developers app
Note_2 said:
I got my commuter a few hours ago. It's pretty nice looking, the buttons aren't too hard to press, the cutouts are perfect, and it comes with a screen protector which I choose not to use. I couldn't ask for more from it. I also feel like it's very protective and would survive a 6 ft drop (even though im 5 ft).
Sent from my SGH-T889 using xda app-developers app
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I haven't had the opportunity to hold the commuter series for this phone. Most of the cases for this phone need to be ordered since nobody seems to have anything in stock for this phone, around where I live, and I live in a decent sized city.
I got the commuter for $35 shipped on amazon. 3-5 day shipping, ordered Wednesday and got it earlier today even though it was expected tomorrow to friday! I tried to buy one closest to me for a decent price and the seller accessory net did great.
Sent from my SGH-T889 using xda app-developers app
I too have the creaking issue with the Defender. Mine(two of them) also creak and crackle. The plastic part that snaps together does not snap tightly thus causing some play which in turn causes the feeling that there is movement underneath and the creaking sounds. I got a replacement on the first one for this and the second one they sent also does this.
Otter customer service is great but the product right now imo is subpar
It is probably going to creak because it is suppose to flex... that is the whole point of the case absorbing impacts.
My biggest gripe about the Defender case is that dust makes it way in between the case's plastic screen protector and the phone's glass screen. It enters at the Home button mostly and at the top opening for the sensors. I have to open the case at least once a week and wipe out the dust. It's mainly fabric debris from my jeans pocket so I don't think it's anything scratchy.
honestly i hate my commuter case,its to damned fat,but when i drop my 700$ phone ,im happy, strange how that works
oddly enough, the only time I have dropped my Note 2 is when I used the otterbox Defender holster. If the phone case is pushed back and down in the holster when inserting , then the holster tab doesn't fully lock into the notch in the case. I thought I had it snapped in and it fell about 42 inches, I have a 36 inch inseam, and hit the concrete floor. Of course, this is a walk in the park for the Defender case so naturally there was no damage or marks on the case at all, and I wasn't worried about it when I picked the phone up.
My Active case has a much better spring loaded latch design so it is impossible for this to happen.
I actually got my knife out and made a little adjustment on the case notch so this won't happen again.
I just bought a clear view standing cover for my Note8.
But some of my friends said that the case might damage, scratch screen, just like galaxy s6, s7.
Is there anybody using this case ? It is good ?
I've been using one for three weeks now & no signs of any scratches at all!
robmeik said:
I've been using one for three weeks now & no signs of any scratches at all!
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That's good.
But some people said that the cover had damaged screen on the same part where the circle is on the cover.
I had the case on my Note 5, without screen protector. Admitedly I used to snap it shut without a care, but within 48 hrs, I found a very faint scuff, made by a speck of dust between case and screen.... I have bought the Clear view standing cover for my Note 8 but I'm struggling with getting a screen protector that works for me. I'm teetering on the verge of going nude in the case, but being aware to clear the screen before closing, and I possibly might pop a screen cloth in between case and screen if I'm putting it in my handbag or purse.....
Hi!
Small question: what do you think of the strength of the original protective film already laid?
Barely 2 weeks of use and protected by more a cover "sock" ... I already have several micro scratches !
Same case in some?
Thanks a +
shilum said:
Hi!
Small question: what do you think of the strength of the original protective film already laid?
Barely 2 weeks of use and protected by more a cover "sock" ... I already have several micro scratches !
Same case in some?
Thanks a +
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I carry my phone in my pocket and so far I can't see any marks at all.
Actually pretty good for free OEM one...
I have some light scratches. These were caused by the samsung led cover case. I did not remove the little plastic sticker over the magnet embedded in the cover case. The sticker is only there to inform the user that there is a magnet in the cover , anyway this bit of plastic has rubbed against the the plastic screen protector and left some light scratches
Mine is now full of scratches after about 1 Month of usage
I have the original screen protector still on and use a Spigen transparent case (the thinest one). No scratches anywhere that I can see and all is holding up well. Since the last update of the fingerprint software 2 days ago - working also very well
Get a good protective case with elevated edges to protect the screen from falls, don't put the phone with the screen side on tables and other surfaces, and you don't need this crappy screen protector.. Mine got scratched very easily in two weeks time and did not like seeing that..
The screen of the s10 is very good, tolerating scratches from keys and other sharp objects.. The same screen in my old s8 never got scratched in 2 years
I'm well over 30 days of ownership and the factory protector looks good. 9/10. My phone is always placed in a sleeve, never directly into a pocket.
Tel864 said:
I carry my phone in my pocket and so far I can't see any marks at all.
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Same here. I don't get why so many have scratches on theirs. They must be handling it differently.
a few small dings, but not too noticeable, i do carry it in my pocket with spare change/key somethings tho
for an free screen protector, it's pretty amazing
Took mine off, screen is a delight without it
Sent from my SM-G975F using Tapatalk
Davey Dual Sim said:
Took mine off, screen is a delight without it
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I took it off on the 2nd day. I did the same with the pre-installed one on the OnePlus 6T. The edges bothered me cause always ran my finger across it while scrolling and it is very annoying
Hey. Can anyone share their experience with using the s21 ultra with its silicone case+s-pen? Is it that big and heavy? Any limitations? I want to upgrade from note 10 but I am worried that I may not be able to use the s-pen properly.
I have it. Fits well adds some width but no weight to speak of. S pen works well . I use a spigen case monday to Friday for more protection as I have little use for the pen at work but use it a lot at weekend
I also have it. Back in the day I had the original Note, then the Note 3, and ultimately never really used the S pen a lot, so my next phone didn't have it. I decided to try it out again and got the pen/case combo. So far, again, I haven't used it much. I do have a Spigen Liquid Air case I can switch to if I find I NEVER use the pen, but for now I'm sticking with the case+pen to keep it handy to give me a chance to find a use for it. The extra width doesn't really bother me (previous phone was an S20U).
llaass said:
Hey. Can anyone share their experience with using the s21 ultra with its silicone case+s-pen? Is it that big and heavy? Any limitations? I want to upgrade from note 10 but I am worried that I may not be able to use the s-pen properly.
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I have it and love it.. Good protection, no extra weight basically. If you have a pet, hair tends to stick to the back of the case. Once you put it on, you will notice how the left side is thicker than the right side due to the s pen, but the feeling of the case being uneven on the sides goes away rather quickly. If you use the spen a lot, then I recommend this case.
I have it, but the s-view cover. It's just the silicon case + spen but with the flip. I love it so much, it protects your screen pretty well.
I have the silicone case with pen. For me it proves the need to keep the pan silo in the phone.
Consider that the phone is designed to hold in left hand (since most of the planet is right handed). Clipping the pen on the left edge makes for difficult removal. My pen and case sit on the desk unused for this reason.
I am using the spigen S-pen case and have no problems case was cheaper then the combo from samsung and I like it better. Highly recommend it