[Galaxy S 4 Accessories] HiredGUN.45:
Hello all,

I have just received a Cruzerlite 'Experience' case for review. Firstly, I'd like to thank XDA for this great website and to all the members on this forum, I've learned a lot and appreciate all the info found here on how to take full advantage of my Galaxy S4. I find it incredible the vast amount of knowledge on XDA and the willingness of others to share. Thanks to 'opasha' for announcing the need for Beta Testers. Cruzerlite contacted me via PM on July 6th and after emailing them my contact info, one of their products arrived in the mail on July 18. Please note that I am NOT being compensated financially for this review and that the opinion stated in this post is my own. As stated in 'opasha' original post, this is a product Beta Test. The final product you receive may or may not be exactly like the one in this review. I recommend contacting Cruzerlite ( http://www.cruzerlite.com/cases/samsung/galaxy-s-iv ) directly for any questions regarding specs, availability, color options, or additional information.

Came in the mail in a bubble pack. The case is enclosed in a clear plastic box, it's rigid enough so it doesn't get crushed in the bubble pack while being mailed:

The Case that I requested was for a bright color and they sent orange. Some of you may be picky like I am, the shade of the color is very important to me, here it is next to my S4 for comparison:

Since this is the 'Experience' case, it has graphics of various android themes. IMO it's fun and matches well with the bright orange. The back is frosted but the android graphics itself are clear:

Looking at the lateral edges you can see that it is also clear:

With the case on my Black Mist colored S4 it darkens the shade of orange a bit, to my eyes kinda like a light rust or light root beer color.

One thing to note from this angle is the quality of construction. On inferior/cheap ebay cases, there is a noticeable amount of excess material (flash) and at times there can be a edge or 'lip' formed at the seam of the where the front meets the back. If this occurs in a case it is quite an annoyance. On my current tpu case (a generic one I got off ebay, as I like yellow it was the only place to find that specific color) the lip is quite sharp.

On the Cruzerlite 'Experience' it did not exhibit any excessive 'flash' materials and the 'lip' was minimal. IMO, this is reflective of higher quality control and manufacturing standards that you may not find in a cheaper product.

Let's take a look at the dimensions of the Cruzerlite case. I measured my S4 as is and it came in at approximately .333 inches in thickness

With the 'Experience' case on it measured approximately .388 inches so the Cruzerlit TPU case adds a scant .05 to the overall thickness.

Next area to examine are the cutouts. Here we have the camera and flash. The cuts lined up correctly and is slightly raised around the camera. It's a dual hole design which I prefer. Other brands do a single cut for both camera and flash which IMO is less protective. Also the case adds some height to the phone so if you lay your S4 on a flat surface, it doesn't come into direct contact with the camera lens.

Areas around the ports are important to inspect, if it is cut too high or not thick enough in certain areas, it will affect the structural integrity of the case and can cause bowing making the case act or look flimsy. On my ebay case it bows around the front side where the volume and power ports so visually it looks bad. The Cruzerlite tpu IMO struck a good balance in it's construction, is not too soft (like a silicon case) but not overly hard (like a hard plastic). It's flexible enough to retain it's shape but soft enough to get it on and off easily while still being secure. Texture wise, the back is smooth to slide in and out of pants pockets with the lateral sides having enough tact for grip and not being overly slippery.

Moving down to the bottom of the phone the cut out for the charging port is slightly offset to the left. While it is not centered correctly it allowed plenty of space for the OEM micro usb cable and my aftermarket ones.

The microphone area is also off center. I was concerned with it blocking sound quality so I places several calls to see if it was affected. Fortunately it did not interfere with sound transmission nor did it affect volume.

The power button is exposed, which is a design I prefer. Other cases have it covered making it a tad more difficult to press.

On the volume button side, it's open just like the power button.

At the top of the phone the cut out for the 3.5mm headset jack and microphone are aligned. I use either a Monster iSport or Etymotic earbuds and the ports are wide enough to fit without any problems.

The ir port is also centered correctly allowing full function:

Going to the back side of the case, the speaker port is not centered but the cutout was wide enough for it to fully work.

Overall I am happy with the case. It's construction and quality is better than other tpu cases I have tried and comes in at a reasonable price (as listed on their site it's only $9.90). I've had it for 2 days now and it will be replacing the current one that I am using. Any changes on my impressions will be added to this post. I plan to use it for another 2-3 weeks and as I like it very much will purchase one from Cruzerlite ( http://www.cruzerlite.com/cases/samsung/galaxy-s-iv ), only hard part is deciding on what color!

Thanks again for the opportunity to review the case. I'd like to pay it forward and send this case out in a few weeks for review to another XDA'er. If you are genuinely interested in a orange case by Cruzerlite, reply to this post with either positive comments or constructive criticism. You must reside in the U.S. and actually own a S4 AND willing to post a unbaised review here on XDA within a week of receiving the case from me. Thanks for taking the time to read this review and hope that it helps. HAGWE everyone!