OVERVIEW
The kind folks at Amzer have kindly sent us one of their Shellsters for the HTC One S. (RRP £9.49 inc. VAT). The shellster is a mix of two products, giving you a nice polycarbonate plastic hard shell and a holster/stand to keep your phone safe and secure in.
FEATURES
“Combining the protection of a shell case and the power of a clip stand holster! The form fit rear shell is impact resistant for complete protection and quickly slides in and out of the holster for instant phone access! The holster is lined with a soft fabric for a scratch free phone and the 180º swivelling belt blip doubles as an adjustable clip stand…perfect for displaying or media viewing! This shell & holster combo not only achieves the ultimate in protection, it also enhances your HTC One S experience!”
Features:
- Fashionable, Shell Case & Holster is a perfect carrying solution to carry your HTC One S.
- Protect your HTC One S from bumps and scratches in a fashionable style.
- Made of high quality black Plastic for its durability.
- Precise cutouts for easy access to all controls and functionalities.
- Advanced locking mechanism securely holds phone in place.
- You can protect your HTC One S at all times.
Specifications:
- Type: Shellster Case.
- Manufacturer: Amzer.
- Color: Black.
ANALYSIS
The shell is well made and rigid, but still flexible enough to be able to remove (more on this later), and provides good protection to the sides of the device with cutouts lining up nicely for the volume and charge port. The camera has a reinforced cut out that stops the lens resting on the surface. It feels good to grip in the hand and allows you to use the phone without any hindrance.
The holster/stand uses similar materials with a felt type soft lining for the back of the phone to sit on when watching movies or the screen to rest against when in the holster. When used as a holster the phone does feel quite safe and secure. The clips are tight enough so it doesn’t budge, with a ridge in the top of the holster making it harder for it to just fall out. The clip only rotates 180° so that it will not go upside down, unless for some reason you decide to.
There are downsides however. I mentioned that the shell protects the sides, and it does so nicely. I cannot however say the same for the top and bottoms. These are left unprotected, which causes me a little concern. Especially with some people reporting the Micro Arc One S suffering chipping on these sections. Whilst this is not such an issue, it is one I did not feel I could ignore. But not to worry, I have a solution! I also have an Amzer Argyle Case, which fits in the holster. This means you can protect the top and bottom, as well as the side, whilst still being able to use the stand/holster - It is possible this may work with other TPU Gel Cases. Being that this is a personal preference, it may not be such an issue for you.
Another possible downside is the shell can be incredibly hard to take off at first. I spent 20 minutes carefully prying the shell off of the phone, whilst constantly fearing that I am going to be taking the finish off and be left with a few marks and scratches. Fortunately, this didn’t happen, and didn’t the next 10-15 times I have tried it. (I like to change my phone case quite often)
Finally, an improvement I would like to see on this would be the clip on the holster being removable. This would mean you could use the holster case as a front protector with the phone facing in towards it - perfect for putting a phone in a bag or something. I’d also like additional clips that would enable you to use it as a car dock.
CONCLUSION
This is actually one of my favourite accessories I have had for a phone. Mainly because I can use the holster as a stand, which means far superior use when watching clips on YouTube or a movie. It even makes me want to go and buy a sixaxis controller to use with my phone to play games on. Now that would be awesome.
It is worth noting that Amzer sell the Snap On Shells on their own in different colours, which would be compatible with the stand.
Why not read our review of the Amzer Argyle Case for the One X?
 [rating rating=”4″]
