# CC268's CASE GUIDE!



## CC268 (Jun 27, 2011)

This thread is simply designed to help those who are currently looking at cases and want to decide which case is best for their needs.

I guess you could say I am a "Case Expert" 







 - I have spent a lot of time collecting and trying different types and brands of cases for not only my HTC Thunderbolt, but previous phones like my Samsung Fascinate. 

Keep in mind different phones will have different cases and brands available to them, but this guide should cover the most popular brands. Enjoy!

I will divide this guide into several sections:

*- Case Types*
*- In-Depth Look at Specific Cases*
*- Best Protecton*

There are several different Case Types (Four Basic Types)

**** Hard Cases:* Typically snap together or "slide" on using two sections

Examples: Seidio Surface Case, "Shell" Cases, Snap-On Cases

Opinion: Typically not the greatest cases as most snap on cases are a PITA to both put on and take off - also very vulnerable to dust and dirt contamination, thus scratching your phone - does more damage than protection

Exceptions: Seidio Surface Case - this case has protective material on the inside, preventing scratching, although doesn't completely protect from dirt and dust

**** Rubber/Jelly Cases*- Fairly self-explanatory, very low cost - not to be confused with silicon or TPU cases

Examples: N/A

Opinion: For the cost, these aren't bad actually. However, with that being said you can find many different cases in the same low cost price range that are better. These cases take the cake when it comes to dirt, lint, and dust attraction. Simple solution: Clean them often using dish washing soap, which over time will eliminate some of the dust and dirt attraction. These cases are also the hardest to slide in and out of pockets, so if your into those skinny jeans, stay away from these 









Exceptions: N/A

****TPU/Silicone Cases* - Great cases, in fact...these happen to be some of the cheapest cases and are actually some of my person favorites

Examples: TPU Cases - http://www.amazon.com/Clear-Rubberiz...rbolt+TPU+Case
| http://www.amazon.com/Smoke-Rubber-V...rbolt+TPU+Case

Opinion : First off, they are some of the cheapest cases available. Second, these cases attract very minimal amounts of dust, dirt, lint, etc - I would say the least amount out of all the other case types. Easiest cases to slide in and out of pockets. Finally, if you take your cases off to use accessories such as car docks, music docks, etc then these cases are great for you as they are some of the easiest to take on and off. Great protection too, both shock resistant and typically have enough of a lip to protect the screen.

Exceptions: N/A

****Premium Cases/Hybrids* - These are the pricier cases, also tend to be the most protective

Examples: Seidio Cases, Otterbox, Platinum, Incipio, Casemate, Body Glove, Trident...

Opinion: For the most part these are great cases, they tend to be more expensive but if you are rough on your phone, they typically prove to be a good investment. Typically offer the most protection and use the best materials and includes several layers of protection(Hard Shell, Rubber Shell, etc). 

I will go into depth on the majority of these cases in the "In Depth Look at Specific Cases" section.

Exceptions: N/A

****In Depth Look at Specific Cases *- Some of these may not be so "in-depth" 









Otterbox Defender - This case is probably the most protective case you can buy (Seidio Convert case is very comparable). It utilizes several layers - a snap on hard shell, an outer rubber shell, and an optional holster. The snap on inner shell comes with a rubber-like pad mounted on the inside, providing the phone with a protective surface, keeping it safe from scratches. The rubber outer shell is a thin shell that simply wraps the inner hard shell - it fits very well. It also comes with a built in screen protector - its junk, so I simply took it off. The rubber shell does attract a decent amount of dirt and lint, which can be a pain, but overall not too bad. The inner shell can also be a PITA to put on and take off, so if you need to take your case off quite a bit for connecting to accessories, this may not be the case for you

Rating: 7.5/10

Seidio Convert Combo - This cases utilizes three layers or protection, four with the holster. First is the inner hard shell - protective material layers the inside of the case, slides together. Second is the rubber shell - very similar to the Otterbox rubber shell. Third is a hard plastic skeleton - goes on top of the rubber shell, keeping it in place and adding additional protection. Fourth is the optional holster. This case is much easier to take on and off compared to the Otterbox, although it can be easy to scratch the phone when sliding the inner plastic shell on and off. If you need the ultimate in protection, but take your case off a decent amount, this may be the case for you.

