Review: HTC Secret Weapon – HTC Dot View Case (video)

Who has or has not heard of the HTC Dot View Case? As of today, I don’t remember any phone makers that make a phone casing so exciting that you don’t mind owning one. It is fresh, innovative and yet back to basic.

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When you think of smartphone flip casing, what is your first thought? Protection for your phone? Make your phone looks better (sometimes bulkier), especially if your casing is a branded one 🙂 ?

Differences between HTC Dot View Case and other Flip Casing

I wonder if you have noticed, all the flip casings nowadays are built for external purposes in the name of protecting your phones. Some manufacturers (you know who I am talking about) took the initiative to open a small windows so that you can see information when the flip cover closes.

HTC has a different approach. Instead of making another flip cover that protects the phone, it makes it even useful by giving out information on the full cover. In my opinion, the HTC Dot View Case is like a good buddy to HTC One (M8).

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When was the last time you see a dot matrix product and feels excited about it? Here is a story (about the Dot View case) to share regarding the excitement of seeing the Dot View Case:

Recently, I took my old HTC One (M7) to HTC Service Center for repair (camera issue – known problem from HTC). I was holding on to the HTC One (M8) (loan set) with the Dot View Case from the New York trip. At that moment, The Dot View Case was not launched in Singapore yet.

When the HTC Service staff saw the Dot View Case, their eyes brighten up. They approached me to have a look at the casing. The next moment I know, they were showing it to their colleagues as if it was a prized item. Tell me, who has been so interested in a rubber casing before?

Back to the casing, that incident is not the first or last one. Many who has seen the casing wants to see more and know more about it.

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How does it work

The Dot View Case does not need a battery to display the notifications. Instead, it uses the holes on the case and together with the Dot View app, to display the information. So, how does the phone knows that it is Dot View Case? The answer is inside the casing.

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There is a sensor that can be detected by the phone. Once detected, it will know whether the case is open or close and therefore allows the matrix display to show. It is simple yet effective. HTC has also put in a lot of effort on the small details. For example, the area where the speakers are, the rubber is actually thinner (from the inside).

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Here is a super short video of the Dot View Case where it tries to tell the whole world that it is the secret weapon from HTC. LOL.

Pro tip: Take out the cover, put your phone on top of the Dot View cover and you will be able to see the “internal” of the display. here is a screen shot. When it is overlaid with the Dot View cover, you will see the dot matrix display.

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The question now is “Is this casing good?”. My answer is Yes and No.

The HTC Dot View Case is Good because

  • It is light weight, thin and fitting.
  • It display notifications (SMS, Mail, Alarm, Incoming calls and others)
  • You can swype it like a screen.
  • It conserves energy even though it displays the notifications.
  • It is innovative and new.
  • It protects the phone
  • It has many colors to choose from.
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So, is the HTC Dot View Case perfect? Of course not.

  • The pricing is slightly high for a rubber casing – S$59
  • When using the camera, the Dot View Case keeps closing. It is a little irritating to take a picture with just one hand.
  • The dots trap dust although it is not a big issue.

Summary

Overall, I can say that HTC has outsmart the competitors with this one product which I refer to as “Secret Weapon”. Who would have thought of using a cover to simulate a dot matrix display. If HTC allows developers to “play” with the Dot View, I am sure it can has more uses.

There are rooms for improvement but bear in mind this is just the first version. Sometimes, less is more. Don’t you think so?

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