cant you buy the specs for the vapor case online? somebody posted a link to a site that you could purchase the renders and specs on the case...atomic probably did that, tweaked it slightly but not really enough to change the design drastically.
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Atomic billet aluminum Ip4 case
- Thread starter yankintx
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You never know, could have been partners that split, lots of reasons why things pop up that are the same....
Every post you have made about me or towards me has been negative or you have questioned things I have said and to honest its getting a little old. I explained myself in great detail and then you go post yet another post like this. Get over it man, if you don't like the product or you feel its a vapor clone or whatever, then don't buy it. But don't come on here and try to change other people's minds about me or the case. I mean honestly, how old are you. Just leave it alone, and stop being so negative because honestly your just not questioning me, your questioning my father as well and that does not sit well with me. And you keep saying I said it's the best ever case, I have NEVER said that. I simple provided you with factual pictures. I think the alumacase is a good case also. He posted his video so he proved his design worked. But I do think its better than the element case because I have had one and they do not even compare. It takes months and months to build a case like this, you have to build a prototype and then start from there. You are talking like this can all be done in a few weeks. If you don't believe me about when Atomic started on their case then fine, just keep it to yourself. Why question everything I say? What reason would I have to lie about it? Like I said, I am not gaining a thing.
I have said nothing negative about the Atomic case, or you're review. I've tried to state how your review might be seen as biased by others on here, due to the way you are going about things. All I've recommended several times (and other posters have as well) is that you might want to think about toning down your enthusiasm for the case, as it seems to be having a negative effect for Atomic/the case, as evidenced by several posters commenting that it is doing just that. It's fine if you love the case. Maybe others will too when/if they get into other customers' hands.
Just out of curiosity...is this post where you got hooked up with Atomic?
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/993921/
The OP doesn't state that he even started a company for cases, but looking at his renders, and specifically your post about halfway down the page makes me wonder if this is when you got acquainted with them.
I just ordered the orange/black combo real eager to get it. Like the overall look of this one over the alumacase. That being said the alumacase is a good looking case as well.
Nolesfan, I would love to know what you did to make this case so great with your signal, it didn't just degrade my signal it ELIMINATED it.
Busted!
Not trying to "bust" anyone, just curious. But if this is the thread in which he was introduced to the "designer" of the Atomic case, then the date (August 15th) shows that it WAS NOT being designed "at the same time as the Vapor", and was in fact not even shown until over a month after Element had revealed their design.
Sorry I did not read his posts and I'm not planning on doing so. I don't want more drama here.
I find it laughable how Atomic has played so much off of how different they are than Element, and how far superior their customer service and response is.
I have tried to contact them a few times with questions about ordering a case, and they have yet to respond to me at all.
So much for their "superior" customer service.
I have tried to contact them a few times with questions about ordering a case, and they have yet to respond to me at all.
So much for their "superior" customer service.
Hello folks.
We do pride ourselves on customer service. I do not know how you were or where you were trying to contact us, but we are VERY responsive all the time, and will never leave anyone in limbo. There has to be some misunderstanding on how you tried to contact us without response.
Myself nor any of our staff know "nolesfan" personally. For a week he has been contacting us stating he can help us with our inquiry we made about the aluminum vs. antenna issue. I will not post here some fallacy that months or years of research went behind our cases. We engineered the case to cradle the antenna, to solve the deathgrip issue after the media nationally exposed the problem. We did discover the problem goes beyond contact and that is the aluminum absorbs the signal like a sponge. We have invited knowledgeable "field testers" including the aformentioned where we sent a few cases to aid for a solution rapidly. Thanks to the relentless drive and countless hours "nolesfan" spent, we will have something real soon for the weak areas. Internally, we have lined the cases with a few types of liners, and tapes, and have been successful in achieving what "nolesfan" has though not as significant as his numbers. We could easily installed liners but the balance between form and function would have tipped too much toward function and our case not be appealing. We wanted to keep the walls thin, yet strong. We are working with Nolesfan and few other experienced developers to achieve Nolesfan's numbers in an efficient, appealing manner. This solution to the weak areas should and will be retro fitted to the existing cases sold out there. We sincerely do not want you to drop calls or eliminate signal issues due to our cases.
It is apparent that the antenna short comings of the iPhone4 and AT&T weakness falls on our plate to bandaid; We will have a solution shortly to satisfy the masses, though not all of you die hard-tough crowd case junkies
. After all, You all currently have other choices to address the signal issues, such as the free rubber bumper, decals, and many other bumper cases. Something drew you to these wonderful aluminum cases designed by Element, Atomic, and Alumacase, and some others to be released. That is the appeal. Signal weak areas stand by.Sincerely,
Atomic
Hello folks.
We do pride ourselves on customer service. I do not know how you were or where you were trying to contact us, but we are VERY responsive all the time, and will never leave anyone in limbo. There has to be some misunderstanding on how you tried to contact us without response.
Myself nor any of our staff know "nolesfan" personally. For a week he has been contacting us stating he can help us with our inquiry we made about the aluminum vs. antenna issue. I will not post here some fallacy that months or years of research went behind our cases. We engineered the case to cradle the antenna, to solve the deathgrip issue after the media nationally exposed the problem. We did discover the problem goes beyond contact and that is the aluminum absorbs the signal like a sponge. We have invited knowledgeable "field testers" including the aformentioned where we sent a few cases to aid for a solution rapidly. Thanks to the relentless drive and countless hours "nolesfan" spent, we will have something real soon for the weak areas. Internally, we have lined the cases with a few types of liners, and tapes, and have been successful in achieving what "nolesfan" has though not as significant as his numbers. We could easily installed liners but the balance between form and function would have tipped too much toward function and our case not be appealing. We wanted to keep the walls thin, yet strong. We are working with Nolesfan and few other experienced developers to achieve Nolesfan's numbers in an efficient, appealing manner. This solution to the weak areas should and will be retro fitted to the existing cases sold out there. We sincerely do not want you to drop calls or eliminate signal issues due to our cases.
