If you’re thinking about spending $750 on a phone, chances are you’re also looking into cases to make sure that new device lasts you at least two years. The funny thing about cases is that they cost just a few dollars to make, yet companies like Samsung, Apple, everyone really, sell official first party protection for $50 or more. Third parties will make cheaper solutions, but that’s money the manufacturer of the device will never see. So what does Samsung do? With the Android 4.4 update to the Note 3, they make third party cases that automatically turn the screen on or off stop working.
Is this the end of the world? No. As someone who owned a Galaxy Note II and a flip cover that did not activate any sort of special functionality when opened, Samsung breaking third party cases isn’t too big of a deal. On the other hand, if you own one of those third party cases that have a window cutout just like Samsung’s original case, then you’re pretty much screwed.
Why doesn’t Samsung simply partner with case makers and have some sort of certification program? Again, the money in cases is incredible. They cost $5 or less to make, yet they’re sold for $50. Why would Samsung want to give that up? They’d rather partner with fashion brands and design special limited edition cases, which we’ve seen them several times, most recently with the Galaxy NotePro.
