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Seidio CONVERT combo case review with lots of pics!!!

twister6

Android Expert
Jul 30, 2010
2,247
928
This is a review of Seidio CONVERT Value pack case for Samsung Galaxy Note 2 (SEIDIO | Convert Value Pack for Samsung Galaxy Note 2)

When it comes to a quality rugged cases for Note 2, there are not too many choices. As a matter of fact, it's common to read about only one choice which people buy by default, and in most of the cases end up modifying in order to make it usable. That's why I was very pleased to find out that Seidio took their time to engineer an ultimate rugged protection without any compromises. And now I got a chance for a hands on experience testing this case.

The case itself is actually two cases in one. A lot of you are familiar with Seidio SURFACE (also available as Platinum case from Best Buy) and Seidio ACTIVE. Now imagine two of these cases combined together with over-sized ACTIVE as an additional protection layer on top of SURFACE - and you will get CONVERT. Let's start with SURFACE case. Its probably one of the slimmest cases I've tested, made out of hard plastic material with felt inner lining and soft touch outer finish (kind of reminds me of Thinkpad laptop finish). The design consists of two interconnecting halves that firmly house the phone with a very tight secure fit. As a matter of fact, once both halves slide in and get connected, it's not that easy to unlock it which should give you a good piece of mind that a case will stay intact if you drop it. There is no issue putting the phone down on its screen since the case offers an acceptable lip to keep it off the SURFACE. The case also comes with a very unique magnetic kickstand which I can confirm does NOT interfere with s-pen, although offers only landscape support. Every cutout is precise, and you get a perfectly aligned port openings for micro-usb, both microphones, speaker, s-pen, volume/power buttons and camera/flash. I want to point out a nice detail of a separate camera and flash cutout, and also the actual cutout for volume/power where you have direct access to the physical phone buttons. SURFACE slides easily in/out of the pocket, and the finish keeps it lint free! CONVERT Value pack also comes with a bonus SURFACE holster, and as some of you know - Seidio holster are in a class of it own. Beside felt liner to keep screen of the phone from scratching, it offers a very unique spring loaded latch mechanism to keep phone secure without sliding out and stil giving you an access for a quick release whenever you need to take it out.

To take it to the next level, you get a soft silicon layer which goes right over SURFACE case. Beside offering an extra layer of shock absorption, it also adds a decent grip and port covers for micro-usb and headphones as well as sealing off volume/power button. Since its a silicon layer, power/volume buttons are easy to press and you get nice tactile feedback. Another unique feature - camera/flash gets a port cover as well. Plus, there is a cutout for SURFACE case kickstand to open up without any obstruction. One thing I do have to note - soft silicon is a lint magnet. That's something you will have to live with. Although silicon layer goes on SURFACE with a tight fit, you get another hard plastic outer shell on top of it. That shell offers cutout for kickstand and camera/flash port cover, as well as offering additional corner protection for the case. Silicon layer sides of the case remain open thus continue providing a very good grip of the case. And to top it off, you get a specially designed CONVERT holster for the phone facing with a screen in. It's a heavy duty plastic holster with a signature spring loaded mechanism which as a bonus offers a latch to lock it up for extra security. Furthermore, there is another locking mechanism in the middle of the holster behind the belt clip which allows for a belt clip to be removed. I haven't seen any additional info about the purpose of removing this belt clip, but in a back of my mind I'm wondering if Seidio is planning to introduce other accessories to be attached to this belt clip since you are left with 3 tabs after belt clip is removed. The case also comes with a screen protector in a separate package labeled as "ultimate screen guard". I can't comment on it's quality since I didn't install it, although it felt thin.

Overall, this is a VERY impressive case design with a huge bonus of two cases in one where you can choose what level of protection you would like for your Note 2!!! With addition of very robust (landscape only) kickstand and best in class holster - I would definitely recommend CONVERT! If you already have SURFACE, its not a brainer to get this one. Also for others who think there is no other choice but to get Defender and pop the plastic screen protector out to make that case usable - you got a choice now, which is slimmer and lighter (I weighted both to compare).

At the current moment of writing this review, the whole Value package is being offered on Amazon for under $55, although due to its popularity the case is temporary out of stock. I think its a good value for 2 cases.

Now, here comes the pictures. I actually starting it with a packaging box which has a very thoughtful messages on the bottom (I took a picture of it as well).

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The case also comes with a very unique magnetic kickstand which I can confirm does NOT interfere with s-pen,
Not always. Some people have reported the S pen not working in the area directly above the magnet until they remove the case, then it works fine. Many (I would guess most) other people report no problem at all.
I don't think anyone has been able to determine yet whether it is only certain phones, certain cases, or even certain combinations of phone and case.

It would be interesting to take a phone and case pair that do have the problem and swap the cases with another phone and case pair that do not have it.

