yashsingh1/xdaforums huggingface dataset:
[Galaxy S III Accessories] scarrmrcc:
with some careful sanding you can make it perfect.
[Galaxy S III Accessories] krazykat:
Those that were waiting for Sweet Armor (did cases for sgs2 and gnote) - is taking pre-orders now! I ordered the black one. =D

I'm not advertising for them - just informing those that were interested (was reading the first 15 pages somewhere lol). Cheers!

http://www.thesweetarmor.com/en/9-sweet-armor-gs3
[Galaxy S III Accessories] scarrmrcc:
FYI, they are only taking preorders for the international version, not the regular that most of us has.. that version is slightly different.

I shall wait until they are taking preorders for my phone.
[Galaxy S III Accessories] fatmaninc:
Greatbape or anyone how has the metal bumper case that he has..

i brought the same case and i was wondering if anyone with the same case or other case have a problem with the gps.. on mine it will not lock on. i keep getting that the gps is searching. without the case it works fine. so may question you guys have the same problem or you figured a way to use the gps?
[Galaxy S III Accessories] tech2109:
I have this one in green, doesnt fit for **** out of the bax, but with some tape in it as a spacer you can get it to fit nice and snug. Not bad for $15
[Galaxy S III Accessories] scarrmrcc:
Well, that is actually better... you want some cusion. the high grade ones, have the cusion built in. the cheap copies need you to add your own.

the main difference between the real and fake metal bumpers is:

buttons (the real ones have buttons as part of the bumper, the cheap fakes, have holes so you can use the phone's real buttons)

padding (many of the fakes have no padding, but since they were copied from the expensive ones, there is still space built in for the padding.. and electrical tape works just fine.)
[Galaxy S III Accessories] gregwee:
I bought a fake Triobump just to see if I like having a bumper on my SGS3... So far, I like the feel of it, but I have one big problem.

With the metal bumper on, GPS performance is very very poor. It would lock, but then wouldn't update your position quickly and your position is offset. I am having to take it off to use it for turn by turn navigating when driving.

Does anyone else have this problem when having a metal bumper on their SGS3?
[Galaxy S III Accessories] htcsnap93:
Please sir, enlight us on what the differences are.
[Galaxy S III Accessories] kms108:
I though the korean LTE version is the only one that is thicker, and the rest are the same size whether it's the LTE or 3G version.
[Galaxy S III Accessories] uncle bob:
still waiting element case for GS3..
[Galaxy S III Accessories] scarrmrcc:
well, when I posted that, they said it was not for the Us versions of the S#, and that the Us version would be available later. they have changed that. but it seems to still still have the extra (unneeded for our phones) cutouts.
[Galaxy S III Accessories] pius kim:
i thinking..

----------------------------------------------------------

That`s a imitation.. thinking...
[Galaxy S III Accessories] pius kim:
at sweetarmor website

i thinking Sweetarmor more better..

sweetarmor collar ... so sweet!
[Galaxy S III Accessories] mputtr:
I'm still looking for a red metal bumper case that is similar to the draco design (has button covers for the volume/power button and also has screws so it's harder to remove) but i'm having a hell of a hard time since I can't afford paying 70bucks for the draco branded ones :(

What do you guys suggest?

I've seen this one on ebay http://www.ebay.com/itm/Red-Aluminu...881792?pt=PDA_Accessories&hash=item564bbd41c0

but it doesn't have the button cover... i wonder how hard it is to add a cover or something over the button that will fit that open space...
[Galaxy S III Accessories] kms108:
i'll see what i can find for you.
[Galaxy S III Accessories] mputtr:
kms108 to the rescue again... if you keep doing this I might have to nominate you to the justice league.
[Galaxy S III Accessories] trueman1980:
I ordered Sweet armor gs3.

I will review it later.
[Galaxy S III Accessories] Shaddy-Z.:
Just bought this one: http://www.ebay.com/itm/RED-Aluminu...848604?pt=PDA_Accessories&hash=item20ca97061c

Will let you guys know how it is! Hopefully it's not too bad of a signal drop. I have relatively good signal almost full LTE everywhere I go so it shouldn't bother me too much. Will be used in conjunction with my Zagg HD.
[Galaxy S III Accessories] vw671:
I would be more worried about the GPS. I tried an aluminum bumper and it killed my GPS, didn't work at all.
[Galaxy S III Accessories] Vanquiz:
My combo of metal bumper and metal cover definetely kills the gps, even though it still somehow manage to get me to destination, but the gps signal is on and off so frequently.

