Vapor Pro iPhone 5 :)

[lrfox]

not to burst your bubble, irfox, but the one you got is most likely going to kill reception on your phone. the difference with the cover we're waiting on feedback from, is that it has a plastic (polycarbonate) piece, which, on the 4s, was to eliminate signal loss by not bridging the antennae.

Yeah, that was a risk I was willing to take for $14.99. I figured why not? I am interested to see the update on the Caseswill one though.

I did get my ebay one in today (again, you can order it here). I haven't noticed any signal loss around the house, but I'm in a good area. The real test will be tonight when I head out.

Here's a brief review:

The Good:
1) 100% aluminum
2)Nice, clean lines
3) Comes with spare screws
4) Sleep/Wake button cap built into the case
5) Padding on the inside to prevent scratches
6) Good fit, not rattling.

The Bad:
1) Small screws and allen wrench makes it hard to take apart and put together.
2) there's a tiny gap between the top of the phone and the case because of the sleep/wake button. Barely noticeable but there.
3)The two parts don't line up perfectly, but not really noticeable.

Here are some pics:

(I know there's not much love for the wood skin on this site, but if you like it, it's from Carved and it's great)

Overall, I'm very happy with it from a looks and performance standpoint. I'll post back about signal issues after I've had more time to travel around with it. But for now, it's working fine.

 

[dannyhex]

is it me

delete

 

[shleif]

Yeah, that was a risk I was willing to take for $14.99. I figured why not? I am interested to see the update on the Caseswill one though.

I did get my ebay one in today (again, you can order it here). I haven't noticed any signal loss around the house, but I'm in a good area. The real test will be tonight when I head out.

Here's a brief review:

The Good:
1) 100% aluminum
2)Nice, clean lines
3) Comes with spare screws
4) Sleep/Wake button cap built into the case
5) Padding on the inside to prevent scratches
6) Good fit, not rattling.

The Bad:
1) Small screws and allen wrench makes it hard to take apart and put together.
2) there's a tiny gap between the top of the phone and the case because of the sleep/wake button. Barely noticeable but there.
3)The two parts don't line up perfectly, but not really noticeable.

Here are some pics:

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

(I know there's not much love for the wood skin on this site, but if you like it, it's from Carved and it's great)

Overall, I'm very happy with it from a looks and performance standpoint. I'll post back about signal issues after I've had more time to travel around with it. But for now, it's working fine.

I really can't believe these companies steal the Element Case name & logo. That is a bunch of BS. It's one thing to copy the design which in this case is OK because element doesn't even offer this case for the iPhone 5. It's another thing to steal a companies branding. If I were element, I'd be going after eBay for facilitating copyright or trademark infringement. There are just too many off shore or Chinese companies ripping off other people's designs, trademarks etc.

Nice case but I hate the fact that they are stealing the brand name and misleading people who don't know any better & doing it for a profit. Sorry but as a business owner, this REALLY pisses me off!

Other than that, it looks nice but I wouldn't contribute to their shrewd & deceiving tactics by paying a penny for it.

 

[SeVeN]

Anyone ever try the casewill bumpers?

 

[lrfox]

I really can't believe these companies steal the Element Case name & logo. That is a bunch of BS. It's one thing to copy the design which in this case is OK because element doesn't even offer this case for the iPhone 5. It's another thing to steal a companies branding. If I were element, I'd be going after eBay for facilitating copyright or trademark infringement. There are just too many off shore or Chinese companies ripping off other people's designs, trademarks etc.

Nice case but I hate the fact that they are stealing the brand name and misleading people who don't know any better & doing it for a profit. Sorry but as a business owner, this REALLY pisses me off!

Other than that, it looks nice but I wouldn't contribute to their shrewd & deceiving tactics by paying a penny for it.

I get where you're coming from but I would love the case even without the logo. The back skin is authentic made in USA. It is what it is. The real Element Vapor is far better. Most knockoffs are even better.

 

[walmartmartyr]

Yeah, that was a risk I was willing to take for $14.99. I figured why not? I am interested to see the update on the Caseswill one though.

I did get my ebay one in today (again, you can order it here). I haven't noticed any signal loss around the house, but I'm in a good area. The real test will be tonight when I head out.

Here's a brief review:

The Good:
1) 100% aluminum
2)Nice, clean lines
3) Comes with spare screws
4) Sleep/Wake button cap built into the case
5) Padding on the inside to prevent scratches
6) Good fit, not rattling.

