Just got my brand spankin’ new, incredibly AWESOME Samsung Galaxy Note 3 this past Saturday, yet without a case to protect its $700 bad effin’ @ass. And I refuse to pay the highly inflated prices of cases in the T-Mobile store — as if the phone itself isn’t already overly marked-up.
So I handily crafted a temporary case out of chipboard, which is like cardboard, about 10-ply thick, from reams of NCR paper that would otherwise have been throw away, yet I keep for miscellaneous uses.
One of my coworkers also has the Note 3, using the the OEM Samsung Galaxy S-View case…
Along with its conservatively upscale, classy look and quality construction, what’s cool about the Samsung S-View case is that it’s interactive, allowing you to view essential notifications and information such as incoming phone calls, text messages, music tracks and of course time and weather within the handy-dandy see-through window that the case specially formats upon a tap on the window, hence the name “S-View. It replaces the back cover of the Note 3, while also providing a slight lip that protects the phone’s edges from damage should you drop it.
So I crafted my temporary Note 3 case in that same flip-cover fashion…
I scored the fold edges at the bind and cut the corners for a clean look. I then secured the Note 3 to the “case” using double-stick tape.
And voila…
Pretty cool, huh? I kinda’ like the “cheap-yet-elegant” look! lol
Notice I keep a screen cleaning cloth within it, as this time around I’m not going to use a screen protector, even with my permanent case. Reason being, why should I add extra distortion to the screen – even if barely detectable — when I’m likely going to trade in my Note 3 for the Note 400 (yes, HUNDRED) when that comes out? No make sense. I’d much rather enjoy the Note 3′s massively gorgeous and detailed display in all its natural Gorilla Glass splendor, than put a clear film over it.
While the OEM S-View case is nice, I don’t care for flip-cover cases, so for my permanent case I considered the Spigen Slim Armor in blue…
Like the Otterbox Commuter I had, the Spigen Slim Armor case is is a dual-layer case consisting of a TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane) inner “liner” (the black part) that absorbs shock and totally encapsulates the buttons, covered by a harder, smooth-finish polycarbonate shell (the blue part).
I also considered getting an aluminum hard case such as this one…
It looks VERY stylish and premium in quality, essentially mimicking an Apple iPhone, however protection-wise, I’m not confident it will do the job, being there’s no padding, and also there’s no raised bezel around the face of the touch screen. So if you drop your phone on say pavement, chances are it’s going to get scratched or worse, crack. Good looks only go far, famous last words.
After going over many reviews of various Note 3 cases, I decided on getting the Spigen Neo Hybrid in Dante Red…
My favorite colors are primary red and blue, as well you may know, I grew up being a huge fan of Kikaida…
And my FJ Cruiser is “Voodoo” Blue (which Diner A likes to call “Boo-hoo Blue” lol)…
So there you go. Complimentary contrasting colors for my new Note 3 case.
My note 2 had the Otterbox Commuter case in Glacier White, which was pretty much a fortress as far as protection (and it did save my phone from drops a number of times!), however in retrospect, I think was a bit clunky…
Still, that said, when I turned in my Note 2 to T-Mobile, even the sales person was impressed how MINT condition my phone was in. It was literally FLAWLESS. Whoever they sell it to is going to score a cherry used Note 2, that’s all I have to say on that.
After reading the many rave reviews on Amazon of the Spigen Neo Hybrid case, I think it will offer ample drop protection for my Note 3, while being more streamlined, stylish and cool-lookin’ than what Otterbox offers.
Like its brother the Slim Armor and competitor Otterbox Commuter, the Neo Hybrid is a dual layer case consisting of a TPU liner (the black part), stylishly surrounded by a colorized polycarbonate edge band. Contrasting the black TPU liner on all models, the Neo Hybrid edge band colors to choose include Champagne Gold, Dante Red, Infinite White, Metal Slate, Revention Yellow and Satin Silver. Sorry but Kamehameha Warriors Blue & White and Campbell Sabers Orange & Black aren’t available. He he.
I purchased the Spigen Neo Hybrid case for my Note 3 on Amazon for a wallet-friendly $22 with free shipping (Prime member), compared to what would have probably ran around $40 or more in the T-Mobile store if they carried it, however they didn’t carry the Spigen brand, which is highly regarded, quality wise. I checked eBay, and their prices at the time (on Saturday) were all about $10 higher, so mahalo Amazon for the direct-from-manufacturer deal and free shipping!
Watch these great reviews of the Spigen Neo Hybrid case for the Samsung Galaxy Note 3… the best smartphone money can buy!…
Spigen Neo Hybrid Case for Samsung Galaxy Note 3
My new Galaxy Note 3 with Diner A’s also new Apple iPhone 5s in beautiful Champagne….
When I first seen the faux leather back of the Note 3 in photos, I thought it was tacky, but seeing it and holding in person is actually pretty cool, having that traditional note book look and feel…
As you can see in every sense of the word, the Note 3 dwarfs the iPhone’s display in size and screen resolution with its substantially larger 1080×1920 pixel super AMOLED 386 ppi (pixels per square inch) 5.7″ diagonal display for the Note 3, compared to the iPhone 5s’ 1136×640 pixel resolution at 326 ppi Retina display. The Note 3′s GORGEOUS screen and snappy processor alone to me are worth the price of the phone, with the excellent software and S-Pen really just icing on the cake.
We’ll see if Apple goes against Steve Jobs wishes and makes a version of the iPhone 6 a “Phablet”. We’ll also see if Samsung gets with the program and makes the Galaxy Note 4 and S5 out of metal instead of plastic. THEN we’re talkin’!