It is apparent that the antenna short comings of the iPhone4 and AT&T weakness falls on our plate to bandaid; We will have a solution shortly to satisfy the masses, though not all of you die hard-tough crowd case junkies
Sincerely,
Atomic
I'm willing waiting a bit longer then...
a quick question though: is it true that your return/refund policy is "three days" only?
this was what your sales department replied to my inquiry.
thanks
Looking forward to reading about your signal neutral case in the same Larry Greenberg/GearDiary.com review & test they gave the ElementCase Vapor.
To the above highlighted items...if you've found that aluminum absorbs signal, and your entire case is made out of aluminum that encases the phone's antenna, then how can anything added "retroactively" fix this problem? Sounds like it's the material and design that's causing the issue (which it seems like most RF engineers agree with the fact that it's a bad idea to build a case for the iPhone 4 out of aluminum). Second, why would you say that your solution might not satisfy us "die-hard tough crowd case junkies"? We are typically the ones that purchase things like this. The "average user" doesn't typically. They will use their free case for the life of the phone if it holds up. It's us enthusiasts/case-whores/Apple junkies that are your target market. The average user will probably never even know of your case, until they see it on one of our (the "die-hard tough crowd case junkies") phones. And to the third highlighted point about a fix for weak signal areas, if you knew that the first design (bare case interior) wasn't going to work, then why did you begin shipping them in this state? Why not just hold off until you can apply the fix to all of them out the door?
Thank you for your reply. I appreciate your sincerity, thats what this forum is for. We are in contact with some Apple and AT&T engineers and will keep you informed of improvements to their reception issue problem. We built the case for looks/image/style/protection primarily. Secondarily if we can piggy back off AT&T and help them with their poor signal problem, we most certainly will make improvements along the way.
Keep in mind, you wear a helmet to protect your head. Putting the helmet on doesnt make you smarter or make you drive better. Putting our case on does not make it perform better. It will protect it. If you drop the phone and our case fails to protect the phone, then thats our problem. Let us know if that happens, we will take responsibility. We love the iPhone4. We want to protect it and retain and improve its appeal.
Sincerely,
Atomic
+1
very good points.
IF aluminum can "absorb" the signal then woulnt it be considered a physical barrier thus adding tapes/insulations wouldnt help...?
what "unique" design can you come up with to mount a piece of aluminum case over the phone antena?
1) mounting : it has to rest upon the metal frame or the black plastic rims of the phone
2) insulation : from the metal frame via air (non-insulation) or tape(partial or complete).
3) physical : the thickness of the case and the grade/type of the aluminum/other metal mixtures..
bottom line: how significant different can your design be from the ElementCase design in the first place ??? better tape ...different metal/aluminum ?..
Fusion Raw looks really good at this point...
True, but at the same time, that helmet doesn't hinder me or diminish my brain's ability, either. The helmet isn't a detriment to what's inside of it. That can't be said for these aluminum cases so far. Your analogy would apply if by wearing a helmet for protection, it hindered something..such as my hearing, or vision. Then it would be a trade-off of protection versus functionality. When these aluminum cases can offer protection and signal reception to the same level as if the case isn't even there, and the only thing added is weight, then make the "helmet" analogy a better fit.
In my personal experience, the rubber incase case I have actually knocks down my signal 1 bar, as does the atomic. I don't see any difference in performance at all between the two cases. In fact, when I am outside with no other devices interfering, it actually improves the signal. Inside its the same as the free rubber case. Also, the look and feel of this thing is about the coolest I've ever seen in a case ever. I still don't drop calls and still have good signal, so I'm not going to end my life over losing one bar...Not to mention I tried the Vapor and the signal loss on that thing was way worse.
I'd much rather see the dBm readings for signal than the bars, as bars really don't tell you anything that's going on. They can fluctuate pretty wildly. But...I'm glad to see that the Atomic IMPROVES your reception
If Atomic (or Element, since they claimed the same thing) have built a signal amplifier for the iPhone 4, then they really should get with Apple ASAP to help with antenna design.I'd much rather see the dBm readings for signal than the bars, as bars really don't tell you anything that's going on. They can fluctuate pretty wildly. But...I'm glad to see that the Atomic IMPROVES your reception
On a somewhat related note, how do you get the phone to display the dBm reading? Does the phone need to be jailbroken?
You have to be on iOS 4.1 to enter field test mode. Below is how to enter it:
First, upgrade your iPhone 4or any iPhoneto iOS 4.1.
Dial *3001#12345#* into your phone [and press Call].
I'd much rather see the dBm readings for signal than the bars, as bars really don't tell you anything that's going on. They can fluctuate pretty wildly. But...I'm glad to see that the Atomic IMPROVES your reception
your right, the bars are kind of sketchy with apples latest update. Basically all I know is I always have signal and I never drop calls. I am in Charlotte, one of AT&T's HSUPA test markets though...Not sure how the old 3g towers work.
Have you done any actual data speed tests with and without the case? That's where my Vapor showed it's true colors. Calls never dropped, and even the bars didn't go down much. But when using the Speedtest.net app, the true nature of the Vapor reared its head. With the case installed, it cut my data speeds (up and downstream) by almost half everywhere I tested it. The Vapor also threw my GPS off by about 30 meters (sometimes over a mile), and I couldn't get but about 4-6 feet away from my phone using a bluetooth headset before the audio became garbled and callers couldn't understand me.