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e13ctron aluminum case Full Review
- Thread starter chris975d
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e13ctron is at the mercy of their annodizers. They are so busy that they are slightly lagging behind. Jacob let me know that black was slightly behind.
I ordered 5 cases a week or so ago and I just got the tracking information this morning. They should be filling orders shortly. Be patient
I ordered 5 cases a week or so ago and I just got the tracking information this morning. They should be filling orders shortly. Be patient
The matte clear/dark grey was waiting for me when I got home and I have to say that I really like it a lot. As for performance, we'll see what happens but the first good sign is that the GPS was able to lock onto my location almost instantaneously. I'll post a few pics if requested but mff123 already posted a couple good ones.
I send a email asking for my order and jacob say that we are waiting for the anodizer to be finished we will ship friday hopefully
I spoke with Jacob today as well, and he also confirmed this with me. The anodizer they use is just a little bit behind, and he leaves the orders in the "new order" part of the system until he actually fulfills them/ships them (unlike certain other companies that mark your item as "shipped" even when it's only a shipping label being printed). And as always, if any of you guys have questions about your orders, don't hesitate to email him through the website to inquire about them.
Any words on when will they release the hybrid? I'm looking forward to order the plastic back with matte dark greay front, or the black chrome. This case really puts the plastic ones in shame.
chris975d can you tell me where you got the carbon fiber back? looks it has a good fit. thanks.
chris975d can you tell me where you got the carbon fiber back? looks it has a good fit. thanks.
It depends on the signal strength in the areas that you'll be using the phone the most in. For the most part, the all aluminum version works very well in all but the lowest signal strength areas (areas that average 1 "bar" of reception), and even then, I've had very little trouble from it (again, I add the disclaimer that this is my personal experience, and it may vary). If you live in(or work, or are in on a regular basis) a very, very low signal strength area, I'd hold out for the hybrid. Or...if you just have the patience, wait for it anyway. That way you'll know you'll get the looks, craftsmanship, and most of the durability of the all aluminum version, with the best possible reception that you can get.
Having walked around with the case for a little while now I have to say that I'm still trying to get used to the feel of the matte finish. While it does provide good grip it almost has that feeling like when you wipe chalk off a chalkboard (at least that's what comes to my mind). It's not a feeling I really enjoy and I'm considering asking if they'll take the case back and send me the polished version instead.
With mine, that feeling you described subsided after about a week or so. Almost as if using it/handling it sort of "wore off" some of that "gritty" feeling that you might be experiencing. Sort of a "polishing" by handling it/using it.
Good to know. If it does take on a different feel after extended use I'll happily wait it out. The craftsmanship is top notch and my early usage of the internet, phone, and GPS has been encouraging.
I certainly don't want to mislead you into thinking that it's "guaranteed" that the grittiness you might be feeling WILL go away, as I have no way of knowing. Wouldn't want you to keep it, then it not do that, and then feel like I talked you into keeping it. I'm just saying that in my experience, it seemed to smooth itself out a bit over a period of time.
Understood. I'll shoot e13ctron an email and see what they can do for me if I want to try this out for a week or two and then exchange it if I still don't like it.
I don't see how anodized aluminum is going to 'wear down' with your hand. Matte texture on anything is going to be rougher than a polished.
Jacob is very responsive, I would just email him and be upfront about it and just say you want to exchange.
Have you had much experience with aluminum? Believe it or not, just normal use wears it down slowly. I have a friend who makes custom machined flashlights out of aluminum for law enforcement, military, and general outdoor use. Even the Mil Spec (military specification) anodized pocket flashlights will wear through the finish over the course of a few months to a year with everyday use/storage in your pocket. Aluminum is a remarkably soft metal. I'll post some pictures of a pocket (uses 1 AA sized battery) that stays in my pocket each day (by itself, no keys, etc with it) to show how the anodizing can wear off and the metal "shine" up from just everyday carry/handling.
Awesome, thanks for the response. Do you know if the hybrid back is an exact replica of the aluminum back, just constructed out of plastic or whatever material? Just wondering because I plan on ordering the normal version and am hoping they will make just the hybrid bottom available for purchase, like they have just the top or bottom available for purchase now.
It is right now, yes. Mine is identical to the aluminum back pieces. I know Jacob has thrown around ideas of changing its design from the prototype I currently have, but even if he does, he's said it'll still fit with the current front piece. And at our last conversation about it, he has still said that he'd offer the hybrid back for sale separately, so that the first adopters of the all aluminum case can still buy it/use it if they desire.
Very fast response from Jacob (within 30 minutes of my initial email). He echoed what Chris said in that the texture should smooth out after a couple of weeks normal use. If I'm still not happy with it after that, he'll do an exchange for me. All of that makes me happy so we'll see what happens going forward
Just pulled the trigger and ordered one! Matte clear top, matte dark grey bottom, with black screws. Also, I found a promo code in this thread from a while back for free shipping. The post said it was only good until Christmas, but it still worked for me, saved me ~$9! Hopefully this will be the end all be all case for me, as I've gone through 6 cases though this is the first aluminum.