This is going to be a long post, so I figured I would just make a new thread. I welcome anyone else to add their reviews, opinions, and pictures here as well (or if you disagree with me, let me know). The other thread was getting quite long anyway, so a new one full of reviews from people who have it would be nice.
So, does it live up to the hype? How sexy is that Nexus logo? I know some of you already have it, but here’s my take on it.
Maple Syrup:
White:http://www.puremobile.ca/lg-aaa75187802-hardshell-nexus-5-white
Black: http://www.puremobile.ca/lg-aaa75187801-hardshell-nexus-5-black
Football:
White: http://www.puremobile.com/lg-aaa75187802-hardshell-nexus-5-white
Black: http://www.puremobile.com/lg-aaa75187801-hardshell-nexus-5-black
Cup-o-Tea:
White: http://www.mobilefun.co.uk/lg-official-nexus-5-bumper-white-p42340.htm
Black: http://www.mobilefun.co.uk/lg-official-nexus-5-bumper-black-p42351.htm
Red: http://www.mobilefun.co.uk/lg-official-nexus-5-shell-case-red-p42344.htm
I was lucky enough to pick it up when it was $14.99, then got a 10% discount on top of it before they caught on and bumped the price/killed the discount. So all in, came to $14.16 CAD. Not bad for an OEM case. It’s currently listed as $17.99 in Canada/US, and £24.99 in UK. For Canada and US that’s still a pretty good price, but UK I think is getting the shaft here.
Now you probably already know I love my quicksand hardcases. To me nothing is going to beat those $0.99 lovelies. The look, feel, and texture of the quicksand cases can’t be beat in my eyes. But, sometimes a guy just wants that NEXUS logo showing proud. It’s an amazing phone, and deserves attention every now and then.
That’s where this case was supposed to come in. I have a lot of hardcases already (10+); the prospect of an OEM hardcase with NEXUS printed down the centre was too hard to pass up. It was enough to consider occasionally pulling me away from my quicksands. Pearly white, tri-side coverage, sleek and thin, stormtrooper/panda look, and the NEXUS logo down the middle. It could have been perfect. But alas, unicorns don’t exist and puremobile lied to me as well…
When I asked them, they confirmed to me the Nexus logo was there. I said I would cancel my order if it wasn’t, as that was the only reason I ordered it. They said yes… but it really wasn’t…
Anyway, enough of my wallowing in self-pity… Is this case still good despite the logo being absent? I know my main reason for ordering it is gone, but if it’s still a great case, those of you who don’t care about the logo might be in for a treat. So let’s get to reviewing.
Construction:
The material is standard issue polycarbonate hard plastic. I have the white case, so can’t comment on black. It is a matte finish similar (if not the same) as my white Ringke Slim. It has a nice feel, albeit a bit slippery if you have dry hands. Also, when I say feel, I mean it’s almost nonexistent. This case adds next to no bulk. I would consider this more of a skin (a hard skin) than an actual case.
This case is thin. I mean super thin. When Ringke Slim and Spigen Ultra Fit say they’re thin, this case takes a gander at them and tells them they’ve been eating too much cake! That is good and bad. For me, I’m a minimalist, I want a case that’s there, but isn’t there. Scuff and scratch protection is all I want, and this case literally follows ONLY that, anyone expecting this to give you any protection beyond scratch only is dreaming. Take this into consideration, my quicksand cases seem like otterboxes in comparison to this.
With how thin this case is, you should realize that it will offer ZERO impact protection. I can’t emphasize that enough. Since there is next to no bulk, there is next to no case. It is very thin, so dropping your phone with this case on, is like dropping your phone naked (which is why I said the case is more like a hard skin). So for those of you who may drop your phones, don’t buy it. For minimalists, you may like it.
Honestly, this case reminds me of the 0.3mm TPU cases that were available on ebay. Only this is a better plastic and higher quality mold. If I didn’t know any better, I would seriously say those 0.3mm cases were the “beta test” design for this case. (If you saw my opinion on those 0.3mm cases, I hated them…) The different type of plastic used and the slightly more rigid feel, make it substantially better than the 0.3mm TPU cases.
