Case-Mate Tough Case for Samsung Galaxy S2 - Black

I bought this case as soon as I had my new phone. The galaxy s2 is very thin and I didn't want any damage done to it if it was dropped etc.
This case is brilliant! very tough, feels nice and is great quality. I have dropped my phone a few of times since having it and it just bounces with the case on, no damage was done at all.
Comes with two layers, a soft rubber innner case and the thicker and more solid outer case. It also protects the front by the small rubber lip being higher than the front screen, if it lands face down the screen isnt touching the floor.
I would highly recomend the case mate brand and this particular case especially.
I have also got the clear screen protector that you stick on to avoid any scratches to the screen, worth buying to protect the front as well just in case.

OVERVIEW

There is a story to tell about using protective cases with the Samsung Galaxy S2 (SGS2)... the story of the dreaded SGS2 Echo Problem. This review is intended for people who are looking at buying the Case-Mate Tough Case but are concerned about this echo problem. For those unaffected by the echo issue, sorry for the rambling and please just skip to my conclusion below.

ECHO PROBLEM

There is a serious issue with the Samsung Galaxy S2 that needs to be brought to light, namely the "echo" problem when the phone is used with a protective case such as the Case-Mate Tough Case, or any other case for that matter. This fault has affected a number of SGS2 users. Just Google "galaxy s2 echo problem" and you'll see what I'm talking about. Unfortunately, if your phone is affected then you're one of the unlucky ones because, as I found out, it is a hardware fault with the phone!

I bought my SGS2 a few weeks ago, and started looking into which case to get. This Case-Mate Tough Case sounded ideal for my needs, but I was concerned about a few reported "echo" issues (you'll see this mentioned in some reviews on this page). So I looked at reviews for other SGS2 cases from other manufacturers and I found similar reports. Then I found lots of reports on forums of people getting this problem with various cases. Confused and concerned, I decided to order one of the cheap cases made from TPU that you'll find everywhere for a few quid, and my plan was to use this while I decided on which high-quality case to buy.

When the cheap temporary case arrived I popped it on the phone and my first caller, without prompting, complained about their own voice being echoed back to them. To say that I was gutted is an understatement, especially after spending all that money on the phone and committing to a two year contract if I couldn't even protect the phone with a case!

After a bit more experimentation, I found what others had found: that the echo disappeared if I (a) switched off noise reduction every time a call was established, or (b) just used the speakerphone feature, or (c) removed the case from the phone. Updating the phone's firmware to the latest version made no difference at all.

To cut a long story short, I eventually called Samsung UK. Their response was shockingly dismissive, and you could tell they had been pre-programmed to completely deny that this issue existed. They told me that unless I was using the official Samsung case then they couldn't help me. As you may know, the official Samsung case is a thin piece of mesh plastic that clips to the back of the phone and offers virtually no protection at all! I'll talk more about Samsung's appalling cover-up in my review of the SGS2 (don't get me wrong, I love the phone!), but it is interesting to note that Samsung were going to sell an official case similar to Case-Mate's Tough Case but then withdrew it from sale. Google "samsung galaxy s2 d30 dual shell case"... this is now shown on just a couple of websites as "discontinued". I believe it was withdrawn because it highlighted a widespread problem with their own product, the SGS2.

I eventually took my SGS2 back to my mobile provider, and demonstrated the problem. Luckily they offered to exchange it, and I was amazed to find that the echo problem disappeared completely! I tried my cheap TPU case - no echo. I bit the bullet and ordered the Case-Mate Tough Case - it arrived, I fitted it... still no echo! :- The problem had been isolated to the phone itself. There is nothing wrong with the Tough Case, and there is nothing wrong with the cheap TPU cases or any of the other cases that have "echo" complaints against them.

If your SGS2 is affected by the echo problem, then ANY protective case that you put on your phone will cause the other party in the call to hear their own voice a fraction of a second after they speak, making a conversation a complete nightmare. Some cases might make the echo louder than others, but if your phone is affected then any case will cause you grief.

CONCLUSION

The Case-Mate Tough Case is an awesome case, and gets 4 out of 5 stars for perfect fit, protection of the phone and rugged good looks. This is the one that will probably stay on my phone for as long as I own it, just because I know it will extend the life of the phone and allow me to sell it on in a couple of years time in "mint condition". The case does add to the weight and thickness to the phone, but I think this is a small sacrifice for the extra grip and protection it provides (the naked phone is slim & slippery and wouldn't do well in a confrontation with concrete or tarmac). Note that the hard outer shell of the case is a slighly rubberised plastic, which is grippy in the hand but still slips in and out of the pocket easily. I've deducted one star because the case came without a screen protector, which is quite surprising for the price.

After having the htc desire casemate tough, I got the tough for the s2 as soon as I bought the phone.

The first thing that struck me is that it's a little more difficult to fit as there are buttons on both sides of this phone unlike the desire, this is a minor point as once the case was fitted it, It felt like my desire, rough and ready.

Unlike the htc desire case, this doesn't come with a screen protector, media devil seem to do good ones though.

The fit and finish are perfect, but I'd love to see a dock that can be used while this phone is in this case, I have seen the samsung note dock, it's totally open so might look into that as an option.

I have no issue with this case at all and after many years of krussell cases, I've got a new case maker to buy from without asking any questions as to it's build quality and functionality.

There was of course the infamous echo on the caller's end that blighted the new phone experience for me, but as most of my contact is done with messages or email, it was on the back burner and I let it go for a day or two.

After some casual browsing and understanding of the problems but not finding a homebrew solution, I decided to go the route that HAS had success every time.

Just today I decided to ring samsung and find out where the nearest service centre in enfield was.

After calling pocket phone shop in cheshunt (en8 8lq) (01992 630 430) they said they can do it now and in under the hour.

No sooner had I returned home, they sent a text informing me of the repair.

Top boys.......................

Knowing what they had done to fix the problem, which is the change the ui circuit that holds most of the things that are to blame for the echo, I asked if they get alot of this, "some" was the reply and mine was the first black s2 in for this as "it's normally the white ones that have this fault."

Meh, there we go, I have provided their details for anyone that is considering sorting this problem once and for all and for free as it's a warranty repair, sticky tape, firmware updates and turning off the NR every call are not options.

This was the only thing that was wrong with the phone and it was only with a case on, but there was no way I was going to go naked. Nevermind "killer" this things an Iphone burier, with a solid case to boot.

So if you're near enfield and have this problem, consider it an hour out of your day for several months of trouble free phone use.