Fake Sector 5 Case Reviews

[zerodb]

Do people notice that its fake? Like are there any dead giveaways? Do you have it in black with a black iphone? (thats what I'm going to do) Thanks!

I've never seen an actual Element case in the wild, but from what I've heard, the one noticeable difference is that "ELEMENT CASE" on the left side is laser etched on the original, and printed onto these ones. On the Black Ops version, though, that logo is omitted entirely so I can't see the difference.

There is no obvious quality difference that would make someone think "this is a cheap chinese knockoff of something better" - it really does look like a very high quality accessory.

I would hesitate to try to give one of these as a gift fully packaged (unless you were forthcoming about the origin), because there are some giveaways on the packaging and documentation that makes me feel like it wouldn't be a $130+ retail item (again, haven't seen the real thing, but you can sort of feel and see the difference between top tier packaging quality and cheaper stuff).

I readily tell anyone who has to ask what it is that I bought it from China for under $30 and that the US equivalent is significantly more expensive. Buying fake stuff may be tacky but not as tacky as trying to pass it off as the real thing.

Edit - on the Black Ops model I purchased, I should say that the rubber back cover piece is poorly cut and matched to the phone; undersized by at least 1/8" and doesn't quite match the camera/flash area as well as it should. I don't plan to continue using this piece personally, but if it's a big focal point for you, you're going to be a little disappointed.

 

[Partridge]

I've never seen an actual Element case in the wild, but from what I've heard, the one noticeable difference is that "ELEMENT CASE" on the left side is laser etched on the original, and printed onto these ones. On the Black Ops version, though, that logo is omitted entirely so I can't see the difference.

There is no obvious quality difference that would make someone think "this is a cheap chinese knockoff of something better" - it really does look like a very high quality accessory.

How can you say that there is no obvious quality difference when you've never seen both in the wild?

I bought the fake blackops to compare just for kicks, and I can tell you there is a quality difference. Check out my comparison thread for pictures.

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1540462/

 

[dma550]

How can you say that there is no obvious quality difference when you've never seen both in the wild?

I bought the fake blackops to compare just for kicks, and I can tell you there is a quality difference. Check out my comparison thread for pictures.

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1540462/

Thanks for posting, wow, I was about to order that case. I'll bet I would have been unhappy and it would have been all scratched up in a week!

 

[zerodb]

How can you say that there is no obvious quality difference when you've never seen both in the wild?

I bought the fake blackops to compare just for kicks, and I can tell you there is a quality difference. Check out my comparison thread for pictures.

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1540462/

What I said (or what I meant to say) is that there is nothing about the imitation that would make someone immediately suspect that it's a cheap imitation product. Out there in the real world, 999 out of 1000 people have never seen an original Element case, and I would suspect that those people would look at the imitation and believe it to be a perfectly high quality product, and not a cheap knockoff from china.

Sorry if I wasn't clearer in what I was trying to say. From your comparison post there are obvious differences between the real thing and the fake, and I knew that would be the case. If I had paid for a real one, I would no doubt be thoroughly unimpressed with the fake, while looking at both side-by-side. But I would NEVER spend that much on a metal band to wrap around my phone, nor would anyone I associate with on a regular basis, so the odds of someone looking at mine and doing a side-by-side comparison are virtually nil. Like I said, I don't make any claims to anyone that I bought the real thing, and nobody cares because they've never heard of it anyway. I'd genuinely rather buy four different cheap fakes, let them get beat up, and enjoy the variety. If I spent as much on my case as I spent on my phone, it would in MY world defeat the purpose of wrapping a protective case around my phone, though I do seriously believe that the Element product is a great piece of worksmanship.

 

[zerodb]

Thanks for posting, wow, I was about to order that case. I'll bet I would have been unhappy and it would have been all scratched up in a week!

I'm not sure if the original would be any less scratched up (the iPhone 5 taught us that anodizing isn't bulletproof) although if I had a $200 case on my phone I imagine I'd be a lot more careful where I put it.

