I felt compelled to do a small write up on my recent case purchase. I know some of you know of this case but I wanted to express my thoughts and experience with the case.
As some of you may have read I did a negative post about the Spigen Neo Hybrid case. I'm not here to talk about that post or my experience with them but my experience with them is what pushed me to try a new case and hence got me into my new i-blason Transformer slim case. Do a search for my earlier thread if you want more info about my experience with the Neo Hybrid case and Spigen as a company.
Ok, back to the topic at hand, my new i-blason Transformer slim case. I purchased it off of Amazon not knowing anything about i-blason. Thinking it was just some generic brand I was not expecting anything special. Oh how I was wrong! I, like many others, am very picky about my cases and try to stick to one case. However, the lure of having a few different cases to change up the look and feel is nice too. I was in search of an end all case. One that did everything, had everything and was slim! I know I know, way too much to ask for. Right? That may have just changed.
Before this I went with one of the most expensive cases on the market. I did this due to the looks, slimness and overall reviews from others. I thought I was going the right direction going with an authentic, well supported, well reviewed case with a full warranty if anything went wrong. I found that the quality of performance was sacrificed for looks. I got the lesson that going with the most expensive on the market isn't always the best way to go.
So, searching I went. I decided on a case on Amazon for $10.99. I liked the idea that it had a kickstand. It looked slim which was a major point I was looking for. A few days later arrived a new black i-blason case that I thought was just going to just be another cheap case that would end up in my drawer. After using it for a few days I realized that I really really really liked it! Then the more I used it, the more I checked out the features the more I realized that THIS was the case I was always looking for. It has features that no other case has and it incorporates more features than any other case. Let me expand on that and layout why I love this case so much:
Slim: A slim case is what I was looking for and this case is one of the best at that. Yes, there are more slender cases out there but this one is pretty darn slender. In my hand I cannot feel much of a difference in the size of the phone. On this note I have to mention that this slimness is still achieved with a built in kickstand. (And one that works in two positions! I'll expand on that shortly.)
Open top and bottom: One thing I hate is when cases interfere with plugging in an Aux cable and at times charging cables. I had this issue ALL the time with the Neo Hybrid. I'm not blaming the case per say, I actually blame the thickness of the plug on the Aux cable. I can solve this at my home and vehicle by getting more slender Aux cables but inevitably, others have fatter Aux cable plugs. That forces me to remove my case defeating the purpose of the case. That and the pure frustration of having to remove the case. Solution? Make the case more open on the top and bottom. The Transformer slim has exactly this. It protects the corners which is the more prone area for damage during drops. If you will notice, due to the length of a body of a phone, when dropped they most often hit on corners. So, to close out this feature, I love the design of the open top and bottom.
Plastic used and texture: The case is still slick enough to slide in and out of your pocket with ease. However, it still has a slight rubbery feel along with a nice texture that helps with gripping the phone. The material used has a very premium feel to it.
Built in Kickstand: This is one area where this case shines! The built in kickstand is unlike others on the market. It connects at two points which makes it more durable. The biggest bonus to this kickstand is that it works in Portrait AND Landscape modes! Huge bonus! Most only work in Landscape mode. Again, keep in mind that they achieved this built in multiple position durable kickstand all while keeping a very slender case. Something I have not seen anyone else do.
Lip for screen spacing: This is something most all cases have but I wanted to make sure it wasn't missed. It does have a small lip on the front to keep the screen off of surfaces when placed face down.
Holster: This is something that did not play into what I was looking for but now I can honestly say I like what it offers. It offers similar features that others do, some may not, but here are what I would call standard features of a holster: Protects the screen by having the screen face the holster and has a clip that rotates for different angles. However, this has a feature that I really like and may bring this holster into use for me. There is a lock on the clip to hold it open as a kickstand. Why is this a useful feature? I'm not sure what the designers had in mind but for me I see using it for taking pictures. When you place the phone in the holster the screen faces the holster and the camera faces outward. By locking the clip open it acts as a kickstand to use the camera. Use the voice command on the phone by saying "Capture!" An unexpected feature I would have never thought about.
So, in conclusion, this case has everything I have been looking for and more all for a very very very reasonable cost of $10.99.
Here is a youtube video of the case. The only feature that the video didn't mention is the lockable belt clip. So, what do you guys think?
i-BLASON Transformer Samsung Galaxy Hard Shell Kick Stand Case With Holster - YouTube
And if you want to purchase one, here is the link at Amazon for even a cheaper price. Also, it does come in different colors so if you're wanting something other than black, do a search.
