Spigen Tough Armor & Proctector Glass

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crownjoker

Member
Dec 29, 2012
10
3
I know people has been talking about these items quite a bit, so here is my 2 bits as I just picked it up and put them on yesterday.

The Spigen Glass IS compatible with the case itself, as you can see in the pictures. The glass works just fine with all touch screen sensation and eventhough some say the glass cut out does not match, mine seems to do just fine. It is quite pricy though, at 35 bux from amazon, compared to the case for only 18, but you do get a discount from amazon or spigen for that matter, 15% off Glass .tR. total for both came out to be 47.73 with free shipping.

Now with the case, works fine, snug-fit, I've had otterbox defender with the rubber being so lose like it's over stretched and doesnt cover up the plastic case well, not on this one as the rubber actually goes on the inside of the PC case. I haven't tried any drop test or any of that...not gonna do that =P But if you read on amazon and see the reviews for 1 stars, all with similar problem. 1- Case too slipper ( to finely finished seeing the PC case is on the outside insted of TPU). 2 - heart rate sensor does not work.

1. The case is indeed too slipper to my experience after one night playing with it, nearly dropped it 3 times in 30 mins, and I was so sure I had good grip. On the sides or back of the case, there is really no rubber to increase friction except for the button replacement cutout, so unless you got real thick and strong callus, you ain't holding it by the sides.
2. Heart rate sensor worked for me just fine, I am assuming that people tend to press on it very hard, so the pressure cuts off the blood flow therefore does not scan. If you look at the cut out for flashlight and the sensor, on the buttom of it, there is a mini slope compared to the top. Sort of like a 40 degree cut out on bottom and 90 degree on top if you get what I mean...so finger tip and actually rest on the sensor just fine, may take a couple try to get used to it, but that's definitely not the cons of the case..

The case color is gun-metal....to be honest, kind of regret it now since its not as vibrant or as sleek as I hoped it'd be, so black would probably be the best way to go since the back cover does not have any speical design to be standing out with ligher colour choices...
 

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talon_66

Member
Sep 22, 2012
22
1
Thanks for the review.
I ordered a this exact same case about 3 weeks ago, and Im still waiting for it to arrive.

I also have a iLoome Screenmate 9h screen protector on my phone, which came quickly after ordering but I have to say, that:
#1 Fitment was terrible
#2 Customer service is atrocious. I asked to return it, and they said I could return it only if I hadnt removed the adhesive protectors :mad:
 

Charbo

Senior Member
Aug 24, 2006
65
2
35
Portland, OR
I have this same case as well and I love it. I have big hands so maybe that helps but I find the finish to be fine, not as slippery as most people make it seem. I do not have one complaint about the case and received it in only 3 days after ordering it, although I'm in WA so not far from where it was shipped. I also bought 2 of the basic slim plastic Spiegen cases and the regular screen protector that came with it with this case with no isssues. I was also glad that it did not add too much bulk to the phone overall. It is definitely thicker than the basic case I got but I'm sure it would withstand some abuse pretty well.
 

bogdaryl

Senior Member
Jul 13, 2012
178
11
Bogalusa
I actually have this case in black and I really like it. After seeing your pictures I may pick up the gunmetal finish one day as well. I haven't tried a drop test with it but I believe it should be pretty good possible comparable to the otterbox commuter as far as drop protection goes if not as close as you can get while keeping the case slim. I'm about done buying cases for a while because I have this one, a black Otterbox Defender, and my element Recon CF should be here Friday or Saturday.
 

g.711

New member
Jun 21, 2005
1
0
For $35 you don't get much. I have the UAG and I think that is more attractive. But ultimately I want the Janis leather.
 

crownjoker

Member
Dec 29, 2012
10
3
have a look to my "Cases Comparison: Spigen SGP Tough Armor -vs- UAG Protective Aero GLXS5" here :http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=2729413

I definitively use the UAG... waiting to test it with wireless charging.

I am also waiting for my S5 wireless charging back to be shipped to test that out. Still waiting for the inserts from china at the moment.

