[HTC EVO 3D] hdad2:
You've probably all seen this case on the Sprint site. It seemed to be just what I was looked for. A solid case (don't care for rubbery) with kickstand. Why they only offer this in purple is beyond me. Google searching only showed pink as an alternative. But I was really liking the idea of the kickstand that props it 3 ways. It's a really smart idea. So I picked up a purple one from the sprint store. I figured I'd paint it or skin it somehow. A trip to the hardware store found me some paint for plastic that had a bit of texture. I was worried that a glossy or even a dull spray paint would look cheap. But this has a "hammered" finish. The cap had a nice feel to it (which is supposed to be the same texture as the paint). So I tried it.

The case has a VERY glossy smooth purple coat. I figured no paint would stick so I took some 180-grit sandpaper to it to remove some of the gloss. In one spot I sanded long enough to remove the paint to see what the plastic was like. It was black and it didn't look too bad. Smooth, kind of dull, but not bad. Based on that, I thought I would remove all the purple paint....stupid. Took a while and when it was done the plastic looked crappy. No problem cause I had the paint anyway.

Following the directions, two THIN coats within a few minutes and 24 hours to dry.

I didn't know what to expect cause after all, it's just spray paint. The texture looked nice, but I waited the full 24 before I felt it. Hoping it wasn't too cheap or sticky feeling, I gave it a go. AWESOME. It has exactly the texture I would have hoped for. I mean, I'd prefer a matte finish like the battery cover. But short of that, it's great. Smooth enough to feel nice, textured enough to not be slippery. For a $5 can of spray paint, I'm impressed. The paint seems to have adhered to the plastic very well.

Check it out. Sorry for the poor lighting, but you can get a idea of color and texture.

I've also got a can of clear enamel. I thought I would need it, but after feeling how this came out, I don't want to chance it being worse (sticky, too slippery, or even spider cracking). Maybe some of you painting experts can chime it and tell me if I'll really need it. So far I'd say no. My only worry is durability, but after a few days, it's great. I thought it'd be most susceptible to wearing off within the first few days, but nothing of the sort. I've not been exactly gentle with it either. If it holds up looking and feeling this good, I'm very happy.

Other thoughts:

-The 3-way kickstand is sweet. Holds solid. Less tippy than my evo 4g on it's kickstand. Especially with the charging cord connected.

-The camera ends up recessed a few mm. Feel perfectly safe setting it down.

-The screen is also recessed a couple mm. So it won't rub on a flat surface if you set it down.

-The top and bottom are NOT PROTECTED. Not a big deal to me, but some might not like it. If it fell straight, the top or bottom should barely hit if at all. If it fell at just the right angle, top and bottom are scratched.

-I'd prefer a metal kickstand, but this is about a solid as a plastic one gets. The mechanism is a bit unique with a sliding pivot. It clicks open and closed.

Overall, really happy so far. Just couldn't deal with that purple, ugh.

7/20/11 - Inductive Charging - Touchstone style.

Ok, so I had 2 Palm Pre phones in the house and 3 touchstones doing nothing. So I was inspired by drinkwd40's guide on Good and Evo. However, instead of pulling the battery cover off, I decided to do it in the case. There is enough room to fit all the parts with little change in the fit of the case. The biggest difference is that the screen is only recessed about 1mm now instead of 2.

Sorry for some of the pics. Gotta get more light in my man-cave.

Touchstone parts

What I did different is that I didn't use the magnets. I know, I know...That's most of the cool factor with the touchstone. It's true. But I like the idea of a working compass. So I didn't use the small metal discs in the case and I took apart the touchstone to remove the magnets. Now it is more like a powermat type thing.

Here is the how the receiver parts fit in the case.

The worst part was hacking up a usb cable and trying to play nice with the pins. I used an epoxy nub on the plug to cover everything. I left it to stick out a bit so I can remove it easily for USB connection (need to get my root on!) as well as MHL when I can get an adapter. It sticks out about 2mm or so past the side of the case. I does't bother me at all because of where it is at. If I did it over again, I'd fight harder to get the nub a bit smaller. Something i may try to improve on later.

For now, I just put the touchstone in a simple enclosure so I can set the phone down and have it charge.

My plan is to make a nicer base for the touchstone. Probably one that props it up on an angle like the touchstone does.

Charging away!

Notes:

-The receiver adds just a bit of thickness behind the phone, so it pays to "shim" around other places to even it out. Otherwise it feels a bit uneven in the case. As it is now, the phone is nice and snug. Also, shimming it a bit will make sure the case doesn't bulge at all.

-I haven't noticed that it takes any longer to charge, but I haven't had it working but a couple days.

-I wonder if having the touchstone receiver constantly connected via the usb port will actually draw down the battery any. I hope not since this must be how Palm designed it, but who knows?

-Just having the coil behind the phone makes the compass a bit off. But it still seems to work, just slightly off. In the year I had my OG EVO, I used the compass like 3 times for Google Sky Map. But with more and more AR apps around, I'd like to keep it functional, just in case. If I remove the coil, it seems to line up correctly again. So I could always just pull the phone out of the case.

-On the kickstand with the connector down, it stands on the nub just a bit. No biggie at all, doesn't tip or anything. Here's where I could make it a bit smaller.

A hard case that doesn't add too much bulk, in a color I like, with a kickstand that props the phone 3 ways, and wireless charging!... If I can't be happy with that, I don't know what would do it. Too much work though :)

8-2-11 Update

Got a few more pics of the charging base and the case after I added clear coat.

Basically I just cut the bottom of the charging box I had made with the touchstone in it. Now it holds the phone on an angle like the touchstone would.

The round felt pads are to level things out while its on the charger.

The clear coat took much of the hammered texture feel away, but added a smoothness that is kind of nice as well. It's not slippery at all and I feel like I'm not wearing into the paint now. Here's how it turned out.

I doesn't look too much different, but does have a different feel to it. I like it.

Someone asked what it is like behind the kickstand. Here's a pic where you can see the touchstone coil because it is totally open under the kickstand.

I think I'm done now. Of course, that's what I said last time...