You can see here, the striking similarities between the LG Hardshell and the 0.3mm TPU ebay cases:
Fit on the Phone:
This hardcase has tri-side coverage. Most hardcases as you know stick to covering the sides, the back, and some of the corners. And they snap into place with a lip that hooks over the sides/face of the phone. This also creates that “face down” gap that lifts the screen off when you place your phone screen down (don’t know why people would do that though…).
The LG hardshell gets rid of the lip and hook method of securing the case to the phone and adds top coverage in its place. This fundamentally changes how the case attaches to the phone. It is not hooked on and snapped in place. It follows the contours of the phone and hugs the sides tightly. Since the phone is wider in the back and narrower in the front (Dat Azz), the case follows those dimensions and holds itself in place just by shape alone. By hugging the sides instead of snapping in place, the LG hardcase does not create the face down gap. So, if you have this case, don’t put your phone screen down.
You can see the design difference and lack of lip the LG hardcase has vs. one of my quicksand cases.
The fact that this case does not snap on also means it will be less likely to scratch the corners of your phone. This case does not attach in the same way as a normal hardcase (it attaches by hugging the sides only) (remember Dat Azz). There is no lip to catch on the corners, so you can slide it on and off without worrying as much about scratches.
The downside of course, is the lack of the ability to place your phone face down. If you’re the type of person who likes to put your phone down like that, be aware. Again, this case is more of a skin than an actual case. For pure minimalists, this case is fantastic (I just want the damn NEXUS logo….)
Here you can see that face down, the case is actually lifted off of the table. That’s full on screen contact there.
The volume and power buttons I also find to be a bit odd to press. There is no problem pressing them, but the narrow cutouts make the feel a bit weird. It’s hard to explain, but I prefer the cutouts to be a little bigger, like standard hardcases where the cutout goes behind the back a bit.
Build Quality:
Okay, this is a bit tricky. In terms of design, button cutouts, and everything lining up perfectly, it does the job very well. The camera and flash cutouts are perfect, the volume and power button cutouts are centred nicely, and the headphone jack cutout lines up perfect as well. Don’t worry about not fitting fatter headphone jacks on with this case attached. The case is so thin that it doesn’t even matter. In terms of cutouts and fit, this case did very well.
Now the tricky part, since this case is so thin, the actual case itself is quite flimsy. There is only so much strength you can get out of a ridiculously thin piece of plastic (remember, think hard skin vs. case). It bends very easily, and honestly, I think if you bent it a little too much it would crack easily, make a crease in the plastic, or even tear. Add in cold weather, and I think it could crack with a gentle bump if the plastic got cold enough. If you were to compare this case vs. a quicksand in terms of strength, feel, and durability; the quicksand case easily takes it no question. If you were to compare this case vs. a Ringke Slim or Spigen Ultra fit, this case takes it in terms of fit/finish/detail, but both the Ringke Slim and Spigen Ultra Fit are more durable cases.
So in terms of build quality, this is a mixed bag.
Will I keep it?:
I was contemplating whether or not I would keep this case. If it impressed me enough despite not having the NEXUS logo on it, I would keep it. Honestly, after testing it out for a while, it’s going back. I like the minimalism and look, but the actual feel in hand for me was a turn off. It reminded me too much of the 0.3mm TPU cases, and this is what I thought of those when I posted it here. http://xdaforums.com/showpost.php?p=49827734&postcount=44
The slipperiness, narrow power and volume cutouts, and it being a bit too flimsy for my liking really sealed the deal of the trip back. The surprising thing for me is, I would probably still send it back even if it did have the NEXUS logo on it. For some reason, I just don’t like the way it feels in the hand. It might be my love for the quicksand cases clouding my judgment, but it just doesn’t feel as nice in my hand. And that’s a big factor in a case for me. Looks are one thing, but feel is definitely important as well.
Surprisingly, this case, after the cluster!@#$ of information and wondering if it would ever come out, turned out to be a bit of a disappointment for me. Maybe I overhyped myself, or was just expecting too much, but I’m just not that impressed.
I think it all boils down to just feeling a bit too cheap and flimsy for my liking. For an OEM case, it just doesn’t hold up. I still think my $0.99 Quicksand cases have this beat hands down.
Feel free to add in your own reviews, as I’m sure there are a lot of people who will disagree with me
Pros:
- Perfectly centred cutouts
- Thinness (double edged sword here)
- Minimalism taken to the extreme
Cons:
- Narrow volume / power cutouts
- Flimsy/cheap feeling (due to the thinness... which is quite the conundrum)
- No face down lip (if you place your phone face down)
- No NEXUS logo
So, does it live up to the hype? How sexy is that Nexus logo? I know some of you already have it, but here’s my take on it.