Anyway, today, I took the the glass protector to the test...well...................that's just say it is not that "amazing" as it is advertised. If you look at amazon spigen's picture description...you see that they held a xacto to the screen, and I copied.

Well, result is fair I'd say, you can barely tell by the naked eye that there is any scratch on the screen, but if you hold it at a certain angle or with the right lightning, you can see "marks" on the glass, but it is not rough to the touch of finger tip; however, if you lightly glide your nail across the "marks"..."clump" "clump" "clump"....i really don't know what sound to use, but you should get the idea, it is scratched...I did a lot of cutting and swirving the blade around the glass, but there is about maybe less than 10 marks...so my guess is that it is tough, just not to the blade, but daily usage should never scratch it.

At this point, I am thinking it's probably the "layer" on top of the glass actually came off? whatever...I will live, so will it. I also got 2 cheap china version for replacement if I really need to anyway...just haven't try to see if they acutally align.
 

x3em

Member
Apr 23, 2014
9
14
San Francisco
nice & helpful. I got this same setup. A black Spigen tough armor case with a Spigen "0.23mm rounded natural fit (smooth edge & light) tempered glass protector". It's a near perfect fit on the glass, just a fraction to small imho. There is a small groove around the outer edge of the glass, inside the inner edge of the case. just enough to collect some dust. but really not that bad. I had a cheapo quality case and plastic screen cover from best buy the first couple of days. this setup is much much nicer. i think maybe I would go with a thinner option than .23mm if I had to do this again. other than that I would recommend this for sure. it is nice quality. and I love how easy it was to get the glass protector on there without getting air bubbles and so forth.
 

mossolb

Member
Aug 10, 2007
45
7
San Francisco
The case color is gun-metal....to be honest, kind of regret it now since its not as vibrant or as sleek as I hoped it'd be, so black would probably be the best way to go since the back cover does not have any speical design to be standing out with ligher colour choices...

Initially I bought the gun-metal option and almost dropped the phone a few times with that case. I then bought the black option and returned the gun-metal. The grip with the black option is much better with the soft feel coating..
 

crownjoker

Member
Dec 29, 2012
10
3
Initially I bought the gun-metal option and almost dropped the phone a few times with that case. I then bought the black option and returned the gun-metal. The grip with the black option is much better with the soft feel coating..

Hmm....nice...I didn't know that there was a difference in the material they used. I thought it was just different paint, but I live in canada anyway, so for me to return and get a new one is not worth the hassle. I'll stick to this for now, until I get the OEM wireless cover anyway.
 

crownjoker

Member
Dec 29, 2012
10
3
So I have received the Itian wireless charging adapter and the wireless charging pad today. Time to do some feed back.

First to describe the picture attached.
1. Wireless receiver from Itian.
2. Wireless charging pad from itian.
3. Wireless charging pad from aliexpress.
4. Wireless charging pad from Nokia DT-900.

First, the adapter, is not thin by all means, I reckon the OEM cover will also be made thicker like the S4, while maintaining it's waterproof ability, bigger rubber ring I suppose. If you were to use these ones, it will get caught in between the rubber gasket; therefore, making your phone IP67 non-existing. It is also harder to close on that one side of the case, render that you can still close it, but over time I would assume the plastic to actually bent, and when you remove the charging adapter, the cover will probably not close properly to be IP67 ready.

Now, this post is not here to say whether the different brand of pad works or not, at a inital test, they all work on a S4 with OEM back with the DT-900 at best performance, but I am posting more related to whether they work with the Spigen Touch Armor or NOT. From now on, review is based on Itian adapter in phone and phone is Spigen TA case.

The Itian pad takes a significantly longer time to be recognized by the phone. Phone does not pick up the wireless signal for at least 5 seconds, while Ali takes about 3 seconds and Nokia tops it by about 1 second. If the same receiver works on all 3 pads, it seems to me that Itian simply does not have enough coil to produce strong enough waves, and hence charging speed will also be significantly slower than the others...? Throughout the charging process, due to the weak signal, itian has start and stop the charging process so many times that the pad eventually comes to a halt of error, LED light flashing blue and red simultaneously. ( I hope neither my phone nor the pad is damaged during this event...)
Ali seems to just having a hard time to align properly, seems the coil is strong, but small, so the phone could be disconnected simply by the slightest wrong angle. Meanwhile, Nokia has the smallest and thickest pad among all, but when you place the phone on top ( this is the only pad that is acutally smaller than the phone, for what I have anyway) it not only picks up right away, and you really have no problem in charging speed issue nor alignment issue.

