[General Accessories] vectron:
This is a review of Seidio DILEX case for Note 3. http://www.seidioonline.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=BD2-HK3SSGT3K-RB

Remember the artist formerly known as Prince? How about the one formerly known as Snoop Dog? I'm sure you do cause they all had hits in the past, although I'm not sure about their future. Guess who is joining the line-up? Seidio DILEX, formerly known as ACTIVE, except this one still has a bright future :) You have to be living under the rock not to be familiar with Seidio line of popular cases such as SURFACE, ACTIVE, CONVERT, OBEX, etc. I had a pleasure to review and to post about it in this forum for a lot of different Galaxy phones and Nexus tablet. For me SURFACE and ACTIVE was always like two siblings, so you can imagine my surprise when all of a sudden ACTIVE disappeared and got reincarnated as DILEX. Have no worry, it is the same good old ACTIVE, just under a different name. I think it was a great decision to rename it because some people probably associate Active with a more rugged outdoor construction, something typical for CONVERT or OBEX functionality. Either way, no matter what you call it - it still the same case with an inner shock absorbing silicone shell and outer soft rubbery flexible pc shell.

This two-layer interlocking design always surprised me with how Seidio was able to keep it that thin. It actually feels that it got more compact and thinner since my reviews of previous ACTIVE cases, while drop protection of the phone is still intact and very adequate. The inner silicon shell is typically soft without a tight tpu-like grip around the phone. I know some people don't like when case is pulling around the sides, but the advantage of this particular setup is being able to accommodate different screen protectors including various tempered glass brands where you don't have to worry about case pushing on the edges. The material is still a lint magnet, no way around it. The exoskeleton shell goes over inner silicone shell to secure its position in 6 different points of contact, at 4 corners and along both sides. This way it provides a decent corner protection and also holds inner shell along it's sides from excessive pull. The outer shell material is flexible which is very important during a drop to survive any cracks. Soft rubbery finish is very nice to the touch and adds non-slippery grip. Speaking of grip, sides of inner shell which are protruding outside of outer shell are sculptured for an excellent grip as well.

Another advantage of stretchable nature of inner silicon shell is ability to accommodate different shapes and sizes of usb and headphone connectors. Every other port opening is precisely cutout and aligned perfectly. Volume/Power buttons are easy to push and have a nice tactile response. Also want to make a point, temp/humidity sensor is open! Another star of this design is metal kickstand with a magnetic closure. It always adds a classy touch to Seidio cases, has a sturdy construction, and magnet doesn't interfere with a phone (never been an issue for my Note 2 with s-pen). This kickstand is intended for landscape viewing mode only. A signature accessory that I received with my review unit of the case was a holster, something I always praise in my Seidio reviews. Beside felt lining to protect the display of the phone, and swivel belt clip with a precise click mechanism, it has a very secure spring loaded clip for easy removal of the phone.

Overall, Seidio stayed very consistent with their original design scaled up for Note 3 footprint, and this DILEX case is still a good old ACTIVE with just a new name. Although no wheel was reinvented in there, I always feel like some subtle improvement are present with every new case release. Perhaps a bit thinner design and more flexible exoskeleton. Maybe one of these days they will figure out how to keep lint away from that inner shell, but for now just accept it as a great dual layer protection case for your Note 3 with a bonus functionality of pocket lint collector :) As always, shop around on Amazon where you can find the best deal on these cases.

Here are the pictures.