Since the S pen is detected electromagnetically, I can understand how a magnet might sometimes cause this. Ever hold a magnet in front of an old CRT monitor?

Anyway, another good review!:congrats:
 
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I've had it on other phones... Requires constant wiping down with a damp cloth to get rid of all the lint/dust. Other than that, they are nice cases

Yep, one of the few negatives I couldn't hide in my pictures :) Surprisingly, and considering this is soft silicone, it doesn't pull your pants pocket inside out when you take the phone out. It's one of those things when you have to compromise something lol!!! I know a have read a number of posts where people swear by SURFACE and/or Best Buy Platinum (the same case). So really if you got it, it's a good investment to get CONVERT add-on kit to it for half of the price of the combo.

But the kicker - CONVERT holster works PERFECTLY with UAG cases!!! I will post pictures later when I get home. So even if CONVERT combo or upgrading from SURFACE is not your cup of tea, the whole upgrade kit worth every penny if you have UAG case just for this holster alone.
 
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s-pen interference can be fixed: four ply folded heavy duty aluminum foil folded into a small rectangle and attached to inside of hard plastic outer holder/case directly beneath the magnet that holds the kick stand in place. this fixed the problem. i got the idea from the developer's forum. the magnet that holds the kick stand in place causes the problem--a bit of shielding fixed the problem.
 
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Here is IMHO a must have MOD with CONVERT holster :) This is adhesive credit card pouch (3 pack for $5.99 from http://www.amazon.com/Cosmos-Adhesi...63361096&sr=8-4&keywords=adhesive+card+holder).

Although designed for iPhone size, it fits perfectly inside of the holster, sticks very well even so it's not a flat but rather textured grid surface. Material is stretchy and soft, and easily holds 3 cards and a few bills. When phone is in, it doesn't even touch the screen, and even if it does - material is very soft. So now, you have your phone in a holster and no need for a wallet if you throw in your driver license, credit and atm card, and some money!

This is how it looks:

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Thanks for the review! Ive never heard of this company before and Im a little confused at what to order though...

Whats the difference between the SURFACE and ACTIVE cases? Theyre both the same price.

You got the value pack that comes with the holster and dual layer case right? Which product do I order if I just toughest case minus the holster?

I know it gets confusing with so many options. The value pack I got includes a bonus holster when you want to use SURFACE by itself with a holster.

Here is how the whole thing works:



In the heart of it you have SURFACE case which is a slim protective case with a kickstand. It's made of a hard plastic rubberized shell, and will offer a decent protection in everyday basic use, but it's not too rugged. Then you add another silicone protection layer (shock absorption with a side grips) and exoskeleton hard plastic layer with corner protection to make it into CONVERT. All that goes into holster, if you want to carry your case/phone on a belt (and this holster is top notch!!!). ACTIVE case by itself is made up of inner silicone shock absorption layer and another exoskeleton layer on top. ACTIVE is a little more rugged than SURFACE without bulk of CONVERT. But in my opinion CONVERT offers the best of both worlds since you can start with SURFACE and if you need extra rugged protection on your outdoor trip or work outside - you add CONVERT layer which in principle like ACTIVE layer on top of SURFACE layer.

I hope I didn't confuse you even more. Perhaps, CONVERT combo (not a value kit) is what you're looking for?

Also, I don't want you guys to think I'm pushing the product since I'm no associated or work for this company lol!!! I'm just trying to be fair in all my reviews and dedicate every review thread to analyzing one specific product without comparison to others. In my signature below you can follow a link to a complete list of all the reviews for other Note 2 cases. I try to be as informative and detailed (with my pictures) as possible, while you have to decide at the end what fits your expectations and budget the best ;) I also suggest people to use Amazon for purchases because they have the best hassle free return if you are trying to decide between a few cases and need to return one back.
 
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Here is IMHO a must have MOD with CONVERT holster :) This is adhesive credit card pouch (3 pack for $5.99 from Amazon.com: Cosmos Pack of 3 Black Color Back Adhesive SIM/ID/Credit Card pocket pouch sleeve holder for Apple iPhone 4 4S cellphone: Cell Phones & Accessories).

Although designed for iPhone size, it fits perfectly inside of the holster, sticks very well even so it's not a flat but rather textured grid surface. Material is stretchy and soft, and easily holds 3 cards and a few bills. When phone is in, it doesn't even touch the screen, and even if it does - material is very soft. So now, you have your phone in a holster and no need for a wallet if you throw in your driver license, credit and atm card, and some money!

This is how it looks:

holster_pocket_general-1_zps027ee1b5.jpg


holster_pocket_general-2_zps0292409b.jpg


holster_pocket_general-3_zps1f6890ea.jpg


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Is there a way to just buy the Holster?? This is the one you say fits the UAG right??
 
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