[Galaxy S 4 Accessories] Cloxed:
I came up with the idea to review the two cases I recently ordered online, as they both looked like good options among the lighter slim cases. Not a lot of bulk at expense of less protection: that was the premise I had.With that in mind, I went through a couple of alternatives (didn't research much, though), with the two following alternatives emerging victorious: Parfiti's Air Shield for Galaxy S4 & Spigen Ultra Fit for Galaxy S4.

I know it isn't a fair fight, as I should have compared the Air Shield vs the Spigen Ultra Slim Transparency case, but I figure the Ultra Fit matte black cover is just the same in measures and thickness as the transparency case.

Parfiti - Air Shield

http://www.parfiti.com/air-shield-for-galaxy-s4

Pros:

- Ultra slim

- Transparent

- Virtually no bulk added

- Perfect fit for S4

- Minimally invasive branding

Cons:

- Cutouts for volume rocker and power button a bit small

- Transparent finish prone to visible scratching

- Not very sturdy build

- Little to none protection against drops

- Standard grip

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Notice the logo in the lower right area of the bessel

Original packaging included a screen wipe and a screen protector

Let me develop about this a little furtherly. The case main pros are the ultra slim design, which fits the S4 perfectly. This means the case adds virtually no bulk. I can tell you there are times when I actually forgot I had the case on, specially due to the transparent finish. You can actually make it seem like there is no case on the phone... at all. The finish is a transparent glossy plastic with perfect transparency. There is no invasive branding apart from a small logo on the right side, corresponding to the faux-metal bessel of the device, which reads PARFITI in a slim streamlined font: pretty sleek.

As for the cons, I might start saying that the cutouts for the hardware buttons are a bit on the small side of the scale. Don't get me wrong, there is no hassle over pushing the buttons or using them. Not at all. I would have wished, though, that the cutouts were a bit larger, as I tend to press the buttons by sliding my finger from the top of the bessel and down. For those who oppose to transparent finish, it is prone to visible scratching. Though it has been more resilient than I would have expected, small marking have started to show after a few days of moderately careful use. I can only imagine it will show some more visible scratches as time goes by. Due to the fact that it is indeed ultra slim, it does not feel very sturdy when taking it off the phone, getting me to think sometimes that it is about to break. Again, it seems more resilient than what I though -specially for such a thin, thin piece of plastic- but minor (less than a milimeter) cracks have started to show on the corners of the case. These are minimal, almost invisible cracks that seem like a normal reaction from plastic under such stress and not likely to keep increasing or to break. Again, due to the fact that it is ultra slim and the plastic is rather thin, there is little the case can do against a 'decent' drop on solid ground. It is likely to crack -at best- at the first hard drop, giving you a one time only chance to drop it before it becomes unusable.

Conclusion: A very low profile case. Almost unpercievable unless enough effort is put into it. The ultra slim frame is virtually bulk free and allows one to show the true beauty of the phone (patterns, bessel, frame) and the slim measures of the S4. Not a lot of protection against drops, though, but the slim frame makes it totally worth it. You'll eventually forget you are indeed wearing a case on the phone.

Spigen - Ultra Fit for S4

http://www.ebay.com/itm/SPIGEN-SGP-...d=100033&prg=1011&rk=1&rkt=3&sd=181120209101&

Pros:

- Very slim

- Matte black finish

- Perfect fit for the S4

- Sturdy build

- Moderate-to-low drop protection

- Cutouts for buttons very open

- Texture adds some better grip

Cons:

- Non-transparent finish hides the device

- Non-transparent finish protection from sunlight may allow decolor the bessel on the exposed areas

- Adds noticeable bulk

- Somewhat invasive branding

- Straight bessel edges provide a weird grip experience

- Noticeable fingerprint build up

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WYSIWYG

Just because this case has some more pros doesn't make it the ultimate slim case for the S4. It is a good case that seems to provide more resistance to heavier drops, specially when compared to the PARFITI case. I firmly think it might resist quite a few drop without any noticeable injury. This might be due to a thicker plastic used in the case, which also adds to the sturdier build feel in the case. I've put it on and off many times and it never felt like it was going to break. I would not dare to do that in my PARFITI case, as I think it would break within the first 20 tries. As a downside of this, you definitely notice it's there, and the case keeps reminding you of it everytime you hold it.

However it is a perfect fit for the S4, with perfectly open cutouts for buttons, a more open top bessel area, as well as the bottom area; feels a lot freer on the top and bottom. The matte black finish adds to the elegance of the device, although it conceals the true natural beauty of it, it does give it a fresh face that keeps you thinking you've got a new phone. Luckily, the matte comes with a soft-touch finish on the case, which somewhat improves the already flimsy grip of the S4 (I feel the S4 prone to slipping away from my hand) and makes it a lot firmier to hold. Again, with respect to the grip experience, I will add that the bessel part of the case has a squared -not rounded, like the natural S4 frame- finish, which makes it kind of weird to hold, killing the good ergonomics of the device. Truth is I never got used to it, although I don't consider it a deal breaker. Again, for the matte finish, the amount of fingerprints that get on it is pretty high. Within the first few hours, some fingerprints started to build up on the back panel of the case. Though they can be cleaned, of course, it is indeed a downside in this respect. Another downside is the presence of branding and carvings on the back of the case. There is a pretty noticeable spigen logo on the lower right of the back side of the case, and a "13 mega" carving right under the camera area. For those that like that finishing touch, it might be a pro, for me it isn't. The case seems to be pretty resistant to scratches, though I can imagine that as soon as you get a big one, you'll pretty much stare at it everytime you raise the phone.

Conclusion: A very sturdy slim case, with a decent protection to moderate drops and scratches. The only downsides to this are the extra bulk (not much) it adds to the devices, and the weird grip experience due to the squared bessel edges. The grip does indeed feel much better as for the slip-or-not part of it, due to the soft-touch and matte black finish. This gives an interesting look to the device, making it feel like a different phone everytime, though it does this at the expense of some more bulk. Don't think you'll get past the case eventually: you'll always notice it.

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To sum it up, both cases are pretty good alternatives. I myself can't make up my mind about which to use for a prolonged time and end up switching them every now and then. I should have compared the transparent versions of each brand, but this is all I've got.

Hope this is useful for you guys.