[REVIEW] Case-Mate Barely There Brushed Aluminum (Signal, GPS Strength, & 4G Tested!)

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Here is my review of the highly anticipated Case-Mate Barely There Brushed Aluminum Case.



[UPDATED 10/30 - Added 4G Signal Testing]
[UPDATED 10/31 - Added More 4G Experiences]



Build Quality: The Case's Build quality is excellent. The brushed aluminum has a very nice look and feel, and looks completely real. The edges of the aluminum have a nice cut to them. The rest of the case, made of plastic, is extremely sturdy and strong plastic. The case does not flex more than it should (and doesnt flex at all on the phone). It fits on the phone perfectly and goes on easily.



Protection:It protects the back and both long sides. The top and bottom sides are protected on the back edge, but not so much the front (see pictures to understand). Though if it was dropped on a flat surface from a vertical angle, it would hit the sides of the case that it does protect, and not hurt the middle. The case also "overlaps" the camera, protecting it from scratches when the phone is put down. Taking the case off is a bit trickier, but not too difficult compared to a snap on case. It is most easily taken off by pushing the phone out of the case through the camera hole.


Feel: As the name says, it is supposed to feel Barely There. And for the most part, it's true. The case is pretty thin and light. Though it is thicker than a plastic snap-on case. The phone feels a little thicker, but not very much, adds less bulk than any other case I have used. It keeps the nice looking shape of the phone, that many other cases hide (mostly snap-ons because they cover around the top edge) and this one does not! Though it does make the phone look just a tad wider, which i dont mind at all
The case is somewhat slippery not being rubberized in any way, the aluminum is (understandably) slippery/smooth, but the plastic sides offer a little more grip.



Pictures: Click for Full Size! (If you would like any specifics or comparisons to other phones, just ask!)







Signal Testing
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Conclusion: NO DIFFERENCE with case on or off

I have nearly perfect signal in my house. With the case on or off, not touching the phone i get -76db (4/4 Bars) Death Gripping the phone i get -96db (2/4 Bars) with the case on or off. So there is absolutely NO difference!




4G Testing
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I am unable to test 4G myself since it is unavailable in my area. Here are quotes from another members about it.

Mixed Experiences - 2/3 people have 4G issues.

Originally Posted by banksmi09

[...] This case kills my 4g. As soon as I put the case on, the 4g disconnects and won't connect until I take the case off.

Originally Posted by tmacgarris6727

My case kills 4g also

Originally Posted by 1lazysheep

i'm in san antonio and have no 4G issues with the case installed. i just got my phone last week and once couldn't connect to the network. i rebooted the phone and everything was fine again. i attribute that to the LOS problem people have been reporting.

GPS Signal Testing
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Unfortunetly, Even though cell phone signal is unaffected, GPS signal IS affected by the case.

I compared it also with my old snap-on plastic case. It seems any case affects the GPS signal a bit, but this one a little more than the plastic for signal strength (although sometimes a more accurate lock)

Times to get a lock were the same all around.

Tests: All taken INSIDE.


SIDE NOTE: Obviously, these tests move around alot, and are not static results. Here is what I saw and my own take on it...

Barely There Case: Absolutely see a decrease in strength and accuracy. But not to the point that makes it unusable. strength went up when phone put perpendicular to floor (hard to show in screenshots, but I am sure of it) Keep in mind these tests were also inside.
Plastic Case: Also Affected GPS Signal, did not hurt signal strength as much as Barely There case though. (in some shots the accuracy is shown lower despite higher strength, which I'm not sure why, may be a margin of error.)


No Case: Parallel to Floor...............No Case: Perpendicular To Floor
...


Barely There Case: Parallel to Floor..........Barely There Case: Perpendicular to Floor
............


Plastic Snap-On Case: Parallel To Floor......Plastic Case: Perpendicular to Floor
.................


Feel free to ask any questions

I got mine too, was gonna post pictures but you've got plenty of them.

Initial impressions:

• It looks nice, but I have a feeling the black version might look nicer (I ordered the black version! But they shipped me the silver one. Emailed their customer service asking about it..)
  
  
• Compared to my TPU Matte Back Black, the side lips definitely offer less protection, though they are still raised above the level of the screen, just to a lesser extent.
  
  
• Top and bottom lips are exposed and not very well protected. There are angles at which you could drop your phone and it would definitely get scratched up on top and bottom.
  
  
• Cutouts are well done, volume rocker is a lot easier to use compared to the TPU case.
  
  
• It's heavier, but not too bad.. makes the phone feel very solid.
  
  
• The aluminium and chrome accents are awesome and look sexy.
  
  
• Camera is very nicely protected with a deep cutout.
  
  
• The silver clashes with the color of the phone in my opinion.. I hope they send me the right color as I didn't really want silver.
  
  
• It's slippery but the plastic sides are decently grippy in the hand. Make no mistake though, the phone will slide over anything in this case.

Overall, I'm a little disappointed in the level of protection this case offers. The side, bottom, and top lips all feel too exposed. The TPU case has more protection for less money, but the Barely There definitely has more style and solid feeling to it. Really wish the case went all the way around the top and bottom.. but I'm gonna stick with it and see if it grows on me.

^ Thanks for adding


I agree about the protection on the top and bottom, it would be nice if it went all around, but then it wouldnt be able to bend to put it on/take it off.

Originally Posted by Pheno.menon

[*]Compared to my TPU Matte Back Black, the side lips definitely offer less protection, though they are still raised above the level of the screen, just to a lesser extent.

How would you compare the thickness to the TPU case?

I have the TPU and love it because it adds almost no bulk to the phone.

Originally Posted by spridell

How would you compare the thickness to the TPU case?

I have the TPU and love it because it adds almost no bulk to the phone.

Not much difference, to be honest. The case really is barely there..

It's a tiny bit wider and heavier, but nothing you would pause to stop and think about. The phone feels very solid with the Case-Mate.

thanks for the review and pics.

i wonder if the decrease in GPS strength would be less if the phone was outside?

hi guys where did you get this case it looks nice

Everyone's results will be a little different, but my GPS test results were identical with the case on and off, both inside and outside.

Just found this...http://www.ebay.com/itm/Case-mate-Br...ht_1678wt_1141 How much did everyone else pay for their case?

Originally Posted by coldblooded79

Just found this...http://www.ebay.com/itm/Case-mate-Br...ht_1678wt_1141 How much did everyone else pay for their case?

Same price and seller.

This is their regular site though: http://www.mobilecityonline.com/wire...roductid=28553