 

[Partridge]

I would hesitate to try to give one of these as a gift fully packaged (unless you were forthcoming about the origin), because there are some giveaways on the packaging and documentation that makes me feel like it wouldn't be a $130+ retail item (again, haven't seen the real thing, but you can sort of feel and see the difference between top tier packaging quality and cheaper stuff).

Just a followup, I wouldn't say Element has top tier packaging. It's pretty crap really. If I hadn't known it was genuine, I would have thought it was fake.

The fake packaging is pretty damn close.

 

[cruiser02]

sry for the PM-thingy, wasn't aware of it:/ hope it's changed now...

the ebay seller is here: ebay link. The one I ordered is quite good, the corners tend to be a tad rough but all in all acceptable imho.

After having on the gunmetal for some time I got back to the original and have to say that the haptics is quite different and better/smoother.

as for the previous question if a fake is noticable: It depends.
Somehow who knows the original? yeah, pretty much. It's too shiny and feels different.
Someone who has not seen an original in RL? no. Since these are pretty much most people I wouldn't worry;-)
No giveaways - except when you have a combo that is not original (bronze, pink, or black with black screws, ...). The first batch produced had the logos a bit wrong but they had it right on mine...

black on black looks good, but it's rather unimpressive as it's all black and you loose "this is different" effect. It tends to be just a rather big black thing. (yeah, I was all "black is cool" but once I had it in my hands I kept wondering why I felt there is something missing and came up with the above...)

Thanks for the reply. You're right, almost everyone has not seen an original element case in real life for the iphone 5 so it should be pretty safe. I'm going to have the black one, so the other colors come out of the equation in my case. (no pun intended)

I guess you're right about the black on black look and I should've thought about it before. Do you know anything to do to make it stand out? (color stickers?)

While I absolutely love the look of the all black with black screws it kind of bothers me that it won't be like the real one. Do you know of a hardware store that sells this type of screws in silver? And since I've never (and probably never will) felt a real element case, I think I won't be disappointed on its feel.

Also I would never even consider spending 150+ on a phone case. First of all my parents wouldn't let me (im 16), and second because it is only a bumper. I'm not trying to rip off Element but I thought the pictures of the fakes on real phones looked good enough for $27 so I took a shot. And if I don't like it... its only a minor loss.

----------

I'm not sure if the original would be any less scratched up (the iPhone 5 taught us that anodizing isn't bulletproof) although if I had a $200 case on my phone I imagine I'd be a lot more careful where I put it.

Same here, when I think of buying a case, I think about being able to put it wherever I want without thinking that it might get scratched or something. Haha a $150 anodized aluminum bumper will need a case of its own to protect it!

----------

What I said (or what I meant to say) is that there is nothing about the imitation that would make someone immediately suspect that it's a cheap imitation product. Out there in the real world, 999 out of 1000 people have never seen an original Element case, and I would suspect that those people would look at the imitation and believe it to be a perfectly high quality product, and not a cheap knockoff from china.

Sorry if I wasn't clearer in what I was trying to say. From your comparison post there are obvious differences between the real thing and the fake, and I knew that would be the case. If I had paid for a real one, I would no doubt be thoroughly unimpressed with the fake, while looking at both side-by-side. But I would NEVER spend that much on a metal band to wrap around my phone, nor would anyone I associate with on a regular basis, so the odds of someone looking at mine and doing a side-by-side comparison are virtually nil. Like I said, I don't make any claims to anyone that I bought the real thing, and nobody cares because they've never heard of it anyway. I'd genuinely rather buy four different cheap fakes, let them get beat up, and enjoy the variety. If I spent as much on my case as I spent on my phone, it would in MY world defeat the purpose of wrapping a protective case around my phone, though I do seriously believe that the Element product is a great piece of worksmanship.

I'm gonna claim that its real for sure! I paid for it so I can say anything I want about it. To be honest, I bought it because the fake looked good enough to be claimed real.

 

[zerodb]

Just a followup, I wouldn't say Element has top tier packaging. It's pretty crap really. If I hadn't known it was genuine, I would have thought it was fake.

