For years UAG has been my go to case recommendation.
They provide a ton of protection while not
adding a lot of bulk and have a great tactical
look that’s popular with many.
UAG was kind enough to send me these cases
for review and in this review we’ll look
at the four most popular models to help you
decide if it’s the right case to protect
your iPhone X.
We’ll dive into the specifics of each case
that make them unique in a moment but first
let’s look at the UAG defining characteristics
that all these cases share.
UAG cases are mil spec rated meaning they
can withstand repeated drops from four feet
to all sides of the case.
This is largely due to the corner skid pads.
The corners of the cases are bulked up to
absorb impact without making the entire case
bulky.
Statistically if you drop your phone it’s
going to hit a corner first and these corner
skid pads do a great job of transferring that
energy through the case and not into your
phone.
In addition to the skid pads the cases all
feature a raised front edge to protect the
screen without interfering with the edge swipe
gestures.
One of my favorite features that can get overlooked
is how well the buttons work.
Many cases make the buttons on your phone
feel stiff or squishy.
That’s not so with UAG.
The buttons feature a slit alongside them
that makes them work almost as well as if
you didn’t have a case.
They still click very well and are a joy to
use.
The cutouts are all very precise and adequate.
They feature extra material that fills the
opening making it flush with the phone.
This keeps out dust and debri and also looks
much better.
It’s this attention to detail that makes
UAG such a high quality case.
The cases are easy to remove by prying on
the corners and really easy to snap back together
as well.
And they all allow Qi wireless charging, even
the thicker, multilayer Monarch.
Lastly, each model features some level of
honeycomb protection to spread shock absorption.
The location and amount varies and we’ll
go over that in detail as we look at each
case.
Let’s get started with the original, most
popular model.
The Pathfinder.
The Pathfinder features a solid color back
currently available in black, white, and orange.
Though I would expect to see more colors in
time.
This model is almost completely lined with
soft rubber honeycomb making it one of my
favorites.
Traditionally the Pathfinder has had a matte
finish but this generation seems more glossy
than others.
The raised portions of the case are still
matte though and will help prevent the back
of the case from showing scratches.
Next up is the very similar Plasma model.
These cases look almost identical to the Pathfinder
but have translucent backs that showcase the
iPhone while still providing some color and
character.
The case is almost completely lined with a
honeycomb pattern that’s more for looks
than for protection since it’s made from
hard plastic.
The fake torque screws are slightly raised
on the inside of the case and is the main
material that the back of the phone comes
in contact with.
The backs of these cases have always been
more glossy and show scratches easily.
However on this model the raised portion has
a matte finish, like the Pathfinder, and it's
held up really well in my useage thus far.
Then there’s the Monarch.
This case takes a lot of its design cues from
the previous two while taking the materials
and protection to a whole new level.
It starts with a soft impact resistant interior
followed by genuine top grain leather and
real metal screws.
UAG is still sticking to their guns that these
screws count as a layer of protection and
I’m still sticking to mine in saying that
they don’t.
The leather and screws are followed by a protective
plastic shell.
The case I received features this beautiful
crimson red color.
Lastly the case is wrapped in another layer
of impact resistant soft rubber.
This is where the honeycomb pattern resides
on this case.
All this results in superior protection with
premium materials.
You do pay for that premium protection though
as this case is almost twice as much as the
standard Pathfinder and it’s thicker as
well.
The warranty on this model is also upgraded
to a 10 year limited warranty.
It might as well be a lifetime warranty because
no one is going to still be using this phone
in ten years.
That would be like someone still using the
original iPhone today.
Finally UAG claims this case meets 2X the
military drop standard.
While that’s an accurate statement it’s
a bit misleading and definitely tricked me
on my iPhone 7 Monarch case review.
I wrongly assumed that it meant it could repeatedly
withstand drops from eight feet instead of
four.
However, what this really means is that instead
of the normal 26 drops from four feet, the
Monarch was dropped 52 times from four feet
with no damage.
It’s not nearly as impressive of a claim
and is a bit misleading especially given that
this case is so protective and could definitely
protect your phone from an eight foot drop.
All of those cases are what we know and expect
from UAG, but this year they’ve released
a new case known as the Plyo.
This case is transparent like the Plasma but
doesn’t have all the tactical looking torque
screws and patterns.
Instead it’s a soft touch, smooth case that
really showcases the beauty of your iPhone
X.
The protective corner skid pads are still
there and are lined with the honeycomb pattern.
It comes in three colors: the ice version
I have here, a darker Ash, and crimson.
This case has more grip than the others, except
for possibly the Monarch with its soft rubber
sides.
I personally prefer a slicker case for taking
the phone out of my pocket but most people
want extra assurance that they’re not going
to drop their phone and this case provides
that.
Out of the four cases this is the one I’ve
been using the most.
I personally really like the tactical look
that UAG has gone for on their other models.
However, I’m glad to see them slightly deviate
from that to open their product up to a wider
audience.
For those familiar with UAG these are the
same cases that you know and love and you
won’t be disappointed.
They continue to make small improvements year
over year that make these cases some of the
best you can buy.
And if you’re new to UAG, or don’t care
for the tactical look, then give the Plyo
model a shot.
It offers Mil Spec protection while not looking
like it.
If you have any questions that I didn’t
cover feel free to leave those in the comments
and I’ll get back to you.
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And as always, thanks for watching.