The Bad:
1) Small screws and allen wrench makes it hard to take apart and put together.
2) there's a tiny gap between the top of the phone and the case because of the sleep/wake button. Barely noticeable but there.
3)The two parts don't line up perfectly, but not really noticeable.

Here are some pics:

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

(I know there's not much love for the wood skin on this site, but if you like it, it's from Carved and it's great)

Overall, I'm very happy with it from a looks and performance standpoint. I'll post back about signal issues after I've had more time to travel around with it. But for now, it's working fine.

so? is there signal loss or not? Everyone here wants to know if that solid top design will limit the signal?

 

[Minhthien]

I get where you're coming from but I would love the case even without the logo. The back skin is authentic made in USA. It is what it is. The real Element Vapor is far better. Most knockoffs are even better.

Your case looks really good! Any signal of cells and wifi problem yet?
If you really really think about it....These are not copy case, they just have a fake logo on it, thats it! The only thing for iPhone 5 from element case so far is the Sector 5 they haven't release the Vapor Pro 5 yet!

 

[NovemberWhiskey]

Yeah, that was a risk I was willing to take for $14.99. I figured why not? I am interested to see the update on the Caseswill one though.

I did get my ebay one in today (again, you can order it here). I haven't noticed any signal loss around the house, but I'm in a good area. The real test will be tonight when I head out.

Can you comment on whether or not it will scratch the bezel? I see padding on the inside, but I don't see anything protecting the bezel area on the phone (the padding only covers the sides).

 

[AFDoc]

I really can't believe these companies steal the Element Case name & logo. That is a bunch of BS. It's one thing to copy the design which in this case is OK because element doesn't even offer this case for the iPhone 5. It's another thing to steal a companies branding. If I were element, I'd be going after eBay for facilitating copyright or trademark infringement. There are just too many off shore or Chinese companies ripping off other people's designs, trademarks etc.

Nice case but I hate the fact that they are stealing the brand name and misleading people who don't know any better & doing it for a profit. Sorry but as a business owner, this REALLY pisses me off!

Other than that, it looks nice but I wouldn't contribute to their shrewd & deceiving tactics by paying a penny for it.

LoL black market products for the win! I have NO issue buying the knock off for $22 when Element wants to rip me off for $140. I would certainly not mind if the element name wasn't on the Chinese clone but I really give a hooties cow that it's on there. I see you say you're a business owner so your perspective is a bit different BUT I bet if the Element bumper was more competitively priced there would be less of a rush to buy the counterfeit product. I have done some CnC work before with paintball parts and know the amount of time and money that goes into design, programming, re-programming and ensuring the completed product is top notch (though I have no clue what elements time/cost runs) so I can honestly say their pricing is way to high. BUT they get away with charging that much so like with apple, they will continue to do so. Maybe if they got rid of the hottie spokes model they could lower the price! Nah just kidding, they can keep her and I'll keep buying mine from china!! (by the way shleif, if you really want to get pissed go to http://www.caseswill.com and check out ALL the element models for the 4/4s listed )

 

[lrfox]

LoL black market products for the win! I have NO issue buying the knock off for $22 when Element wants to rip me off for $140. I would certainly not mind if the element name wasn't on the Chinese clone but I really give a hooties cow that it's on there. I see you say you're a business owner so your perspective is a bit different BUT I bet if the Element bumper was more competitively priced there would be less of a rush to buy the counterfeit product. I have done some CnC work before with paintball parts and know the amount of time and money that goes into design, programming, re-programming and ensuring the completed product is top notch (though I have no clue what elements time/cost runs) so I can honestly say their pricing is way to high. BUT they get away with charging that much so like with apple, they will continue to do so. Maybe if they got rid of the hottie spokes model they could lower the price! Nah just kidding, they can keep her and I'll keep buying mine from china!! (by the way shleif, if you really want to get pissed go to http://www.caseswill.com and check out ALL the element models for the 4/4s listed )

You're never going to get a knockoff that meets the quality of the actual Element Case. That's why they charge a premium and get it. It's like buying a "Rolex" on Canal St. In New York. You get a cheap version that looks decent without paying the premium. Functionally it's not as good, but for someone like me, it's fine. There are always going to be people willing to pay a premium for the real Rolex though. That's why I don't mind. You get what you pay for.

