Review of Artech 21 [Vivid Arkansas Series] Ultra Slim Dual Layers Case for Note 5 - Galaxy Note5 Accessories

I purchased this case to see if I liked a slim, low profile case instead of the larger bulkier cases that I normally used for my premium devices. My first thoughts were that this is too thin to be great benefit, but after using and handling it for a while I found that I really liked the fit and feel of it.
The silicone liner fit well and made a uniform appearance while maintaining a snug grip on the phone. The texture of the exterior was comfortable and felt grippy in my hand while still sliding into and out of my pants pocket and cargo pockets easily. The access holes for the headphone and microUSB are stretchy to a degree, so bigger cable grips can be better accommodated. The case is thin enough that wireless charging works readily, tested with 2 off brand charging pads and with the new round Samsung branded pad.
Not tested: I didn't drop my phone to test its impact protection, but I wouldn't do that even with the most expensive of cases... No need to tempt fate.
All in all this is a great little case for much less than what the typical cases go for.

Related

Ionic GUARDIAN Case

I was looking for some cases on ebay/amazon/google and I stumbled upon the Icon Guardian Case:
*sorry can't post link due to my "status"
Has anyone had experience with this type of case. Its looks ackward but I like the enlarged corners, it reminds me of the ballistic series in a way. Might give this a shot until a true rugged case hits the market.
I found it on amazon and it has good reviews so far: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008TX9268/ref=cm_sw_r_an_am_ap_am_us?ie=UTF8
Sent from my ASUS Transformer Pad TF700T using XDA Premium HD app
it looks sick. wish I knew about it before getting the bodyglove
What's so bad about the body glove?
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2
Mwinggg said:
What's so bad about the body glove?
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2
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The body glove is not bad, what Dioscorus meant was he paid $25 for the body glove and he could have bough a similar case on Amazon in the 'Icon Guardian ' that has a similar or perhaps superior function with aesthetics at half the cost.
Where can I buy this in Canada ??? Can't find it on ebay.ca or amazon.ca
THS1989 said:
Where can I buy this in Canada ??? Can't find it on ebay.ca or amazon.ca
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http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias=aps&field-keywords=samsung+note+2+guardian
You can purchase it and have it shipped to Canada. There store page shows that they ship to canada at almost double the shipping price though.
Heres their page:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aag/detail...eID=ATVPDKIKX0DER&seller=A1QGIDACEIIO9M#rates
Has anyone gotten this yet?
Looks pretty nice - I tried the samsung flip, but it offers NO protection.
sonicthoughts said:
Looks pretty nice - I tried the samsung flip, but it offers NO protection.
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Actually, the flip offers 100% more screen side protection than this case. Side note, you thought the flip would offer anything more than that? It's pretty obvious when looking at it that it won't.
I decided I liked the front screen protection from the flip so much I purchased this to get The Best of Both Worlds
Back to the Ionic case... is it me, or does it look like polka dots?
I ordered it earlier this week, should have it next week. I'll review it once I get a couple of weeks under my belt.
My case arrived today and I'm impressed to say the least. It won't replace an Aegis or Ballistic, but will definitely hold you over and for some be just enough. I took a lot of pics and I'm going to upload shortly.
Sent from my ASUS Transformer Pad TF700T using XDA Premium HD app
ok all, basically this is a very nice case that is worth much more than the ~$15 (including shipping in the US) that it actually costs. It fits really nicely and actually feels excellent. Very little bulk is added from this two piece case, while at the same time it adds pretty good protection around all areas except for the screen of course. it is raised around the screen edges, so that you can place the phone face down and not have it touching a flat surface...hopefully good for the dreaded face smack down.
my only semi-negative i could find is that the upper and lower edges on the front face side are not very tight. this is because the outer piece provides sturdiness around the entire device except for the upper and lower edge. the side edges of the inner gel piece are held sturdy due to the hard ridge of the outer cover.
nevertheless, i don't believe this is a big issue unless it becomes really weak and flimsy after prolonged use & wear (stay tuned). Despite that weakness, I also don't believe you will find yourself playing with it and even noticing that much. The case feels excellent in hand, sturdy, and gives you the feeling that it is protected.
As stated, very little bulk is added. In fact, it actually feels thinner than my Trident Aegis that fits on my GS2 Epic Touch. It feels just as sturdy as the Aegis, again except for that which is mentioned of the top and bottom edge. The Aegis eliminates this problem by extending the outer hard ridge up to the same area as it does with the sides. If the Ionic Guardian had this it would be on par with the Aegis (mind you that Trident has a newer design for the Aegis GN2 model, so I'm speaking about the previous model design). Also, there are no dust covers for the 3.5mm jack or the micro usb port. I'd like to see this on this design, but again that is something that Trident gets right and I don't know of other companies really doing the same other than Otterbox.
