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Lol I'm not worried about modifying a little plastic to make it work. Dremels rock!!!
What I liked about the AGF the most was the fact it clipped to itself and not the phone. I thought the case was enclosed with neoprene(or something, thought that's what it said on their site?, so scratching from taking on and off shouldn't be an issue.Last edited by homer1475; 12-04-10 at 10:32 PM.
12-04-10 10:22 PM - so I'm reading this right, and I'm listening to music...
I'm going to test my purple one too. nice review I agree with a lot of what you said, and really, for $4 you can't go wrong. glad you like the case.
I also got the metallic silver case mate barely there, and the top piece popped off when I tossed the phone onto my bed. I'll use it for the rest of the day but I think it will be in the drawer quickly. How does the top piece come off if you look at it sideways, but to get the back piece off you need jesus and herculean strength? Not pleased.12-05-10 07:39 AM - Except for when I use the OEM holsters, I think it's going to be my main case.so I'm reading this right, and I'm listening to music...
I'm going to test my purple one too. nice review I agree with a lot of what you said, and really, for $4 you can't go wrong. glad you like the case.
I also got the metallic silver case mate barely there, and the top piece popped off when I tossed the phone onto my bed. I'll use it for the rest of the day but I think it will be in the drawer quickly. How does the top piece come off if you look at it sideways, but to get the back piece off you need jesus and herculean strength? Not pleased.
BTW, after figuring out I hadn't slid the phone in far enough, the bottom gap is now actually smaller than with some of the known brands. But the top side tab is still very close to the earphone jack. The plug on the pair of Sony earbuds I used to try it wouldn't go in all the way. I'm sure others may work OK.
Sorry to hear about the CaseMate.12-05-10 05:41 PM - I'll see when mine shows up. In another thread, Berryman responded with an explanation & pics. The issue is not alignment, but the case sticking out from the phone. The top of the charger plug hits the case, preventing a full connection. He solved it by using the Dremel to angle the top of the connector plastic. Since it was that easy to fix, & Amazon had both a decent price & would let me use my credit card bonus points to pay for it, I ordered one.Lol I'm not worried about modifying a little plastic to make it work. Dremels rock!!!
What I liked about the AGF the most was the fact it clipped to itself and not the phone. I thought the case was enclosed with neoprene(or something, thought that's what it said on their site?, so scratching from taking on and off shouldn't be an issue.
Free is always better. 
12-06-10 01:40 AM - Just got mine. Nice solid fit. There's no lining on the one I got, AT&T packaged. And the USB poirt is blocked enough that the plug doesn't go all the way in. But it does go most of the way in, has a solid connection & does charge. A little Dremel work would allow it to insert all the way. I think my only "druthers" would be that I would have liked a black front piece. The back is a little slick -- needs a piece from eGrips.Lol I'm not worried about modifying a little plastic to make it work. Dremels rock!!!
What I liked about the AGF the most was the fact it clipped to itself and not the phone. I thought the case was enclosed with neoprene(or something, thought that's what it said on their site?, so scratching from taking on and off shouldn't be an issue.12-08-10 05:53 PM - OK. Time for an update. I started with the Otterbox. Still kinda like it, but had gone from that to running bare with either the OEM holster or the OEM pocket case. I now have an AGF GRT that I really like.It came today. Along with it were a microfiber cloth & a screen protector.
The screen protector actually seemed decent, except one of the stickers to hold onto while installing the protector had better glue than the protector -- it left a paper layer in one corner. Since I got my BestSkinsEver screen protector yesterday, I decided not to struggle with making this one work.
The case is amazingly good for the price. The gap between front & back pieces is larger for the one I got than the pictures of the purple version that was pictured earlier in this thread. The way the two pieces clip onto the phone, it seems less likely to pop off than some of the more well known brands. Overall, it's decently thick that it should protect most of the phone well. And thin enough that it doesn't add a huge amount of bulk to the phone. The front piece is thicker than the Otterbox & other hard cases. So, it's less likely to break from a fall. And the lower edge is high enough that it doesn't interfere with the physical keyboard. The case's rubbery texture gives a good grip. And, unlike some well known cases, the sides line up so the side buttons & charging port are readily accessible.
There are three things I consider downsides to this case.
First, there's NO covering over top chrome button area. So that's at least partly unprotected. The sides of the case are more open than other hard cases usually are, but the design of the case is such that I don't believe that's an issue. The gap between front & back pieces can be noticeable at the bottom of the phone. In most cases, that's probably a nonissue. But I'm suspecting that there may be a problem if the phone is dropped on rough ground where the edge of a stone might get between the two pieces. So, where you use the phone could be an important deciding factor. EDIT: The gap can be more normal sized -- you need to be certain that you slide the phone all the way down into the bottom of the case back piece.
Second, I mentioned the benefits of the thicker front piece. There are also some issues with that. The chrome lock/mute button bar at the top of the phone slopes toward the front of the phone, but the top of the hard case front piece matches the higher rear of the phone. So, getting used to having that extra front edge may take getting used to for some. The front piece thickness adds space between the screen and any surface it might fall on, but it makes the slider buttons & trackball slightly harder to use. A bit of a trade off for safety.
