For the past few days I've been testing out a very early prototype of the upcoming Fusionwerkz Sabre hybrid case, and thought I'd post some early impressions and images for anyone that might be interested in this case that's scheduled to be released soon.
As far as design of this case, originally the Sabre (for some of you that might remember) started out as a concept that was very similar in design to the Element Vapor. After many tweaks and design changes, the Sabre slowly morphed into what I would describe as a hybrid material (aluminum and composite), more protective version of the Raw, which compliments the Raw very well.
Initial Impressions:
First of all, keep in mind that this is a VERY early, very rough prototype. The front brushed aluminum part of my test case here isn't even anodized yet, just raw aluminum (that's how early of a proto this is). With that being said, my initial impressions of the Sabre hybrid are that it's a very well made (even in prototype form), very well thought out case. A few minor things have been changed already in the final design, such as the "grip" looking engraving on the right side of the case in the pictures below has been removed and "FUSIONWERKZ" will be engraved down that side instead (to compliment the "SABRE" that's engraved down the left side). Other minor tweaks are things like making an even more spacious opening at the top and bottom of the case to allow for maximum accessory (headphones, docks, cables, etc) compatibility.
The case is a "sandwich" design (has a front and back) which screws together with hex bolts from the back. The phone rests in the back CNC-milled composite (plastic-like material) part of the case, which comes up and surrounds the phone on all sides as well. The CNC-milled aluminum front frame attaches to the case in each corner, framing the front of the device in aluminum. It has a lot of the same design elements of the original Raw (which is one of my favorite aluminum cases), yet at the same time incorporates most, if not all of the improvements that I thought could be made to that case. First of all, it incorporates some back protection in the form of the partial back/cross-member piece that covers the middle third of the phone's back. This also adds a LOT of structural rigidity to the case as well. It also adds side protection to the original design of the open sided Raw, which further strengthen the overall design/feel of the case. Additionally, the front aluminum frame slots down into the composite back at each of the four corners (hopefully you can see this interlocking system in the pics below), adding a great deal of strength/protection at the corners. So, as you can probably surmise after me saying all of that...this case is the most sturdy, solid feeling hybrid case I've reviewed/tested so far (which includes the Xcel case, e13ctron hybrid, Atomic hybrid). I'd have no reservations about my phone being protected if dropped (from a reasonable distance) in this case at all. Then again, if you look in my review thread of the all aluminum Raw, I did a drop test with my phone in that case on a tile floor, and it held up just fine as well.
As far as usability, the Sabre hybrid retains all the button/headphone/dock connector access of the Raw. The top and bottom are fairly shallow cut-outs that run most of the width of the phone in those areas, so this should allow maximum compatibility with most cables/docks (my Logitech PureFi Anywhere docks fine), as well as most headphone connectors. The cut-out for the vibrate switch/volume buttons is one large cut-out (as opposed to a separate cut-out for the vibrate switch), which automatically makes this case VERIZON COMPATIBLE. The button cut-outs aren't too deep, which should make reaching the buttons easy for even the largest of fingers. With this unique "partial closed back" design, there is no camera flash interference when taking low light photos (where the camera flash is utilized). In the hand, this case feels very good. It's design follows the lines of the iPhone very well, and doesn't add a lot of bulk to the phone at all. The sides aren't too thick, so the case doesn't feel overly wide in the hand. The front aluminum frame is the perfect thickness, and is far enough away from the edge of the phone as to not interfere with operation of the touchscreen near the edges of the case at all (at least for me, and I have fairly average fingers), like some thicker cases do. The open design of the back shows off the iPhone's "Apple" logo as well as the "iPhone" script near the bottom of the phone, yet still offers substantial drop and "lay on the table" protection of the back glass.
Wireless performance:
Being a hybrid/composite design, the Sabre essentially eliminates the reduced cell reception that some users experienced with the earlier Fusionwerkz Raw. I've tested this hybrid case along side my e13ctron hybrid and Atomic hybrid, and all 3 show cell reception to within 1 dB of each other, and that small of a difference I chalk up to normal signal discrepancy. And as with those other 2 hybrid cases, the Sabre has shown no detrimental effect on my wifi, GPS, or Bluetooth performance. So in essence, this case performs as well as any polycarbonate/plastic case I've tried (just like the e13ctron and Atomic hybrids).
All in all, I really like this case, even in it's prototype state. It's a very strong, substantial-feeling hybrid case that performs as well as the best aluminum hybrid cases currently on the market, yet doesn't add much bulk at all, while still following the lines/shape of the phone and also showing off as much of the phone's design as possible. This case should be available for shipping within 3-4 weeks (maybe sooner), and the front aluminum piece will initially be offered in gunmetal, black, silver, blue, red, orange, pink, yellow. For reference, my aluminum front below is raw, non-anodized aluminum (just a test piece before being sent to the anodizer), but would be basically the "silver" color once shipped..if you like the look of mine below.
