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Got my Spigen Slim Armour today. I was planning on going with the Metal steel myself, but at the last minute thought that I've been liking the "white" look so though I would give the white a try. Jury is still out, I need a few days with it. Its glossy alright, and shows finger prints, not sure I personally care though. Whilst it has not slipped out of my hand, I guess if you had slippery hands, I could see how that could happen. It fits very nicely IMHO. I had no trouble getting the Spen out with my finger.

I love the naked feel of the N3, but I've been nervous for about two weeks now. The case does add some bulk. but it looks more protective. I'm not an otterbox guy, or those that want something that can withstand DefCon4. The weight is a bit noticeable, but the N3 was (to me) shockingly light to begin with. the N3 with the Slim Armour is still lighter than my Droid Bionic w/slim TPU case. I would give this 4 stars for the first 1/2 day review. Gonna wait a few days to see how I feel about the glossy look. Probably would have selected a matte white if available. but the white on white is looking quite nice IMHO.

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The glossy colors are slippery. The matte finish colors are not. I learned by trying both.

My Slim Armor in Matte Gray just arrived today, the fit is absolutely perfect, as usual.

Here's a large pic that shows the matte finish. The rubber inner liner is very shock absorbing, I've dropped my S4 in this case, not one bit of damage.

With complete perimeter coverage no part of the phone other than the display is exposed.


http://lghttp.16708.nexcesscdn.net/...galaxy_note_3_case_slim_armor-metal_slate.jpg

This is the exact one I purchased. Yet, it was very slippery. I'm wondering if it just needs a break-in period. Maybe?
 
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Just got this one in the mail. I like it a lot. Slim profile. Nice feel to it. Very affordable and you can tell its a quality product from a reputable company. Matte finish so its not shiny or slippery at all. Big selling point for me.


its a nice looking case, and looks nice with the white N3. I thought about this one. But after looking at the Slim Armour, I couldnt convince myself that the ultra slim you got would protect from a fall. especially on the botton where the whole bottom isnt even covered.

wish/would love to see some crash/drop tests with various cases.
 
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its a nice looking case, and looks nice with the white N3. I thought about this one. But after looking at the Slim Armour, I couldnt convince myself that the ultra slim you got would protect from a fall. especially on the botton where the whole bottom isnt even covered.

wish/would love to see some crash/drop tests with various cases.

The bottom may look exposed but it comes down and covers the corners so that if it did fall, corners would take the impact.

I had the same case on the Note 2 for 1 year. That thing looked brand new when I eventually took it out of the case. It will protect you from "mild" falls. Def not the case to protect the phone if it falls off the roof of your car or something. Falling off your lap though? It's got you covered.
 
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Very cool to see lots of choices popping up for the N3!

I went with official S-View cover (found it in stock at a VZW corporate store). After some time with it, I'll offer these observations:

1) The added functionality is very nice (really like the mini window for taking quick photos / notes / seeing the clock). This is the value-add that Samsung is making you pay for I suppose.

2) Hate the price. ;)

3) It does seem to add some noticable weight / bulk. I really love the slim feel of the naked N3... but I suppose it is inevitable that any case is going to add a bit of bulk. That said, it is also very nice that the back cover is actually replaced and integrated into the phone.

4) Small detail, but the replaced back cover faux stitching actually looks a lot more realistic than the stock cover (meaning better). Overall it has a much "stickier" feel that gives a sense that it will not slip from your hand.

5) Not sure I like how the volume keys are basically pressed from the spine of the flip cover when it is closed.

6) REALLY don't like that the S-View window does not support Google Play Music controls (only the sammy music player). I'm hoping for an update on this, but not holding my breath. ;) It would be nice to see some customization from the Android community regarding the S-View window.

Anyway, happy Note 3'ing everyone... :)


EDIT: One more positive for the VZW people out there... it's really nice to have an official, integrated cover that has NO VZW branding on it... pretty cool to have a back cover installed that just says Samsung... no 4G LTE / VZW logos to be seen. ;)
 
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Very cool to see lots of choices popping up for the N3!

I went with official S-View cover (found it in stock at a VZW corporate store). After some time with it, I'll offer these observations:

1) The added functionality is very nice (really like the mini window for taking quick photos / notes / seeing the clock). This is the value-add that Samsung is making you pay for I suppose.

2) Hate the price. ;)

3) It does seem to add some noticable weight / bulk. I really love the slim feel of the naked N3... but I suppose it is inevitable that any case is going to add a bit of bulk. That said, it is also very nice that the back cover is actually replaced and integrated into the phone.

4) Small detail, but the replaced back cover faux stitching actually looks a lot more realistic than the stock cover (meaning better). Overall it has a much "stickier" feel that gives a sense that it will not slip from your hand.

