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The knockoffs don't have that little black plastic insert at the back which has the holes reversed. So there is no problem with the knockoffs. The concern on the real ones was shadow around the camera.
 
I'm just going to vent for a second, no one's fault, but why does it take the package 2 days to go from Hong Kong to San Francisco but then also takes 2+ days for it to travel the last 75 miles to my house? :p
 
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So much for USPS tracking, it made it today! Overall I'm pretty happy. First impressions, much happier with this case at $70 than I was with the original at $140. Mute switch kind of works but not the way it should, which is disappointing but kind of expected it from other reviews. I will probably end up removing the black tape around the earpiece, checked voicemail and it sounded a little tinny. The rubber around the sides is definitely of lesser quality, more squishy, than the original but no big deal. I suspect the cheaper rubber will lead to the charger flap tearing off sooner than it would with the original. Otherwise fairly close to the original. Glass cover, at least for now, is fantastic. Clear and extremely responsive (no noticeable dead zones around the edges), feels more like glass than the plastic on my OB Defender. Power button, volume buttons, and home buttons are all fairly easy to press. Also, I'm only in my house but no obvious drops in wifi or signal strength.

Overall I'm very happy with it! If the mute switch worked better it'd be just about perfect.

terry8000 - Does your mute switch work well? If so, any tips?
 
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Cell signal seems about the same but wifi is definitely weaker. 2 "bars" where I used to have 3 and drops completely in the farther parts of the house. Wife is nearby with her phone and the usual strong signal so I know it's the case and not the wifi.
 
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wifi can be hit or miss with the iphone 5 it self and is sporadic, i dont believe its a result of the case. Like i said the best way to test is simply to put it in a single location and then take it in and out of the case right there and see if theres any change. As far as the mute switch, like I have said in the video and on the posts several times, it does not work effectively, it just doesnt seem like a feasible design in function although it is a very cool idea.

Awesome to hear you are enjoying the case though and post up pics for sure! :)

As far as tips for dealing with the mute switch, I use the 'triple click home button' accessibility feature which brings up a full digital control of all the phone's physical functions and allows me to quickly and assuredly turn the phone on or off silent and have it stay there.
 
Replica Taktik cases on ebay?

Are there any other trusted vendors other than iPhonecase2011? I am looking for the white version of the Taktik Extreme and it seems that he may only have the black one. PLus eBay definitely removed his listing so i had to contact him directly.
 
Are there any other trusted vendors other than iPhonecase2011? I am looking for the white version of the Taktik Extreme and it seems that he may only have the black one. PLus eBay definitely removed his listing so i had to contact him directly.

He's the only reputable seller as far as personal experience goes through here thus far
 
QUICK UPDATE. A lot of people have been messaging me on youtube since the video saying theyd like to buy the case but they cant find it listed on iphonecase2011 ebay store. I messaged him to find out what was going on and as a result posted this in the info section of the review video:

"*OFFICIAL UPDATE* I have been in contact with ebay seller, 'iphonecase2011'. He informs me that ebay has forced him to take down the listing of the metal taktik 5 case at this time. He does have more stock available however, so the best way is to message him directly on ebay and make an arrangement with him. I have no personal relation with this seller, however I along with several other people have had very positive and honest dealings with him up to this point, so I feel confident, based on his track record, recommending you contact him directly. I would appreciate anyone having experience with this seller continue to post so we may have an informed and relatively secure way of getting this case from a trusted seller. Others and myself post frequently in this regard on the macrumours thread link listed above, I recommend you ask the advice of not only myself but others on that forum who have dealt with this seller in order to feel confident about your decision to deal with him."


My personal feeling is that while i dont typically like to vouch for someone i dont know personally, I feel that you fellows who started this thread recommended this seller to me and it turned out to be a great experience and so many others since have reported great buyer protection and customer service, I feel like even dealing directly with him it is still the safest most secure option available especially when dealing overseas like that. I would appreciate your input on this whether agree or not to help provide a balance and true sense of info for other potential buyers so we can help establish a trusted route of sale for others.

----------

He's the only reputable seller as far as personal experience goes through here thus far

hey itsAstonish, just read that after i posted :) yes I agree and Im very glad I went with your recommendation in the beginning.

to evilporcupine, I believe the white one even if you were to find it is only plastic and I really dont recommend the plastic one. But let us know how your transaction goes so we can keep our own running record and feedback here. This will provide info for other buyers and I believe encourage sellers like iphonecase2011 to keep to a continued high standard of service.
 
I have placed an order from iphonecase2011 directly and will let you know how it turns out. Others here have had good luck with this guy, so I decided to go out on a limb on this.

So far, his email responses have been quick. He had an invoice to me within minutes of my request and a tracking number in hours. Far superior to my customer service from Lunatik.
 
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Thanks terry8000 - this thread is the only reason I am considering buying this case overseas and I appreciate all the information that's been gathered here. Trust me i read every single post... LOL so thank you!

