Poetic cases have once again sent us out another case for the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge and this time round its the Quarterback case which is quite nice albeit Black it really feels good to hold..
The case firstly does not add any notable bulk to the device but does feel tough in the hand and secure,with microgrips on the back flanking both sides in a vertical strip it does add some extra grip then the TPU side again give you some more and there is a cut running up the rails on both sides and again you can see these present top and bottom giving it a nice feel and look..The case again has most of its good looks on the back but looks elegant from the front..
Image Gallery
Left side
Right side
Lip on top front
Camera and flash
Left front
Volume keys
Top view
Right front
Bottom view
Home key
Power Key
Front view
Camera and flash
Back view
Poetic branding
Inside case
1 / 16
When it comes to the keys they where actually great on this case,they are definitive and travel well and not stiff with a nice soft touch they worked perfectly fine,the ports too also generous allowing users to plug in headphones and cables with no problems and again the speaker grille not obstructed at all which stops muffling of sound.Access to the sidebar was no issues nor the home key with the case no obstructing either,The device can be placed either face down or back down with not having to worry about damaging any key parts on the device so again all is good here,the four corners also sports raised bumpers allowing some more protection too which is good.Overall this case does its intended task and feels good to hold in hand and comfortable too and looks well,especially from the back..
You can buy this particular case from Poeticcases.com or from Amazon,Thanks again to poetic cases for sending us over this case to check out..
This is our thoughts on the ULAK Clear case for the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge which the good guys have sent over.Pretty much the same and the S7 is one way to simplify it,it does the job its meant to do in a simple manner with all angles covered,keys worked perfectly fine with good tactility and no stiffness,the camera and flash area has been well sorted here to enabling the user to place the device down on a flat surface without worries on damaging or scraping the lens,the cut outs for all ports are generous too giving easy access to whats required,the only thing here again is the headphone socket which is not too much to worry about if you are not a headphone junkie with dozens to play with.
Image Gallery
Package front
Package rear
Right side
ULAK Branding
Home key
Sidebar is accessable
Bottom view
Top view
Back View
Camera area
Front view
Top front
Power key
Volume keys
2 / 14
The front is where the issue will always be for the S7 Edge due to the dual curved screen,protection is fine for placing the device face down due to the lip on the top and bottom of the case,the sides remain slightly exposed though should you let it fall,also to note you still have access to the side bar panel with no issues here,all works perfectly fine.The case does not add any bulk which some may have seen before from ULAK with the Otterbox approach,this case is sleek and fits like a glove,Being transparent will only give it so much life and it might be something to consider,but for the price you pay its a good case to protect your expensive phone..
The good folks at Ulak have sent over some cases for the latest Samsung devices the S7 and S7 Edge. First up its the S7 and the clear case..
Packaging is what we are use to seeing from ULAK,Simple and pleasing enough on par with many.The case comes with a leaflet which will show you how to print out some inserts for you case due to it being transparent this reminds me of the old Nokia days with the Nokia 3200 if my memory serves me correctly..
Image Gallery
Packaging front
Packaging rear
Top view
Camera area
Volume keys left side
Bottom view
Right side
ULAK branding
Top view
Back View
Front view,lip goes round entire front
Volume keys
Power key
3 / 13
The case does offer what is expected from the users perspective and does a good job not adding any bulk to the device and looks neat,all the keys functioned fine and there was no issues here with stiffness unlike what you might find with some cases to begin with,the travel on the keys was natural and its good to see,the usual cut outs on the bottom where fine giving easy access to the Micro USB port and headphone socket though it seem very tight,some headphone jacks might not insert fully here but thats not a huge concern,again the speaker was not obstructed either giving way to clear sound and not muffled,The camera and lens are also passed the test lying below flat level keeping this area away from harm,The front of the case sports a lip all the way around keeping the screen safe enough enabling the user to place the device face down. Overall the case is quite good and robust,over a period of time due to being transparent I can see it loosing its colour and probably go yellow but this is to be expected due to the colour,all cases any colour are due to discolouration over time regardless..
This is our second case from the good folks at poetic cases who have sent us over a few samples,this time round its the Samsung Galaxy S7 everything remains the same as mentioned in the last review only this time another device,and a different colour. Nice and simple yet effective these cases do the job they are designed to do and offer a nice design on the rear keeping all ports available with easy access,with a transparent backing you can see through the case and enjoy your phones natural colour,some folks really need this and prefer transparent cases over coloured ones..
Poetic Cases have kindly sent us over some cases to check out and we have some for the Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge.
Simple yet effective is how I would describe these and they do indeed look well especially from the rear,Packaging is bog standard but we always discard of this once the case is installed so its not really an issue to take note of but we do have to consider this element due to whats available on the market with some companies perhaps overdoing it with packaging but as I said its not a dealbreaker by any means either its more of a presentation factor for me..
