Spigen Tough Armor Designed for Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus Case (2018) - Black

Love the price

Shopping for a case for my new S9 Plus, I was attracted by the understated design,slim fit, and the Spigen reputation, of course. I have not been disappointed. Delivery was prompt, no drama, as I have come to expect from Amazon.I'm not a bling guy, so the tasteful, neutral color (graphite gray) and smooth, functional design were important to me. Very much form-follows-function, there are no gratuitous "design elements" to detract from the appearance. Materials are top quality and well-finished.Initially I was skeptical of the two-piece construction, but having used it, I like it a lot. I think the hard back with the shock absorber material underneath offers more protection than it would without the hard plastic. When installed, the appearance is of one seamless piece. Installation is dead easy, fit is perfect, including the cutouts. Judging from the photos on Amazon, I wasn't sure how I would feel about the two-tone color (graphite gray and black), but in fact it's really very nice, in my opinion - not flashy by any means, but a cut above spartan.The kickstand (which I don't anticipate using much) works well enough, it deploys easily and snaps back into place with a little click. But if there is a weak point on this case, I would say it's the kickstand. I can imagine it breaking if due care is not exercised - not so much in normal use, but things happen.Note: I saw another reviewer mention that on their case, there was no hard plastic under the kickstand (in the well where it fits when not in use.) I checked mine (recently purchased) and mine does have a hard plastic floor underneath, no exposed TPU. I'm thinking this may be later production version, as design is improved once it's in the field.Another note: Another reviewer observed that with the kickstand located as it is, when you stand the phone up (landscape) the volume buttons are on the bottom of the phone and are inaccessible. This is true - Spigen might want to look hard at this. I believe the reviewer suggested moving the kickstand to allow the buttons to be on top, and that's an excellent idea.The buttons work well, with a proviso. I thought the buttons without the case were a little soft in feel. The buttons on the case add a much firmer feel, almost clicky, which I rather like. However, if you prefer the soft feel, you may be a little frustrated with this case. The Bixby button is distinguished by a serrated pattern, so it's actually pretty easy to feel and therefore to avoid inadvertent activation (does anyone ever push the Bixby button on purpose?)The slightly-raised chin and forehead provide good protection for the screen when placed flat. Of course, that won't protect from any foreign objects under the screen, but that's true for any case like this.The same is true of the back, where the lenses etc. are well-recessed and protected in the case.Trying to hold on to the bare S9 Plus is not unlike trying to grip a bar of wet soap - so improved grip was very high on my list.This is not the grippiest case I've ever used, but it's very good, definitely a big improvement over the bare phone. In fact, it's a good balance of smooth appearance and grip. I like a slim fit, because I like to slip the phone in the front pocket of my jeans, and this case works very well. Overall, the case gives the phone a much more substantial feel, though short of industrial. In graphite gray, it is highly resistant to smudges, fingerprints, etc.I like screen protectors, I prefer tempered glass. Especially with the 3-D glass (thanks Samsung) selecting and installing a glass protector is a real crap-shoot. On the strength of the "Amazon's Choice" designation, I found one which fits and works perfectly - or at least better than any others I've seen. I have installed it with this case and it fits very well. I will write a review soon.OTAO Galaxy S9 Plus Screen Protector Tempered Glass, [Update Version] 3D Curved Dot Matrix [Full Screen Coverage] Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus Screen Protector (6.2") with Installation Tray [Case Friendly]I use a Samsung EP-NG930 wireless fast charger, and the case does not interfere with wireless charging at all, that I am able to detect. I used the phone for a week before I got the case, and there is no appreciable difference in charging with or without this case.So - a very classy, attractive case, functional, very good protection. Beautiful construction, easy installation, precise fit. If a kickstand or soft button feel are very important for you, perhaps you should consider other options. I am very happy with this purchase.

Keep phone screening from cracking, is a bit thick.

Update:I’ve been using the phone with this case for a couple weeks now and I have to say it's been great. It fits in the hand quite well, and the design has really grown on me.Some people have complained about the knurled texture on the Bixby button, but I like it because it makes it easier to tell it apart the volume buttons without looking. I also have an app that rebinds the Bixby button to do other stuff (because seriously, nobody uses Bixby) so the button hasn't gone unused on my handset.The kickstand seems to be working great, although only in landscape modes. You can clearly tell from the product imaging that it couldn’t work in portrait, so that’s not really something to complain about. We’ll see in the months to come whether the kickstand will break, which I still think might happen.The case fits around my IQ Shield screen protector (their case friendly version, should come up with a quick amazon search) without touching it, so no worries of peeling edges. Speaking of edges, the lip around the case does make it safe to set the phone down on its face without the screen touching the table. I haven’t had any trouble with touching / swiping near the edge of the screen either; the lip is recessed on either side (so if the phone is sitting face down only the top and bottom edges of the case will be touching the table below).Original Review______________________________TL;DR: This is my first Spigen case, so I can’t speak for their quality track record or customer service, but judging from other reviews I expect this’ll be a winner, especially for the price I was able to get it at (only around $16 US).The product packaging was simple and easy to open. Mine arrived without any damage, and with the relative flexibility of the slim box and case itself, I wouldn't expect yours to arrive broken either.The case looks tough enough for daily use; I wouldn’t expect to toss my phone off balconies and second story windows and have it survive, but if I did, I would’ve gotten a much heavier case. I’m usually protective of my phone, so I never bother spending massive amounts of dosh on big thick cases. This feels like it’ll be a good balance of protection and not making an already massive phone any bigger.I’m not sure how well the holes on the bottom will accommodate larger USB and 3.5mm connector jackets (for example, the 3.5mm jack on my ATH-M50X’s is quite large), but this is the first thing I plan to test when I get my phone.Also of note—many phone cases cite being MIL-STD-810 certified, however this is a very loosely applied standard, and doesn’t really mean much. Search for 'MIL-STD-810' on Wikipedia; there's a section specifically talking about how the rating applies to consumer electronics.About the kickstand…It says directly on the box that the kickstand is meant to balance the phones weight to stabilize itself—makes sense. However, I doubt I’ll be able to balance the phone in a portrait orientation with the kickstand because it’s offset so far to one side. Being offset, though, works to provide two different angles to prop the phone at in landscape mode, which is nice.I think if anything will break on this case, the kickstand will come first. The plastic pins used for the kickstand hinge are absolutely tiny, and I expect they will easily wear down over time, or just snap off. I’m also dubious of the plastic snap-type latch for the kickstand, I’ve had kickstand cases before from a few brands, and if the hinge didn’t break first, the plastic latch wore down and allowed the kickstand to come open and flap around freely. Overall, it's hard to complain with the otherwise quality feel of the case and its lower price point.

XLNT product!