Hello everyone !
First time poster here, and I will start with the review of a case I just received, the Leather Folding Stand Case for the Kindle Fire HD 7" (2013), by Forefront. (I cannot post links yet, but it is easy to google). As usual "leather" is a bit misleading since it is PU leather, which is a nice word for leathery plastic. On to the review proper, and I apologize for any language inconsistencies, English is not my mother tongue.
The market for tablet/smartphone cases has been flooded with tons of different original designs and even more clones and knock-offs, and while it is sometimes hard to say with absolute which product copies which, the finishing touches and the quality assurance tend to be dead giveaways.
I ordered the case for 9,99 € + 2,99 € shipping from Forefront UK through Amazon on Friday and received it the following Tuesday, which is unusually fast shipping. It came in a padded enveloppe, together with two goodies : a screen protector and a stylus. But more on that later.
The shell is made of hard plastic that fits the tablet snuggly. It has holes in the back for the speakers and the now slighty sunk buttons are still reachable. The cover is made of two layers seemingly stitched together : the outside layer (synthetic "leather") extends onto the back of the case, while the front layer (some kind of felt) extends onto the inside of the case. Thanks to two magnets on the case and presumably a metal rod in the cover, the case snaps shut just like a Smart Cover (and the Kindle does sleep/wake up on cue). Sounds good so far.
Pros :
- looks pretty good
- works as advertised (protection and smart cover)
- it is not too bulky for the protection it offers
- relatively cheap compared to other similar cases in Europe
Cons :
- very strong industrial plastic smell
- does not lay flat when opened
- not very stable when used as a stand
- speakers are covered by… the cover when used as a stand (you read that right)
I should elaborate a bit on the cons.
The smell might go away after a while, but only time will tell. That being said, I have three other cases and none of them smelled so strongly.
The second and third cons could have been solved easily, but as I wrote before the devil is in the details : the "hinge" between the case and the cover would have been perfect were it not for the angled profile of the Kindle's back.
As for the speakers muffled by the case, it is completely inexcusable. Most such cases are meant to be used as stands in landscape mode, and Forefront probably designed the case so that the Amazon logo on the back of the Kindle would not be upside down… however the speakers being below the Amazon logo, they are automatically covered by the folded cover flap. Of course that makes absolutely no sense because the tablet can be used in either position and the Amazon logo is hidden by the case anyway. The trivial solution would have been to put the hinge on the other side of the case.
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Lastly, the goodies. The stylus is a generic mass-produced model stamped with a Forefront logo. Worth 1 € at most. I cannot comment on the quality of the screen guard (as they call it) because the one I received was for the 2012 KFHD. I will write to Forefront about it and hope they will send me the right size.
My opinion ? It is probably not the worst case out there, but some of the annoyances (does not lay flat, speakers muffled) are just basic design mistakes and will not solve themselves over time. I would probably not have bought it, had I known about them beforehand.
Related
I was originally worried about http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008LM04T6/ref=oh_details_o01_s00_i01 this case but it turned out to be quite nice. it does add bulk tho so i would reccomend it to travelers and those who work in non office areas, perfect for cafe's and other busy places. best thing is both cameras work with no obstruction, and can separate for days you know you wont be using the keyboard, and then it looks real slim, pockets for everything see pics below and ask any questions, there is suede on the inside it looks real premium
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Great photos. Thanks for that. I'm waiting on mine to arrive from the US (must be stuck on a boat somewhere). What youhave described is perfect for what I need the case for.
I happen to have essentially the same one, save mine doesn't have the SD card holders (although I remember them being advertised, I do not need them so I let it slide). I commute by train (4 to 5 hours per shift), and so far it has behaved commendably. It is bulky, but it does feel a bit safer than having the TF700 all naked in my bag.The corners are free, though, so if dropped on a corner the device will still suffer quite a bit.
End of story: even with a case, don't drop it?
PS: what I like as well is that the flap that folds over the screen backwards makes the tablet/dock combination quite a bit more stable when you let the contraption rest on it. Wow, that is unclear, but I do not know how to phrase it more clearly. Let's try this.
__/\ << = keyboard, screen, folding flap
I received mine today from Amazon and haven't quite decided if I like it or not.
