So I bought my phone a few weeks ago and immediately ran into this website. I have been asking questions ever since and they have all been answered. I thought I would give something back to the community and hopefully solve one of the questions that many of us have, "Which protection case is better?". In the past few weeks I have been buying different kinds of accesories for my phone, some I've kept, some I've even re-bought, and some just weren't any good, so here is what I've bought so far.
NOTE: Most of these items were bought from eBay store http://stores.ebay.com/EverydaySource, I highly recommend it.Hard Rubber Clip On Case
This case no matter where you buy it from, wether it was online or at the mall they are all the same. The only difference is that you can get it online for less than 1/3 the price including shipping. The one I bought was from eBay. So, I clipped it onto my phone and it looks and feels good. It has a rubbery feel to it that helps you hold on to the phone much better, which to me was great because the phone seems to be slippery in my hands. It is a perfect fit, all the parts that need not to be covered were left opened and everything seemed to be aligned correctly. I had no trouble accessing the top keys of the keyboard or the digital touch keyboard. The slide out keyboard still felt smooth, but, I noticed that once closed, there was a tiny gap in between. I knew that it wasn't there before, and since I have OCD "Obssesive Compulsion Disorder" I just had to take it off immediatly. I searched around the forums and found that everyone had this problem, some did not mind, some did. The ones that did not remove it I found that within a few weeks their slide out keyboard was becoming flimsy.
Pros:-Protects your phone
-Gives it a little extra grip
-Leaves all accessible areas open
Cons:-The clips create a gap between the slide out keyboard and the screen
Conclusion:-Would not recommend this to anyone if they plan on keeping their Samsung Impression for a long time.
Silicone/Gel Case
After being dissapointed by the hard clip on case I decided to go for the silicone kind. Before I received it, I had no idea how this was going to work out since this is a "slider" phone. I searched for it at the mall at 2 different phone case booths and could not find it in either because according to them, "We do not carry them anymore because they did not stay on the phones very well". I still wanted to give it a try because I needed some kind of protection for my phone, so I ordered from trusty eBay. Once I opened the package, I immediatly noticed how this was going to go on onto the phone, there are these clear plastic strips that slide into eachother to go over your phone. Once you put it together, they slide back and forth to let you access the slide out keyboard. I had no trouble putting it on, and the slide out keyboard worked smoothly. It was great to see that this was not affecting my phone's physical state. The case felt great and protected my phone as needed, I also liked that it protected the bottom three buttons (The call, return, and end buttons). I start searching for flaws and I noticed that the bottom hole which is the mic, is not 100% free from the silicone. It is not a big deal because only a tiny bit is being covered up, and without even testing it I could tell that this was probably not going to affect my calls, but I tested anyway. There was no problem with the other person hearing me so this was no big deal. The next thing I noticed which really is a big problem for anyone is that the charging port at the top is almost completely covered. This was no accident by the company because it is obvious to me that they had no choice because of the clear plastic strips that need to be just above where the charging port is. So the next thing I did was remove the silicone case to see how hard it would be, since it is apparent that I would have to do this every time I wanted to charge my phone. It was simple and easy to take off and put back on. The buttons on the left side of the phone still remain easy to push if not even easier, but the lock button on the right is now even more difficult to push. This is due to that even thought the silicone case does fit perfectly, once you start to handle it, it has a little bit of play. I have solved this problem by just sliding the silicone edge down a bit when ever I want to hit the lock button and it actually makes it so that I don't have to use my fingernail anymore to push it. Next I tested out the phone in my pocket while at work, to see if it would come out of its silicone case, but it stayed in place without a problem, and haven't had trouble with it coming off at all.
Pros:-Protects your phone
-Protects all buttons
-Gives it a little extra grip
-Doesn't affect physical condition of the slide out keyboard
Cons:-The charging port is impossible to access without removing the silicone case from the phone
Conclusion:-I do recommend this case but only because of considering the other limited options for the Impression.
LCD/Screen Protector
I know that ATT sells these with a certain amount in each package but I decided to search through eBay. I found that they all include a micro fiber cleaning cloth and a cardboard squeegee. I decided to go with eBay even though the description said that it was a generic brand item but it was defenetly alot cheaper. This particular package only included one creen protector, the micro fiber cloth, and the cardboard squeegee. The package came with very easy instructions and easy labeled tabs to help you apply the screen protector. I cleaned off my phone, ignored the instructions because they were so kind to include the labeled tabs, and proceded to apply the screen protector. My apartment is pretty dark even with the lights on because there is only one window in the living room, so I applied it a little bit crooked and did not notice until later in the day. The screen protector does allow you to remove it if you mess up just as long as you have not removed the second labeled tab yet, which you do only after you are done applying the screen protector. I failed to read the instructions which said that you must squeegee from one end to the other as you apply the screen protector, I squeegeed after I had completely laid down the screen protector which left me with some bubbles near the corners. I decided to leave it like that just to try out the quality of the screen protector for a few days. It is a great product and did not affect the screen's touch respose at all, it is impossible to detect if applied correctly and protects your screen from scratches. I eventually ordered another one since they are so cheap on eBay and replaced my old one, correctly doing it as the instructions told me this time.
Pros:-Protects your phone's screen
-Easy to apply with the labeled tabs
-Perfect cut for the Impression screen
Cons:-None
Conclusion:-I highly recommend this for your phone, no matter where you buy it from since they all seem to be of good quality.
Samsung Handsfree Headset
I bought this from eBay but because the title was misleading. The title read "Stereo Headphones", which they are clearly not because there is only one headphone. I failed to notice this on the photo because I can be an impulse buyer at times, specially when something is listed for cheap. This is OEM from Samsung so it is not generic, even though what I actually wanted was stereo headphones I decided to give this a review anyway. I plugged it up to my phone and there is no display icon that says that it is plugged in but the phone instantly recognizes it and all sounds come from the headset from there on. You can even listen to music using the headset. I tried the mic by making a call and the other person was able to hear me clearly and I was able to clearly hear them, you can then end the call by using the button on the piece attached to the cord. The earpiece stays in your ear good enough if you are sitting or just not making alot of movement, but this also depends on the shape of your ear. I cannot really complain that it only has one headphone because the main purpose of this product is to be used as a headset, so only having one is appropriate.
Pros:-Sound is clear both ways
-You can use it to listen to music
Cons:-None
Conclusion:-I recommend this to anyone, but specially if you do not want to use the bluetooth headsets for what ever reason.