The case does offer what the rest do and its protection for your expensive phone and cost effective at that,with all the key areas covered it passes the test even though its rather plain but they have managed to incorporate a nice design on the rear and you can excuse the front because with devices like these sporting dual edge screens it is challenging to go that extra mile keeping all functionality intact too..
Image Gallery
Back view
Camera area
Bottom view
Right side,power key
Front view
Lip on top front
Lip on bottom end.
Access to side bar is no issue
Corners
Left side,volume keys
Top view
Bottom view,poetic branding
Bumper on all corners
5 / 13
Overall thoughts
Nice and simple yet protects your device,not bulky,Adds better grip and looks well from behind with a nice design on the back. Packaging is below par but not a concern..
The good folks at Otterbox Ireland have sent us over a good few cases to check out for the Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 edge so stay tuned over the coming days for all the reviews to come,First up is the Strada Series leather case for the Galaxy S7..
This case is well tidy and feels good in the hand too offering maximum protection all round keeping your device well protected,With a magnetic closure on board too it will always close perfectly each time and the clip itself shows off the Otterbox logo on the bottom part of the case which looks well too giving it that bit more of a premium look. Eternally the case is covered in leather front and back with the housing being that black coloured plastic we are well used to from Otterbox,this stuff is tough..Also on the outside we can access the volume toggles should you need to adjust the volume at any time,these buttons worked perfectly fine on our testing and no issues to be found here..
Image Gallery
Camera area
Right side,Magnetic closure,power key
Top end
Left side
Bottom end
Bottom front
Magnet
Opened
Front view
Back view
Inside backing
Packaging front
Packaging back
6 / 13
Overall the case fits well in the hand and has good grip with the leather on back and front and on the left side where back and front meet up,the case does not add much bulk to the device either,It is a big phone but Otterbox have introduced some nice slim cases over the years and this is one of them not making the device feel cumbersome,With the lip on the screen with case opened you will be fine leaving the device face down if you like and on leaving it closed with the back face down the is ample protection here for the camera and flash area,The ports are all easily accessible too with plenty of wiggle room for the 3.5mm headphone socket and the micro USB port,some cases tend to be less rewarding with wiggle room here but this case is perfect with all my cables,some of which I did have issues with other cases regarding to fitting 100%
Video Review
This case comes in Three colours too so choice is available,with top quality all round it is a nice case to sport on your Galaxy S7 and looks well too. This case will cost you €49.99 from Otterbox.ie
Otterbox Ireland have send us several cases for the Samsung Galaxy S7 range and today we will look at the Symmetry series for the Samsung Galaxy S7,We have two cases here to check out the only difference being the colour.Both cases are identical otherwise..
Lets have a look at the image gallery below first..
Packaging rear
Front view
Camera area
Back view
Bottom view
Top view
Volume toggles
Top view
Menu key
Top front
Power key
Bottom
Volume toggles
7 / 14
Both these cases as mentioned are identical,offering extra grip to a slippy device these add little to bulk up its overall feeling in the hand yet add some grip to the device which is better in the long run. Transparent cases also offer the user to see its original colour as many cases you might see today wont,some of these devices do have a nice colour and some like that naked feel too but it is always better to be protected just in case you drop it as it will not be a cheap fix.Both these cases also have good tactile feedback on the buttons and worked a treat too and all keys worked perfectly as seen in video,Offering protection on the front screen with a lip enables users to place the device face down on a flat surface with the same applying to the back of the device with the camera and flash area well protected.
Accessing ports to is simple with a generous space to facilitate any headphone jack or Micro USB,Over time I have come across a few cases that would not allow all to fit headphone jacks or Micro USB cables perfectly,this is not the case here and all I have fit fine and no issues,The one thing here is the case being transparent and having a clear back the case is subjected to smudging just like the device but its a small niggle you can forgive for protecting your device overall and with many of todays mobile phones being fingerprint magnets its something most folk are used to dealing with…
You can check out the full range of the Symmetry Series which are priced at €34.99 over onOtterbox.ie
The Samsung S7 Edge is one of if not the best device out this year and protection here is a must,Case making here though for a device with dual curved screens can be challenging but the two cases we have from Otterbox do the job fine,both cases are from the Symmetry series and the only difference being the colour here,both serve the same purpose and work perfectly fine offering a transparent view from the back yet protecting the device with an easy on/off fitting which again is rather handy and no messing about..
Image Gallery
Packaging front
Packaging rear
Roasted crystal case front
Grey crystal front
Power key
Camera and flash area
Back view
Power keys
Top view
Bottom view
Top front view
Menu button
Front view sidebar menu
Power key
Volume toggles
Top view
Bottom view
Back view
Top front view
Menu key
Sidebar menu
Side view
8 / 22
This case is quite nice and in hand it feels better giving that bit more grip to the already slippy feel to the 7 edge although much improved over its predecessor its still a tad slippy,this case will give you that extra grip and an extra sense of security,Being transparent though does give this case a fingerprint magnet status which is not really an issue due to most phones suffering this minor setback and can be forgiven. With a raised lip around top and bottom you can place the 7 edge face down on flat surfaces and not have to worry about getting the screen damaged,the edge panels will be subject to exposure but on how it lands should you drop it is entirely luck.the edge screen works fine too and can easily accessed with no problems,Volume and power keys are also fine with good feedback though some extra pressure on the volume toggles is need,being new this is expected and should fee up over time. The camera and flash area too are protected and the device can be put back down with no worries on flat surface and again nothing to fear of here getting any marks on the camera lens and so on. Overall this case is is value for money priced at €29.99 and comes in several other colours which will be linked below.
