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Sector 5 from Element Case order thread.
- Thread starter PerPlekz
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Be gentle with the screws! If they're anything like the black ones, the gold finish will wear off.
Well, that's good to hear. Very minimal is enough for me 
I assume it's the same deal on the back? Time to just pull the dang trigger and stop harping about it, LOL!
I assume it's the same deal on the back? Time to just pull the dang trigger and stop harping about it, LOL!Well, that's good to hear. Very minimal is enough for me
You are correct my friend!
Ordered the regular Sector 5 in gun metal
Congrats, I had that one with my iPhone 5. It's great!
Quick question for you guys, how would you say the Sector 5 does with protecting against a fall. And I guess a screen protector wouldn't be a bad idea either...I hate screen protectors. My silver S5 came in yesterday...probably the best looking case I've ever seen. I'm just wondering how she'd hold up.
Original post
Writing a quick review of the sector 5 after two and a half months of use and one accidental drop "test".
Design: B+
Design is a tough one because its purely based on opinion. I haven't had anyone tell me they disliked it or thought it was ugly. Asking to look at my phone is a common occurrence so I gave it a B+. I enjoy the look of it- if you purchased the case you probably do to.
Construction: C+
The aluminum siding is well crafted and feels/looks great. The best part of the aluminum sides is the grip it gives you. Using the phone in landscape feels great. It feels like you are holding something designed to be in landscape like a psp or something. The plastic corners are made of very weak plastic. The padding that lines the inside of case gets worn out over time and squishes down. This eventually makes the grip around the phone feel lose. Its not as firm as it use to feel when it was new. The plastic corners and padding are in need of an upgrade. Element has to use better material for these pieces.
Protection: D-
Look, if your phone drops face down on a hard uneven surface its very likely going to shatter the screen. If you aren't using the rear stick on felt they provide, its going to get scuffed up on an uneven surface. If you are not using some sort of sticker/wrap to protect the back of the phone or part of the front.. its going to get scratched on an uneven surface. The bumper is very light and thin. The aluminum its self is very weak because ...its aluminum. I dropped my phone during mardi gras on the sidewalk from pocket height and you can see the results below.
Price: D-
This should probably be an F but we can only blame our selves for spending 140$+ on a cell phone case that is less then 10 grams of material lol.
Overall I still really enjoy the case. I don't see my self changing it any time soon. I wish element would improve upon the plastic corners and the padding lining the inside or a significant reduction in price. I feel like the material you receive is not consistent with the price of the case. The case offers very little protection. You end up spending additional monies on wraps and glass screen protectors to get more protection.
it should survive a fall if it lands the right way and depending what it hits... but I still grade it at a D-. This isn't a case to bullet proof your phone its just a nice case.
OEM is usually an incorrect way of saying Counterfeit or Copy.
OEM stands for Original Equipment Manufacturer.
So, let's say there's a company that sells widgets, say MP3 players that have their Brand X on it. Brand X MP3 players. We can break it down into three ways they are made:
1. Some companies actually make their own goods.
2. Some companies just design their goods and have them made elsewhere by somebody else (Contract or custom manufactured goods)
3. Some even just take a stock design from a manufacturer (Generic unbranded MP3 player) and slap their brand name on it. Several brands may do this to the same product, resulting in a nearly identical product with different brand names on it.
In the case of the companies that have somebody else do the manufacturing for them, the actual manufacturer of the goods is the "Original Equipment Manufacturer" or OEM.
So let's break this down:
So in the first case, anything you see labeled as OEM is clearly a complete counterfeit or copy, since the actual OEM is the brand itself. An example of this would be the copies of Element Sector cases. Since the real thing is made in the USA by Element, anything made in China is clearly an unauthorized fake.
In the second case, it gets a little muddier. The OEM goods may very well be made in the same or similar manner as the real thing. They may not be up to the same standards, or they may be done on a second shift, or made of reject parts, etc. They are still considered fakes/copies/counterfeits, as the DESIGN still belongs to the brand that had them made, regardless of whether the logos are printed on them or not. So, for example, a Logitech mouse that to all outward appearances appears to be genuine but is fake would fall into this category, as would the same mouse minus the logo and packaging if it infringed on the same design.
In the third case, you get legitimate OEM goods and parts. In this case, the brand is actually "Re-branding" a generic OEM product as it's own. If you can figure out who the OEM was, it is possible to skip the middleman and just go to the source and get the same exact product, minus the branding and marketing. You used to see this a lot with MP3 players. They're just slap a brand and a semi-custom firmware on it and call it a new product.
Lengthy reply, but the gist of it is that pretty much any "OEM" case you see out there is just an out and out fake.
I didn't want to make a new thread but does anyone have a ion 5 spec ops case? I want to order the tan / desert camo one from that tekcases site but I would like to know if it will affect the 5s flash? And also if that tekcases site is legit? And if it is, is there any coupon code higher than the 5% being shared? Any help is appreciated.
Is there much difference in the bootleg versions to the real deals from Element themselves?
Only reason I ask is that I have a bootleg (off ebay) Sector 5 Black Ops case ( Post #405 here : Fake Sector 5 Black Ops ) and it is a really good copy. It fits really well - the paint is holding up nicely (no flaking or scratches anywhere) and all in all, looks really nice but I am debating that if I bought a real one from Element -would I actually notice any difference!?
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Yes you would. Whether it's enough of a difference to make it worth it to you is the question. The finish is much smoother, the machining is ridiculously crisp and precise. Especially along the edges where on the copies it may look rougher. You can get them for a bit less from element's outlet on eBay, about $90 for a "grade5" factory second.
I have the knock offs from Ebay. Fitting is a little lose on both sides even after applying the side protections. Got the iCarbons for the back and sides and the looseness is lessened. Only the left hand side feels lose. But it is very noticeable especially when i make call and grip it i can feel it compress every now and then when my hand grips on the phone.
The edges are rough. I actually do not enjoy holding the phone for long periods especially at the area of the volume and islet switch. The parts there are understandably thin but also rough which makes holding there not very pleasant.
Like some of us here or elsewhere, i also wonder if the original Element case has all of these little nicks.
The edges are rough. I actually do not enjoy holding the phone for long periods especially at the area of the volume and islet switch. The parts there are understandably thin but also rough which makes holding there not very pleasant.
Like some of us here or elsewhere, i also wonder if the original Element case has all of these little nicks.
Well the difference is mostly in the quality of machining. The surface is rougher and not as smooth. The edges are much sharper. Fit was pretty much perfect. It's basically a 95% accurate copy. The screws are the same, the plastic pieces are different. They seem to be slightly larger on the knock off. The aluminum is anodized, just like the real Element 5 case. I can't speak for the painted pieces because mine was anodized silver but the original Element 5 case has white powdercoated parts (in my case) which will last a lot longer than painted pieces.
That being said, the faux suede material on the inside of the case was cut more accurately on the knock off and the vinyl provided was better quality.
Can you tell the difference between the 2? Sure. One looks like a 30$ case, the other like a 150$ case.
That being said, the faux suede material on the inside of the case was cut more accurately on the knock off and the vinyl provided was better quality.
Can you tell the difference between the 2? Sure. One looks like a 30$ case, the other like a 150$ case.