5) Not sure I like how the volume keys are basically pressed from the spine of the flip cover when it is closed.

6) REALLY don't like that the S-View window does not support Google Play Music controls (only the sammy music player). I'm hoping for an update on this, but not holding my breath. ;) It would be nice to see some customization from the Android community regarding the S-View window.

Anyway, happy Note 3'ing everyone... :)


EDIT: One more positive for the VZW people out there... it's really nice to have an official, integrated cover that has NO VZW branding on it... pretty cool to have a back cover installed that just says Samsung... no 4G LTE / VZW logos to be seen. ;)

Do you find that the cover gets in your way when you have it open? Trying to text or browse web with the cover tucked in the back seems like it would bother me. I would need to play with one of these before I bought it.
 
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Do you find that the cover gets in your way when you have it open? Trying to text or browse web with the cover tucked in the back seems like it would bother me. I would need to play with one of these before I bought it.

It takes some getting used to... still working it out a bit. Folding it back behind for games is ok, but a little rough on the hand compared to a flat back so it feels a bit different. It's not as noticeable when you hold the device in landscape (for say a driving style game).

The flip cover is actually an advantage (at least to me) when using the camera. You can sort of use it to more easily hold the device with the cover open.

It's definitely something you should try out for yourself to see if it works well enough for your needs.
 
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@ Dagr

Hi, do you still have access to all equalizer functionality on the stock music player with the s-view cover fitted?

I put an s-view cover on my N3 and the equalizer is not working now, it's stuck on settings which I can't change.

TIA

hmm... I can check, but I don't use the stock music app at all (I have a google all access subscription, so I use that exclusively). I'll edit this post in a few...

EDIT: No direct control of the EQ settings... just able to view song information, skip/pause/play/etc, and current playlist. It's just playing using the current settings of the music app though... so it seems to be just using the EQ settings I have there (if that makes sense).
 
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hmm... I can check, but I don't use the stock music app at all (I have a google all access subscription, so I use that exclusively). I'll edit this post in a few...

EDIT: No direct control of the EQ settings... just able to view song information, skip/pause/play/etc, and current playlist. It's just playing using the current settings of the music app though... so it seems to be just using the EQ settings I have there (if that makes sense).

ok, thanks again, maybe this will get fixed in a future update.
 
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I know most of you think I'm nuts but I will never understand why anybody would want a case without a kickstand. We have the most beautiful screen ever made and you don't want to sit and enjoy it w/o holding the phone the whole time? Try a slim kickstand. I doubt you'll ever go without one again. Jmo

For me the answer is because I don't want to carry that kickstand with me everywhere. :) That, and I have a perfectly capable universal stand for my tablets that works just fine with my Note 3 too if I really want to stand it up. In general, I love having that amazing screen a little closer to my face. *grin*
 
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I know most of you think I'm nuts but I will never understand why anybody would want a case without a kickstand. We have the most beautiful screen ever made and you don't want to sit and enjoy it w/o holding the phone the whole time? Try a slim kickstand. I doubt you'll ever go without one again. Jmo

I can't speak for everyone, but in my case, I just don't like cases period and if/when I am using a case, it's as slim as possible. It really comes down to the comfort of using the phone with one hand. That said, I have always loved kickstands and I purchased the following accessory (last year), to use with the Note 2 and now with the Note 3. It only works in landscape, but it works great for my needs, when I'm out and about (although, I'm not sure how well it works with thicker cases):

Amazon.com: Fosmon Mini Universal Phone Stand Holder for Samsung Galaxy S4 S IV: Cell Phones & Accessories

Price was well worth the chance I took, when I first purchased.
 
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This morning as I was preparing for bed I dropped the Note 3 from about 2 1/2 feet onto the hardwood floor next to my dresser. This was a edge on drop. The case hit the floor on the lower left corner causing the s-pen to fly out but the case, phone and screen were fine.

Also I'm removing my reservation about the slipperiness. I guess there really is a burn in period as suggested in an earlier post about another case. It seems to be getting less slippery everyday.
 
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I have the Spigen Slim Armour (white) so its one of the "glossy" colors, not the matter. I heard the possibility exists for it to be slippery, but I've not noticed it.
 
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I can't speak for everyone, but in my case, I just don't like cases period and if/when I am using a case, it's as slim as possible. It really comes down to the comfort of using the phone with one hand. That said, I have always loved kickstands and I purchased the following accessory (last year), to use with the Note 2 and now with the Note 3. It only works in landscape, but it works great for my needs, when I'm out and about (although, I'm not sure how well it works with thicker cases):

Amazon.com: Fosmon Mini Universal Phone Stand Holder for Samsung Galaxy S4 S IV: Cell Phones & Accessories

Price was well worth the chance I took, when I first purchased.

I need a case. I'm clumsy. Wish I could get by balaky bare *##ed
 
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