I ditched my metal cover already but havent got the chance to try the gps yet till now with only the metal bumper, I will update my post once I got the chance to try the gps.
[Galaxy S III Accessories] DXP2:
Do metal bumper cases affect the network / wifi signal reception at all?
[Galaxy S III Accessories] Vanquiz:
I think it does, some might say a bit n some a lot, but I think it certainly effecting the wifi and or signal. But not to the point that will makes the phone unusable, at least in my case.

At home without the case signal strength around 87-95 dbm, with case around 95-101.

I use Draco bumper, and I love it so so much, would I take it off just to gain more signal strenghth that I think I wont notice? Nope ... Would I take the case off if I will gain noticeable signal strength? Still no ...

Its the price that im willing to pay and willing to sacrifice to have my phone looks and feels exactly like how I wanted it to be. But, each to each person anyway.
[Galaxy S III Accessories] mputtr:
from what I've been reading.. the bumper causes a 10db of signal loss. not sure how accurate the number is though.
[Galaxy S III Accessories] gregwee:
Aside from the problems with GPS, I've noticed a significant drop in signal strength for 3G data. Without the bumper, I'm able to to get consistent 100kB/sec downloads, but with the metal bumper on, I'd get 100kB/sec for 1 second, then it will drop down to less than 10kB/sec and it will fluctuate...

So, this is a problem for me, and I'm thinking of ditching the metal bumper on mine just so I can get better signal strength... But I need to find a replacement that doesn't cause this problem and still make the phone look good.. :) Anyone have any suggestions?
[Galaxy S III Accessories] lokstock:
Here's my bumper case. I got mine on eBay which included the metal bumper and case for £12 approximately.
[Galaxy S III Accessories] distortion:
I still have two Triobump gunmetal Grey bumpers if anyone is interested...
[Galaxy S III Accessories] mputtr:
Has anyone been able to locate a nice metal bumper (preferably red [scarlet if possible]) that uses screws to hold the bumper together and also covers the power & volume buttons but not cost 60-80 bucks?

I've looked all over ebay, amazon, and various other sites, but I have yet to find anything in that price range. I can't afford the draco or sweetarmor stuff but I do wish there are some cheap version that might be available somewhere in the market.
[Galaxy S III Accessories] pendevous:
This is awesome, and I like the overall design. However, as with others, I'm having a dilemma if I should buy one or not because of their infamy on signal drops and GPS. Please do share if you experience such. :D
[Galaxy S III Accessories] vw671:
I could handle the loss of singal drop...but the GPS was totally nonfunctional for me which was a showstopper.
[Galaxy S III Accessories] LeanNSupreme:
Which bumper were you using?
[Galaxy S III Accessories] Paradisimo:
I recently purchased this aluminum cover:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Black-Real-...181732?pt=PDA_Accessories&hash=item4d04184724

I've only had it on a couple of days but so far have not noticed any issues with my 4G, Wifi or GPS. My GPS locked on to my location within seconds and my network connection only went from -95 dBm with it on to -90 dBm with it off. If I do notice any performance drop-offs I will report back.
[Galaxy S III Accessories] scarrmrcc:
I have a draco, and GPS locks on in about 10-15 seconds.
[Galaxy S III Accessories] mputtr:
could you possibly do a test?

if you stay at the same place, check the db levels of cell signal and also wifi power with and without the bumper on it? (I mostly want to see how much of a drop.)

This might be asking too much of you but if you also know of a place where you have low signal and can redo the test there (for cell signal), that would really put things into perspective to see the effects of a metal bumper case.

(if you're not sure where to check, it's in settings--> About Device --> Status)

Thanks a bunch
[Galaxy S III Accessories] SmoothB:
Sent you a PM.
[Galaxy S III Accessories] ratindahat:
anyone have any experience with this seller on ebay? digitalaccessoriesstore

item in question, http://www.ebay.com/itm/370637883949?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649
[Galaxy S III Accessories] mputtr:
funny you mentioned that.. i just talked to them. They seem to be a chinese store that has a warehouse in the US.