Maple Syrup:
White:http://www.puremobile.ca/lg-aaa75187802-hardshell-nexus-5-white
Black: http://www.puremobile.ca/lg-aaa75187801-hardshell-nexus-5-black
Football:
White: http://www.puremobile.com/lg-aaa75187802-hardshell-nexus-5-white
Black: http://www.puremobile.com/lg-aaa75187801-hardshell-nexus-5-black
Cup-o-Tea:
White: http://www.mobilefun.co.uk/lg-official-nexus-5-bumper-white-p42340.htm
Black: http://www.mobilefun.co.uk/lg-official-nexus-5-bumper-black-p42351.htm
Red: http://www.mobilefun.co.uk/lg-official-nexus-5-shell-case-red-p42344.htm
I was lucky enough to pick it up when it was $14.99, then got a 10% discount on top of it before they caught on and bumped the price/killed the discount. So all in, came to $14.16 CAD. Not bad for an OEM case. It’s currently listed as $17.99 in Canada/US, and £24.99 in UK. For Canada and US that’s still a pretty good price, but UK I think is getting the shaft here.
Now you probably already know I love my quicksand hardcases. To me nothing is going to beat those $0.99 lovelies. The look, feel, and texture of the quicksand cases can’t be beat in my eyes. But, sometimes a guy just wants that NEXUS logo showing proud. It’s an amazing phone, and deserves attention every now and then.
That’s where this case was supposed to come in. I have a lot of hardcases already (10+); the prospect of an OEM hardcase with NEXUS printed down the centre was too hard to pass up. It was enough to consider occasionally pulling me away from my quicksands. Pearly white, tri-side coverage, sleek and thin, stormtrooper/panda look, and the NEXUS logo down the middle. It could have been perfect. But alas, unicorns don’t exist and puremobile lied to me as well…
When I asked them, they confirmed to me the Nexus logo was there. I said I would cancel my order if it wasn’t, as that was the only reason I ordered it. They said yes… but it really wasn’t…
Anyway, enough of my wallowing in self-pity… Is this case still good despite the logo being absent? I know my main reason for ordering it is gone, but if it’s still a great case, those of you who don’t care about the logo might be in for a treat. So let’s get to reviewing.
Construction:
The material is standard issue polycarbonate hard plastic. I have the white case, so can’t comment on black. It is a matte finish similar (if not the same) as my white Ringke Slim. It has a nice feel, albeit a bit slippery if you have dry hands. Also, when I say feel, I mean it’s almost nonexistent. This case adds next to no bulk. I would consider this more of a skin (a hard skin) than an actual case.
This case is thin. I mean super thin. When Ringke Slim and Spigen Ultra Fit say they’re thin, this case takes a gander at them and tells them they’ve been eating too much cake! That is good and bad. For me, I’m a minimalist, I want a case that’s there, but isn’t there. Scuff and scratch protection is all I want, and this case literally follows ONLY that, anyone expecting this to give you any protection beyond scratch only is dreaming. Take this into consideration, my quicksand cases seem like otterboxes in comparison to this.
With how thin this case is, you should realize that it will offer ZERO impact protection. I can’t emphasize that enough. Since there is next to no bulk, there is next to no case. It is very thin, so dropping your phone with this case on, is like dropping your phone naked (which is why I said the case is more like a hard skin). So for those of you who may drop your phones, don’t buy it. For minimalists, you may like it.
Honestly, this case reminds me of the 0.3mm TPU cases that were available on ebay. Only this is a better plastic and higher quality mold. If I didn’t know any better, I would seriously say those 0.3mm cases were the “beta test” design for this case. (If you saw my opinion on those 0.3mm cases, I hated them…) The different type of plastic used and the slightly more rigid feel, make it substantially better than the 0.3mm TPU cases.
You can see here, the striking similarities between the LG Hardshell and the 0.3mm TPU ebay cases:
Fit on the Phone:
This hardcase has tri-side coverage. Most hardcases as you know stick to covering the sides, the back, and some of the corners. And they snap into place with a lip that hooks over the sides/face of the phone. This also creates that “face down” gap that lifts the screen off when you place your phone screen down (don’t know why people would do that though…).