The fake packaging is pretty damn close.

Good to hear!

----------

I guess you're right about the black on black look and I should've thought about it before. Do you know anything to do to make it stand out? (color stickers?)

While I absolutely love the look of the all black with black screws it kind of bothers me that it won't be like the real one. Do you know of a hardware store that sells this type of screws in silver? And since I've never (and probably never will) felt a real element case, I think I won't be disappointed on its feel.

I've seen some of the people on here buy colored rash guards to wrap the edges of the phone instead of the black ones that are included with the case - the color shows thru the cutouts in the Sector case and adds some contrast. You can also use a more interesting backplate piece, I was looking at some greyish woodgrain backplates that I thought might break up the black on black a bit.

You may be able to find silver screws in the right size at a hobby store that sells parts for RC cars and such - I recall there being tons of tiny screws involved in assembling the transmissions and suspensions for those, and the shops that specialize in that kind of work should have bins full of tiny parts for you to pick through. Just bring your case and your screws along with you to make sure they match in length and threading.

 

[cruiser02]

Good to hear!

----------



I've seen some of the people on here buy colored rash guards to wrap the edges of the phone instead of the black ones that are included with the case - the color shows thru the cutouts in the Sector case and adds some contrast. You can also use a more interesting backplate piece, I was looking at some greyish woodgrain backplates that I thought might break up the black on black a bit.

You may be able to find silver screws in the right size at a hobby store that sells parts for RC cars and such - I recall there being tons of tiny screws involved in assembling the transmissions and suspensions for those, and the shops that specialize in that kind of work should have bins full of tiny parts for you to pick through. Just bring your case and your screws along with you to make sure they match in length and threading.

Yeah i might just get some colored stickers from bodyguardz or something. I already have a whole body clear coat from bodyguardz on, do you think that the case will fit with it on?

I just thought about it and i remembered that the black case comes with silver screws already based on some pictures i saw from other members. But if not ill look into finding some at an rc car store.

 

[omNomNom]

the original black has silver screws, my fake has black ones.

the bodyguardz should not be a problem as I would see them similar to the rash on the side. On the back it doesnt matter and I have my iPhone with the spigen glass.tr so it can take something on top as well...

while I agree that the fake paint is easily scratchable I have to say that the original anodized aluminum is very hard. I had it in my pocket with keys (not on purpose I might add) and it came out scratchless.

If you like the look of the element the fakes serve their purpose quite well. Only downside I can see is that they might scratch faster and have sharper edges & corners. I can't tell you _how_ easy they can be scratched...

 

[cruiser02]

the original black has silver screws, my fake has black ones.

the bodyguardz should not be a problem as I would see them similar to the rash on the side. On the back it doesnt matter and I have my iPhone with the spigen glass.tr so it can take something on top as well...

while I agree that the fake paint is easily scratchable I have to say that the original anodized aluminum is very hard. I had it in my pocket with keys (not on purpose I might add) and it came out scratchless.

If you like the look of the element the fakes serve their purpose quite well. Only downside I can see is that they might scratch faster and have sharper edges & corners. I can't tell you _how_ easy they can be scratched...

You had the real one in your pocket with keys or the fake? And the one from caseswill comes with silver screws I believe.

I realized that I didn't ask you guys this, but is the black one from caseswill made of aluminum or plastic? If its plastic then it sucks

 

[Partridge]

You had the real one in your pocket with keys or the fake? And the one from caseswill comes with silver screws I believe.

I realized that I didn't ask you guys this, but is the black one from caseswill made of aluminum or plastic? If its plastic then it sucks

I'm pretty sure it's a zinc alloy.

 

[archrider]

There's a new back plate in carbon fiber.

https://www.elementcase.com/Sector-...JM7LLC&trk_contact=CODPMPN25GP81PTFFUOOAF8AJK

http://www.elementcase.com/Attack-Back-Plate-Carbon-Fiber-p/api5-1001-k0f0.htm

 

[zerodb]

I'm pretty sure it's a zinc alloy.