Rating: 8.5/10

Casemate Pop! - This case is one layer of protection. However, it has a hard rubber/silicone inner lining, which is excellent protection for you phone. The outside of it is wrapped in a glossy, hard plastic shell. Easy to take off, however, after taking it on and off for a while, it begins to wear the hard rubber inner lining down. Also, the hard plastic shell looks old after a couple uses, as it scratches very easily - White color also begins to yellow after time. 

Rating: 7/10

Trident Kraken - This case utilizes two layers of protection - First, a soft silicon inner lining. Second - a hard rubberized snap-on shell. This case is definitely a cool looking case, but a major PITA to take on and put off...one of the most poorly fitted cases out of the cases I have tried. Nonetheless it is a good looking case and offers good protection.

Rating: 6/10

Body Glove - This cases uses one layer of protection - hard snap on case with a cool rubberized wrap. This case doesn't add to much bulk, but provides great protection, however it is a tough one to get off (almost snapped the tabs off when taking off). It does not attract much dust and dirt like other cases and isn't too bad when it comes to slipping it in and out of your pocket.

Rating: 6/10

Incipio Silicrylic: One of my favorite cases as it provides great protection and is one of the easier cases to put on and take off. Does not attract much dust, lint, and dirt. Great color schemes as well! 

Rating: 8.5/10

****Best Protection* - Of course, this is opinion based, but very much based on observations over the years.

Best Look/Cool Factor: I am a huge fan of Ghost Armor - it is a wrap (they have several different styles including Clear, Matte, and Carbon Fiber) that protects almost every inch of your phone from scratches. They also have the best screen protector hands down (in my opinion)...I currently have my Thunderbolt wrapped in Android Green carbon fiber - very cool. I have also used white, in which I have never experienced any sort of yellowing at all, also very easy to clean! Of course, Ghost Armor does not protect your phone from drops, it simply protects it from scratches, so I top it off with a nice clear TPU case such as this one: http://www.amazon.com/Rubber-Thunder...bolt+clear+TPU

This provides an amazing look and some of the best protection - also TPU cases attract little to no dust, dirt, and lint! Also, once you buy the full wrap and screen protector, you get full lifetime replacement, meaning you can get everything replaced for $10, you can even change colors! I highly recommend having a Ghost Armor employee do it if you have any stores near you...if not it doesn't seem like too hard of a task to apply yourself.

Ultimate Protection: Ghost Armored - including screen protector and topped off with the Otterbox Defender case or Seidio Convert Combo!

I spent a lot of time on this guide, so I hope this helps out when it comes to choosing a case.

If you have anything I can add to this guide or suggestions, feel free to comment!


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## bond32 (Jul 14, 2011)

Cool write up! Didn't see the verizon shell/holster in there. One of my favorites


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## number5toad (Sep 13, 2011)

can you post some pics of your phone with the ghost armor?


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## CC268 (Jun 27, 2011)

number5toad said:


> can you post some pics of your phone with the ghost armor?


Sure, I currently have the white carbon fiber on, green will be put on Thursday


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## CC268 (Jun 27, 2011)

bond32 said:


> Cool write up! Didn't see the verizon shell/holster in there. One of my favorites


Never used this actually, I will say my dad has one for his Rezound and it looks very similar to the TB one...correct me if I am wrong, but it doesn't seem like it covers the whole phone? Also...material seems like something that would crack very easily after a couple drops?

Thanks for the comment!


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## number5toad (Sep 13, 2011)

thanks for the pictures - looks neat, but it's not quite the total coverage look I was hoping for. dunno why I thought it would be, come to think of it.


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## CC268 (Jun 27, 2011)

number5toad said:


> thanks for the pictures - looks neat, but it's not quite the total coverage look I was hoping for. dunno why I thought it would be, come to think of it.