The LG hardshell gets rid of the lip and hook method of securing the case to the phone and adds top coverage in its place. This fundamentally changes how the case attaches to the phone. It is not hooked on and snapped in place. It follows the contours of the phone and hugs the sides tightly. Since the phone is wider in the back and narrower in the front (Dat Azz), the case follows those dimensions and holds itself in place just by shape alone. By hugging the sides instead of snapping in place, the LG hardcase does not create the face down gap. So, if you have this case, don’t put your phone screen down.
You can see the design difference and lack of lip the LG hardcase has vs. one of my quicksand cases.
The fact that this case does not snap on also means it will be less likely to scratch the corners of your phone. This case does not attach in the same way as a normal hardcase (it attaches by hugging the sides only) (remember Dat Azz). There is no lip to catch on the corners, so you can slide it on and off without worrying as much about scratches.
The downside of course, is the lack of the ability to place your phone face down. If you’re the type of person who likes to put your phone down like that, be aware. Again, this case is more of a skin than an actual case. For pure minimalists, this case is fantastic (I just want the damn NEXUS logo….)
Here you can see that face down, the case is actually lifted off of the table. That’s full on screen contact there.
The volume and power buttons I also find to be a bit odd to press. There is no problem pressing them, but the narrow cutouts make the feel a bit weird. It’s hard to explain, but I prefer the cutouts to be a little bigger, like standard hardcases where the cutout goes behind the back a bit.
Build Quality:
Okay, this is a bit tricky. In terms of design, button cutouts, and everything lining up perfectly, it does the job very well. The camera and flash cutouts are perfect, the volume and power button cutouts are centred nicely, and the headphone jack cutout lines up perfect as well. Don’t worry about not fitting fatter headphone jacks on with this case attached. The case is so thin that it doesn’t even matter. In terms of cutouts and fit, this case did very well.
Now the tricky part, since this case is so thin, the actual case itself is quite flimsy. There is only so much strength you can get out of a ridiculously thin piece of plastic (remember, think hard skin vs. case). It bends very easily, and honestly, I think if you bent it a little too much it would crack easily, make a crease in the plastic, or even tear. Add in cold weather, and I think it could crack with a gentle bump if the plastic got cold enough. If you were to compare this case vs. a quicksand in terms of strength, feel, and durability; the quicksand case easily takes it no question. If you were to compare this case vs. a Ringke Slim or Spigen Ultra fit, this case takes it in terms of fit/finish/detail, but both the Ringke Slim and Spigen Ultra Fit are more durable cases.
So in terms of build quality, this is a mixed bag.
Will I keep it?:
I was contemplating whether or not I would keep this case. If it impressed me enough despite not having the NEXUS logo on it, I would keep it. Honestly, after testing it out for a while, it’s going back. I like the minimalism and look, but the actual feel in hand for me was a turn off. It reminded me too much of the 0.3mm TPU cases, and this is what I thought of those when I posted it here. http://xdaforums.com/showpost.php?p=49827734&postcount=44
The slipperiness, narrow power and volume cutouts, and it being a bit too flimsy for my liking really sealed the deal of the trip back. The surprising thing for me is, I would probably still send it back even if it did have the NEXUS logo on it. For some reason, I just don’t like the way it feels in the hand. It might be my love for the quicksand cases clouding my judgment, but it just doesn’t feel as nice in my hand. And that’s a big factor in a case for me. Looks are one thing, but feel is definitely important as well.
Surprisingly, this case, after the cluster!@#$ of information and wondering if it would ever come out, turned out to be a bit of a disappointment for me. Maybe I overhyped myself, or was just expecting too much, but I’m just not that impressed.
I think it all boils down to just feeling a bit too cheap and flimsy for my liking. For an OEM case, it just doesn’t hold up. I still think my $0.99 Quicksand cases have this beat hands down.
Feel free to add in your own reviews, as I’m sure there are a lot of people who will disagree with me
Pros:
- Perfectly centred cutouts
- Thinness (double edged sword here)
- Minimalism taken to the extreme
Cons:
- Narrow volume / power cutouts
- Flimsy/cheap feeling (due to the thinness... which is quite the conundrum)
- No face down lip (if you place your phone face down)
- No NEXUS logo
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