I have used this forum for reviews/research on so many different topics, so I felt it was my turn to return something. I'm going to start with a little history/journey if you will. First, I've had the "numerous cases journey" which most others have also had. I wanted the best of both worlds, wireless charging and fully submersible waterproofing. I had purchased the OEM wireless back cover and a Samsung OEM full sized charging plate. Great combo, unless you need a real case. Naturally, I went and tried bumper cases, Belkin being the best, but still ugly and horrible feeling imho.
I then decided having had Lifeproof in the past and liking how slim they were, I would give them another chance. I ordered the white/grey case (direct from Lifeproof) and a wireless receiver card (from amazon). The wireless receiver card created a very large bulge and the phone got very hot charging. The Lifeproof had passed the water test, visually it was a very appealing case and felt great in my hand. Popped the phone in and called my wife to test it. The echoing she heard was atrocious. We switched phones so I could hear.....horrible and I was VERY disappointed. I supposedly have another being delivered, 10 day process according to Lifeproof....so a great deal since I had paid originally for over night delivery (insert eye roll).
I'm inpatient, I wanted a waterproofed case now. I had previously been searching for reviews on the Preserver made by Otterbox (yes, they now own Lifeproof). There aren't any, I think I found one which was poor. So while I waited for the Lifeproof, I decided I would try the Preserver, so I went ahead and ordered the black grey combo which was delivered yesterday.
Now onto why you're reading this. Before anything, I wanted to test the call clarity. I popped the phone into the case, taking the front case, laying it screen down, you place the microphone in first, then drop and press the rest of the phone in. The back gets pressed on per the instructions, pressing where and in order as shown on their instructions. I went outside and called my wife, crystal clear on my side and on hers, zero feedback. Off to a great start, now to perform the water test. Passed, nice and dry inside. I had purchased a different wireless receiver, claiming to be thin off of Amazon under the name of "Expower(R) Ultra-thin QI Wireless Charging Charger Receiver For Samsung Galaxy S5" so I popped that one in which created a very minimal bulge, and installed the phone into the case again. Placed another test call, still crystal clear.
I was worried about the wireless charging thru this case. The back of the case is recessed from the outer rim and the Samsung charging plate is also concave. I placed the phone on the charger and it started cycling thru the "detected wireless charging" cycle, beeping each time it thought it was just placed on the charger. I rotated the phone 90 degree's so it looked like a plus sign, same thing. I had an old wireless pad made by Koolpad and sold by fonesalesman on Amazon. This seems to work well, the plate is slightly smaller than Samsung's plate and it has beveled edges which helped with the recessed back of the Otterbox. I charged it overnight and it was fully charged this morning, the battery peaked at about 94 degree's, which is good since it's a fully enclosed case and I was worried about heat build-up. In comparison, the oem back cover and oem charger were around 98-101 degrees when charging.
The build/quality of this case is fantastic imho, it feels good and sturdy, not cheap. I does feel a little slick, however, the sides of the front of the cover had a rubber like texture which does provide grip. There is no holster available for this case, which is a disappointment and means it has to be in your pocket, the case is a bit thick, but I actually prefer it as thin phones I feel there is a higher chance of me dropping. Port covers are very nice and appear to seal very well. I will say that the screen does exhibit some very slight oil-slicking which isn't noticeable with the screen on, this may bother you, it doesn't bother me in the least. Here is an added plus, unlike Lifeproof which requires you to use a coin to disassemble the case which gouges the case, Otterbox provides a nice plastic tool which serves two purposes. First, it allows you to separate the two halves of the case and doesn't gouge it in the process. Second, a second tool turns out, which is used to open the charging port on the phone since your finger will no longer be able to reach it. This tool even has a lanyard which you can attach to the tool and case if that's your thing, I didn't attach them.
I'm not easily able to take pictures, but I will say the case exactly resembles what you see on their website. As an added bonus, I also received a free waterproof box which is submersible to 100 ft. I didn't think too much of it, but when it arrived yesterday, I will say it's a very nice box and I will use it on my boat to keep my wallet and keys in.
I hope someone will find this of help to them. I am going to post the link below to the card and charger I have which works for me. Mods, if I'm not allowed to do this, please edit to remove the links as I'm only trying to help others. Thank you for taking the time to read this and I hope it helps someone.