Amazon.com: i-BLASON Transformer Hard Shell Case Holster Combo For Samsung Galaxy S4 i9500 with Kickstand and Locking Belt Swivel Clip 4G LTE (Fits AT&T, Sprint, Verizon, T-Mobile) Manufactured by i-Blason (Black): Cell Phones & Accessories
As some of you may have read I did a negative post about the Spigen Neo Hybrid case. I'm not here to talk about that post or my experience with them but my experience with them is what pushed me to try a new case and hence got me into my new i-blason Transformer slim case. Do a search for my earlier thread if you want more info about my experience with the Neo Hybrid case and Spigen as a company.
Ok, back to the topic at hand, my new i-blason Transformer slim case. I purchased it off of Amazon not knowing anything about i-blason. Thinking it was just some generic brand I was not expecting anything special. Oh how I was wrong! I, like many others, am very picky about my cases and try to stick to one case. However, the lure of having a few different cases to change up the look and feel is nice too. I was in search of an end all case. One that did everything, had everything and was slim! I know I know, way too much to ask for. Right? That may have just changed.
Before this I went with one of the most expensive cases on the market. I did this due to the looks, slimness and overall reviews from others. I thought I was going the right direction going with an authentic, well supported, well reviewed case with a full warranty if anything went wrong. I found that the quality of performance was sacrificed for looks. I got the lesson that going with the most expensive on the market isn't always the best way to go.
So, searching I went. I decided on a case on Amazon for $10.99. I liked the idea that it had a kickstand. It looked slim which was a major point I was looking for. A few days later arrived a new black i-blason case that I thought was just going to just be another cheap case that would end up in my drawer. After using it for a few days I realized that I really really really liked it! Then the more I used it, the more I checked out the features the more I realized that THIS was the case I was always looking for. It has features that no other case has and it incorporates more features than any other case. Let me expand on that and layout why I love this case so much:
Slim: A slim case is what I was looking for and this case is one of the best at that. Yes, there are more slender cases out there but this one is pretty darn slender. In my hand I cannot feel much of a difference in the size of the phone. On this note I have to mention that this slimness is still achieved with a built in kickstand. (And one that works in two positions! I'll expand on that shortly.)
Open top and bottom: One thing I hate is when cases interfere with plugging in an Aux cable and at times charging cables. I had this issue ALL the time with the Neo Hybrid. I'm not blaming the case per say, I actually blame the thickness of the plug on the Aux cable. I can solve this at my home and vehicle by getting more slender Aux cables but inevitably, others have fatter Aux cable plugs. That forces me to remove my case defeating the purpose of the case. That and the pure frustration of having to remove the case. Solution? Make the case more open on the top and bottom. The Transformer slim has exactly this. It protects the corners which is the more prone area for damage during drops. If you will notice, due to the length of a body of a phone, when dropped they most often hit on corners. So, to close out this feature, I love the design of the open top and bottom.
Plastic used and texture: The case is still slick enough to slide in and out of your pocket with ease. However, it still has a slight rubbery feel along with a nice texture that helps with gripping the phone. The material used has a very premium feel to it.
Built in Kickstand: This is one area where this case shines! The built in kickstand is unlike others on the market. It connects at two points which makes it more durable. The biggest bonus to this kickstand is that it works in Portrait AND Landscape modes! Huge bonus! Most only work in Landscape mode. Again, keep in mind that they achieved this built in multiple position durable kickstand all while keeping a very slender case. Something I have not seen anyone else do.
Lip for screen spacing: This is something most all cases have but I wanted to make sure it wasn't missed. It does have a small lip on the front to keep the screen off of surfaces when placed face down.
Holster: This is something that did not play into what I was looking for but now I can honestly say I like what it offers. It offers similar features that others do, some may not, but here are what I would call standard features of a holster: Protects the screen by having the screen face the holster and has a clip that rotates for different angles. However, this has a feature that I really like and may bring this holster into use for me. There is a lock on the clip to hold it open as a kickstand. Why is this a useful feature? I'm not sure what the designers had in mind but for me I see using it for taking pictures. When you place the phone in the holster the screen faces the holster and the camera faces outward. By locking the clip open it acts as a kickstand to use the camera. Use the voice command on the phone by saying "Capture!" An unexpected feature I would have never thought about.
So, in conclusion, this case has everything I have been looking for and more all for a very very very reasonable cost of $10.99.
Here is a youtube video of the case. The only feature that the video didn't mention is the lockable belt clip. So, what do you guys think?
i-BLASON Transformer Samsung Galaxy Hard Shell Kick Stand Case With Holster - YouTube
And if you want to purchase one, here is the link at Amazon for even a cheaper price. Also, it does come in different colors so if you're wanting something other than black, do a search.
Amazon.com: i-BLASON Transformer Hard Shell Case Holster Combo For Samsung Galaxy S4 i9500 with Kickstand and Locking Belt Swivel Clip 4G LTE (Fits AT&T, Sprint, Verizon, T-Mobile) Manufactured by i-Blason (Black): Cell Phones & Accessories