I asked them if the camera lens will touch the surface when placed on its back and they said it wouldn't. I plan to get the red one...
[Galaxy S III Accessories] ratindahat:
cool. I was thinking about the "grey" one. if they are shipping from the US. i'd be happy paying the extra 2 dollars or so.

if you do order it before i grab the grey, let me know how it looks when it comes in.
[Galaxy S III Accessories] mputtr:
I'm still waffling on it.... I hate that it doesn't cover the power and volume button, but I happen to have a silicone cover from another case so I might try and see if I can make and exact cutout and somehow glue or attach it in... but i'm a little nervous about it....
[Galaxy S III Accessories] ratindahat:
guess i should have bought as he just raised the prices by $50.
[Galaxy S III Accessories] mputtr:
that usually just means they're out of stock. They usually raise the price over the normal range so that they can keep the auction going to save on costs.

It'll go down when they have more in stock.
[Galaxy S III Accessories] ratindahat:
so i ordered the red one from the same seller today so that my wife can have my otterbox since her phone was stolen today. I'll let you know how it turns out.
[Galaxy S III Accessories] mputtr:
sounds great! i hope to hear the news!
[Galaxy S III Accessories] andrewlo:
This is the series that I am using!!! I bought this because I was attracted by this video :D

[YOUTUBE]lfabDvA46fE[/YOUTUBE]

http://www.dsstyles.com/samsung-galaxy-s3-cases/bumper-metallic-series.html
[Galaxy S III Accessories] mputtr:
ebay sells those types of bumper for around 12-20 USD last I checked.
[Galaxy S III Accessories] setzer715:
That site is a rip off. On amazon for $13.90. http://www.amazon.com/ZuGadgets-Sam...r/dp/B008CK5532/ref=?ie=UTF8&m=A3HLP25655FL1W
[Galaxy S III Accessories] ratindahat:
So the case came in. It isn't too bad. There does end up being a slight gap along the sides of the phone. Looks like it is caused by the aluminum flexing as there are no screws to secure the middle of the sides. Other than that it is fine. The buttons are also interesting to get to. Definitely have to click them from the back of the phone.

I am wondering if maybe the trio bump style might be a little cleaner looking. I really like the look of the draco, though i'm not a fan of the price.
[Galaxy S III Accessories] mputtr:
ah... that's not good... what about the color? was it actually red or was it more like pinkish red?
[Galaxy S III Accessories] scarrmrcc:
you are going to have to deal with something: either a lesser quality case (i.e. no buttons as part of the case, lackluster fit, etc) or pay the price of a quality case. you can't have both, a cheap case, and a quality case. you get what you pay for. (I love my draco).
[Galaxy S III Accessories] covers:
I love my draco as well, perfect bumper.
[Galaxy S III Accessories] ratindahat:
color is the typical anodized red. No complaints there.

As far as the "you get what you pay for" comments. No where did i say i was expecting the fit and finish of a case costing 4-5 times more. I would say that if there were any issues with the draco case, then it would be a serious problem.
[Galaxy S III Accessories] harunjo:
how did you make a hole on it?

did you also make one on top?

is that hole is necessary?

are you sure no body cannot hear you without that mic hole?
[Galaxy S III Accessories] randomher0:
I did it with my dremel and some small drill bits.

I made both holes to improve the sound.

The bottom one is the main mic while the top one is the noide cancelling mic.
[Galaxy S III Accessories] dracwy:
i love the bumper. the quality is good, brushed aluminum look, feels very rigid and strong. bumper thickness about 0.4" (or 1.1cm). the only thing i dont like are the black rubber buttons (and the missing two holes!).

actually, come to think of it, when we lay our S3 back down on a table, the protruding camera part will be the part that will touch the table first, right? hmm... :confused: quite a silly design...

anyway, with the bumper on, it seems that the protruding camera part will still touch the table. i've examined my phone with the bumper, can't be very sure, cos both bumper and camera part seem to be touching the table surface... can randomher0 verify?

if the phone faces down, no problem, the bumper totally prevents the phone from touching the table.

now u've made me consider sticking a small rubber piece on the back of the phone to prevent the camera from being scratched...

---------- Post added at 05:33 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:20 PM ----------

harunjo, i used the edge of a metal file to slowly file into the bumper (that's why the hole is kinda squarish).

was thinking of using a drill/dremel like randomher0, but was afraid i wouldnt have as much control over an electrical tool as compared to a manual file.

i didnt make a hole at the top noise-canceling portion. one hole is risky enough to ruin the bumper, didnt want to risk making another and ruining the bumper. :p besides, the phone works fine with the noise-canceling hole blocked up, so i guess that hole is not so important.

when i first fitted on the new stock bumper, i had tried calling 3 people, all 3 couldnt hear me at all. initially i thought there was something wrong with my phone. but when i took it out of the bumper, the phone worked perfectly. so it must've been the holeless bumper... :mad:

i'm curious to see the holes that randomher0 made using the dremel. randomher0, would u be able to put up a few pics of your masterpiece? :)
[Galaxy S III Accessories] 1SiK1500:
Thank you for the update. if you could re-buy one. would you buy the one without the rubber for the power and volume rockers?

My plan was too purchase one (preferrably with holes) and run a front and back Invisishield...
[Galaxy S III Accessories] tillithz:
would like to know how signal is effected.. gps....cell...nfc?
[Galaxy S III Accessories] dracwy:
1SiK1500, if i get to choose again, i'll still take the triobump one. i dont like the one with the TPU slide-to-lock part. if that part is aluminum too, yes, i'll choose that over triobump. having the bumper made entirely of aluminum is what makes the bumper look cool.

i'm getting a aluminum-look-alike back skin too to make the phone even more metallic. haha. ;)
[Galaxy S III Accessories] dracwy:
tillithz, i dont notice any drop/decrease in cell or gps signal after using the bumper. not sure about nfc, dont really have a chance to use it. but as far as i know, the nfc chip is at the back of the phone (some say embedded in the battery?), so its unlikely the bumper will affect the nfc.
[Galaxy S III Accessories] 1SiK1500:
Thats great to hear. Thank you for updating us. I cant wait to get my phone and bumper together!
[Galaxy S III Accessories] .Arkham:
That's what I had planned to do too. I don't see any bumpers that I want right now though, and I want to wait to see if Taurus brings out a version of their SII bumper for the SIII.

They provided rubber tape/lining that afforded a bit more protection for the phone if it was dropped. Also, it probably prevented scratches from the case rubbing against the metal bumper.
[Galaxy S III Accessories] dracwy:
if u mean the lining on the inside of the bumper, triobump does have the lining too (it looks like thin rubber tape to me), so that the phone doesnt get scratched by the inside of the bumper.

there're still limited cases available in the market now, as compared to the vast choices of iphone cases. but i guess it'll take some time, S3 is getting so popular here that the stocks are constantly running low. it's not likely gonna take over the iphone, but will be a big threat. i was an iphone fanatic once. :)
[Galaxy S III Accessories] Nonepse:
Hey,

I just found this YouTube video, related to this Facebook account (have a look at Pictures part).

I am going to try to contact the guy to know :

- if he is selling

- at what price

- if he can make customized engravings

- and on bumpers with holes

Hope he speaks english. Would you have any other question you would like me to ask him ?
[Galaxy S III Accessories] 1SiK1500:
Awesome. The photos are sick! Let us know!
[Galaxy S III Accessories] Nonepse:
Without fail.
[Galaxy S III Accessories] RMXO:
just ordered me a TrioBump via ebay, hopefully it comes w/o any issues.
[Galaxy S III Accessories] Nonepse:
Could you link the product you bought ?

Because I have a hard time finding exactly what I am looking for :

- black full-aluminum bumper case (Triobump style)

- with 2 mics holes

- and rubbered control buttons

Did anyone of you find something that fits these terms ?
[Galaxy S III Accessories] Hampa_D:
mine with a gray bumper and a brushed steel battery cover.

the battery cover makes the bumper fit thighter but works really well
[Galaxy S III Accessories] RMXO:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/25107701908...X:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649#ht_2156wt_1163

EDIT: I emailed seller to verify if the top has a mic hole & i didn't see one in their picture. Thanks for bring that up. Never noticed until I read your comment. Hopefully, I don't end up having a hard time in finding TrioBump with the things you listed.
[Galaxy S III Accessories] .Arkham:
That's exactly the colour combination I'm doing, too. Thanks for showing me how amazing it looks. I know the cover, but could you link/name the bumper?

Thanks x 100
[Galaxy S III Accessories] 1SiK1500:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXxSZYSbN2M&feature=player_embedded

http://youtu.be/BXxSZYSbN2M
[Galaxy S III Accessories] Hampa_D:
it's from this seller metal bumper, it dont have any extra holes but no one i have called has complained about the call quality
[Galaxy S III Accessories] RMXO:
I ordered the exact one but in silver. glad to hear there is no call quality issues.
[Galaxy S III Accessories] Wond3r:
the metal back/bumper combo looks great.

