By With the Nexus 5 coming and going on Google Play, we’d be willing to guess that more than a few of you purchased the phone as an early Christmas gift to yourself. Whether you already received yours or are still waiting for your shipment to arrive, you’re probably going to want to protect your new investment with a case.
Back when the phone first launched, we showed you the (overpriced) official OEM accessories available from the Play Store. If those were a little too rich for your blood, you’ve probably been exploring 3rd party options. No worries, we did the same. The case we decided to give a spin was this slim case (SGP10560) from the boys at Spigen.
First off, this case comes in a variety of colors and finishes, but only the black model features a near identical soft touch finish (SF) to the Nexus 5. It’s not rubbery and wont pull your pockets inside out when slipping it out. It feels silky. Almost like some kind of organic lambskin.
After slipping the case on the Nexus 5, you’ll notice the tops and bottoms of the phone are left relatively unprotected. This is common in slim hard shell cases. The case is a little bulkier than we’d like, but we suppose the added thickness should help with small drops.
The main issue we have with the case is the sharp edges along the tops and bottom. When I hold my phone, I prop it up with my pinky to keep it from slipping downward. This was incredibly uncomfortable for me using this case, but depending on how you hold your phone, your results may very.
Overall we were pleased with the design of the case. The color and finish blend in perfectly with the Nexus 5. The best part is Spigen includes a bonus screen protector to keep the front of your phone protected as well. Trust me, it’s not a throw away. You’ll want to use it (I already have a long scratch on my display). You can find Spigen’s slim case for the Nexus 5 for $10 with Prime shipping via the link below.
Amazon link: Spigen Slim Case for Nexus 5
Just so you know, a lot of Spigen’s cases can be purchased “buy-it-now” on eBay for $9 with free shipping and many with a screen protector too, directly from them, as well, in case you don’t have an amazon prime account. Opted for a $3 tpu from China myself(came in 6 business days) and a screen protector(like zagg’s) from a local seller on eBay, also.
eBay is almost always my go-to when looking for cases on a budget. It’s just those 3 week delivery times from China that kill me.
Since I wanted the case ASAP, I opted for Amazon with Prime shipping. They even ship on Sundays. :)
I didn’t know that… Nice! I guess because I ordered my N5 with standard ship is why I didn’t worry much. Phone came on Friday, and case came yesterday, so not much time without protection, though one slip and it’d all have been over with…
Already scratched the screen on mine. It’s faint, but it goes from the top to the bottom, right in the middle. Ugh :/
Not trying to be a douche here, but let me get this straight.
You ordered the case through amazon to get it ASAP, paying more money in the process but you already scratched your screen?
Somehow that phandroid ‘entry’ about the broken nexus4 back makes so much more sense.
Some people are just more unlucky than others, I guess.
How in the heck did you do that? I have never scratched any phone screen I have ever owned. I often wonder how people do that.
Possibly by sheer will power. I’m always stressing about, then out of nowhere it scratched. Could have been like a granule of salt or something on by thumb. Who knows :/
or sand in your pocket…
however you managed it … bummer dude.
Don’t lie Chris, you dropped it!
Thanks for the tip! Ordered from eBay. And by the way, SMOOTH WHITE has smooth surface too.
Already scratched the screen? Guess gorilla glass isn’t as crazy awesome as they claim.. super glad that my case should be here by Friday now!
Gorilla glass isn’t marketed for scratch resistance. It’s for shatter resistance.
No gorilla glass isn’t Chris proof.
Is anything?
According to Wikipedia “The manufacturer, Corning Inc., says that Gorilla Glass’ material’s primary properties are its high scratch resistance (protective coating), and its hardness (with a Vickers hardness test rating of 622 to 701)[8] — which allows thin glass without fragility. The material can also be recycled.[5]”
… and “Gorilla Glass 3 is claimed to be 40% more scratch-resistant.[15]” than Gorilla Glass 2.
GG is susceptible to scratching by very hard substances (like silicates – sand or the stuff in moisture absorbent packets included in electronics packaging) but keys, coins, etc, the “normal” stuff you find in your pockets, won’t scratch it with any sort of normal pressure.
How in hell did you scratch your screen?I have yet to scratch any of my android device’s screen.
I’m wondering the same thing. The only place it’s ever been is in my pocket :/
Do you wear jeans with those metal buttons on them? Cause that happened with my Nexus 4
Holy crap…. I think that might be it. :O
Might want to remove keys first. ;-)
Have you tried the Ringke Fusion?
I have the same case for both my GS4 and more recently my Note 3. Very slim but protects it from scuffs. Simple yet effective
Not directed at you Chris, but why does everyone judge build quality and then slap a case on their phone? I’ve always rocked a naked phone as it feels and looks better.
Naked or sleeve/pouch for me.
Whenever I use it it must be unencumbered. Besides two insignificant scratches on my Gnexus all my other phones survived easily. It is not that hard to keep it in good shape if you use moderate care and also not get hit by plain bad luck.
All the talk about using premium materials when most people slap on a case anyway…that is just weird.
I think if I actually kept my phone for a full 2 years, I’d rock ’em naked. But because I tend to resell after a few months, I don’t want an accidental drop ruining my return on investment. Gotta keep ’em prestine. At least when I leave the house.
Might as well walk around naked too, eh..
So glad someone else found the case sharp. Thought I was being overly sensitive. I also didn’t like that it was slippery. At least I got a screen protector out of the deal.
Picked up the white version of this case for my black N5. Love it so far and it makes the phone look like the stock white N5. Best of both worlds. It is a little on the slippery side though FYI.
I’ve never scratched a screen, but I’ve seen a toddler do it. I always skin and carry naked. slip the phone into your front pocket with the screen facing your leg. I bought the highly sought after Nexus 4 bumper case and never used it. Anyone?
I also bought that over priced accessory, used it for 5 minutes, and stuck it in a drawer. Naked or GTFO- of my hand.
I’m using a Diztronic TPU case. Works well.
Bought a cruzerlite case to rep my android love and tpu is better
Does this case work with offset or oversized jacks on headphones (where the male plug is shaped like an L)? I have a Spigen hybrid case for mine and it is *just* thick enough to where my Shure headphone plug won’t click and stay in.
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Chris Chavez vs Gorilla Glass
2 – 0
First the Nexus 4, now the nexus 5…No love lost there i see chris
I just got this in the mail yesterday from Amazon, big fan of the case although it cuts into my pinky too while holding the phone. It works great with my wireless charger and hopefully my pinky will develop calluses where I hold it…
Yeah they r cheaper but they r probably knock offs. I ordered spigen neo hybrid for my s4 on eBay and really liked it. I payed something like $15 with shipping. It wasn’t till a few weeks later that one of the guys I work with bought the same case from the manufacturer, and as it was similar, his was obviously a better quality. It also had bigger buttons and they were much easier to push. Still use it but it is getting very loose fitting or stretched out.
cases are just to bulky..I’d much rather protect my screen and get a GEARMAXX screen protector which sells on ebay for cheap but they’re high quality and durable!