Pros:
The case seems to be built well with quality materials. The leather and solid flaps will definitely protect it from the elements, to an extent. The leather is smooth and soft but easy to hold on to. It's like carrying around a book.
Cons:
The bulk is significantly more than I was hoping for. With the tablet and dock folded in it's about 2 inches thick, and this is before I've put any papers in the flap.
The tablet strap is less than 1cm wide and has a small piece of Velcro to keep the tablet from slipping out if you don't have it docked. That's it, 1cm of Velcro, not that reassuring.
The dock's elastic straps block both the USB port and the Charging port. Moving them aside every time you need to use the ports is possible but an extra hassle.
If I should decide to carry it without the dock, the case doesn't stay closed well, is loose and baggy on the edge, and I'm going to be afraid that the tablet will fall out since a 1cm piece of Velcro is all that would be holding it in.
I'll probably be returning this case and wonder if the RooCase TF201 cases will fit the TF700. I may have to wait for the TF700 cases to come out.
$59.99 at Amazon
£39.99 at Tuff-Luv
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Quick Overview
Tuff-Grip Wallet Style in "Vintage" genuine leather: brown
Specially designed to fit your Google Nexus 4
Includes slots for your phone and pockets for your cash and cards
This Tuff-Luv product qualifies for our lifetime guarantee against faulty workmanship / materials – conditions apply
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Haven't seen this posted here (yes, I even searched), and after Googling it, I couldn't find much other than where to buy it. No reviews or videos or anything! That's kind of unfortunate, because it certainly looks like a top notch premium case/wallet. I'm considering picking one up, although I would agree that it does seem a little pricey. On the other hand, quality does come at a price (and so does style). None of the other genuine leather wallet style cases I've seen look even remotely as nice as this one. The BoxWave does look good, and while they claim it's genuine leather, reviews point out that it is indeed faux leather. As any leather connoisseur knows, just smell it. Faux leather is a deal breaker for me. Even the Sena Magia doesn't look as classy or as high quality, yet it's self-described as a designer case, and costs just as much!
One feature about this Tuff-Luv case that really grabs my attention is the pen holder. I recently picked up the Adonit Jot Pro stylus (highly recommended, btw) so this would be perfect to always have it handy. Since I also use a Square reader on the go, I like the idea of providing my clients with a pen-like stylus when they sign for credit card payments. Also makes for a better experience when jotting notes or sketching, but anyway, I'm trailing off too much here. Point is, having the option to always have it handy is a definite plus.
So to recap: Designer quality genuine leather, beautiful design, card/money slots (could replace a wallet), pen/stylus holder, lifetime guarantee... Seems like a winner to me! Only down side is the price. What does everyone else think? Does anyone here even have this? If so, it would be great to see some input. Maybe a quick review and some real world pictures would be nice.
The only problem I see with these kind of cases - all the cards and the pen may scratch the glass.
justbabu said:
The only problem I see with these kind of cases - all the cards and the pen may scratch the glass.
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Click to collapse
You do bring up a couple valid points, but it does come with a screen protector - and they encourage applying it right away. Even if it's not as good as other screen protectors on the market, it would work just as well with any others. As far as the pen goes, it shouldn't touch the glass at all. If you use a pen with a clip on it, face it away from the screen to be safe. I'm sure this was a concern in the design phase.
justbabu said:
The only problem I see with these kind of cases - all the cards and the pen may scratch the glass.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Credit cards (assuming they're made of plastic) shouldn't scratch the glass. The principle is that an object made of a harder material will scratch an object made of a softer material. For the same reason, our fingernails cannot scratch the glass of our beloved Nexus 4. As for the pen, it appears as though the case holds the phone in place with two strips of some kind of material which covers both the left and right side of the phone. I would imagine that the pen (or stylus) would only come into contact with the inner strip of the securing strap (or whatever you'd like to call it). In either case, if I were to purchase this case, I wouldn't worry about a card or pen/stylus would scratch my phone.
tl;dr: Unless your credit cards are made of harder material than the glass on the Nexus 4, there should be no concern with the glass getting scratched.
I had one of the faux leather ones as my first n4 case. Didnt have as much wallet room as i had hoped (to be expected). But i found my biggest qualm with it to be when i had it the cover folded all the way back, it muted the speaker. I never found what I'd call "the ideal" way to hold it.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 4 Beta
I had one of these for my M7 and loved it, so I wanted to get one for my M9. These are made of genuine good-quality leather and the construction is pretty solid. My M7 case is showing very little wear after a year of use.