Pretty sure you're right. I think that's actually what they say on the website too.

----------

Yeah i might just get some colored stickers from bodyguardz or something. I already have a whole body clear coat from bodyguardz on, do you think that the case will fit with it on?

The case is a tight fit with the included rash guards; not sure how thick the bodyguardz set is but it will probably take some pressure to close it far enough to get it screwed together.

 

[cruiser02]

Pretty sure you're right. I think that's actually what they say on the website too.

----------



The case is a tight fit with the included rash guards; not sure how thick the bodyguardz set is but it will probably take some pressure to close it far enough to get it screwed together.

On the website it says that it is made of aluminum. Does anyone know the difference between zinc alloy and aluminum? Thanks.

I will try it with the bodyguards but they are pretty thick so I am not sure if the case will fit with them on.

 

[Partridge]

On the website it says that it is made of aluminum. Does anyone know the difference between zinc alloy and aluminum? Thanks.

I will try it with the bodyguards but they are pretty thick so I am not sure if the case will fit with them on.

Looks like they have two versions on the website. Zinc Alloy and Aluminum. The aluminum version is slightly more expensive. I can't tell the difference in the pictures, I'm guessing they're using the same pictures for each.

I'm going to surmise that the more positive reviews you're seen online that claim their cases are anodized are the aluminum versions, and the more negative ones like mine where the case is clearly painted are the zinc ones.

 

[cruiser02]

Looks like they have two versions on the website. Zinc Alloy and Aluminum. The aluminum version is slightly more expensive. I can't tell the difference in the pictures, I'm guessing they're using the same pictures for each.

I'm going to surmise that the more positive reviews you're seen online that claim their cases are anodized are the aluminum versions, and the more negative ones like mine where the case is clearly painted are the zinc ones.

Yes you're right, I just noticed that too. I bought the aluminum one for $26.98 but it has recently been reduced to $23.xx. I'll post pictures of it so we can compare to someone who maybe bought the zinc one. I'm still wondering how long it will take? I think it will arrive next week but I'm not sure.

Are you really rich Partridge? I mean, I appreciate a finely crafted accessory but don't you think $200 for a case for a phone is too much? I bought my phone off contract at around $700 total but still can't think about buying a case like that. I guess you could say, once you go element, you can't go back. (or something like that) haha

 

[Partridge]

Yes you're right, I just noticed that too. I bought the aluminum one for $26.98 but it has recently been reduced to $23.xx. I'll post pictures of it so we can compare to someone who maybe bought the zinc one. I'm still wondering how long it will take? I think it will arrive next week but I'm not sure.

Are you really rich Partridge? I mean, I appreciate a finely crafted accessory but don't you think $200 for a case for a phone is too much? I bought my phone off contract at around $700 total but still can't think about buying a case like that. I guess you could say, once you go element, you can't go back. (or something like that) haha

You may think its crazy, but there are plenty of people out there on this board with at least 4-5 $40-50 cases of which one is on the phone and the rest are in a drawer.

Is it too much for a case? Yes it is. It's not really a case. It doesn't really protect the phone that well in my opinion. It makes it heavier and bulkier. It doesn't make it waterproof or easier to hold. It doesn't extend the battery life. With the design and the price point, it's a fashion accessory. It makes the phone feel, according to my fiancée, like she's picking up a gun.

Is $200 too much to pay for a leather bag when you can just stick your money and makeup and whatnot in a plastic bag, or a $10 purse from Walmart, or a $20 Canal street knockoff?

I do wonder how good the aluminum knockoff is though, because the zinc one was a truly sorry piece of crap. It's a waste of money at any price because as I said, it's a functionally questionable case, so all you're left with is aesthetics and if it doesn't look and feel good, then why bother putting a $20 knockoff on a $700 phone. Makes no sense.

 

[cruiser02]

You may think its crazy, but there are plenty of people out there on this board with at least 4-5 $40-50 cases of which one is on the phone and the rest are in a drawer.

