HTC Dot View Case for HTC One (M8) - Retail Packaging - Imperial Blue

This is an excellent, highly innovative case that protects the phone and screen from scratches and dirt. It does not, however, offer much by way of impact protection.When the case is closed, with the flap covering the screen, the phone operates in a special limited mode with just a few essential functions available: you can tell the time, answer or decline calls, talk and listen, and use voice commands all through the closed mesh cover which cunningly has a membrane over most of the back, but full perforations over the microphone and speakers.This turns out to be very useful: the blocky graphics visible through the dot view cover are quite visible in bright daylight, and yet not too intrusive if you check the time in a darkened room. The graphics shining through the case still attracts comments from people - even my Apple obsessed kids like it!You can also listen to music or podcasts with the cover closed: the speakers face upwards so aren't compromised if you just lay the phone on your desk.I also liked that the phone itself can be easily popped out of the case; the HTC aluminium case of the M8 is a joy to hold, and reading on the couch or in bed is comfortable with the case removed.There's a magnet embedded in the cover inside the HTC logo that tells the phone when the case is closed.And, one last thing, if you slip the flap underneath a coffee cup, the case can hold the phone in a great position for video watching!

Bought this to replace my OEM dot view case, and if this isn't an OEM case, I can't tell.My original case had a corner piece crack when I dropped it. (phone is fine, far as I'm concerned, case did it's job. I like this case for more than the novelty of the dot view functionality, which is cool, but the case covers my screen when in my purse or pocket, providing good protection. The color is bright and unique, making it easy to find in a bag, and is slim.It's not an otterbox, but I am not too tough on my phone, so it works for my purposes.Dot view functionality is perfect, and I don't have a huge issue with the flap. The silicone flap and rounded back work to make a good makeshift 'stand' on my dash when I have the car app on in my vehicle. The flap pushes the phone at a good viewing angle to flip songs, etc. And it doesn't slide.