The only drawback is that, as far as I've been able to tell, these are not available from retailers outside of China, so you have to order and wait. I got mine from ipromarket and it took about three weeks from order to receipt.
There are two styles/colors, red-brown and black.
http://www.ipromarket.com/nokia-htc-blackberry/htc-accessories/cases-protectors/htc-one-m9/?brand=324&case_material=201
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The liner is made from TPU leather.
There is room for 2-3 IDs or credit cards in the slot without affecting the bulk. The cover is held closed with a small magnet , though not tightly (this is good; you don't want a strong magnet lest it damage your credit cards).
The phone fits snugly in the case, and in my experience with my M7, protection is good. I've dropped it a few times with no damage to either the phone or the case.
It does slightly obstruct access to the power button on the side, however.
Access to the microUSB port and headphone jack is unobstructed.
All in all, for ~$25, this is a great value for a leather folio case.
Update: This is not a smart case, but modding it to be one is not challenging. I didn't take any pictures of the process, but it's pretty straightforward. You just need a slim battery to slide inside the cover. I used two 5/16" x 1/32" N52 disc magnets from K&J Magnetics.
What I did was use a razor blade to slice the cover open at the backseam along the "hinge" and peel it back far enough to insert the magnet. The interior of the cover has a flexible plastic frame that you need to carve out a recess for the magnet into. I took my time with this to avoid cutting into the leather. Then I glued the cover back together.
You can see here where the magnet should go (the little circle just below and to the right of the logo on the inside of the cover ). The only reason you can see anything is that I initially tried gluing the magnet in that spot, then decided I didn't like that approach.
You do need to have Dot View enabled for the smart cover function to work. I initially had it disabled and had an extremely frustrating time trying to figure out where the magnet needed to be.
Thank bro, Nice review
it's leather or pu leather?it's looks a pu leather case.
james491225 said:
it's leather or pu leather?it's looks a pu leather case.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Interior is PU leather, exterior is genuine.
buying in ipromarket
hello, i only want to know if it safe to buy in ipromarket i try to search customer reports but i done find anything i hope that you answer my questions
thanks for all
cancer1990 said:
hello, i only want to know if it safe to buy in ipromarket i try to search customer reports but i done find anything i hope that you answer my questions
thanks for all
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have ordered a couple of things from them without issues. I don't know anything more about them.
Sent from my HTC One M9 using Tapatalk
The good fellows at rooCASE have sent me their Origami case for the Nexus 9 to review. After a few weeks and of testing, here is the my review.
http://www.amazon.com/roocase-Googl...id=1437516245&sr=8-1&keywords=nexus+9+origami
Pro’s:
First up… it has to be the right price or it won’t’ work for me. MSRP on the case is $49.99, but it sells for $19.98 on Amazon. And it is quite the case, albeit not perfect, for $20.
This thing looks awesome and feels awesome (I’ll revisit feeling in a little bit). The hard shell back is a polycarbonate and is really, really solid. It looks to be a quarter inch thick in some places and thicker on the corners for when you drop it. I do like how the N9 is “pinched” into the case as it will allow for the glass screen covers and you don’t have to worry about the case grabbing on to it. I’m not a big fan of NFC, but for those of you who are… no worries, the thick case still allows for NFC transfers.
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The cover is made out of polyurethane. The inside cover is like a non-slip surface so when you have the N9 standing, it won’t slide around. The multiple ways you can fold the cover (hence the name Origami) give you plenty of options for your seating position. This is a great option for those who are “road warriors”. After that, the usual stuff you get with most cases is provided such as wake/sleep, and hey… it protects the screen when closed (another topic I will revisit below)
However, looks and feel only get you so far. This case held up to being thrown in a backpack to go to work and to some soccer games just fine. However, I don’t see it as ideal for those rugged people. If you are one of those people who are consistently biking, camping, mountain climbing, sky-diving, and/or warrior against fire-breathing dragons… you may want to check out that Orb System Versa Tough case by rooCASE.
