Protection… we are all looking for it, especially for our electronics. I was looking for something that gave me overall protection for my phone. Something that could handle a few drops and still let me wile away the time with some games and emails. But I’m also a runner, trail running is my favorite, and as with most of us, we use our phone to play music. So I began to think to myself, what if it were military tested…this protection that I seek? Because something military tested is supposed to protect and withstand rugged environments. How cool would that be? And so, I present to you Urban Armor Gear (UAG) a company that designs cases for all sorts of products that are meant to “withstand the inevitable bumps and shocks of an extreme, active lifestyle.” The folks at UAG went ahead and got their products certified MIL-STD 810G-516.6. Which is a military certification applied to equipment that can withstand tough environmental conditions. This means that this case designed for and tested on the Galaxy S5, will protect your device on the face, corner and back. Take a look at what I have here.

 

Unboxing

 

The UAG case comes in a white box with a clear plastic portion of the front so you are able to see the color of the case inside. This case is sold in several different colors. Each color has a different name. The color that is being tested is called Aero.

This case is sold in Orange (Outland), Black (Scout), White (Navigator) and Clear (Maverick). All the functions are the same in all the different colors.

 

The back of the box provides an open window where you can feel the material the case is made of. The back of the packaging also has information about the case. Such as its feather-light and impact resistant construction to name a few.

 

Inside the box, the case comes on a plastic tray that secures it inside the box so it does now move around.

 

Under the case, inside the plastic tray, you will find that this case comes with an HD screen protector. This screen protector is the third player of protection that this case offers. The first two being the corners and the back.

You will find only one screen protector along with instructions on how to apply it, a cloth to wipe the screen clean and a cardboard squeegee to assist with the application of the screen protector.

 

The inside of the actual case is pictured below. The honeycomb design inside the case is to help with distributing the impact of a fall. Once the screen protector is applied, the phone slides and snaps snug into the case. And off to the rat race you go….

 

Specifications and Features

AERO

Impact Resistant
Our patented Composite design fuses a hard outer shell with a soft impact resistant core. The unique shape of the case also provides structural rigidity.

360 Degree Protection
Our crystal clear HD screen guard, soft rubberized screen surround and rear skid pads provide 360 degree protection from scratches and abrasions. *tablet cases do not include screen guard.

Easy access
With over sized tactile buttons, generous ports and a low profile design that slips in and out of your pocket, access is always easy.

Glare-Free Flash Photos
On the front of the case an engineered bezel deflects unwanted flash interference and ensures beautiful pictures every time.

Features:
Designed for Samsung Galaxy S5
Feather-light composite construction
Armor shell and impact resistant soft core
HD Screen protector guards against scratches
Over sized tactile buttons
Easy access to touch-screen and ports
Glare-free flash photos and un-compromised audio
Scratch resistant skid pads and screen surround
Meets military drop-test standards (MIL STD 810G 516.6)

Price: $34.95  (from UAG at time of review)

Usage and Testing

 

This case is simple, in that the phone slides right into it. The material is solid, a hard outer shell interlaced with rubber on the edges and sides. The hard outer shell is fused with a soft impact resistant core. The phone fits very snug in there and does not move. I really like the feel of the actual case. It’s rugged, and looks like a military storage case from the back.

 

 

The case has cut outs at the bottom for the charging cable and the microphone and at the top for the earpiece jack and the IR beam. There is just enough room at the top to use a head set or the IR beam the rest of it is protected by the impact resistant rubber material.

 

On the bottom however, the cutout for the charger is tight. It fits the charger well, but on the Galaxy S5, the charging port is covered so to make it water resistant. It does not take much manipulation to open it. I feel that it is better to have a tight fit case so there is more protection if there is a very slight inconvenience trying to open the charging port.

 

A great feature of this case is that there no cutouts on the sides of the sides to fully expose the phones power button and the volume up and down. The case itself covers those buttons, but has its own “oversized tactile buttons” that go over the buttons on the phone.

The buttons on the case match up perfectly with the ones on the phone. They offer good grip and are easy to manipulate to turn the phone off and on, and volume up and down respectively.