Is it too much for a case? Yes it is. It's not really a case. It doesn't really protect the phone that well in my opinion. It makes it heavier and bulkier. It doesn't make it waterproof or easier to hold. It doesn't extend the battery life. With the design and the price point, it's a fashion accessory. It makes the phone feel, according to my fiancée, like she's picking up a gun.

Is $200 too much to pay for a leather bag when you can just stick your money and makeup and whatnot in a plastic bag, or a $10 purse from Walmart, or a $20 Canal street knockoff?

I do wonder how good the aluminum knockoff is though, because the zinc one was a truly sorry piece of crap. It's a waste of money at any price because as I said, it's a functionally questionable case, so all you're left with is aesthetics and if it doesn't look and feel good, then why bother putting a $20 knockoff on a $700 phone. Makes no sense.

Hmm, I knew about high-end headphones, clothes, watches, etc. as fashion accessories but I've never thought about a case that way. Based on your points I actually do see it now, it doesn't do anything but make your phone look badass. I'm going to try this fake that I bought and who knows, maybe I'll buy a real if I like the way it looks.

The primary reason of why I bought this fake is because I wanted something that looks good without thinking much about it being scratched or dinged. I admit that I am pretty OCD about my stuff and them not being in perfect condition. Because this only cost me like 30 bucks I can just not care as much about it as if it were 200. Does the anodized aluminum on the real one get scratched as easily as the iphone 5? Anyway, thanks for helping me.

 

[AutomaticHaze]

Anyone ordering from Ebay or Amazon? I remember when I ordered my Vapor Pro fake it took like 40+ days for me to receive it..that was through Caseswill or Aliexpress. I can't remember. Anyway anybody know of a good ebay supplier I could purchase from?

 

[Danny The Kid]

Thought I would share mine, so here. Got this from a local store for 30 bucks . It's really well packaged. But in the end the major difference is the case itself. I've never seen a original Sector 5 but I've come across Anodized Aluminum before. The best thing about these fake is they are just painted , so there's a really huge variety of colors. Even though , in the end I just took the black one. But figure that won't look good on a white iPhone , so I added some sticker as well. It fitted really well with the sticker , I didn't have to put the rash guard on, or rather , couldn't. The insides of the case is pre-stuffed with foams as well. I've tried putting on and taking the case a few times and seen no problem. So I might have gotten lucky and got myself a good-quality replica. But it also made me sad that now I really want to have the original

 

[cruiser02]

Thought I would share mine, so here. Got this from a local store for 30 bucks . It's really well packaged. But in the end the major difference is the case itself. I've never seen a original Sector 5 but I've come across Anodized Aluminum before. The best thing about these fake is they are just painted , so there's a really huge variety of colors. Even though , in the end I just took the black one. But figure that won't look good on a white iPhone , so I added some sticker as well. It fitted really well with the sticker , I didn't have to put the rash guard on, or rather , couldn't. The insides of the case is pre-stuffed with foams as well. I've tried putting on and taking the case a few times and seen no problem. So I might have gotten lucky and got myself a good-quality replica. But it also made me sad that now I really want to have the original

Image
Image
Image
Image

That actually looks pretty good, and I like the gold carbon fiber on the back. Does it have silver screws? And the element logo looks pretty badass if you ask me. Do you mind telling us the name of the store? Maybe we have one around us too. And I don't know if I would buy colored ones because that is too much of a giveaway that it is fake.. unless you claim that its custom made or something. So I guess that if you're ok with telling people that you bought a fake then you can buy a colored one, but I wouldn't do it. Thanks for the pictures!

 

[havoc501]

So is there any consensus on who makes the "best fake" Sector 5 case or who to stay away from?

 

[pokenguyen]

I just drop the phone at 20cm high and one plastic insert broke, sigh...

 

[zerodb]

I just drop the phone at 20cm high and one plastic insert broke, sigh...

Did the case come apart when you dropped it or did it just crack the piece? Because one of the things I THOUGHT was an advantage to this case is that whenever I drop a phone in a plastic case, the cases seem to pop open and launch the phone out; this one seemed like even if the case took a pretty good beating it would stay on the phone.