At the beginning of the week, Blackberry gave us awesome news. The update to Android 6.0 Marshmallow for the BB PRIV was ready and was starting to roll out globally.
Us here at TechBuzzIreland are big fans of the PRIV and you can see why HERE, also you can see our full review HERE.
This is quite impressive as the blackberry team just started the beta testing for it less than 3 weeks ago.
We’ve been using the MM update as beta since the beginning but now its available to everyone, we can give our full review of this update.
First of all you need to know, if you’re a beta tester you don’t need to do anything to have the final release as is the same you’re carrying right now.
Overall it is a welcome update, but as weird as it sounds this device seemed to be built to run MM to start with.
Some of the improvements like DOZE are here and with the built-in apps permissions the DTEK suite is now a it’s full power.
We also have new keyboard features the depends on your preference could be great or not.
And last but not least: the camera software was also updated to add two new features.
So let’s start!
Performance:
The device was really fluid to start with, but since the update you now have faster transitions and animations between screens.
Statically looks exactly the same, but is now easier to make changes on the launcher (if you’re still using BlackBerry launcher)
Some users reported heat issues on lollipop, some of which I faced myself, but were mostly on heavily intense apps like a game with unreal engine which demand lots of graphic consumption, and just after a while.
After the update, ram management seems to be addressed and even though you can feel the warmth is nowhere near it was on LL.
The battery on the PRIV and in any other smartphone is something subjective, as the use of it vary from one user to other.
But in general you’ll get a full and maybe a little more of usage, with the doze feature the battery consumption is really good.
Security:
The PRIV security is one of the selling points of the device, previously commanded by DTEK now gains a boost with the granular permission that MM offers.
Going in the app will show you “how secure your device is” and right on top of other options you’ll see “app permission” which takes you to individual software or hardware components that have been used by each app
So, you can see if an app is accessing your location a 100 times in less than a day and proceed to denied that access.
Also if you were using the picture password as your main lock screen you’ll be asked to add a pin or a pattern to improve the functionality. This secondary step will be asked in some particular functions or after you reboot your phone.
As an extra, if you look in settings and about phone, you’ll see that now you have the May security patch.
HUB:
The HUB is the main source of information (or that’s what BlackBerry says) on your phone.
Now after MM is more integrated within the phone software with extra notifications.
Now there’s support for more apps like IG, Skype and even Slack.
If you’re one of the PRIV adopters who’s not coming from a BB10 device I strong recommend you to make used of it. As the productivity edge it’s interlace with it and if you use the Outlook calendar as well the Google one you’ll have the two on the glance screen of the edge.
Keyboard
The PRIV’s keyboards are the other selling point, as is the only flagship phone to sport a Physical KB built-in as well as the Virtual keyboard.
The software that goes along the phone’s KB is good. But now you’ll have Swipe functions to use, not only on the virtual keyboard but the physical too.
Make use of it has a drawback, you lose the “swipe left to erase” feature.
This “new” gesture can be turn on and off on both sides in the options menu, under “keyboard settings”
They are independent from each other so, as me, you can have it on for the virtual and off on the physical one.
Camera
The camera on the PRIV is good, maybe not one of the top 3 but definitely a good performer.
The software received two new additions in the form of video recording, one is a well-known feature on flagships phones but which was missing from the first release, this is the 120fps slow-motionbut you need to have in mind that there’s no audio on this mode.
The second mode added to it is a not so common 4K recording at 24fpswhich promises “cinematic quality” to your videos.
Something I was personally waiting was manual controls through the Camera2 API but I guess we’ll have to wait for another update.
Another cool feature added is the ability to launch the camera from sleep mode with double pressing the power button as the nexus devices.
Conclusion
The PRIV a great device, made even better with Marshmallow, the inclusion of DOZE, and the boost to DTEK with individual apps permissions are going to make feel you finally have the phone you paid for.
There’s work to be done though, you can find a little lag with some apps and the camera software needs more work.
The Android 6.0.1 update is available since April 26th for PRIV owners who shop directly from ShopBlackberry and Amazon with models:
STV100-1 in the U.S. and Canada
STV100-4 in the UK and France
The carrier models such as STV100-2 and STV100-3 will have to wait till MAy 3 to start recieving the update.
Overall the update is greatly welcome, fixed some of the issues you could find on Android 5.0 and gives you really functional extras. But with the next version of android just around the corner. The real question now will be:
