[Nexus 4 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] AdamUpNorth:
UPDATED 2013-06-07

OK. Let me try since I've tried 9 cases and I'm not 100% happy with any of them. I was spoiled by the Galaxy Nexus Ringke Slim case. Super Slim, all edge protection in a drop and super grippy. Nothing I've tried for the N4 yet has given me the same satisfaction.

These are in the order that I purchased them.

1.

S-Line (TPU)

Like: Cheapest of the bunch. The soft rubber gives the most grip of all the cases I have.

Don't Like: IMO it looks ghetto. Poor molding so there are sharp edges everywhere. I guess you could trim this but it already looks like a hack job. The buttons are covered and are difficult to push.

Overall: I tried this for 5 seconds and then tore it off. Garbage.

2.

Rearth Ringke Slim (hard case)

- MY CURRENT CASE.

Like: Slimmest of all of the case I have. Super tight fit. Looks awesome. Buttons are exposed and are fairly easy to reach. If you want slim, this is a nice case. Judging from the photos I've seen of the Diztronic slim equivalent, it also gives better corner coverage.

Don't Like: Rearth changed the material and design from the Galaxy Nexus which was my favourite case. The material isn't as grippy and offers no protection in a drop to the front/top and front/bottom. The Gnex version was way better as it totally covered the top/bottom front and was super grippy....so I'm super disappointed in the N4 version.

Overall: Even with the negatives I mentioned, I keep coming back to this case for my daily use. It's the best blend of looks, feel (big time) and protection for slim case.

3.

Poetic Bumper (Bumper)

Like: Great fit. Looks way better in person compared to photos. Buttons are covered but are very easy to push (this is a big deal for me). Get to see the N4 backing. Good drop protection because all sides are covered. Easy to remove. Of all the cases, this case gives me the most confidence NOT sliding on a slanted surface.

Don't Like: Makes the phone feel wide. There's no backing so it's not as comfortable to hold compared to a case with a backing. This isn't something no one seems to talk about...it just feels odd. Makes one-hand operation tough.

Note: The back of the phone is exposed so you may want to put a rear screen protector or vinyl (i.e. DBrand). I rocked a DBrand vinyl rear cover for a while with this bumper and really liked it. Great way to customize the look of your phone and you're not constantly cleaning the N4's glass back.

UPDATE:. I've realized I don't like bumpers. The feeling of the recessed back kills it for me. This bumper/vinyl combo is excellent for protection, button feedback and looks....but the recessed back is a deal breaker for me. Just a personal preference.

4.

Diztronic (TPU)

Like: Feels great in the hand. Solid. Probably my fav in terms of feeling. Great build quality. Confidence in a drop situation. Looks great.

Don't Like: Suffers from the same problem as the Rearth hard case. Material isn't grippy. Feel like it's going to slide off a slanted surface. Buttons are covered and because the rubber is stiff, it's hard to push and there's very little feedback. The lip that surrounds the screen is pretty pronounced... occasionally get's in the way of swiping. Not as bad as the Mercury though.

Overall: Although it has some negatives it the best of the TPUs I've tried.

UPDATE: After reading some other posts on the topic, I used an Exacto blade to put little slits along the edges of the molded buttons and it made a huge difference in button feedback. I really like the case now. This is my "rough activity" case.

5.

Official Nexus 4 bumper

(Biggest mistake purchase)

Like: Looks cool. Best button feedback (feels like the original button). Good drop protection as all sides are covered.

Dislike: Widest case on the list. The hard plastic sides make it slippery and uncomfortable. Port/mic holes are smaller than the Poetic. The back plastic edge is dimpled which a) is uncomfortable and b) makes it slippery on a surface (or more so than the Poetic). The USB port hole is deep so you need a skinny USB cable end. Oh ya, and the price is ridiculous. After shipping and taxes it was $33.

Note: Like the Poetic bumper the back of the phone is exposed so you may want to put a rear screen protector or vinyl (i.e. DBrand)

Overall: This was my biggest waste of money of all the cases. Far to expensive for what you get. Get the poetic.

6.