 

 

Below the tactile buttons, on both sides of the phone, are located two more grips that are made of the same rubber material. These grips offer… well more grip… and that is generally never a bad thing when it comes to expensive electronics.

 

 

The back of the case also has cutouts for the camera, flash and heart rate monitor at the top of the case and at the bottom left for the external speaker. Taking pictures with this case is easy due to the large opening that does not interfere with the flash or cause any glare from the case.

The heart rate monitor that sits below the flash is easily accessible and works very well while the case is on the phone.

The case also protects the lens of the camera. As many of you have seen with the S5 without a case, the camera protrudes from the phone makes the phone uneven when putting it on a level surface.

This case essentially levels the phone and also raises the camera lens from an even surface and helps protect it from scratches.

 

 

Continuing on the back of the case you will find that the case is higher on the top and bottom of the case than in the middle. This is due to how they fused the hard outer shell with the impact resistant core.

This offers great protection to the corners of the phone where most of us eventually drop the phone. The corners have integrated shock absorbing bumpers that protect the phone from drops at or below 4 feet.

This is where the Mil Spec certification comes in. This case is complaint with MIL-STD-810G 516.6 which means that the phone needs to meet these criteria; must be able to be dropped from a height of 48 on each face corner and back a total of 26 times without it malfunctioning or sustaining any damage to the touch screen.

Now I wouldn’t go and throw your phones, but I am sure glad it’s there in case I drop my phone, which happens to most of us…

 

 

To the front… to the front… to the back.. to th…wait a minute! Stay on the front! As pictured below you will see that case surrounds the phone and covers a small portion of the edge.

This protection has in no way interfered with any of the functions of the phone. The lip covers the edge of the phone, holding it in the case but also protecting the screen and the screen protector that comes with this case, when applied to the phone.

You may also notice in the two pictures below that the screen protector has bubbles or is not completely on. I must confess that this was my doing, while I was putting it on, dust got under it and I have gone and messed it up.

I am stating this to say that this should in no way reflect on the quality of the screen protector if placed on the screen correctly…

 

 

So, while I did mess up putting on the screen protector (again, my fault) it still is working to protect my phone. The screen protector guards your screen against scratches and does not visually interfere with the HD quality of the phone.

This case comes with one protector, a cloth for cleaning the screen and a squeegee. The one thing I do not like about this is that the squeegee is cardboard.

While using it, it was bending and it would be much better if it included a plastic squeegee, even the same size, as something larger is not needed.

 

 

Conclusion

 

The UAG Aero (which is the particular color case I was testing, a list of the other colors is listed above) is a lightweight case that truly offers 360 degree protection.

What I like most about it is that this 360 degree protection does not come at an extra cost; it is not bulky or heavy. With many other cases that offer this kind of protection, they are usually thicker and heavier and come in two different pieces that you snap together. With this case it’s just a simple one piece that snaps around the phone, but that also offers up great protection.

The case does not interfere with the functions of the phone but offers more protection to those functions.

The fact that it offers impact resistance really sold it for me. I am always on the go, using my phone for work and play and sometimes accidents happen. The case is light weight, rugged and does not add a lot of thickness to the phone. Its looks great and protects the phone. Those are the things I look for in cases.

I have to say that this is by far my favorite case for the Galaxy S5.

If you are looking for a simple yet tough case to protect your phone and not interested in kickstands or wallets, then this is a great case. It does what it needs to do: protects the phone. And looks good while doing it!

The colors offered on their website are sure to please anyone who wants some color in their life.

The case also comes with an HD screen protector which makes the price of the case very worth it.

 

  

 

Pros:
+ MIL-STD 810 Drop tested – can withstand the everyday bumps and bruises and more.
+ Lightweight
+ Comes with an HD screen protector
+ Simple and rugged
+ Case does not interfere with any of the functions of the phone

Cons:
– Cardboard Squeegee

Grades:	10 out of 10
Overall
Design / Aesthetic
Value / Price
Performance / Usage

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