[G4 Accessories] combsco:
Piggyback Review

I'm going to take the opportunity to piggyback on the review by Fastbird here and not clog up the accessories thread with 50 of these reviews on the same case.

To begin with, mine is the dark version of the case, and so aside from it's obvious dark color difference, it also has a full plastic case around the phone vs. a side-to-side hug case and the wrist strap. But enough talk, let's get into the case itself.

Opening the package reveals a few things, the case which looks, feels, and smells great; a wrist-strap (I chose not to use this), a business card, and a 10% coupon code for another product with a request for an Amazon review (to come later). Having used my phones naked for the past 4 years, a case, especially the folio wallet type, was quite a change, but after 3 days of use I'm completely adjusted to it. The case definitely adds some bulk to the phone as you’d expect, but my phone spends most of its time on a desk or somewhere else, not in my pocket. I’d say ladies with small pockets are not going to find this comfortable to have in there, and even for guys with tighter pants/jeans, it’d be the same deal.

The case is very well made, definitely had the touch of an Artisan in the stitching. You will notice the backing on the leather is most likely a nylon which is glued to the natural leather back and sewn around the edges. The front and back are both double layers of leather and the spine seems to be only a single layer. Holding it in your hand is easy enough when you fold the front around. As I mentioned earlier, the plastic phone case is a full edge case vs the light brown only hugging the sides. I use the Skinomi Tempered Glass protector on the screen and it doesn’t push any of the edges up. The phone definitely isn’t coming out of the case either.

Taking pictures in portrait mode is somewhat difficult because the back tends to want to fold around easily if you don't hold it right. If a way to lock this in until you want it to be a kickstand was developed, it’d be a major improvement. The cutouts on the back don’t get in the way of your shot and landscape is easy to manage. My cutouts aren’t quite centered, but it is such a small offset, you can't notice unless you are looking for it.

Closing the case comes easy because of the magnets in the clasp. However, if you want to really use it as a wallet, you’ll find it initially difficult to put more than three cards in the slots. I couldn’t get it closed with all four slots full. I don’t plan to really use it other than for cash because I have too many cards to fit in here anyway, but if you only have a few you use often, it could be really useful.

As a kickstand, I found no complaints. It doesn’t fall down, close or otherwise cause any problems if you are just watching a show. The cutout for the speaker does muffle it if it is closed and face up, but that’s what you get with a rear speaker phone.

Overall, if you want to make a statement with your phone, don’t already have a leather back, and plan to hold some cash, IDs, etc… then I say grab one of these cases. The best part about any case is that you can always take it off when you don’t want it and put it on when you do!

TL;DR

Pros:

- Hearty construction, high quality material, artisans touch

- Firm grip on the phone

- Card slots if you're into that

- Kickstand when you want it

- Wrist strap (dark version only)

- Keeps your phone safer than it is naked

- Color choices

- Compatible with glass screen protectors

- On sale on amazon right now! http://www.amazon.com/Artech-21-Premium-Italian-Handmade/dp/B00XKHWIG4/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1435201794&sr=8-2&keywords=artech+21+lg+g4

Cons:

- Floppy back when using portrait mode camera

- Needs some stretching to fit a card in every slot and close

- Probably too bulky for tight pants, jeans, short shorts, ladies pants, small pockets in general (although I think it'd be a problem without a case in some pockets too)

- Everyone is jealous!?!

Props to Artech 21 for making a superb product, allowing me to review it for free, and bringing some extra class to my already awesome LG G4.