I would want the green metal back and green bumper but the shades of green between the two are too different. Your greys looks similar eno
[Galaxy S III Accessories] Nonepse:
The engraved bumpers seller answered me. Here are my questions :

1. Do you sell engraved bumpers for the Galaxy S III ?

2. What are your prices ?

3. Would you ship internationally ?

4. Is it possible to order personalized engravings like simple worlds ?

5. Could you make these engravures on the new version of the bumper, which includes holes for mic ?

And here are his answers :

1. Yes.

2. $450, $550 (Please find the attached photo as below)

3. Yes, and the postage will be paid by you.

4. Of course! It just charges $30 for the simple words like a name.

5. Yes.

So it's about 500 USD plus international shipping from HK. I guess the price of the bumper is not included. Anyway that's way too expensive for me. Nearly the price of the phone...

Yet, he is doing simple name engravure for 30 USD. Bumper price and shipping costs still not included.

But I am pretty sure I can find someone making laser engravure (which will be much more precise and maybe less expensive) in my city.

What do you guys think ?
[Galaxy S III Accessories] 58285:
Holy crap thats expensive...
[Galaxy S III Accessories] dracwy:
that is insane! $500 for engraving??? :eek::eek::eek:

u can go to any stores that sell pens and pay a small sum for them to help u engrave your name, definitely less than $30. they have the engraving gadget, for personalizing pens with engraved names.

---------- Post added at 05:51 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:46 PM ----------

that looks awesome!!! love the color and the combination!

i'm still waiting for my aluminum skin. will put up some pics soon. :)
[Galaxy S III Accessories] Nonepse:
Well I just contacted him again too be sure he is talking of USD and not HKG :D
[Galaxy S III Accessories] alfy!:
Taking a stab and saying he means HKD. 500 HKD = ~65 USD.

Still expensive.
[Galaxy S III Accessories] dracwy:
if its USD 65 including the bumper, then its not so bad :)
[Galaxy S III Accessories] 1SiK1500:
Ill take one to Things Remembered at the Mall and have it engraved. It wont be decorative but my GF has been able to engrave wine bottle before.. And they are not that expensive...
[Galaxy S III Accessories] randomher0:
Sorry for the late reply, but here are some close-ups
[Galaxy S III Accessories] RMXO:
Which one did you order again?

I was able to get in contact of the seller for this item: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Aluminum-Al...ccessories&hash=item33770c4655#ht_2156wt_1163

He says there are holes for the top & bottom mics. I'll find out whenever it arrives in a few wks.
[Galaxy S III Accessories] randomher0:
1st gen triobump, the one without the mic holes.

Someone asked if i could upload my solution to the problem.
[Galaxy S III Accessories] dracwy:
thank u for the pics! i was the one who requested for pics, just curious to see. the holes are perfect! very nicely done. :)
[Galaxy S III Accessories] randomher0:
No problem and thanks.

What you need to do is:

1: Mark where the holes need to be, I marked them with the deburring tool on my leatherman

2: Drill the holes with a small drill bit.

3: Re-drill with a larger drill bit.

4: Deburr the hole with a larger than needed drill bit to make the tapered edge on the holes.

PS: I'm not responsible if you f**k it up :P But honestly it's pretty easy.
[Galaxy S III Accessories] tillithz:
honestly the hole looks awful, thats what a counter sinking bit would do.

BUT theres not much choice if the hole isnt there to begin with so good job!
[Galaxy S III Accessories] randomher0:
I counter sunk it by choice as there was a lot of shards around the edge of the hole. Also the picture doesn't do it justice. They are just taken "on the fly" so there's even some lint from my pocket in one of the holes :P
[Galaxy S III Accessories] .Arkham:
Y'know, I think I'd wait for a case that actually fits the design. ;) Kudos on all the hard work, though.
[Galaxy S III Accessories] randomher0:
As far as I have understood, the second generation of the triobump have the correct holes/design, and if it fits as good as the first generation it's a safe bet ;)
[Galaxy S III Accessories] .Arkham:
That's good to know, because I liked the case except for the missing holes. :)

Will add this to my list of potentials now.
[Galaxy S III Accessories] Bluerai:
I wonder if more bumpers will start popping up with the US release of this phone?

A well-fitting bumper is about as far as I want to go this time around.. Figured I'd be smart and have a case/screen protector on my GS1, but needless to say my phone is naked now. With all of the drop tests I'm hearing about though... Figure I should try to protect it at least a little bit

I must say that that Triobump is looking nice
[Galaxy S III Accessories] randomher0:
I would guess that the american manufacturers will get busy pretty soon ;)

I'm not taking any chanced so I have my bumper + a front and rear invisiSHIELD ;)