This is the review of the Casemate Barely There case for the Samsung Galaxy S II. The review unit is the Chrome model. You can also get the Galaxy S II case in other colours such as Black etc.
The case is meant for the International version of the Galaxy S II and I doubt it will work with the Korean version since the Korean model is thicker. The Korean version also has an antenna for which the case doesn’t seem to make room for.
From the name itself, you can gather that the case is really thin especially considering the fact that it is a hard case. It is one of the thinnest cases for the Galaxy S II along with the SGP Ultra Thin Air Case. The case is mainly aimed for those people who need to protect their device against scratches while still retaining much of the original thickness and design of the phone.
The case could possibly be as thin as most silicone and flexishield cases. It is made out of plastic and has a glossy finish (the finish varies depending on the colour, the black version has a matte finish). The glossy finish manages to attract a lot of fingerprints so be prepared to constantly clean your device if you want it looking neat. If you don’t like fingerprints, then you might be better off with the matte versions.
I was worried whether the glossy coating would cause the phone to slip out of my hands but so far it hasn’t. It seems that a special grip coating has also been applied to the case. The design of the case is minimalistic.
The case is very easy to fit. Even someone who has never used a case before can snap it on very easily. The case is a perfect fir for the phone and there are no creaks or rattles.
It covers the entire back and leaves slots for the camera module and the speaker phone. The cut-outs aren’t as small as the ones seen on SGP cases but not much space is left uncovered. On the sides, there are cutouts for the power/screen lock key and volume up/down keys.
The top and bottom are largely left uncovered and so that area might get a few scratches with use especially the chrome bezel. The chrome bezel is protected on the sides though as the case fits over it.
I was worried whether the paint would scratch off easily but during the time that I used the case for the review, nothing of that sort happened.
The portion of the case near the headphone jack has sufficient opening to allow all headphones, even ones with big plugs. The keys seemed to be difficult to press at first, but you get the hang of it after a day of use. Since the case is raised, it also provides protection to the camera from scratches when it’s placed on flat surfaces.
Overall it is a good case. It does everything that it is supposed to do. It is a case for those who primarily need scratch protection. If you’re looking to protect your device from bumps and falls, then you’re better off with other cases. You can get the case over here at MobileFun for 15.95 GBP including VAT.