BTW... here is a link to an aluminum white one...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/WHITE-ALUMI...908?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item35c54c9814

...although it looks like just bad paint that would easily chip plus it takes away the "storm trooper" feel of the original that I like so much. I think I am ****** out of luck and will just have to settle for the plastic and take a chance on another vendor! OR go black...!!!
 
cool, ya i was wondering if there might be some white enamel/paint ones out there since i saw the yellow one a couple posts back. I agree with you on the stormtrooper look lol, was the reason i considered the white one back when i was still looking at the plastic versions. Not sure if you want to do this, but there are some really good enamel paints out there right now, what about just painting it yourself? giving it a good time to cure on a good automotive acrylic enamel or even krylon should give a pretty good result. Not as great as being able to bake it on but still might be an option.

Thanks so much for that update lanestew. I appreciate you posting your experience in this and keeping us all updated. Glad to hear everything is moving along well as expected so far! Hope it arrives soon.
 
wifi can be hit or miss with the iphone 5 it self and is sporadic, i dont believe its a result of the case. Like i said the best way to test is simply to put it in a single location and then take it in and out of the case right there and see if theres any change. As far as the mute switch, like I have said in the video and on the posts several times, it does not work effectively, it just doesnt seem like a feasible design in function although it is a very cool idea.

We'll have to agree to disagree. I've been using the same wifi in my house for over a year, and quite a bit each day, it's very consistent so I know exactly what to expect. When I'm downstairs I've never noticed anything less than a full signal. With this case the most I can get is two "bars."

I've never had the wifi drop completely anywhere in the house but when I was in my bedroom on the other side of the house wifi would connect briefly but about 90% of the time there was none and I was on my cell signal.

I've never had a problem with the wifi on my iPhone 5 and niether has my wife. Hers is still working just fine. It's definitely the case. Will just have to see if it's bad enough to give up the case.

Just noticed... I'm at work now, where I usually have a full signal on wifi and again - 2 "bars.
 
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Man just go get the real case it's cost more for a reason...

I had the real case. It's no better than this one. If anything it costs twice as much and is plastic instead of metal.

Oh wait, the real case is a little different, the camera and flash holes are reversed.

And BTW, if you think the real thing is perfect and people are getting their money's worth by buying the original - go check out their Facebook and Kickstarter pages. Nothing but happy customers there! :D
 
Yeah, the wifi signal is weak here at work too. I think I'm going to have to jump ship on this one.
 
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Thanks for that update kilcher. Out of curiosity are you using G or N band for wifi. I was only able to test it on G band using the wrt54gl so I was wondering if perhaps it caused some interference on a different band or router configuration which I was unable to test.
 
Thanks for that update kilcher. Out of curiosity are you using G or N band for wifi. I was only able to test it on G band using the wrt54gl so I was wondering if perhaps it caused some interference on a different band or router configuration which I was unable to test.

No idea. I am having issues at home and work though. I'm not sure how I'd find out here at work. I can check at home, I assume that's a setting on the modem itself or the web GUI for the modem, right?
 
Yup. It generally would give you the choiceon the GUI if it is a multiband router. It will probably say somewhere on the router like on a sticker or on the box too or else just look up the router on newegg it will say.

The reason I'm hesitant to blame the case is Im staying in a large house right now and if I'm in the far end of the house I can sit in the same chair and my iPhone 3GS functions flawlessly and stable on wifi and my iPhone 5 with no case is fine some days and then other days drops in and out constantly, I've just found wifi generally weaker on the iphone5 unfortunately when used side by side with my 3GS or my sisters 4s. But the way to the truth is through everyone's sharing of information so keep posting your findings.
 
I ordered one off of eBay last night on a buy it now, and paid for it. Seller was responsive and everything seems ok. Then I get an email from eBay saying the item was pulled and if I had not paid to not pay but if I did then to wait 10 days after the expected delivery date to request resolution.

So not sure if it was a knock-off case or not I will just see when it arrives. Not too concerned if it is and the camera hole problem isn't there. I will let you know how it ends up.

Went back and looked at the pictures the seller sent me because I wanted to confirm the camera hole issue and based on the images the back looks more like the Lunatik Strike case (which is what they should have done to begin with).
 
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I've decided to return mine. I have to say, I'm very impressed with iphonecase2011. I emailed him stating I would like to return it, it's in the same condition in which it was sent to me, and that I would pay return shipping, just needed the address. I had a response within 5 minutes. You never know with people online but from my interaction with him he's a stand-up guy. :)

I ended up picking up an Otterbox Armor on the way home tonight. I have to say, the search is over. I absolutely love it.
 
I've decided to return mine. I have to say, I'm very impressed with iphonecase2011. I emailed him stating I would like to return it, it's in the same condition in which it was sent to me, and that I would pay return shipping, just needed the address. I had a response within 5 minutes. You never know with people online but from my interaction with him he's a stand-up guy. :)

I ended up picking up an Otterbox Armor on the way home tonight. I have to say, the search is over. I absolutely love it.
Damn I woulda bought it from you
 
So is the plastic ones really that bad? Anyone on this chain that own the plastic and are NOT having any problems? I thought I read some posts that indicated that.

BTW... the white metallic version will be offered by iPhoneCase2011 in April he says for those who are interested.
 
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