The case has corners that are very similar to the Ballistic SG design and is basically a copy cat, IMHO. I have never owned a Ballistic so I can't say if it is as sturdy or provides the same amount of protection. I also noticed that the upcoming Ballistic SG also doesn't have the outer case extending over the top and bottom sides or the inner gel. It also looks like they have shrunk the corners a bit as they don't look as pronounced. This may mean that the Ionic Guardian may just be a prototype of sorts of the upcoming Ballistic SG and therefore give you a very close idea of how that case will be. That all being said, I'm wondering how much protection the corners really add to this device. I'm not even tempted to test it out, which is a downside in and of itself, as with my Aegis for the GS2 I found myself bouncing it on stuff all the time with no thought of damage.
Also, remember this is a 2-Piece design. Both the gel and the hard outer shell make up a nice case, but the gel as a stand alone is thin and doesn't give you that confident feeling that you have from the gel from the Trident Aegis or other upper end combo style cases. The outer shell does feel sturdy and may be only a tad bit thinner than the Trident shell.
Overall, I give the Ionic Guardian Case a much deserved 8 out of 10. I'm only taking points away due to the designers not using the outer shell to add support for the gel's upper and bottom edges, and also that the gel itself could be .5mm thicker. That being said, this case is excellent for the price and IMHO it is high value protective case for the GN2, maybe the best available right now. I think the Otterbox Commuter, Trident Aegis, and Ballistic SG are all likely superior...but maybe not by much.
The other phone in the pics is my GS2 Epic Touch in a Trident Aegis Case.
check out the pics:
I also purchased this case and was a bit hesitant at first about the "polka dot" appearance. But once I got the case and put it on the Note II, all hesitations disappeared! Imho the side rockers are much easier to push with this case on. I must say, I can tell very little if any difference between the quality of this case compared to something like the Ballistic Shell Gel case I have on the gs3. Like mentioned above, the very top and bottom rubber is a bit flimsy, but really there isn't much device real estate available to firm it up much more. All ports and S-pen are easily accessed. For the $ of this case, I don't think you could go wrong. I bought it as a temporary case till the Ballistic or Otter comes out, but honestly I don't know if I want to fork out triple the green backs when this case seems to fit my needs just right.
If you're looking for something that doesn't add a lot of bulk, adds some nice grip and protection, check out this case. It's cheap and worthy in my opinion
I returned my Seidio because the soft rubber is not on very tight at the top and bottom edge. Looks like this one has the same problem. Going to try this $10 that has a hard shell that covers the sides, top, and bottom. Hopefully it will eliminate the short coming of the Sedio and Iconic. Also hopefully the rubber in this case won't be a lint magnet:
I've owned the Ionic Guardian Case for around 2 weeks now and I have had the Ballistic SG case for a week.
Here's the comparison:
Ionic Guardian Case
Pros:
-Great bang for buck
-Slim
-Good Build Quality
-Cut outs match almost perfectly
-Reinforced Corners
-Lay Flat feature
-Little pods in the back provide better grip
-Easy to remove
Cons:
-Silicon is somewhat frail, should be a tad thicker for better protection
-No port covers
-Silicon is not tight enough especially at the top and bottom
-Top and Bottom protection is almost non existent with the thinness of the silicon, phone will get damaged if dropped directly on its bottom surface or top surface.
Ballistic SG
Pros:
-Moderately Slim
-Good Build Quality
-Reinforced Corners
-Lay Flat feature
-Easy to remove
-Good side protection
-Very good drop protection if dropped on the back
Cons:
-Silicon is not "dense" enough especially compared to other models ex: iphone 5
--No port covers
-Silicon is not tight enough especially at the top and bottom
-Top and Bottom protection is almost non existent with the thinness of the silicon, phone will get damaged if dropped directly on its bottom surface or top surface
If you haven't noticed the Ionic is almost an exact duplicate of the SG case, here's how they compare to each other.
Build Quality: Ballistic wins but a small margin. It has a stronger silicon and thicker polycarbonate shell
Corner Protection: Ballistics corners are more dense and has less give.
Flat Screen Drop Protection: Ballistic would probably win due to its thicker corners and slightly higher edges on the front screen.
Back Screen Protection: Ballistic would win with its superior polycarbonate shell
Top Drop Protection: Neither because quite frankly, they both suck and would shatter on impact
Bottom Drop Protection: see above
Basically the Ionic is a poor man's Ballistic SG case. I bought my Ionic for $13 and my Ballistic for $26. If I had to choose again I would probably just buy the Ionic due to its moderate protection but if you have that extra money to fork over, they get the ballistic for slightly better build and protection. Overall I am disappointed that both cases couldn't deliver on the protection from the top and bottom, but other than that I feel safer than if the phone was naked.
Heres a breakdown of the pics:
1-7: Ballistic 1) Front 2) Back 3) Lay-Flat feature 4) Corner 5) Unimpressive bottom lip 6) Unimpressive top lip 7) Sides
8-14: Ionic 1) Front 2) Back 3) Lay-Flat feature 4) Corner 5) Unimpressive bottom lip 6) Unimpressive top lip 7) Sides
15-20: Comparison of 1) Fronts 2) Backs 3) Corners 4) Top 5) Bottom 6) Sides
Enjoy and Thank me if you found this helpful.

