I just recently dropped my phone getting out of the car (phone was on my lap) and the case split apart on impact and the phone hit the ground. Luckily the phone only suffered some minor scuffs, but the snap on cases will just snap off when dropped. I love the look of the gradient case on my phone, but if you want protection go with the Seidio slide-on cases. I just taped the sides of my gradient case to prevent it from happening again. Looks tacky though. Just a heads up.
I believe that is what they are designed to do, they disperse the energy from the initial shock and separate. The second and third bounces should have far less force resulting in just a few scratches, as opposed to a shattered screen.
Poor design then. I've dropped my Blackberry Storm w/ a Seidio Slide-On case multiple times without it ever coming off or leaving any marks on the actual phone. The snap-on covers don't even snap on flush. The sides have a bulge. Not going to pay for another case though.. going to settle for my taped on Snap cover.
the way i see it... when i used to drop my blackberry a few times. the front half of the case flew about 10 feet in one direction and the back half flew the other direction and the phone?... didnt even bounce, it just landed right at my feet. All of the energy of hitting the floor was transferred into the two halves of the case, and thats why they flew. the phone didnt bounce or fly 2 feet because the case did its job by absorbing the shock. as far as i'm concerned the 2 piece snap cases are a good economical way to protect your phone, unfortunately, you are correct in that they do often break while doing their job of flying apart. i currently am using the red softtouch verizon case, the seams arent perfect, but it hasnt fallen apart yet.
I love this dark red Verizon case. Fits perfect in the black holster shell combo.. better than the shell that came in the holster
The gradient case is cheap, period. Its not designed to do anything. No engineering went into it, they just pushed it out the door to get people to pay $25 for them at launch. The seidio case is durable, strong and overall much better than any snap on case on the market right now. You can think whatever you want but the gradient case is merely a place holder until a better design start shipping. The gradient cases are worth about $5 full retail, yet we are forced to pay over $20 for them. Verizon is so happy for customers like us who'll buy anything available to protect their new phone. And once your new case arrives, the old one goes into the trash and verizon is laughing. Yes it looks neat, but thats about it.
Cases I used to carry my BB naked figuring it was always in my pocket or a purse. But when I went to resell it there were little nicks on all the corners from dropping it! So.. For my DruidInk, I confess I got the gradient case because I thought it looked cool. Then I realized it was a little squishy on the sides, and the red shiny-sheen snap-on Verizon case was nice and cheerier. I do love it. It's very firm, sides fit flush and neat, feels good in my hand. Screen Protectors The Steinheil anti-fingerprint shield is worth every penny. I used to obsessively wipe the screen. The shiny/crystal protectors are just as bad as glass. The anti-fingerprint protector means no more glare and no more moire distortion from fingerprint smudges. If there's any attenuation of color or clarity, I do NOT see it. Battery stuff Yes, according to batteryboss.com, test results for Seido batteries do not show good results--far less battery life than you'd expect for the amount stated (and $$). But HTC batteries test well. My HTC 1500mah battery is giving me about 30% more battery life than the legacy 1300mah, and it is the SAME SIZE. There's an 2150mah by HTC but it's delayed until July and will require a different back for the phone because it's a few millimeters deeper than the back that shipped with the phone. Argh. Jawbone Icon The Jawbone Rogue is deep black with deep red shiny highlights, many many improvements over my old one--takes a standard mini-USB charger, talks to you to tell you battery life and etc., buttons you can actually see--great design. SIGH I love technology when it works.
Yeah most of those types of cases aren't meant to dissipate force, they're meant to "look good" and help avoid casual scratches. If you really want something for drops and stuff go for Seido or, my personal favorite (although they're slow to release new products) Otterbox. I had an Otterbox Defender on my old iPhone 3G and it survived a 6 foot drop onto concrete (don't ask, lol) as if nothing had happened.
Exactly why I prefer the soft shell cases. On the bright side, it saved your phone and youre... Unhappy?
I'm happy it saved my phone from any severe damage (although the fall wasn't from very high). However, I'm disappointed in that the case split apart due to the weak snaps. If I had a Seidio, my phone would still be mint. The gradient case is very aesthetically pleasing though. The deep red fading into black. I don't understand where people get the idea that it's pink. Tape your snap on cases folks!
