How much did you pay for your shiny new Smartphone?  Is it made of rubber and protected?  Do you throw it in your pocket with anything else or in your purse with the rest of your daily necessities?  In the good old days when your phone didn’t cost much and maybe it was a flip phone with the main components protected, you didn’t have to worry as much about protecting it. Now the phone in your pocket is a mini computer with expensive components and high resolution glass screens filling most of one side of your device.

What’s the first thing you do when you get your new device?  Try to protect it so small drops wont destroy it and keys rubbing against your screen won’t scratch it.  You head into your local cell provider, purchase your new device and also walk out with a case and screen protector.

I recently purchased a new Samsung Galaxy Note from AT&T and the cost of protecting it was more expensive than ever before.  With the size of devices increasing so is the cost of cases and screen protectors.  The cases are around $40 or $50 and screen protectors about $25.  That can work out to be an expensive day when you pick up your new phone.  With a phone of such high caliber and functionality as the Samsung Galaxy Note, it deserves some serious protection and protection with style so read on for a review of some of nicest and most stylish cases I’ve ever had the pleasure to review.

Worry no more.  Stop buying from your carriers when you can get aftermarket products for companies like Spigen.   You get more selection and what appear to be better products.

I’ve never had much dealings with Spigen before I starting searching for companies making products for the Samsung Galaxy Note, but I’m sure glad I found them.  I’ll go into more detail later, but I have to say that Spigen make some of the nicest cases and screen protectors I’ve ever had my hands on.

Who are Spigen?

SPIGEN SGP is a company which designs and manufactures scratch-resistant coating films and cases to ensure the everlasting quality of your delicate devices. We observe the basic policies and principles, and our company’s value is based on crystal clear management with a focus on absolute customer satisfaction and reliability. Our endeavors to supply customers with our products for the most effective and affordable means possible are essential to our principle. We are a company that all customers can rely on with confidence. Our endless efforts will be formulated even further with every comment or suggestion.

SPIGEN SGP, is a name trusted and recognized in the market for our constant commitment towards our customers. As an organization backed by years of experience and a team of highly qualified professionals, we strive to achieve the highest level of customer satisfaction. To make our customer’s experience delightful, we seek regular feedbacks from them and constantly challenge our own abilities against their expectations. This is what truly differentiates us from our competitors.

The products we provide are designed and manufactured with a mind-set to maintain the highest quality standards. The company has well-organized systems in place to take care of your orders and dispatch them in the shortest time possible. As a value driven company, we believe in ethical management practices and a growth-oriented culture. Our “Direct to Customer” marketing approach helps in curtailing marketing costs and allows us to pass on those margins to the customers with a competitive price.

Choosing a Case

There are so many choices and styles of case available today and most people are looking for something that provides ultimate protection while increasing the size of your device as little as possible.  The other choice is the fashion consious who don’t really care how big the case is, as long as it looks good when it’s installed.  Spigen has solutions for everyone.

Spigen sent through a vast array of cases and screen protectors for both the Samsung Galaxy Note and the Samsung Galaxy SII Skyrocket.  They are very similar in design so I’m going to focus on the Samsung Galaxy Note accessories for the purpose of this review.  I have installed the cases on both devices and the fit and function is the same high quality on both.  They also provide a huge color selection for you to choose from that should satisfy almost every bodies taste.

Cases

 

Ultra Thin Series

SGP Ultra Thin case designed and constructed with harmless and durable material polycarbonate. Back side of the case coated rubber to provide more protection for the device.

The Ultra Thin case installed with ease.  The flexible material is perfectly formed to fit around your device and offers a medium level of protection while only slightly increasing the size of your phone.  When I say slightly, I really mean it.  With the case installed, your phone feels protected but no bigger than it did without the case.

The Ultra Thin case does leave the bottom and top bezels of your device exposed, but it sure does look good.  the openings and manufacturing of the case are perfect and leave all the ports and buttons easily accessible.

One thing you will notice with the Spigen cases is that they have an opening on the top right hand corner than leaves your phones corner slightly exposed to damage.  All their Samsung Galaxy cases appear to have this design and it’s provided to support some of the International phones that have the option of a TV antennae built into the top corner of the device.  It would have been nice to see some of the cases offered in a Us only version with this opening not included, but it’s not the end of the world.

Not sure about such a slim fitting case?  Read on to increase your protection to the next level.

 

Ultra Capsule Series

Premium case SGP Ultra Capsule protects Galaxy Note from scratches, damage and dust. It is made of Thermoplastic PolyUrethan(TPU), a top quality material known for excellent abrasion resistance and flexibility. The Ultra Capsule holds the advantageous properties of both hard plastic and soft silicone cases.

The Ultra Capsule case was equally well made but slightly thicker than the the Ultra Thin case.  The Ultra Capsule offers a higher level of protection and now covers all the edges of your shiny new device.

The front edge of the case is slightly raised so placing your phone face down prevents the screen from touching the surface of whatever your laying it down on.  Nice touch !!

Looking for a little extra style? Check out the folio style cases below!

 

Valentinus Series

SGP’s Valentinus Leather Wallet Case Series is designed to protect the Galaxy Note from damage while also functioning as a convenient wallet. The Valentinus Wallet combines the properties of both a sturdy case and a luxurious wallet. This Vintage Edition sets itself apart compared to the standard Valentinus Series as the Vintage Edition is made with genuine leather in a suede and nubuck style.