Pics (click any pic to enlarge):
As far as design of this case, originally the Sabre (for some of you that might remember) started out as a concept that was very similar in design to the Element Vapor. After many tweaks and design changes, the Sabre slowly morphed into what I would describe as a hybrid material (aluminum and composite), more protective version of the Raw, which compliments the Raw very well.
Initial Impressions:
First of all, keep in mind that this is a VERY early, very rough prototype. The front brushed aluminum part of my test case here isn't even anodized yet, just raw aluminum (that's how early of a proto this is). With that being said, my initial impressions of the Sabre hybrid are that it's a very well made (even in prototype form), very well thought out case. A few minor things have been changed already in the final design, such as the "grip" looking engraving on the right side of the case in the pictures below has been removed and "FUSIONWERKZ" will be engraved down that side instead (to compliment the "SABRE" that's engraved down the left side). Other minor tweaks are things like making an even more spacious opening at the top and bottom of the case to allow for maximum accessory (headphones, docks, cables, etc) compatibility.
The case is a "sandwich" design (has a front and back) which screws together with hex bolts from the back. The phone rests in the back CNC-milled composite (plastic-like material) part of the case, which comes up and surrounds the phone on all sides as well. The CNC-milled aluminum front frame attaches to the case in each corner, framing the front of the device in aluminum. It has a lot of the same design elements of the original Raw (which is one of my favorite aluminum cases), yet at the same time incorporates most, if not all of the improvements that I thought could be made to that case. First of all, it incorporates some back protection in the form of the partial back/cross-member piece that covers the middle third of the phone's back. This also adds a LOT of structural rigidity to the case as well. It also adds side protection to the original design of the open sided Raw, which further strengthen the overall design/feel of the case. Additionally, the front aluminum frame slots down into the composite back at each of the four corners (hopefully you can see this interlocking system in the pics below), adding a great deal of strength/protection at the corners. So, as you can probably surmise after me saying all of that...this case is the most sturdy, solid feeling hybrid case I've reviewed/tested so far (which includes the Xcel case, e13ctron hybrid, Atomic hybrid). I'd have no reservations about my phone being protected if dropped (from a reasonable distance) in this case at all. Then again, if you look in my review thread of the all aluminum Raw, I did a drop test with my phone in that case on a tile floor, and it held up just fine as well.
As far as usability, the Sabre hybrid retains all the button/headphone/dock connector access of the Raw. The top and bottom are fairly shallow cut-outs that run most of the width of the phone in those areas, so this should allow maximum compatibility with most cables/docks (my Logitech PureFi Anywhere docks fine), as well as most headphone connectors. The cut-out for the vibrate switch/volume buttons is one large cut-out (as opposed to a separate cut-out for the vibrate switch), which automatically makes this case VERIZON COMPATIBLE. The button cut-outs aren't too deep, which should make reaching the buttons easy for even the largest of fingers. With this unique "partial closed back" design, there is no camera flash interference when taking low light photos (where the camera flash is utilized). In the hand, this case feels very good. It's design follows the lines of the iPhone very well, and doesn't add a lot of bulk to the phone at all. The sides aren't too thick, so the case doesn't feel overly wide in the hand. The front aluminum frame is the perfect thickness, and is far enough away from the edge of the phone as to not interfere with operation of the touchscreen near the edges of the case at all (at least for me, and I have fairly average fingers), like some thicker cases do. The open design of the back shows off the iPhone's "Apple" logo as well as the "iPhone" script near the bottom of the phone, yet still offers substantial drop and "lay on the table" protection of the back glass.
Wireless performance:
Being a hybrid/composite design, the Sabre essentially eliminates the reduced cell reception that some users experienced with the earlier Fusionwerkz Raw. I've tested this hybrid case along side my e13ctron hybrid and Atomic hybrid, and all 3 show cell reception to within 1 dB of each other, and that small of a difference I chalk up to normal signal discrepancy. And as with those other 2 hybrid cases, the Sabre has shown no detrimental effect on my wifi, GPS, or Bluetooth performance. So in essence, this case performs as well as any polycarbonate/plastic case I've tried (just like the e13ctron and Atomic hybrids).
All in all, I really like this case, even in it's prototype state. It's a very strong, substantial-feeling hybrid case that performs as well as the best aluminum hybrid cases currently on the market, yet doesn't add much bulk at all, while still following the lines/shape of the phone and also showing off as much of the phone's design as possible. This case should be available for shipping within 3-4 weeks (maybe sooner), and the front aluminum piece will initially be offered in gunmetal, black, silver, blue, red, orange, pink, yellow. For reference, my aluminum front below is raw, non-anodized aluminum (just a test piece before being sent to the anodizer), but would be basically the "silver" color once shipped..if you like the look of mine below.
Pics (click any pic to enlarge):
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