Ali one may seems strong but the broadcast range seems to be small, while Itian is about in the middle of no where, for cheap pads anyway. Nokia seems to win out-right in this one, charges just fine with or without the case.

To sum it up, DT-900 cost me 25 bux, and the others both cost me about 10~15 depending on seller and shipping cost. All in all, I suggest throw in double of your budget from getting a cheap no name to affordable brand name will save you the trouble getting a new case or replacing damaged battery or adapter.
 

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marcochapita

Senior Member
Aug 24, 2010
419
74
Lisboa
Samsung Galaxy Watch 4
My question is. Is the oem wireless cover gonna be released any time sooner? I'm afraid that will make impossible to use this covers. My other question is anyone bought already a fake cover? What's the difference?

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk
 

crownjoker

Member
Dec 29, 2012
10
3
My question is. Is the oem wireless cover gonna be released any time sooner? I'm afraid that will make impossible to use this covers. My other question is anyone bought already a fake cover? What's the difference?

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

I could not find any related publication on when it will acutally be released, but you can pre-order them anywhere from samsung to amazon and other cellular websites. I heard someone once said that Atnt store already carries it? doubt it tho. I have preordered mine from amazon at the same price that samsung sells, but samsung offers free tectiles to come with theirs. Some other sites has boasted their selling price which is kind of stupid to my opinion.


EDIT, just found this online, not official, just annoucement from a retailer.

"This morning B&H Photo places put a date on the Galaxy S5 wireless charging back, with shipments expected to start on May 10th. Users can pre-order the Galaxy S5 wireless charging cover from this well-known retailer and could see the back arrive before the middle of the month."
 
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marcochapita

Senior Member
Aug 24, 2010
419
74
Lisboa
Samsung Galaxy Watch 4
Thank you for your response. I'm heading to a Samsung store tomorrow just to check if they have in there or if they say the same thing about the day. Because I already saw in the forum that some people have the back cover and it's a little bulky. And I can't use the phone without a protective cover. Hope that it's compatible with spigen line
 

crownjoker

Member
Dec 29, 2012
10
3
I went to a Samsung official store on London and they don't have any wireless covers. But if I go to Amazon and search there's a store that has them on stock. So on Monday I'm going to buy one.

On amazon.com. it says ship within 2 to 4 month, which is where I placed my order, but I don't think they have them in stock yet. I would assume Samsung stores to have them before anyone else to make the best profit for themselves. Some random purchasers have made comments among different websites about them picking one up already from the mobile stores, which I highly doubt...

I went to a Rogers store in canada, the guy there said he didn't even heard anything about it, he did NOT know such thing exists....so go figure.
 

jlandry287

Member
Jul 11, 2013
24
8
Lake Charles
I know people has been talking about these items quite a bit, so here is my 2 bits as I just picked it up and put them on yesterday.

The Spigen Glass IS compatible with the case itself, as you can see in the pictures. The glass works just fine with all touch screen sensation and eventhough some say the glass cut out does not match, mine seems to do just fine. It is quite pricy though, at 35 bux from amazon, compared to the case for only 18, but you do get a discount from amazon or spigen for that matter, 15% off Glass .tR. total for both came out to be 47.73 with free shipping.

Now with the case, works fine, snug-fit, I've had otterbox defender with the rubber being so lose like it's over stretched and doesnt cover up the plastic case well, not on this one as the rubber actually goes on the inside of the PC case. I haven't tried any drop test or any of that...not gonna do that =P But if you read on amazon and see the reviews for 1 stars, all with similar problem. 1- Case too slipper ( to finely finished seeing the PC case is on the outside insted of TPU). 2 - heart rate sensor does not work.

