Case round-up for Samsung Galaxy S9+
In for review for The Phones Show, I couldn't resist reviewing the various case options for the Samsung Galaxy S9+, the 2018 'flagship with everything’, here in its larger form.
The cases were supplied by Mobile Fun, see here for their full Galaxy S9+ case line-up.
My favourite design, after having tried everything - Spigen Rugged Armour is my ‘go to’ case for every phone I get in, and with good reason. From thick and protective, yet flexible TPU with lovely texture and detailing, to tough lips and corners, this Spine design is a classic.
It fits perfectly - I mean PERFECTLY - and when in place I quickly get so used to its feel in the hand that I forget the phone’s in a case. I was reviewing the Galaxy S9+ recently and it was only after finishing filming that I realised that the Spigen case was still on. It felt that natural!
Score: 10
Along the same lines as the Spigen but lighter and thinner, the VRS case comes in as a lighter alternative.
Ridged and grippy sides complement a dual-textured back with stylish VRS strip. The cutout for the fingerprint sensor isn’t quite as sculpted as on the Spigen design, but I still had no issue reaching it.
Shown here is the Indigo version, but it’s also available in black.
Score: 8
The moulded materials here are astonishing good. Flexible where they need to be flexible, yet rigid and protective on the corners.
The fit is perfect, as you’d expect from an official case, but the finish is very much a personal thing. It’s ‘soft touch’ and amazingly grippy, you’ll never drop the phone in daily life, yet this very grippiness is such that the case will also pick up dirt and staining from pockets and food. Which is a problem for this light pink version - so my score below, and my recommendation, is for the black or blue version, also available!
Score: 9
With hard mesh plastic, this seems at first to be very protective, despite also being ultra light (thanks to the holes?), but there’s a flaw in the design.
Two flaws, in fact. The first is a minor thing - the button covers are ‘hinged’ on one end only - which is downright quirky and it’s easy for any of them to start sticking out in an ugly fashion.
Secondly, the moulding around the fingerprint sensor hasn’t been thought through and the lip means that your fingertip has to be pressed hard into the hole in order to be recognised. It drove me mad after an hour, it’ll drive you mad as well. Sorry, Olixar, back to the drawing board - literally!
Score: 5
Although striking visually, this is probably the least protective case in this roundup - the TPU is so flimsy that I felt that the case would be torn off just in normal use, let alone sticking around if the phone was dropped.
Maybe this might do for use at a party or event, when you wanted the phone to catch the eye? It’s certainly not for the rigours of office and family life!
Score: 4
The packaging boasts of ‘Swedish Design’, but I’m not entirely sure that the designers actually used the S9+ in it for real. The leather is top notch, with a beautiful, incredible felt inner lining, chosen to create an air of luxury. Successfully.
However, there’s no catch to hold the folio design closed. Normally there’s some kind of magnetic closure or flap, but here there’s only the pressure in your hand or pocket - and on such a tall phone this isn’t good enough.
The inner flap has slots for two credit cards and a pocket for something bigger, so no complaints on this front. Ditto the fold back ‘stand’ aspect, for watching media on your S9+. But without a closure of some kind, the whole assembly always feels like it’s threatening to open up and spill your precious phone and cards.
Score: 7
OMG, as the teenagers say. Plastic monstrosity or steam punk wannabe, there’s no doubting the protective aspects here - your phone is kept so far from the elements that it’s safe as houses. The overall volume is enormous though, beyond pocketable.
Which is why Zizo ships a clip on belt holder - which is just as bulky and also a bit loose on the review sample. While the kick stand was too tight and needed a screwdriver to lever out - it was too much for my poor fingernails.
There’s nothing wrong with the plastic coatings and textures used - but that styling - oh my eyes!
Score: 4
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