Meifeng Hard Skin Cover Case (Hard case)

Like: Great feeling. It's a hard case but the coating on it makes it feel squishy. Grip feeling is excellent. Button and port openings are excellent...better button openings than the Ringke Slim. Although I've only had this one for 30 minutes it doesn't appear to be a fingerprint magnet like the Ringke is. Wow. I really like this case. Inexpensive too...$7.

Dislike: Like the Ringke Slim the top/bottom front edges are totally exposed so no protection on those edges. Corners are covered but not as much as the Ringke Slim.

Overall: Want a slim case that feels good that protects the sides and back, this is the case. I'll post some pics in this thread.

eBay Link

7.

Rearth Hybrid

I'm a huge fan of Rearth because of my previous purchases. Unfortunately, the Ringke Hybrid is a big miss.

Likes: Very small lip on the holding on to the LCD screen which makes it easy to do edge to edge swiping. The clear plastic (when not covered in fingerprints) looks cool.

Dislikes:

1) The button feedback is almost non-existent so you can never tell if you've pushed them hard enough. You can mod by cutting the button sides but you should have to if it was designed properly.

2) The clear plastic back, although good in theory, is terrible in practice because it's a fingerprint magnet, dirt/dust/fuzz is impossible to keep out so you see it, and I imagine that the first scratch I get will ruin the look of the case.

3) The small 4 feet that keep the back off a flat surface provide no grip. The phone slides very easily. The feet also feel awkward when handling the phone.

4) On my particular model there was a small molding defect. It wasn't a big deal but not in line with Rearth's high quality products.

Rearth took a chance on a unique design so I applaud them for that. But I would not recommend this case.

http://www.rearthusa.com/google-nexus-4-hybrid-fusion-case

Overall: A lot of people like this case but, next to the S-Line, this is my least favorite. Great in theory...awful in practice.

8.

Poetic Palette slim hardcase

UPDATED

Like: Excellent feeling coating on the plastic. Even better than the Meifeng. It's also grippy in the hand and on flat surfaces. Not as much as the Meifeng but more then the Rinkge. The bottom and top edges of the case cover more than 50% of the top/bottom edge of the phone giving it more protection on those edges than the Ringke Slim and Meifeng.

Dislike: It doesn't have raised corners like the other two so you get very poor screen-down protection. I would never but my phone screen down with this case. Less corner protection than that Ringke Slim but more than the Meifeng. It has the smallest button openings of all the slim cases. They've put slits on each corner to make it easier to take the case off but that gives it a very lose fit. I'm not going to test it but I'm willing to bet that your phone would pop out of the case if dropped. It's also the widest of the hard cases cases I've reviewed making it less comfortable to hold than the other two,

Overall: If you take your phone out of it's case to clean often, this is your case.

9.

Mercury TPU

UPDATED

Like: Looks. I have the black one and the sparkle effect is really nice. As long as it's somewhat free of fingerprints, it's pretty grippy too. Great protection as the rubber is soft and covers all front edges of the screen.

Dislikes: The button cutouts are the smallest of all the cases making it uncomfortable to push a button. The cutouts for the mics/speakers are a little off. That doesn't cause a function issue but looks ghetto. It's a fingerprint magnet. The overall fit isn't that good so when you grab it from the sides you can see that the case deform slightly. The mold lines bad and noticeable to the touch. Although I don't have a scale, I feels like the heaviest of the bunch. Also the raised front edge the surrounds the screen is big making the screen look recessed and makes it tough to touch the edge of the screen.

Overall: Not recommended. If you want TPU spend the extra few bucks on the Diztronic and you'll be way happier. This is a "you get what you pay" for case.

So my personal ranking choices are:

Slim hardcase: Rearth Slim because of the feeling (almost like there's no case), superior slimness, great button cutouts, full exposed ports, and looks. Meifeng is the runner up because of the cost, great feeling due to grippy coating and big button cutouts.

TPU: Diztronic TPU because of protection, button feedback (after slits made), feel in the hand and looks. Don't bother with anything else.

Bumper: No brainer. Poetic for the button feedback, surface grip due to rubber edges and protection.