Speaking of which, my EBay Vapor 5 knockoff (pictures on previous page) does impact the signal, although not terribly. I took it around my area in Central Boston (AT&T) and the signal loss was minimal but noticeable. Where I would be 5 bars without the bumper, I had 4 with an occasional dip to 3. So in the city the drop wasn't a problem at all.

I went out of the city about 30 miles to a suburban/ fringe rural area for a party. I spent most of the time around 3 bars. I took it off briefly and hovered between 3-4. So yeah, there is signal loss, but its not bad. Certainly not enough to keep me from using it. I may try to make my own cut above the antenna in the case to open it up. Or if the caseswill version has less impact ill just get that one. So far, I'm more than happy with it.

 

[machacker]

I have a casewill vapor on order. I honestly bought it because I want to see if I like the aluminum bumper on my phone and to see if it has some signal issues.

If I like it, and if Element releases an official Vapor Pro (I don't like the sector 5 personally), I will probably at some point order one straight from them. But I want to make sure I really like the type of case first, and at the moment, Element isn't offering the case I really want from them.

I'm not a fan of the straight piracy either. I mean, this is very similar to the Samsung/Apple argument. Can you imagine what would happen if Samsung put out a chrome book with an apple logo on it? I think Steve would rise from the grave to bring firey justice down with him.

In any case, I have my reasons for ordering the casewill version, and if I do really like it (which I think I will), I have no issue paying the premium for the real deal if and when Element releases one I like.

 

[shleif]

LoL black market products for the win! I have NO issue buying the knock off for $22 when Element wants to rip me off for $140. I would certainly not mind if the element name wasn't on the Chinese clone but I really give a hooties cow that it's on there. I see you say you're a business owner so your perspective is a bit different BUT I bet if the Element bumper was more competitively priced there would be less of a rush to buy the counterfeit product. I have done some CnC work before with paintball parts and know the amount of time and money that goes into design, programming, re-programming and ensuring the completed product is top notch (though I have no clue what elements time/cost runs) so I can honestly say their pricing is way to high. BUT they get away with charging that much so like with apple, they will continue to do so. Maybe if they got rid of the hottie spokes model they could lower the price! Nah just kidding, they can keep her and I'll keep buying mine from china!! (by the way shleif, if you really want to get pissed go to http://www.caseswill.com and check out ALL the element models for the 4/4s listed )

I've seen the casewill site.
I think the issue that has a big impact on Elements cost has to do with being a profitable business in a diminishing market/economy. My guess is that they don't have high volume of sales for any given product. In order to remain profitable while keeping people employed & doing the R&D to create new innovative designs, the cost of remaining profitable is amortized across each case they sell. It's not a case of ripping people off, it's more a case of surviving in a limited market where offshore companies are in fact ripping them off.

Like I said, its one thing to copy a design, it's another thing to steal a logo and prey on people's ignorance. Most of us here know those cases are not the real deal but we don't represent the masses. I'm sure the majority of the people search on line for a vapor case. They see these ones and buy based on price figuring they just got a great deal on an authentic case. If casewill's designs were so great, they would stand on their own and not need to steal a brand name, let alone a design.

Instead, they are preying on people's lack of knowledge or ignorance by presenting a true counterfeit at a cheap price. It's companies like casewill that drive up costs on authentic products as they are in essence stealing business from innovative companies. I'd feel much better about casewill if they were not stealing the name. To me, that in itself makes me feel as though the only innovative thing about casewill is their shrewd and deceiving marketing tactics & the fact that they get away with ripping off honest companies trying to bring innovation and quality while keeping their doors open in a sour economy.

Do you really think anybody is getting rich at Element? Probably not but in the end, we own business's with one primary goal, to be profitable and augment our lifestyles as we see fit. So while their price point may seem excessive, we have no real idea what their actual cost of business is and what it actually costs Element to make these cases. It's not just the material or labor that determines the cost. It's the cost of doing business that is a big part of that. These cases are like jewelry and or art. Some may be fine with framing a litho or a counterfeit picture and hanging it on their wall just like some will be happy wearing a fake pair of Nikes or sporting a fancy fake YSL purse. Others appreciate originality and innovation and are happy to pay for that. I fall into that category.

 

[yOyOYoo]

Waiting for this case to come out in black!

