Hey guys. I also bought this case in blue color from the same eBay seller a few weeks ago after reading the reviews that Jeff (kstatecat) wrote. I got the case, and I seem to like it overall with a few quirks there and here. However, I noticed that the case started to make my keyboard wobbly as it was pushing the space out, so I removed it in search of another solution. Anyways, here is my overall comparison with pros and cons for this case:
Pros:(+) Great tactile feel. The top cover has a smooth rubber (feels like it was spray painted onto regular hard plastic) on the outside providing a non-slippery grip for the phone. The bottom cover is a mix between this and a pure silicone/gel padding as shown in the pictures. It also adds grip, but is a little bit more prone to collecting dust and lint. However, the plastic smooth rubber sides do not collect much dust at all.
(+) Helps a lot with the lock button and other buttons on the phone. This case has one of those extended buttons on the external side of the case which allows you to press it for easier access. In this case, the lock button is more manageable, and I highly prefer this method with the case on as opposed to without.
(+) Overall feels like a little robust, but definitely would add a good amount of protection to physical damage (e.g. dropping or being squished). The case itself is a little higher quality than many of the generic ones out there. The case is not too thick, but definitely feels like its "armor for the phone." The texture is smooth and rubbery at the same time, which adds a special type of feel to it. I think it would be very protective in case of any damage.
Cons:(-) Pushes your phone apart due to its snap-on case hooks and will make your keyboard more wobbly. The main gripe I have with this phone is that snap-on hooks are quite large and not flattened too much. I have seen a few of the other cases with slightly smaller hooks in terms of thickness and width that don't seem to be as problematic as this phone. In terms of what I am talking about, refer to this link here (with pictures and explanation):
http://www.samsung-impression.org/lg-rumor-accessories/hard-shell-case-review/msg10550/#msg10550. Basically, the hooks are too wide causing the phone to "snag" each of the hook pieces (both on the top and bottom cases) and preventing it from being closed all the way. Over time, this increased space would destroy the natural tightness of the keyboard and make the keyboard a bit more wobbly when it is slid out. I can totally tell that there is a true difference of spacing when this case is added on and when the phone is just bare. As others mentioned in another thread, a solution could be to sand down these hooks with to make it flatter. I have yet to try this solution, but I think it might work. However, the damage is already done as I cannot reverse the wobbliness at all (I have only tried this case for 3 days!).
(-) Slight bulk is added for this case that seems to interfere with the top rows of the keyboard AND pressing of the touchscreen buttons. As Jeff mentioned, the top rows of the keys are slightly harder to press down because the top case protrudes out at a very minimal distance. I have somewhat a small hand and fingers that this problem is not too much of a concern for me. It doesn't affect me too much, but I can definitely see it being problematic for others. Since the sides of the top case are actually pretty side and thick, it tends to obscure the touchscreen capabilities on the side. What I mean is that the case is quite thick on the sides, and it tends to interfering with the touchscreen buttons at those sides. Like for example, trying to press the "Send, Insert, or More" buttons when you're in the QWERTY keyboard mode (slid out) is much harder since the case is blocking some of your fingers from pressing it. The trick is then to raise your fingers and make it a bit more "pointier" and press it instead of being so flat when the case is not on. At least, that's how I did it, and it was easily accustomed to within a few text messages. With or without the full keyboard, pressing other buttons that are on the side of the touchscreen tend to be a little harder as well.
(-) As mentioned in my pros for this case, the silicone padding on the bottom case tends to trap dust/lint very easily as opposed to the harder rubber plastic side. But this is no problem for a chronic case wiper like me.
Also, because of the thick sides of the top case, dust sorts of get "pushed in" onto the screen as they have nowhere else to go (b/c the case sides are blocking it). Thus, it seems like there are more things and articulate matter that can get onto the screen with the case on than without.
(-) This case can be tricky to remove...especially the top case. It is a tight case. That is good for clipping it on and staying still, but it was hard to remove the top case at times. It almost felt like I was going to break the phone.. The trick is to use your fingernail and push the snap-on hooks slightly outward so it doesn't clip any longer. This must be done without moving the top half of the phone. It is hard, but it takes a little getting use to.
Overall score: 7.5/10I would given a range of 10, that would be my overall score for this case. I only have an issue with the spacing hooks/wobbly keyboard problem, and I have yet to experiment with sanding down the hooks so that they're not so wide. However, I have compared this case a few cases at the AT&T store, and it seems like one of the case's snap-on hooks were very very thin compared this this one. So, this problem may not be true for ALL snap-on cases. I will probably search for other cases and keep you updated if I see one that is less or more problematic. Nevertheless, this case is pretty good. It's one of my more favorite cases to use.
As far as answering s3an16, this case is VERY tight. After 3 days of usage, I did not see very much dust at all. In fact, it was extremely minimal in terms of dust being on the insides of the case. My phone was not scratched at all. However, I am not sure if time was a factor as this length was pretty short. But I'd imagine that this case is not too problematic...it is a very close fit.