,

What do you mean by that? It covers basically every inch of my phone...but like I said in the guide...it is more of a scratch protector...you need a clear TPU case or some sort of case to protect it from drops. I like to make sure my phone stays scratch free and perfect, as it will lead to a much better resale value if I decide to sell it

Also, you can't tell in the photos, but even the sides of the phone are wrapped in carbon fiber


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## number5toad (Sep 13, 2011)

I'm mostly looking at the spot where the battery cover meets the lower half of the phone (which, of course, can't be covered if you still want access to the internals), but also at the tiny gaps around the kickstand and the htc logo in the center.

they are small gaps, and I am being very picky  like I said, it does look cool, but it would bother me on pretty much a daily basis. and like I said, I dunno why I expected anything else...there has to be a gap for the battery cover, and covering the entire htc logo would just leave a big bump (or be nearly impossible to place correctly, if they tried to completely outline the letters)


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## CC268 (Jun 27, 2011)

number5toad said:


> I'm mostly looking at the spot where the battery cover meets the lower half of the phone (which, of course, can't be covered if you still want access to the internals), but also at the tiny gaps around the kickstand and the htc logo in the center.
> 
> they are small gaps, and I am being very picky  like I said, it does look cool, but it would bother me on pretty much a daily basis. and like I said, I dunno why I expected anything else...there has to be a gap for the battery cover, and covering the entire htc logo would just leave a big bump (or be nearly impossible to place correctly, if they tried to completely outline the letters)


Hmm...well I mean you certainly don't have to worry about those spots getting damaged or scratched, I have actually dropped my previous TB (before I got insurance replacement) with just the Ghost Armor on, no case, and the phone did not receive any scratches, only the Ghost Armor was damaged


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## number5toad (Sep 13, 2011)

I'm thinking more about the aesthetics than the protection. I'm picky enough that seeing gaps in the coverage would annoy me.

it might be different with color that matches the phone's natural color a bit more closely, but I like the white a lot.


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## recDNA (Oct 25, 2011)

The key for me is protection against dropping. I drop everything I handle. The ghost armor doesnt look padded or hard enough to protect from falls on a hard surface.


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## bond32 (Jul 14, 2011)

CC268 said:


> Never used this actually, I will say my dad has one for his Rezound and it looks very similar to the TB one...correct me if I am wrong, but it doesn't seem like it covers the whole phone? Also...material seems like something that would crack very easily after a couple drops?
> 
> Thanks for the comment!


You are correct. The corners are covered but the area from the power button to the headphones jack is uncovered. You should order one to try, they are only $6 on amazon. Also if you keep it in the holster t is fully covered

Sent from my ADR6400L using Tapatalk 2


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## CC268 (Jun 27, 2011)

number5toad said:


> I'm thinking more about the aesthetics than the protection. I'm picky enough that seeing gaps in the coverage would annoy me.
> 
> it might be different with color that matches the phone's natural color a bit more closely, but I like the white a lot.


Yea like I said they have tons of different types of material...

Carbon FIber: Blue, Natural Colored Carbon Fiber (Blackish Grey), Purple, Green, White. and probably a couple others
Matte: Matte color - black...forgot what other colors were
Clear: self explanatory


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## CC268 (Jun 27, 2011)

bond32 said:


> You are correct. The corners are covered but the area from the power button to the headphones jack is uncovered. You should order one to try, they are only $6 on amazon. Also if you keep it in the holster t is fully covered
> 
> Sent from my ADR6400L using Tapatalk 2


Maybe I will give this a shot sometime, as for the holster...well I never use em haha


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## bond32 (Jul 14, 2011)

I thought I would never use it either, but its about the best protection available when in the holster. Sometimes I carry the phone in the holster but not on my pants.

Sent from my ADR6400L using Tapatalk 2


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## CC268 (Jun 27, 2011)

recDNA said:


> The key for me is protection against dropping. I drop everything I handle. The ghost armor doesnt look padded or hard enough to protect from falls on a hard surface.


Well...as I have explained to several others, and also in my guide...I state that the Ghost Armor is SCRATCH PROTECTION only! It is not designed to protect from drops...that is where the clear TPU case comes in...or any case of your choice.


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