The Valentinus series is probably the nicest folio style case I’ve tried.  I’ve tried the Samsung cases, and while they are nice, they in no way compare to the quality for the Spigen Valentinus series.

With a large pocket behind the front cover and credit card holders built in too, the Valentinus is an obvious replacement for your wallet too.   If your like me, it’s not going to hold your entire collection of credit cards and business cards, but it is a great replacement for the short trip or business meetings.

The Valentinus series is a large case, but it still fit comfortably in my pocket and sure does look and feel good.  With a new range of special edition versions in some pretty cool color scheme, this case is sure to please almost anyone.

Leinwand Series

SPIGEN SGP Leinwand Leather Case is a  slim and lightweight case, made of genuine leather. It protects Galaxy Notes from shock and external stimuli. Case features a foldable front cover which can be used as a convenient multi-viewing angle stand for watching videos or making video calls.

Out of all the cases I tried, the Leinwand was the hardest to make fit.  With the holder being wrapped in leather, it made some of the edges a little raised, but perseverance prevailed and the case was nicely wrapped around my Samsung Galaxy Note.

The Leinwand works in the same way many tablet cases work.  The front of the case folds around to the back and can be folded in different sections to offer differing supporting angles for your Galaxy Note.  Kind of like a desktop stand with and angle adjuster only permanently attached.

Leather always looks and smells nice on anything and adding this case to your Galaxy Note adds a new level of style and professionalism that any business person is looking for.

 

Stehen Series

SGP Stehen Leather Case is a foldable stand case designed to harmonize with the simple and slim form of the Galaxy Note. Stehen is made with faux leather that would provide an excellent protection against shocks and impacts. SGP Stehen Leather Case can also be adjusted in to comfortable viewing.

I wasn’t able to test the Stehen Series as this is the only case sample I did not receive.

 

Screen Protectors

GLAS.t Tempered Glass Screen Protector

SGP’s Steinheil GLAS.t is made to protect the LCD from damage and scratches with specially processed glass that has been reinforced to increase shock absorbency.
The entire surface of the GLAS.t is transparent and the back side is covered with a strong silicon adhesive for easy installation.
When installed, there are no gaps between the LCD and the GLAS.t, which means the touch screen’s sensitivity is unaffected.

The Spigen GLAS.t screen protector is made from hardened tempered glass that is three ties stronger than PET film used by many other screen protector manufacturers.  This makes the glass almost scratch proof from the sharpest of objects.  the glass is also coated with a Anti-Shatter film that makes the protector shatter into small blunt pieces if broken.

Worried about finger prints on the front of your screen? the GLAS.t is also has an oleophobic coating that prevents finger-prints and other marks and means that it’s incredibly easy to clean.

Application was also simple as the back of the glass is coated with a strong silicon adhesive that attaches the film easily to your screen and does not affect the sensitivity of your touch screen.

This has to be one of the nicest and clearest screen protectors I’ve used on any device and while it is also one of the most expensive I’ve seen, it’s protecting the most important part of your phone and well worth the money.

 

Steinheil Ultra Crystal Film

We take tremendous pride in our Steinheil Screen Protector Films for its level of protection and versatility. Users will be able to see it as they unpack the various tools included to make the installations as simple as possible. With every package, we include a microfiber cloth to clean the LCD without having to worry about scratches. A squeegee is included to get rid of bubbles during the installation process. And just for good measure, we throw in an extra screen protector with every purchase.

The screen protector’s priority is to protect the LCD from scratches while maintaining its responsiveness. But we go beyond that. We create our screen protectors to cater to the vast preferences of our customers.

If you’re not prepared to shell out the big bucks for a GLAS.t tempered glass screen protector, you can always opt for the Steinheil Ultra Crystal Film screen protector instead. 25% thicker than previous models and a specially hardened surface, the Steinheil Ultra Crystal Film screen protector is an extremely high quality optically enhanced film that is a perfect fit for your Galaxy Note’s display.

As I’d already swapped the screen protector on my Samsung Galaxy Note, I decided to do the same on the Samsug Galaxy S2 Skyrocket to try and show the comparison between the screen protector purchased through AT&T and the Spigen screen protector.

The image on the left is the Spigen Ultra Crystal Screen Protector and the image on the right is the screen protector purchased through AT&T.  It’s not easy to tell in the photographs, the the AT&T supplied screen protector has a matt finish that reduces the brightness of your screen and also has the white areas on the top and bottom that cover the bezel of your phone.  the Spigen supplied screen protector is crystal clear and transparent areas goes all the way from the top of the phone to the bottom giving a much cleaner and original look to the phone.

Trust me when I tell you that, in person, the difference is very noticeable.

The picture below shows the original AT&T purchased screen protector on the Samsung Galaxy S2 Skyrocket and the Samsung Galaxy Note with the GLAS.t tempered glass screen protector from Spigen.  Again, it’s difficult to tell from photographs, but look closely at the black area of the screens and you may notice that it has a far superior contrast through the GLAS.t version.

 

 

Conclusion

Spigen is a company that we’ll be keeping a close eye on.  You may have had dealings with their products in the past as they provide products for iPhone’s, HTC devices and many other phones, tablets and more.  The quality is great and I can’t see them changing in the long haul. If you looking for a top quality case or screen protector, you can’t go wrong with Spigen.

The cases are a little expensive, but you get what you pay for.

looking for more information or want to get your hands on one of these awesome cases? Go check out the entire selection of many different devices on the Spigen website. Alternatively, you can visit SPIGEN on Amazon for some great deals on the a wide assortment of cases from these guys.