Case roundup for the Samsung Galaxy Note 10+
In my review of the Note 10+, I pointed out that it's virtually impossible to use the phone without a case - it's just too razer-edged and slippery. So here we go with some VERY likely contenders...
As usual for my case roundups, I'll cover a variety of styles, with most samples supplied by MobileFun, kind people that they are. See their complete range of Note 10+ cases and covers.
But on with the individual cases, each link goes to the relevant product page, of course.
(I'll update this round-up as and when more cases arrive for review from other sources.)
Or press the side button push-through and - again - you get the time shown, without a need to open up the flap. Which is extremely cool, though I'd have liked some kind of physical clue as to where this push-through button is on the spine. But the latter is smooth and it's a bit of guess work, perhaps reaching out at night to check the time. Oh well. It's still a super feature and pretty unique, albeit at something of a premium price.
The folio itself is beautifully designed and beautifully made. The inside cover material is velvet and soft, the plastic of the phone holder thin yet strong, plus it grips the Note 10+ without any worries.
The rubberised material wraps around to the back, where the cutout detailing around the camera islands is top notch.
One nice touch is that a small magnet tells the Note 10+ when the folio is closed, turning the screen off immediately - and when you open the folio again, the screen automatically powers on!
It's hard to fault this official offering from Samsung - add some little dots or similar texture where the volume and 'time' button push-throughs are and you'd have the perfect case for such a large smartphone.
Score: 9/10
Anyway, we're talking a couple of millimetres of TPU all round, including at the top and bottom edges, around the front, to protect against face drops. The corners have small pockets of air built in, hence the name, and these obviously help a little with corner drops.
In all, super protection for the money - I just think that such a prestigious phone deserves something a little more... stately?
Score: 8/10
As a result, there's marginally less protection, of course, but it also makes the Note 10+ more 'solid' in the hand.
The case faces come with stickers that are a little fiddly to peel off, but it does mean that you start with a perfectly clear back, at least, so that you can and enjoy see the colours in your Note 10+'s appearance. Sadly the more solid back is also prone to picking up fingerprints, so the clarity doesn't last for long in real life.
But another top option in what is turning out to be one of the most practical and satisfying case roundups I've done for a while - there are no stinkers here!
Score: 8/10
What we have here is my favourite from the entire round-up - it's grippy, it's moderately protective, it fits like the proverbial glove, and it's not even too expensive.
As you'd expect from Samsung, the fit is immaculate. It's as if the case is part of the phone itself, as if the Note 10+ was made with a grippy rubber exterior.
The corners stay firmly in place and there's nominal protrusion at left and right down at the bottom - while I wouldn't rely on these to protect against a face drop, they're sufficient to protect the phone screen when you place the Note 10+ on its front on a desk, perhaps in a meeting.
There's limited extra thickness added to the phone itself, which is good, and the detailing around ports and the cameras is 100% perfect. Again, as you'd expect, given that Samsung itself makes this.
Score: 10/10
This is one step up from the Samsung Silicone cover in terms of protection, no doubt. There's more material between the phone and the outside world, most notably at the bottom and top, where there's enough of a protruding ridge as to have a stab at face drop protection.
Elsewhere, I liked the slab sides, making for an excellent grip (unlike with the naked phone, where the sides almost come to an ungrippable point!), and I loved the textures and detailing on the back.
A case that means business, doesn't add too much bulk, and is also one of the cheapest in this selection. Well made and well designed.
Score: 9/10
The material here looks like leather, but it's thin and too smooth. The thinness is good because it means that the folio design doesn't add as much thickness when folded, certainly not as much as a genuine leather design would. The 'smoothness' though is just another reminder that this is a cheap case and that you're not touching, holding and caressing a premium material.
Functionally, the phone is held securely, there are two slots for cards that you need to keep with you, plus a magnetic catch does a great job of holding the folio closed. PLUS you get the 'Stand' function, for watching media and propping up the screen at an angle (not shown here).
So there's a lot to like too - and at £10 you really cannot go wrong, I think.
Score: 7/10
As usual for my case roundups, I'll cover a variety of styles, with most samples supplied by MobileFun, kind people that they are. See their complete range of Note 10+ cases and covers.
But on with the individual cases, each link goes to the relevant product page, of course.
(I'll update this round-up as and when more cases arrive for review from other sources.)
Official Samsung LED View Cover Case - Blue, £45
Starting with perhaps the Rolls Royce of Note 10+ cases - the Samsung LED View Cover, so called as, obviously, there's a matrix of tiny LEDs embedded in the rubberised fabric cover. Close the folio flap and the time lights up in dots for five seconds (and then goes out).