Wireless Charger - Order the muted version, trust me. You can make the one which beeps muted easily if you need to:
Amazon.com: Koolpad Qi Wireless Charger Pad for All Qi Compatible Devices Including Nexus 5, Samsung Galaxy S5 SV and other Phones with Receivers & iPhone with iQi Mobile (Black): Cell Phones & Accessories
Wireless receiver card:
Amazon.com: Expower(R) Ultra-thin QI Wireless Charging Charger Receiver For Samsung Galaxy S5 (Ultra-thin S5 wireless receiver): Cell Phones & Accessories
I then decided having had Lifeproof in the past and liking how slim they were, I would give them another chance. I ordered the white/grey case (direct from Lifeproof) and a wireless receiver card (from amazon). The wireless receiver card created a very large bulge and the phone got very hot charging. The Lifeproof had passed the water test, visually it was a very appealing case and felt great in my hand. Popped the phone in and called my wife to test it. The echoing she heard was atrocious. We switched phones so I could hear.....horrible and I was VERY disappointed. I supposedly have another being delivered, 10 day process according to Lifeproof....so a great deal since I had paid originally for over night delivery (insert eye roll).
I'm inpatient, I wanted a waterproofed case now. I had previously been searching for reviews on the Preserver made by Otterbox (yes, they now own Lifeproof). There aren't any, I think I found one which was poor. So while I waited for the Lifeproof, I decided I would try the Preserver, so I went ahead and ordered the black grey combo which was delivered yesterday.
Now onto why you're reading this. Before anything, I wanted to test the call clarity. I popped the phone into the case, taking the front case, laying it screen down, you place the microphone in first, then drop and press the rest of the phone in. The back gets pressed on per the instructions, pressing where and in order as shown on their instructions. I went outside and called my wife, crystal clear on my side and on hers, zero feedback. Off to a great start, now to perform the water test. Passed, nice and dry inside. I had purchased a different wireless receiver, claiming to be thin off of Amazon under the name of "Expower(R) Ultra-thin QI Wireless Charging Charger Receiver For Samsung Galaxy S5" so I popped that one in which created a very minimal bulge, and installed the phone into the case again. Placed another test call, still crystal clear.
I was worried about the wireless charging thru this case. The back of the case is recessed from the outer rim and the Samsung charging plate is also concave. I placed the phone on the charger and it started cycling thru the "detected wireless charging" cycle, beeping each time it thought it was just placed on the charger. I rotated the phone 90 degree's so it looked like a plus sign, same thing. I had an old wireless pad made by Koolpad and sold by fonesalesman on Amazon. This seems to work well, the plate is slightly smaller than Samsung's plate and it has beveled edges which helped with the recessed back of the Otterbox. I charged it overnight and it was fully charged this morning, the battery peaked at about 94 degree's, which is good since it's a fully enclosed case and I was worried about heat build-up. In comparison, the oem back cover and oem charger were around 98-101 degrees when charging.
The build/quality of this case is fantastic imho, it feels good and sturdy, not cheap. I does feel a little slick, however, the sides of the front of the cover had a rubber like texture which does provide grip. There is no holster available for this case, which is a disappointment and means it has to be in your pocket, the case is a bit thick, but I actually prefer it as thin phones I feel there is a higher chance of me dropping. Port covers are very nice and appear to seal very well. I will say that the screen does exhibit some very slight oil-slicking which isn't noticeable with the screen on, this may bother you, it doesn't bother me in the least. Here is an added plus, unlike Lifeproof which requires you to use a coin to disassemble the case which gouges the case, Otterbox provides a nice plastic tool which serves two purposes. First, it allows you to separate the two halves of the case and doesn't gouge it in the process. Second, a second tool turns out, which is used to open the charging port on the phone since your finger will no longer be able to reach it. This tool even has a lanyard which you can attach to the tool and case if that's your thing, I didn't attach them.
I'm not easily able to take pictures, but I will say the case exactly resembles what you see on their website. As an added bonus, I also received a free waterproof box which is submersible to 100 ft. I didn't think too much of it, but when it arrived yesterday, I will say it's a very nice box and I will use it on my boat to keep my wallet and keys in.
I hope someone will find this of help to them. I am going to post the link below to the card and charger I have which works for me. Mods, if I'm not allowed to do this, please edit to remove the links as I'm only trying to help others. Thank you for taking the time to read this and I hope it helps someone.
Wireless Charger - Order the muted version, trust me. You can make the one which beeps muted easily if you need to:
Amazon.com: Koolpad Qi Wireless Charger Pad for All Qi Compatible Devices Including Nexus 5, Samsung Galaxy S5 SV and other Phones with Receivers & iPhone with iQi Mobile (Black): Cell Phones & Accessories
Wireless receiver card:
Amazon.com: Expower(R) Ultra-thin QI Wireless Charging Charger Receiver For Samsung Galaxy S5 (Ultra-thin S5 wireless receiver): Cell Phones & Accessories
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