[REVIEW] Ringke Slim Case

This case came as a part of my 2nd-hand phone purchase. Although its very nice, I had some issues with it...
Pros:
Very sturdy construction.
Very slim.
The color accents with the phone very well.
Does not obstruct the buttons or any of the ports.
Has raised bezels (for additional protection).
Cons:
HUGE fingerprint magnet!
Very difficult to remove.
Very easily scratched.
The interior looks very nice.
The rear of the case looks fairly nice too. :cyclops:
There's cut-outs for the buttons and ports (which allow for the phone to be fully functional). :highfive:
In conclusion, its a very well fitting, no frills case that provides fairly decent protection. Having used this case for over a week, it fairs well from day-to-day usage. This case hides that fact that you have a high-end smartphone while being sturdy enough to put in and take out of your pants pocket. Is it worth $9.99 from Amazon? Maybe. I however, prefer to see the rear of my phone. :silly:
I have the white version of this case and it's pretty awesome. It's the slimmest case and provide as much coverage as possible. I wish it had a soft-touch finish instead of the smooth finish, but for 10 bucks, it's a great deal.
I couldn't agree more. Its very well constructed.
How slippery is the phone with this case? I have the poetic Atmosphere and I feel like I'm going to drop my phone whenever I take it out of my pocket.
Its actually not very slippery at all (compared to not having a case).
This case gives the phone some edges on its sides and the material grips well on the hand.
Plus, the case has a rubberized feel to it that gives it an added grip.
I have this case and absolutely love it. The best I've ever used on this phone. My only gripe is that dust tends to collect along the top slit between the case and the phone and requires more frequent cleaning than other cases like diztronic.
Sent from my HTC6525LVW using Tapatalk

Poetic GraphGrip Rubber case

I bought the Sony Style case a year ago when I bought my Z2 tablet. It was pretty good: rubber and plastic so water didn't affect it and it fitted well. But it was heavy, didn't look that great, it was a bit too vertical as a stand and after a year of careful use the corner snapped off. I replaced it with the IVSO case. That lasted a week before the corner snapped off and I returned it (no I didn't drop it). I decided to buy a silicon/rubber case to replace it. There is a cheaper silicone case you can buy that comes in various colours called the X-Line, but people have complained that it doesn't fit that well and also it has TWO holes for the headphone jack, which is jus stupid. Also, it isn't much thicker than the tablet so would offer much protection in a drip.
The Poetic GraphGrip case is brilliant. It's really high quality and fits really well. There are cutouts for every port on the device apart from the headphones and power where there are raised bits to press. It feels really nice in your hand - kind of silky. It protects the case brilliantly as it's pretty thick around the edges and corners. It's raised about a millimetre on the front so it protects the screen a bit. I'm not bothered either way about the checked pattern on the back. I don't love or hate it, but it probably offers lots of protection. The infrared port is easier to use on this case than the Sony because the flap on the Sony gets in the way. Overall a well-made, high quality case that protects well, fits very well and looks pretty good.
Excellent review on YouTube here.