1. The case is indeed too slipper to my experience after one night playing with it, nearly dropped it 3 times in 30 mins, and I was so sure I had good grip. On the sides or back of the case, there is really no rubber to increase friction except for the button replacement cutout, so unless you got real thick and strong callus, you ain't holding it by the sides.
2. Heart rate sensor worked for me just fine, I am assuming that people tend to press on it very hard, so the pressure cuts off the blood flow therefore does not scan. If you look at the cut out for flashlight and the sensor, on the buttom of it, there is a mini slope compared to the top. Sort of like a 40 degree cut out on bottom and 90 degree on top if you get what I mean...so finger tip and actually rest on the sensor just fine, may take a couple try to get used to it, but that's definitely not the cons of the case..

The case color is gun-metal....to be honest, kind of regret it now since its not as vibrant or as sleek as I hoped it'd be, so black would probably be the best way to go since the back cover does not have any speical design to be standing out with ligher colour choices...


Judging from the size of the cutout on the charging port, it does not look as if larger, "fat headed" aftermarket chargers will fit.The reason I mention this is because I just ordered this (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00GDESF1I/ref=ox_sc_act_title_3?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A1H9NMCPZH97BO) 15 ft charging cable. Reviewers have mentioned that this cable does not work with their case on, and you have almost confirmed that for me. Thank you sir/ma'am!
 

crownjoker

Member
Dec 29, 2012
10
3
Judging from the size of the cutout on the charging port, it does not look as if larger, "fat headed" aftermarket chargers will fit.The reason I mention this is because I just ordered this (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00GDESF1I/ref=ox_sc_act_title_3?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A1H9NMCPZH97BO) 15 ft charging cable. Reviewers have mentioned that this cable does not work with their case on, and you have almost confirmed that for me. Thank you sir/ma'am!

Looking at the picture of your link, seems like you have purchased a standard USB 3.0 cord of which should be the same size on both end compared to standard USB plug for PC. I've attached a picture with my own USB 3 cord, WD brand for my external drive, it is round edged by a little fatter in the height wise, decimal mm difference. I have attached picture with dimention in CM along the post. It works perfectly with my case when I plug it in, so you might still be able to use it. The front rubber part of the case design is "loose" for the ease of use of the finger print scanner, so that is "movable" so to speak.

PS. Sir is fine =P
Now adays, people tend to use more wireless charging to save the hassel of plugging it and pulling out, it eventually wears out the charging port. On top of that, because of the waterproof cover, after you put on the case, it makes it even harder to open the cover if you have absolutely no nails like me. I keep the ruler by my table so I use the edge of the ruler to pry it open. Other than that, I rarely use the port anymore. Suggest in investing in a decent wireless charger and a charging back for rougly 50 dollars, or go with ebay for a 15 dollars all inclusive (less quality).
 

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porky pies

Member
Oct 20, 2011
5
0
nice & helpful. I got this same setup. A black Spigen tough armor case with a Spigen "0.23mm rounded natural fit (smooth edge & light) tempered glass protector". It's a near perfect fit on the glass, just a fraction to small imho. There is a small groove around the outer edge of the glass, inside the inner edge of the case. just enough to collect some dust. but really not that bad. I had a cheapo quality case and plastic screen cover from best buy the first couple of days. this setup is much much nicer. i think maybe I would go with a thinner option than .23mm if I had to do this again. other than that I would recommend this for sure. it is nice quality. and I love how easy it was to get the glass protector on there without getting air bubbles and so forth.

I too brought the Spigen 0.23 mm glass protector, and with in one week it had completey cracked acorss the width of the screen. These screens are not and hard, scratch prrof, as they claim. I contacted the customer services regarding their screen did not live up to the claims, and useless is a kind word to describe their customer services.

Dont get me wrong its a good product but dont think it worth all that money when, its not going to last that long. Im considering buying a new one.. but not sure yet, so currently have the bog standard screen protector which came with my Spigen case.
 

crownjoker

Member
Dec 29, 2012
10
3
I too brought the Spigen 0.23 mm glass protector, and with in one week it had completey cracked acorss the width of the screen. These screens are not and hard, scratch prrof, as they claim. I contacted the customer services regarding their screen did not live up to the claims, and useless is a kind word to describe their customer services.

