Urban Armor Gear Maverick Protective Case Review

Urban Armor Gear Maverick Protective Case Review

UAG Composite Cases feature a hard outer shell and a soft impact resistant core. The unique shape of the case also provides structural rigidity while minimizing size and weight. They are available in a variety of colours for a range of devices – this review is of the Translucent Ice-Black Maverick version for the Samsung Galaxy S4.

 

UAG_Packaging

Design

 

You can tell from the photos that this case has a very distinctive design, and I really like the look. As a regular case user I don’t get to see the back of my phone very often, but the thinner transparent plastic lets you see through while the thicker plastic really gives an ice-like appearance. Combined with the black silicone trimmings it really fits in and enhances the look of the black S4.

At the front the silicone extends a few millimeters to protect the screen, with thick silicone at the corners that extend to little feet at the bottom of the case. This means that although the back of the case is smooth plastic, your phone won’t slide around when placed either face up or face down.

Well positioned and wide cut-outs will accommodate any micro-USB or headphone jack you can find. The silicone along the (top and) bottom is thinner than the corners which allowed my phone to still fit into a micro-USB dock.

 

UAG_Contents

Build Quality

 

I’ll come right out and say that I love the build quality of this case. From the hard polycarbonate body, to the silicone buttons and surround – this thing just smacks of quality. It doesn’t feel cheap when handling it and you can tell straight away that it will take loads of abuse.

The case is impact resistant and offers a high level of protection. As with all cases of this type the screen is exposed, so if you’re in the habit of keeping your phone in the same pocket as your keys then you’d be well advised to fit the included screen protector. I could still have a problem if I was unlucky enough to drop my phone face down onto some rocks, but apart from that I’d have no hesitation to trust this case to protect my phone.

 

UAG_Featured

In Use

 

This case is light and doesn’t feel bulky. The smooth plastic feels good in the hand with the ridges on the back giving you somewhere to place your fingers while holding the phone. The silicone around the edges is very grippy and prevent this from being what would otherwise be a slippery case.

In previous case reviews I’ve mentioned my preference for naked buttons, as I’d found that cases that cover them typically require too much pressure to activate. This case has changed my mind. It has large silicone power and volume buttons that have a split along one side making them even easier to press that the naked buttons. Without looking you can run your finger along the smooth plastic at the sides of the phone and when you reach silicone you’ve found the button. Superb.

 

UAG_Front

Price

 

Costing a penny under £25 (around $40) this case is certainly one of the more expensive cases available, and you’ll find decent cases costing a third of the price. However the premium design and build quality really illustrate that with these UAG cases you really get what you pay for.

 

UAG_Back

Overall

 

Considering the looks, feel, quality and functionality Urban Armor Gear have created a fantastic case. It’s clear that they haven’t just copied the design of other cases, but instead spent time figuring out what really works for day-to-day use. I’ve been using wallet style cases for years, but this case has me seriously considering carrying a separate wallet again – it’s that good. Usually there’s a flaw with every case, but the only negative I can find is it’s price compared to the competition. Even then I don’t feel it’s overpriced considering the quality of the product, so if your budget can stretch to it then I’d strongly recommend you check out what UAG have got to offer.

Follow the link below to browse the full range of Urban Armor Gear cases from the friendly folks at GadgetWear including their excellent range of Nexus 5 cases

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Associate Editor and part of the team of gadget reviewers at DroidHorizon. Also been known to dabble in software development to pay the bills.

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