Third, there is one port that doesn't align correctly -- the earphone jack. The top of the hard case opening is right at the top edge of the jack. If you don't use a wired earphone, it's a nonissue. If you do, being a plastic case, anyone who's good with tools can fix it without damaging the integrity of the case.
Overall, I really like it as a hard case. Not too bulky, but thick enough for longevity & safety. And very cost effective. It was $3.57 for the case, free shipping (15-18 days promised, received in 10). BestSkinsEver Screen protector $7.99 including $2.00 shipping -- didn't know a screen protector was included with the case. I got 2 3M microfiber cloths for $1.98 each, plus (I believe) $1.00 shipping -- didn't know the case included one of those, either. And I think we probably all know someone with dish detergent or baby shampoo with no additives -- cost of soap $0, benefits of properly installed protector, priceless.
So, I spent $16.52, which is $8-18 cheaper than the rest of the pack. And, if I'd known the case would include a screen protector & a microfiber cloth, it might have been a total of $3.57 or $20-30 cheaper than the rest. At that price, I'd consider it a huge deal.
So, here's my update on the case I reviewed above. None of the above changes. But I switch cases every so often. The "el cheapo" had a tab on the screen cover break off. There's a little flex, but the slider cover still doesn't come off if dropped. So, it's better than what comes with some of the other cases, but still has its faults.
My favorite has been the AGF GRT -- a little stiff, but not likely to break in any way any time soon. It does need something like an eGrips pad on the back to prevent the smoothness from allowing it to slide. I just wish it included a black faceplate. I like black cases. But it's now probably my third favorite.
The one reviewed above is still my second favorite. If you leave it on, the tab breakage problem shouldn't exist & could just be a defect in the faceplate for the one I received. And, if you do change cases, at $3.57 & free shipping (less if you become a member on their site), you can buy 5 or 6 & still pay less than 1 of most others. I hadn't highlighted before that the rubberized texture gives it a nice feel & grip. And a reminder that they include a microfiber cloth & a screen protector with the case. Although my experience with my BestSkinsEver screen protector is such that I'd say it's worth the extra $5.99 plus shipping to do it right.
My third choice has been the Otterbox. It does feel bulky, but I like the rubber liner with the protection for all the buttons. And, if you have an AGF GRT case to compare it to, it's no wider or taller & actually is thinner than the AGF GRT. Like the AGF, the smooth back benefits from an eGrips pad. And here's the reason it got bumped to becoming my favorite: the slider cover from the "el cheapo" actually works with the rest of the Otterbox case. Since I've gotten more into pocketing my phone, this combination has become a winner.
Fourth is the OEM holster & pocket cases, the phone bare inside, except for a screen protector. They keep the Torch well protected when not in use. I don't drop my phone when in use. I tend not to think about how I'm holding it when I'm not using it. And a bare Torch is slim, but not too slim.
BTW, the original link for the "el cheapo" in this thread was to the seller's eBay site. They also have their own site, where you can sign up for free membership (allowing periodic promo emails?), which gives you a discounted price on what they have. The case is $3.57 on eBay, the onsite member price takes another $.25 or so off that. The seller's site is www.cbdbestone.com.Last edited by kraski; 12-18-10 at 10:43 AM.
12-18-10 10:36 AM - Just an update for the Canadians…
I did see this at a Booth or T Booth or whatever-they're-called store. Price tag said $34.99, but the sales guy was going to give me a special for just that day of $25.
I then found it at Wireless Wave for $29.99 too.
Note that it's packaged under the brand Hitfar, saying AGF nowhere visible on the packaging. You can see the case says GRT on it. Taken out of the box, it does have a small AGF logo on the back of the case itself.
Sounds like all these Canadian stores have the same colour, which sort of matches the black Torch itself. The bottom is matte black hard plastic, and the top is a smoked chrome type finish.12-28-10 12:22 AM - Thanks for this! I'm in the Vancouver area too and this information is most helpful!Just an update for the Canadians…
I did see this at a Booth or T Booth or whatever-they're-called store. Price tag said $34.99, but the sales guy was going to give me a special for just that day of $25.
I then found it at Wireless Wave for $29.99 too.
Note that it's packaged under the brand Hitfar, saying AGF nowhere visible on the packaging. You can see the case says GRT on it. Taken out of the box, it does have a small AGF logo on the back of the case itself.
Sounds like all these Canadian stores have the same colour, which sort of matches the black Torch itself. The bottom is matte black hard plastic, and the top is a smoked chrome type finish.
I'm debating whether to get this case or not for my Torch. Right now, my torch is being used OEM leather pouch. I actually really like that combo as I prefer keeping things slim. With previous phones, I always ended up removing cases because of the bulkiness.
With that said, my torch is creaking on the left side at the top by the lock button and also below by the keyboard. I'm wondering if the AGF GRT case would help remedy this.01-01-11 02:05 PM