Review of: Note 5 Tough Case by Artech 21

Note 5 Tough Case -- Artech 21 [Little Rock Series] Military-Grade Ultra Protective [Shockproof] [Drop Proof ] Heavy Duty Rugged Case with Built-in Screen Protector For Samsung Galaxy Note 5-White
This case comes as a 2 piece clamshell, top part containing the built in screen protector and the bottom having a rigid back and flexible sides that secure it to the top piece. The top half is a secured in place screen protector made of a clear and rigid plastic sheet with a cutout for the action button. The phone is snapped into this portion first where it makes a snug and secure fitment. The bottom half is thicker and possesses the bulk of the padding, seen in the honeycomb ridges and thick sidewalls. This half receives the top where it snugs into the flexible sidewalls.
The power and headphone jacks are covered with flaps, speaker and S-Pen openings are unobstructed and the volume and power buttons are firm but still responsive. The sides of the case are beveled above and below and are textured with a crosshatch design which makes it easy to pick up from a flat surface and have a secure grip. The rear of the case is branded with the company logo and an industrial design. The area around the camera is not very beveled which provides poor access to the Heart Rate Monitor. Wireless charging is functional through the case, tested on 2 OEM and 1 Samsung branded charger pads
In comparing this product with a direct competitor and king of the hill, Otterbox Defender, a few differences stand out. While both items have similar port cover designs, the hinge side on the Otterbox is to the front of the case where the silicone has the greatest flexibility and the Artech case is hinged toward the rear of the case where the silicone has greater stability. In my opinion the silicone on the Artech case will not stretch out around the port covers as easily as the Otterbox could. The Otterbox has a more accessible design around the Heart Rate Monitor than the Artech case does. The shape and texture of the silicone on the Artech case makes it appear slimmer and feel more secure than the Defender.
The biggest negative to the Artech case in my opinion in comparison to the Otterbox case; is the lack of a holster. A device this size in a thick case isn’t as convenient in a pocket. This is a personal preference however, I know many people that do not use a holster. It would be nice if a holster for the Artech was available as an add-on item.
The greatest perk to the Artech case is it is 25% of the price of the Otterbox. A second or third one could be purchased as a backups and still come out under the cost of one Defender.
I did receive this case from the vendor at a discount for the purposes of reviewing the product.
* I'll add pictures later as I have them on a different device
Cheap knockoff of this case:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B013D..._rd_t=36701&pf_rd_p=2068141862&pf_rd_i=mobile
nevermind
Chuckd610 said:
Cheap knockoff of this case:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B013D..._rd_t=36701&pf_rd_p=2068141862&pf_rd_i=mobile
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first of all , our product is not cheap at all . We are better than the Chinese Copycat
2nd , we do try to take advantage from UAG , But not the Chinese Supcase
3rd , Do you mind to try out out product before you said something very offensive ?
Artech21-Offical said:
first of all , our product is not cheap at all . We are better than the Chinese Copycat
2nd , we do try to take advantage from UAG , But not the Chinese Supcase
3rd , Do you mind to try out out product before you said something very offensive ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yeah

My Review of the Artech 21 [Vivid Arkansas Series] Ultra Slim Dual Layers Case

Having used the case only for 1 day, this is a well made, protective case. Not too thick, but adds a great layer of protection.
I have a white Galaxy Note 5, and the Mint color case looks excellent with it.
The raised bumper on the front keeps it from causing damage when laying face down.
The ridged design on the back is great for gripping without slipping.
The cut outs for S-Pen, charging and earphone are perfect and the button covers work quite easily.
I am extremely satisfied with this case and would recommend it to anyone looking for a good case at a definitely reasonable price.
In the past I owned another case that was similar in design, but the outer layer cracked soon after. I don't see that happening with this case.
The link to the case on Amazon http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0130A2VCG?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00
There are other colors available.
I'll add my review here as well, I agree with all that catman51 had to say about the case. It's a lightweight case that should be good for average protection. It's not heavyweight protection but adequate for light use.
I have no issues using wireless charging with this case as I have with some other ones. I do not like the volume buttons, I would prefer having a space between them but that's personal preference.
A concern of mine is the back, it's not full dual layer. Where the black is, that's the only layer, and in order to keep the case light that rubber material is very thin. I fear with a decent drop the back of the phone might crack. I could be wrong but you know the thought process when you look at something and question it? That's how the back is.
Outside of that, the case is nice, lightweight and looks decent. It does not interfere with my tempered glass screen protector and doesn't really add any bulk to the phone.
My review...
DISCLAIMER: I received the case as a promotion in exchange for an unbiased review.
The case is solid and is a good value, but personally it's not for me. I'm not a big fan of the gold accents. Not to mention, it looks a bit duller in real life than in the seller's pictures.
The case is very slim and doesn't add too much size to the Note 5. With the phone already being large, it's nice to have a case that's not too bulky. The case also adds some nice grip to the phone--the texture on the back is a nice touch as well. Overall, the Artech 21 feels good in your hands.
The hole cut outs were accurate and it was easy to remove and insert my S-Pen. Just note that some chargers are larger than others and you might have an issue plugging yours in. It works perfectly fine with the OEM Samsung Charger, but at the office I have a long LG charging cable at my desk (see picture) and it didn't fit well.
The buttons were a bit on the mushy side--especially the volume keys. I prefer mine with a bit more feel--I like the click feeling that stock and some other cases have. Personal preference.
Anyway, if you are looking for a slim case and you like gold, this is the case for you...

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