Or press the side button push-through and - again - you get the time shown, without a need to open up the flap. Which is extremely cool, though I'd have liked some kind of physical clue as to where this push-through button is on the spine. But the latter is smooth and it's a bit of guess work, perhaps reaching out at night to check the time. Oh well. It's still a super feature and pretty unique, albeit at something of a premium price.
The folio itself is beautifully designed and beautifully made. The inside cover material is velvet and soft, the plastic of the phone holder thin yet strong, plus it grips the Note 10+ without any worries.
The rubberised material wraps around to the back, where the cutout detailing around the camera islands is top notch.
One nice touch is that a small magnet tells the Note 10+ when the folio is closed, turning the screen off immediately - and when you open the folio again, the screen automatically powers on!
It's hard to fault this official offering from Samsung - add some little dots or similar texture where the volume and 'time' button push-throughs are and you'd have the perfect case for such a large smartphone.
Score: 9/10
Ringke Air Case - Clear, £13
I'm a fan of the Ringke Air cases usually, and this is up to their usual standard, but I'm not quite so enthusiastic about a ridge of clear TPU around a £1000 phone - it seems somehow a little tacky... Or maybe I got spoiled by the official Samsung case above?!
Anyway, we're talking a couple of millimetres of TPU all round, including at the top and bottom edges, around the front, to protect against face drops. The corners have small pockets of air built in, hence the name, and these obviously help a little with corner drops.
In all, super protection for the money - I just think that such a prestigious phone deserves something a little more... stately?
The lowered side of the case make way for the super-curved phone screen - this compromises side drop protection somewhat, but what price the Samsung gesture experience, eh? At least when Android 10 arrives!!!
Score: 8/10
Ringke Fusion Case - Clear, £10
Very similar in terms of fit to the phone as the 'Air' version above, so low slung sides and built-up end pieces. But where the Air had a full 2mm of clear TPU on the sides and back, this is more solid and down to about 1mm. Meaning that the cased phone is thinner in the hand, more as if you're handling the phone itself.As a result, there's marginally less protection, of course, but it also makes the Note 10+ more 'solid' in the hand.
The case faces come with stickers that are a little fiddly to peel off, but it does mean that you start with a perfectly clear back, at least, so that you can and enjoy see the colours in your Note 10+'s appearance. Sadly the more solid back is also prone to picking up fingerprints, so the clarity doesn't last for long in real life.
But another top option in what is turning out to be one of the most practical and satisfying case roundups I've done for a while - there are no stinkers here!
Score: 8/10
Official Samsung Silicone Cover Case - Black, £20
What we have here is my favourite from the entire round-up - it's grippy, it's moderately protective, it fits like the proverbial glove, and it's not even too expensive.
As you'd expect from Samsung, the fit is immaculate. It's as if the case is part of the phone itself, as if the Note 10+ was made with a grippy rubber exterior.
The corners stay firmly in place and there's nominal protrusion at left and right down at the bottom - while I wouldn't rely on these to protect against a face drop, they're sufficient to protect the phone screen when you place the Note 10+ on its front on a desk, perhaps in a meeting.
There's limited extra thickness added to the phone itself, which is good, and the detailing around ports and the cameras is 100% perfect. Again, as you'd expect, given that Samsung itself makes this.
Score: 10/10
Olixar Carbon Fibre Case - Black, £13
This is one step up from the Samsung Silicone cover in terms of protection, no doubt. There's more material between the phone and the outside world, most notably at the bottom and top, where there's enough of a protruding ridge as to have a stab at face drop protection.
Elsewhere, I liked the slab sides, making for an excellent grip (unlike with the naked phone, where the sides almost come to an ungrippable point!), and I loved the textures and detailing on the back.
A case that means business, doesn't add too much bulk, and is also one of the cheapest in this selection. Well made and well designed.
Score: 9/10
Olixar Leather-Style Samsung Note 10 Plus Wallet Stand Case - Black, £10
The thing about cheap faux-leather is that it looks... cheap. Now, if all you want is a folio-style wallet case that doesn't cost the earth then this Olixar design provides basic protection and convenience. It's just that... if you've spent £1000 on the Note 10+ then my guess is that you're happy to pay a bit more for a better-looking case to go with it?
The material here looks like leather, but it's thin and too smooth. The thinness is good because it means that the folio design doesn't add as much thickness when folded, certainly not as much as a genuine leather design would. The 'smoothness' though is just another reminder that this is a cheap case and that you're not touching, holding and caressing a premium material.
Functionally, the phone is held securely, there are two slots for cards that you need to keep with you, plus a magnetic catch does a great job of holding the folio closed. PLUS you get the 'Stand' function, for watching media and propping up the screen at an angle (not shown here).
So there's a lot to like too - and at £10 you really cannot go wrong, I think.
Score: 7/10
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