Dont get me wrong its a good product but dont think it worth all that money when, its not going to last that long. Im considering buying a new one.. but not sure yet, so currently have the bog standard screen protector which came with my Spigen case.

No, you are right. They are not as good as they claim to be, and in the free market, they are selling at a high price. Like I said, definitely not scratch proof as I have tested it, mine has not experience crack yet, but who knows. If you look online whether amazon or other spigen retails, lots of bad feedback of lining issue as well as customer service, especially customer service. They don't seem to replace or refund, nothing like that, as long as you have tried applying the glass, you are done. Even if it was manufacture defect, you still need to pay return shipping provided that you haven't remove the sticky 1 AND 2 side. Very minimal on defects, still has tho. I have ordered 2 cheap no-name brand from china on ebay as well as 2 cheap regular plastic film as back up. The phone will probably be gone before I really have to use up all 5 protectors.

I saw somewhere that there was a brand that provides life-time warranty replacement...I can't remember which one, someone here knows as it's on one of the threads. Do a search or someone can probably point it out for you. As far as where I stand, I got lots of cheap back up :cool:
 

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    I know people has been talking about these items quite a bit, so here is my 2 bits as I just picked it up and put them on yesterday.

    The Spigen Glass IS compatible with the case itself, as you can see in the pictures. The glass works just fine with all touch screen sensation and eventhough some say the glass cut out does not match, mine seems to do just fine. It is quite pricy though, at 35 bux from amazon, compared to the case for only 18, but you do get a discount from amazon or spigen for that matter, 15% off Glass .tR. total for both came out to be 47.73 with free shipping.

    Now with the case, works fine, snug-fit, I've had otterbox defender with the rubber being so lose like it's over stretched and doesnt cover up the plastic case well, not on this one as the rubber actually goes on the inside of the PC case. I haven't tried any drop test or any of that...not gonna do that =P But if you read on amazon and see the reviews for 1 stars, all with similar problem. 1- Case too slipper ( to finely finished seeing the PC case is on the outside insted of TPU). 2 - heart rate sensor does not work.

    1. The case is indeed too slipper to my experience after one night playing with it, nearly dropped it 3 times in 30 mins, and I was so sure I had good grip. On the sides or back of the case, there is really no rubber to increase friction except for the button replacement cutout, so unless you got real thick and strong callus, you ain't holding it by the sides.
    2. Heart rate sensor worked for me just fine, I am assuming that people tend to press on it very hard, so the pressure cuts off the blood flow therefore does not scan. If you look at the cut out for flashlight and the sensor, on the buttom of it, there is a mini slope compared to the top. Sort of like a 40 degree cut out on bottom and 90 degree on top if you get what I mean...so finger tip and actually rest on the sensor just fine, may take a couple try to get used to it, but that's definitely not the cons of the case..

    The case color is gun-metal....to be honest, kind of regret it now since its not as vibrant or as sleek as I hoped it'd be, so black would probably be the best way to go since the back cover does not have any speical design to be standing out with ligher colour choices...
    1
    My question is. Is the oem wireless cover gonna be released any time sooner? I'm afraid that will make impossible to use this covers. My other question is anyone bought already a fake cover? What's the difference?

    Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

    I could not find any related publication on when it will acutally be released, but you can pre-order them anywhere from samsung to amazon and other cellular websites. I heard someone once said that Atnt store already carries it? doubt it tho. I have preordered mine from amazon at the same price that samsung sells, but samsung offers free tectiles to come with theirs. Some other sites has boasted their selling price which is kind of stupid to my opinion.


    EDIT, just found this online, not official, just annoucement from a retailer.

    "This morning B&H Photo places put a date on the Galaxy S5 wireless charging back, with shipments expected to start on May 10th. Users can pre-order the Galaxy S5 wireless charging cover from this well-known retailer and could see the back arrive before the middle of the month."