Generally when you get a new phone, one of the first things you do is get a case. In fact, we recently did a post on the best cases you can pick up for the Galaxy Note 5 and a lot of people mentioned that there are so many options it’s hard to know what to really get.
But another option to a case is getting a wrap. If you want to protect your phone from scratches while giving it a fresh new look, a wrap may be your best bet. SlickWraps is one of the companies that are pretty well known for the quality of their skins and wraps and today we’re going to take a look at the White Carbon wrap for the Galaxy Note 5.
The first thing I noticed about this wrap is how well it is cut. I’ve had wraps and skins in the past that no matter how much stretching and straining, just wouldn’t get to where it needs to be. This is a huge issue for a multitude of reasons including covering up ports and sensors, it looks horrible and it makes the skin catch and then come up.
I was a bit dubious about before I put it on but I must admit, I’m impressed. Really the only problem area is a bit on the back where it’s a millimeter or two from being dead on. I’ve got it pretty much on there perfectly but I can still see a bit of the blue/black of my phone. Other than that, it’s cut perfectly everywhere. Something to watch out for is how thin the cut outs on the side are. It’s really easy to mess up and tear the wrap around the volume buttons due to how slim it is.
The area where the sides connect with the top can also be a bit of a problem area. It’s really hard to get them lined up. Maybe I’m just really bad at getting them precisely where they need to go but I think I’m a pretty average use case so watch out when you’re applying them and be mindful about getting your ends dead center.
Unfortunately with the Carbon Series from SlickWraps you won’t be able to use your fingerprint scanner if you cover it up. It looks dead sexy to have it covered but with how convenient the fingerprint scanner is and now needing lockscreen security for Android Pay it’s just not a compromise I’m willing to make.
The cut outs on the bottom are dead on and curve and arch around the aux jack, charging port, microphone and S-Pen. SlickWraps included a cover for the top for the S-Pen so it blends in when it’s in the phone but I chose not to use it as I like the look of some exposed aluminum in contrast to the white carbon.
One of the main advantages of the SlickWraps Carbon White skin is how much grip it adds to the phone. The Galaxy S and Galaxy Note series this year are exceptionally slippery due to the aluminum sides and glass from and back and this definitely makes them into much more usable phones.
If you were looking to use a case on top of the wrap for drop protection, be sure your wrap is well set. I tried to add an Incipio Octane Pure clear case to mine for a little more protection and and it pushed the wrap on the top and sides and even crumpled one spot up. Whoops.
The Carbon Series looks absolutely stunning and if you’re looking for something minimal to protect your phone from scratches without adding bulk, this is your best bet.
You can pick up the Carbon Series in several colors from SlickWraps on their site or on Amazon.