 

[Psycho Mantis]

Waiting for this case to come out in black!

Checkout the site, they have multiple colors now.

 

[Minhthien]

Waiting for this case to come out in black!

http://www.caseswill.com/aluminium-cases-for-iphone-5_c243

 

[lrfox]

Can you comment on whether or not it will scratch the bezel? I see padding on the inside, but I don't see anything protecting the bezel area on the phone (the padding only covers the sides).

Ill report back after some time (it's been on the phone for 24 hours), but so far, no problems. The padding on the inside does prevent metal from touching the bezel. A few bumps and knocks may change that, though.

 

[JokerD]

Ill report back after some time (it's been on the phone for 24 hours), but so far, no problems. The padding on the inside does prevent metal from touching the bezel. A few bumps and knocks may change that, though.

I'm also very interested to hear about any signal loss issues. Please let us know. Your feedback is much appreciated.

 

[lrfox]

I'm also very interested to hear about any signal loss issues. Please let us know. Your feedback is much appreciated.

I posted a little about it a few posts back, but I'll update.

There is definitely signal loss with my knockoff (note: it's not the Caseswill one and the antenna is completely covered by the aluminum). However, it's minimal. I'm losing, on average, a single bar vs. what I would have without the case. Sometimes there is no change, sometimes it'll be two bars lower (briefly).

In my house, I'm averaging 4 bars with occasional dips to 3 and occasional rises to 5. Without the case, I'm at 5 with occasional dips to 4.

I'm in Boston on AT&T. In the center of the city, I have 4 bars mostly with the case on. It's 4-5 without the case. I'm in the 'burbs today riding out the hurricane at my parents' house and I've got 3-4 bars with the bumper on. Without it, I've always had 4-5.

So while there is signal loss, it's minimal and it's certainly not enough to keep me from using it. I love the look of it. My biggest complaint (and it's a tiny one) is that the bumper isn't quite as "snug" on the case as it should be. It's maybe 1/2 mm too long. If that. There's no rattling, or even wiggling, but it's not 100% perfect. Still, for $14.99 I'm very happy.

Just to reiterate, mine is NOT the Caseswill version. Mine is a $14.99 (inc. shipping) version on ebay (link is a few posts back). The Caseswill version looks a little nicer, so I'm actually looking forward to reviews from buyers.

 

[damant]

So much for an "opening at the top" design ;-)
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1467951/

 

[lrfox]

I got this http://dx-box.com/element-vapor-alu-bumper-aluminum-bumper-for-apple-iphone-5.html , Just a week I received my case

Cool. That looks a lot like the one I got off of eBay for a similar price (pictures and review in this thread). It's probably the same one. The only difference I see is that that one says "Vapor 4" instead of "Vapor 5." Let us know how it works.

 

[The Afroman]

I made the Signal Loss video.

OK so.. I'm the one that made the original Signal Loss video and I can say that the signal loss while minimal, and the phone is certainly functional. Is quite a hunk.. Yes there are places in town with the case on, that i get 5 bars.. But when i drop out of LTE in 4G there are places in town where i go to No Signal.

Because of this i will be making a longer more detailed video with more testing soon enough.

Also The Vapor Pro Style case might fix the problem for you see.. When i open Field Test i have at home a steady -91 at home.. When i place the first part of the case on.. it covers 75% of the phone with a metal band it STAYS at -91.. As soon as i make metal to metal contact with the other side of the case (touch and start screwing it in) the signal SHOOTS up to -106 - -109 thats almost 20 points.. 100% signal is in the -80 range..

So that small piece of plastic MIGHT indeed fix the problem. Will be ordering one ASAP.

 

[Iphone 2.2]

Ordered my vapor pro style one tonight. Will see how it goes with this one.
I have the vapor 5 style one from eBay and it works great with minimal signal loss.

 

[JokerD]

Anyone know how long caseswill cases typically take to arrive in the US?

 

[Minhthien]

Anyone know how long caseswill cases typically take to arrive in the US?

3-4 weeks! If you're lucky then its under 3 weeks!

 

[dwa2011]

3-4 weeks! If you're lucky then its under 3 weeks!

Just purchased the knockoff Vapor PRO from caseswill, after reading the 4th most asked question people ask Element Case on their blog here

What do you think? Smart on behalf of elementcase's behalf?

I hope my shipping is less than 3-4 weeks