[Galaxy S II Accessories] Beards:
Well... after what seemed an eternity my Zenus E'stime in Chocloate Brown Case finally arrived from Korea.

Item was ordered on Tuesday 24th May and arrived a fortnight later on the 7th June.

I have now found the time to review the case properly and as such please read below my personal comments on the E'stime Case.

For anyone who wants to get straight to the photo's simply click here.

There you will find no less than 23 photo's taken from various angles and differing examples both with and without the phone.

So... without further ado, let us commence the review....

Packaging [5 out of 5]

The packaging was nothing but excellent.

Extremely well packaged the boxed case had been placed in a waterproof plastic bag that had an enormous amount of internal bubble-wrap applied. You simply could nor tear open this plastic outer case and took several attempts with strong scissors to open.

After finally opening the wrapping I was then presented with a lovely box to next establish my skills at opening.

As you can see from the photo's the box itself is very well presented, clearly the advertisers had done a good job in the marketing of this product, which is always a clear sign that the manufacturers of the case believe in excellence.

Opening the box you then find inside the case and a screen protector.

Now I can not comment on the screen protector as I don't use such items on my screen so sorry, if anyone is expecting me to pass judgment you will have to ask separately.

Quality of the case (include does it mark easily, quality of leather, stitching, overall professional look and feel). [4.5 out of 5]

Just by looking at this case it oozes excellence.

It is soft leatherette style with a semi-hard outer skin (very pliable) and can be opened back on itself very easily.

This makes it easy to hold in the hand as often cases that open from the top simply end up hanging at the bottom and often get in the way.

I find once the case is open I simply bend it all the way back on itself and the result then being the phone appears and feels as if it is in a 'back case' and not a complete case.

The exterior part of the case is shiny and has a soft springy feel to it.

I expect if you apply something sharp it is going to mark this outer skin easily.

It is however very easily cleaned. I dropped a dollop of jam the other day onto this outer brown skin and am happy to report it wipes off nice and easy.

The quality of the materials used are very good and from an initial stance you would easily believe this to be from the finer leather stables.

Stitching is strong and accurate and overall the case has a very professional feel to it. It certainly does not look out of place inside my expensive tan interior vehicle nor on my mahogany desk at work.

General protection (include screen, corners and camera). [4 out of 5]

The phone slotted very easily into the case and once held inside it feels quite well protected.

There are a couple of areas where the case offers no to little protection noticeably at the top of the phone.

Here the only protection is a small bent piece of the case that grasps the phone in place.

Another area is the volume control strip. The phone is exposed not just by the volume controls but all the way to the top.

However, unless you drop the phone on this side where something is sticking up that makes a direct connection with this exposed part the phone is otherwise protected very well on this side.

The bottom is a different story, the case gives complete protection to the phone.

The back is covered well with only the camera and speaker not covered.

The cut-out for the camera is carried out well, fitting around the camera nicely.

When laid flat on it's back the camera is then resessed and as such does not make any contact with the surface the case is laying on.

The speaker grill is nicely added and will stop dust etc from entering into the phone.

I have tried the speaker operation whilst in the case and can not hear any differences in tones are audible quality.

What kind of bulk it adds in reality. [5 out of 5]

Surprisingly it adds very little bulk to the phone.

The case has lovely simple lines which enhance it's slimness.

It fit's in pockets easily and adds little extra in weight or body.

How practical it is to use. [5 out of 5]

Extremely usable. The phone can be placed in and taken out of the case very easily.

Once placed inside it the phone feels securely snug and tight.

How long this tightness stays will be the telling part as it may start to work loose over time... but that would be down to how many times you insert/remove the phone from the case.

Opening the case is done from the top by pulling/prizing open the top cover. It is held firmly in place but again does not take an excessive amount of force to open.

Once open, the front will hang down if left on it's own.

As I mentioned previously, the best way to hold the phone with the case open is to bend the front cover back on itself thus turning the phone basically into a bar as opposed to a case.

This actually adds further protection to the camera and does not interfere with the speaker grill.

Does it build up any heat. [5 out of 5]

Not in the slightest. I was quite surprised to find when the phone is either running hard or being charged there was no heat on the case and no additional heat on the phone.

I checked the temperature of the phones processor and it showed no difference.

Are the holes aligned correctly. [5 out of 5]

Simple answer.... Yes.

Apart from the Volume control where the gap covers more than the switches all other holes are fit exactly to purpose.

As mentioned previously, the speaker hole has a grill that is recessed and provides additional protection.

Does it interfere with the sound, camera, Power, Volume controls, Headphone socket and micro-usb connector. [4.5 out of 5]

Not in the slightest.

To charge the phone you do have to open the front cover, but apart from this all holes as said are aligned correctly and you have complete access to all controls.

Is it easy to remove from the case for phone maintenance. [4.5 out of 5]

Again as mentioned above ~ I have removed the phone several times (purely out of research) and am happy to report the process is simple.

I found the easiest way to remove the phone is to hold the phone in the left hand with the thumb on the base and the second finger at the top. With the right hand place your thumb on the bottom right holder and lift the phone with the left hand.

This allows the phone to be removed easily.

Can the flap be used to act as a stable prop in Landscape mode. [5 out of 5]

Most certainly.

Because the base of the front flap is very pliable it allows you to both bend and twist the front cover back on itself thus using the front cover as a stand for watching movies.

Does the Closure interfere with the operation of the phone. [5 out of 5]

Not at all.

First it in 'Non-Magnetic', so to all those who have concerns as to magnetic properties interrfering with the phone, there are no magnets on this case.

The closure is small and is both tight enough to hold the front cover in place but loose enough to come free with a small amount of pressure.

I personally feel it is the right balance ~ Strong enough to stay closed but loose enough not to end up with the phone flying through the air when you 'SNAP' it open and loose the phone in your hand.

Conclusion

It is a very well made case and will not look out of place anywhere you place it.

Strong enough to protect the but supple enough to allow you complete access and use of your phone.

Is it worthy of the high price-tag it sells by ~ Quite obviously a personnal opinion but I was happy to part with the $44.99 USD or £28.60 it cost at the time of purchase.

The seller I found to be most helpfull. Not only did he answer my messages in a timely manner but provided exact measurements to ensure this particular case would fit the European or thinner Galaxy SII.

Overall Verdict [4.75 out of 5]