Con’s:
So let’s get back to those things I said I would revisit. First off, I stand by my words that it looks and feel awesome. However, the case does absorb oils from your hands. It takes a little bit to wipe it clean… but keep this in mind. Next thing, and probably the biggest thing is the cover itself. The non-slip surface of the inside cover also sticks to debris. So the chances of scratching the screen is there (but the case does allow for glass screen protectors). The magnets that hold the cover to the case barely, and I mean barely keep the cover closed. As you can see in the photos, the cover opens up in the middle when it is upside-down. So I highly suggest keeping this case to the office/school/home use. Do not use this case for outdoor use (beach, camping, fire-breathing dragons, etc). You will more than likely get debris inside the case and scratch the screen. The last con that I have (and is probably the reason for the loose cover) is that it is not flush to the side of the N9 when closed (see picture of overlap). This is due to how the cover attaches itself to the case.
End Result:
Is the case worth it? I can say yes, as long as you know that the limitations are there. This case looks awesome in the business environment, sleek enough for school, and the cut outs for ports are perfect. I would love to see a better connection of the cover to the overall case to eliminate the flap that hangs over and I would love to see a bit stronger magnets used. The case weighing 0.4lbs adds a small amount of weight… however maybe the guys at rooCASE can develop a skeletonize version of the case can save weight and cost (I can dream, right?).
Either way, it is a great option and worth the $20.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using Tapatalk
Anyone have issues with the magnetic sleep/wake being activated when the cover is folded behind the device? My tablet will go to sleep if the cover is pressed against the top backside of the device. Think holding the device with your left hand in landscape orientation. For now I have resolved the issue with a small piece of material along the top edge of the device between it and the hard plastic shell. It pushes the top of the device out just enough to prevent the device going to sleep.
Expecting my Pixel XL next week and I found this last night on Amazon for just $0.99 w/ free shipping. Must be a promotional price.
Their iPhone and S7 cases are around $8-$10 and come with decent reviews. Just thought I'd share in case anyone is looking for a backup/alternative case option. Anyone have any experience with this case or this brand?
I'll post pics when mine arrives.
I ordered this as well. Looking forward to it. I couldn't decide on a case so I chose this for use in the meantime. The pics look very nice. Now I just need a phone.
Case review
Got it in the mail today. Came in a fairly standard non-descript zip-lock bag. Here are my first impressions and some pictures.
Look/feel: The fit is excellent. Nice soft touch back. The carbon fibre accents aren't to everyone's taste but the sides provide a really good amount of grip because of them. The case is fairly slim and is no bigger than my Ringke fusion (which I love). One thing to note: the back of the case is flush, unlike others which have raised bumps on the corners to prevent the back of the case from getting scratched up when laid down. So I don't know how the soft touch back will hold up with time.
Protection: It's thicker around the corners which means it should provide a good amount of protection in case of a drop. I ain't doing no drop test though. There is a good lip around the front which will let you lay it face down without scratching the front glass even with a tempered glass screen protector. The camera lens is nicely recessed and shouldn't get damaged when laying the phone down.
Buttons: Buttons are really not good at all. They are hard to press with little to no feedback - my only cases for comparison are the Diztronic and Ringke fusion which are both known to have excellent buttons. Most cases now have slits cut on either side of the buttons which vastly improves their "clickyness" but this case doesn't. You could probably cut some slits yourself but I haven't tried this yet. There's also no difference in the texture of the power vs volume buttons. A few ridges on the power button would have been nice to allow for tactile differentiation.
Openings: All openings are very accurate but the USB opening is a little on the small side. My charger fits fine but my third party A to C cable does not. Headphone opening is round and with most newer headphones should be fine but my old Sennheisers (with the larger plug) won't fit without an adaptor - this shouldn't be a deal breaker. There is one large cut-out for the camera/flash/focus so it shouldn't have problems focusing. The fingerprint scanner opening is nice and large which is good for the swipe gestures. The speaker cut outs are fine. One more thing: as with most cases the USB cut out is somewhat sharp and prolonged resting on your pinky may cause discomfort - a hair better than my Ringke fusion but not ideal. I wish more manufacturers would pay attention to this.
tl;dr: Basically a decent case but let down by very poor button feedback and a slightly small USB opening. Also the carbon fibre look is not for everyone. Not going to replace my Ringke fusion any time soon.
Cheers!
Click below for pictures!
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