[Galaxy S 4 Accessories] martuseich:
I've been using the Anker 7800 mAh for the last week or so & it seems to do pretty well.

I needed a rugged case that the Anker 7800 would fit in & the closest one that looked sturdy enough to do the job is the ZL. I had to trim about 1/16" inch (1/32 or so on each side) from the inside edges of the 2 sides on the inner skeleton of the case. Maybe I could have gotten by without doing that but it felt like I might break it or not be able to snap the front & back pieces together properly without making a little more room. It wasn't bad. It would have gone a little quicker using a dremel but I had a utility knife handy so I used it instead. It just took a little patience and care in order to be sure to not break the piece.

The case fits very snugly. With the raised volume & power buttons and the cover flaps on the power & headphone ports, it actually seems a lot like the Otter Box case my wife & daughter use on their S3 & S4. If Otter Box made a case for the extended battery I would have used that instead. Anyway, I didn't need any of the shims or optional back cover plate (removable to accommodate a battery larger than the ZL 7500). If that sounds confusing, you'll see what I mean when you get the case or check out a review on Youtube.

The Pros on the ZL case:

-This case definitely accommodates the Anker 7800 mAh battery.

-The case seems relatively solid and well made

-the raised power and volume buttons are easy to feel

-relatively sturdy cover flaps for the power and headphone ports

-the cameras, mics, sensors and speaker are open sufficiently for all functions to work properly

The only cons for me are:

- Step one of the instructions isn't very clear. I had to go to Youtube & see someone take it apart. It makes sense once you see it, but the instructions don't explain the initial taking the outer shell off very well.

-the outer TPU case fits on

so

snugly that it was a pain to take apart out of the package and a little bit of a pain putting the outer case back on. It's designed like that so there's

no way

it'll come undone accidentally so long as you put it on correctly. This con is also a

huge pro

! The other negative about the case being so securely made is that it's a bit of a pain to take it off when you need to remove your battery or ext SD card. Don't have an accident where it gets wet and you need to get the battery out in a hurry. There's a little lip on the edges of both the inner skeleton and the outer TPU cover that interlock. Definitely a nice snug fit.

-While the TPU case does have tiny bumps/studs on the sides to improve grip, the overall case doesn't have quite the rubbery grip I liked on my Seidio case for my EVO 4G. While it's not ideal, the grip is reasonably decent. I don't think I'll drop it easily.

- The built in screen protector

SUCKS!

(excuse the capital letters, that's not a shout, just emphatic) Sorry ZL but big fail on that one and if you look at the reviews, most others make the same complaint. It sits just a tiny bit above the screen so that you can't just touch the screen. Instead you have to press the screen protector down until it makes contact with the screen. It's only attached around the edges by some double sided tape so it's not hard to get rid of it. The quality of the screen protector seems a bit substandard. It reminds me of the plastic they use for the clear plastic clam shell packaging you see on Energizer batteries and so many other products. You can find much better screen protectors that are glare & smudge resistant.

-Lack of a kickstand. (but I just robbed the kickstand off the CRAPPY Seidio extended cover case I got for my S4 initially & stuck that on the back). The included carrying case gives you a kickstand but the case / holster is just too clunky for my taste. I need a case that absolutely cannot fall off or and the phone absolutely cannot fall out of (checkout "Ripoffs" cases by U.S. Armor, made for law enforcement/military/emergency services). Ripoffs cases have to be deliberately taken off. They are ultra secure on your belt or when just clipping them to the top of my pants pocket. The CO-83 is a good fit for this phone/battery/case combination and it has a little pocket inside where you can put a spare SD, thumb drive and/or micro usb otg cable.

As far as the battery, just one con, being the weight. You're definitely going to feel the difference but if you're considering extended battery you probably won't care. I don't mind it being a brick so long as it functions for me.

I'd recommend them both!