This case seems to be much beloved or maligned, which was surprising to me since it is definitely the result of a number of compromises by its makers.Pros:The Dot View concept is an exceptional idea and HTC's execution is nearly perfect.Case provides adequate protection.Aesthetically pleasing, excellent fit.Cons:Patently absurd retail price.Ergonomically terrible when opened, directly impairs functionality.Dot View is nearly perfect, but feel a little too limited.Dot Matrix: As you have probably already seen, the Dot View is a nifty little feature that works like this: when the case is closed, two of HTC's Launch Gestures are active. The Launch Gestures are Double Tap to Wake and Slide down to Voice Dial. When activated, the screen displays a graphic that can be seen through the perforations in the cover, and look like retro 8-bit graphics that you would find on an old (think C-64) computer or marquee. The functions are a little limited: the double tap show Time and Weather by default (including a graphic for the type of weather and an alternating temperature) or Time and Notification, if you have a waiting Notification in an HTC app. It will not show notifications for non-HTC apps (like Facebook, Words with Friends, etc). Voice Dial will let you call with the built in dialer and works fine. You can also answer/reject/end calls from the Dot View screen.Physically: The back is hard plastic. This has the advantage of being extremely smooth, which aids sliding it in and out of your pocket. It seems relatively durable,and covers all four corners (the hard points that are most likely to be called upon to absorb impact force). The front cover is a stiff rubber with a tiny embedded magnet and (of course) the dot perforations. The magnet, as far as I can tell, is primarily used to single to the phone that the cover is open or closed. When closed, the Dot View is in effect, and when you open the cover the phone will automatically wake up to your home screen (assuming you don't have additional security enabled). Joining them is a rubberized, springy flap. We'll get back to the flap later. I'm not throwing my case against the wall, it seems reasonably durable. Not "Otterbox" quality, but consider this light protection against small drops or scratches. It adds very little bulk, and while closed it has virtually no impact on the ergonomics of the device.The function of Dot View as a previewer is excellent. It looks nice. It is mostly responsive (although it takes a little practice to get the force/speed down to reliably execute the commands).One thing that I think the case has been unfairly criticized for is that when you swipe down, you only get access to HTC's voice dial, not Google Now integration. To be fair, here, when you activate the Dot View by double tapping, the screen turns on. If you have Ok Google hotword detection activated, you can double tap the screen to activate Dot View and then say "Ok Google" to perform any Google Now function, including voice dial.Unlike some people, I have not had a problem with my the front cover not laying closed. This seems to be mostly a problem with screen protectors, although some have reported having it without them. The top right corner of the cover sits maybe 2mm above the screen, the bottom sits flush. This is not noticeable to me, but I've seen pictures of cases that don't seem to close at all.So, decent protection with little to no bulk. Maintains most of the form factor and adds Dot View. What's not to like?First of all, the ridiculous retail price. In a store, this will set you back $50, nearly double what you will pay online. Even at half the retail price, the case is a stretch. At $50, it's a terrible buy.That's because for everything HTC did right with the case, they did one thing horribly, horribly wrong. When the case is flipped open all the way, you will find that one handed operation is extremely difficult. After some testing, I would say that you if tend to hold your case one-handed in your right hand, and you have large hands (like size Large gloves at least), you might be able to mitigate some of the horribleness of this case because the pad of your thumb will tend to lock the case sort-of closed. If you hold left-handed (like me) or have smaller hands, you're probably doomed.Because of the springy flap and the stiffness of the front cover, the cover will not sit flush with the back of the phone. Instead, the right side of the phone will angle upwards away from the folded over case. When you type, this creates a springboard effect. Every time you tap the screen, it will bounce back ever so slightly. The closer to the left side of the screen (where the flap is) the less spring effect there is, the farther to right side of the screen (where the phone and cover have maximum distance from each other) the worse the spring effect is. This variability in effect had made it difficult to compensate for, and I find myself missing the P, L, Delete, and Enter keys with alarming frequency. I use Swiftkey, which also allows you to long press for additional options, and because of the spring effect I find myself frequently accidentally overpressing and activating the long press.For me, this seriously decreased my key accuracy, generally slowed my typing down, and was just overall frustrating.While this is the #1 gripe about the case, let's cover a few "the sky is not falling" solutions. First of all, if you are a proficient swipe-typist instead of a tapper, this will not affect you as much. In my experiments, swipe-typing generated no where near as many errors as tapping did because sliding doesn't cause as much springiness. Unfortunately, I'm also not a great swipe-typist, so I probably won't be switching over. (Old dogs, new tricks, etc.)Second, if you just bring your right hand into play, you can mitigate almost all the terribleness. Simply resting my right index finger along the side of the phone reduces the vibration substantially. This is not ideal from a design stand point because it is forcing a ergonomic design choice on the user, but the springy cover issue is, I would say, 80% mitigated when I use both hands.Of course, there are times when I can't use both hands. For example, when I am holding one of my two "I want to be held all the time" children and trying to send off a quick text to the wife. In this situation, the horribleness of the cover is paramount. It is enough to make you just want to put the phone down and focus on what you were doing, like holding your kids. Okay, bad example.Still, I generally prefer one handed operation, and this case limits it. It is a bad design choice to limit the core functionality of a device (screen interaction for smart phone), and HTC's failure to recognize that is a glaring error here. Yes, HTC would have squared the back of the case (which would have added unwanted bulk like the larger Otterboxes). Yes, HTC would have used a less rigid rubber for the cover (although perhaps their testing said this would lead to cupping that would interfere with the Dot View). Yes, HTC would have made a better designed hinge. . . . I got nothing on that one, personally, for the $50 they're asking for this thing, I think they really could have just made a better hinge.I am undecided on the case after early use. Will I get used to the springboard effect enough that my error rate will go down? Will I just habituate to using the device mostly 2-handed and only rail against it on the few occasions where 2-handed us is impossible? Will I get frustrated with and throw it in a drawer somewhere? It's hard to tell right now. I'm hoping the hinge will break in a little, or the stiffness of the cover will give out a little, or I'll just stop noticing the atrocious springboarding.Finally, a few people have complained that the cover blocks the camera and using it is awkward, especially one-handed or in portrait mode. I completely agree with this, but I think is a general problem with flip cases that provide full-screen protection.

My husband bought this case for his phone when he first received the phone. He dropped and broke the case. I purchased from Amazon for Christmas for him to replace the other. This case is great! Being able to see who calls, answer, view weather, among other things, all without opening phone was a big draw for him. His screen is protected, but still have a nice phone case without the bulk that other phone cases have. Also got for a fraction of the cost! Would buy this product again

Buyer Beware:This phone case is a joke. It is a replica of HTC's case. I spent a lot of time reviewing this case before I bought it. When it finally shipped in (after the expected delivery date) there were a few immediate flaws that I noticed. I went to Best Buy and bought one off the shelf and after comparing the two I was sure. The first was that the dot matrix dots did not line up correctly between the phone and the case which made the few things you read on the case illegible. The second feature that was wrong was the spring in the case's cover. The one I bought from TurboTronics would just lay open, I had to physically close it. The real one from best buy snaps shut automatically and the material is so much nicer than the fake one; which was hard to put in or out of my pocket because of the silicone material. If you are looking to save $30 on the case and don't care about the quality of it as much then this is the case for you- If you want the real Dot View case I suggest you buy elsewhere.