Samsung just dropped the Galaxy S21 Ultra, and if you’re planning on getting one, you surely don’t want to drop yours. At a starting price of $1,200, the Galaxy S21 Ultra is one of the most expensive phones from Samsung so far. While its glass-sandwich design may look pretty, it’s definitely not durable enough to survive a drop or five. So, in order to protect your $1,200 investment, we’d recommend slapping on one of the following Galaxy S21 Ultra rugged cases on your phone.
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The Samsung Rugged Protective Cover is the best rugged case for the Galaxy S21 Ultra as it offers great and assured protection. The case has been drop-tested to military-grade standards, which means that your device will survive even after you drop it from a height of 1.5m. The case also features a textured rim around the edges to ensure that you don't drop it in the first place. It also has two kickstands on the back to help you prop up your device whenever you want to stream some movies on it.
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If you don't want to spend an additional $40 on a protective case for your $1,200 phone, then the Ringke Onyx TPU case is the best option for you. While the soft shell case doesn't provide the same level of protection as some of the alternatives mentioned here, it's enough to protect your phone from the occasional drop. The case features grippy sides, raised lip around all edges and around the camera module, and even tiny feet on the back panel to prevent the camera module from touching any surface and picking up scratches.
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The Spigen Rugged Armor case is a great pick for those of you who don't want to add too much bulk to your phone with a case. The soft TPU case has reinforced sides and a raised lip around the screen and the camera module to protect them while the phone is kept on a surface. The slim form factor and affordable price tag makes the Spigen Rugged Armor case my top pick. Spigen also has good reputation in the market.
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If you're on the lookout for a $20 case for your Galaxy S21 Ultra that offers the best protection from drops, then the ArmadilloTek Vanguard case is the one for you. The case offers a rugged back panel with reinforced edges to protect your device from drops, a protective front frame to protect the display from scratches, and a kickstand on the back. This case also offers military-grade drop protection for your device.
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The SUPCASE Unicorn Beetle Pro is an affordable rugged case for the Galaxy S21 Ultra that offers complete protection. It has a multi-layered TPU and polycarbonate construction to protect your phone from drops, a kickstand to help you prop it up in both landscape and portrait orientations, precise cutouts for easy access to ports, and a rotatable holster to secure your phone on your belt.
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The Urban Armor Gear Pathfinder is a slim, lightweight case for the Galaxy S21 Ultra that offers ample protection despite its slim design. It exceeds the MIL-STD 810G rating for impact protection, thanks to a unique honeycomb design. The case is also wireless compatible, so you won't face any issues charging your phone wirelessly or making payments using NFC with the case on.
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The Defender Series is the toughest case from Otterbox. It has an outer polycarbonate shell to protect your phone from impacts, a synthetic rubber slipcover to cushion your device, and it comes with a polycarbonate holster to help you easily clip it to your belt. It also has a port cover to prevent dust and lint from getting into your device's USB Type-C port, an antimicrobial coating, and a MIL-STD 810G X4 rating.
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If you're looking for a rugged case that completely covers the camera module when not in use, the Nillkin CamShield Armor is the one for you. The case offers a TPU construction with a 0.2mm raised lip for impact and scratch protection. It features a unique camera shield that you can slide over the camera module to protect it from scratches. Additionally, the case features an anti-slip kickstand that doubles up as a phone grip.
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Nillkin also offers the CamShield Pro, which is a significantly slimmer alternative of the Armor series. It features the same camera shield, a hard polycarbonate back, and a soft silicone bumper around the edges. Sadly, it doesn't feature a kickstand like the other variant.
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Want a rugged case for your Galaxy S21 Ultra that also offers an additional layer of water-resistance? Get the Waterproof case from SPIDERCASE. This case offers IP68 certification, a built-in screen protector for scratch resistance, a rubberized bumper around the edges for impact protection, and a clear back panel that doesn't hide your phone's premium look.
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Most of the cases on this list not only are rugged but they also look rugged. If you're looking for something more minimal, you should go with the AiCase Tough+ case. It offers the same level of impact and scratch protection for your Galaxy S21 Ultra, but without that obnoxious rugged look. The case comes with two screen protectors, so that's another added bonus.
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The Poetic Spartan case offers military-grade protection for your Galaxy S21 Ultra. It features a dual-layer design with a rugged back panel that has a premium leather texture and a built-in screen protector that's compatible with the in-display fingerprint scanner. On top of that, it features a kickstand that works in both portrait and horizontal orientations, precision cutout for the USB Type-C port, and tactile buttons.
That rounds up our list of the best Galaxy S21 Ultra rugged cases. These cases will not only protect your device from drops, allowing you to use it without any worries, but they’ll also ensure that it doesn’t pick up any micro-scratches on the glass back. As you can see, we’ve made a point to include cases in all price points so you can choose one that fits your budget. We have also considered different design choices, so you can find at least one case that suits your liking. The last thing you want to do is buy a beautiful phone and slap an ugly case on it.
If you’re still confused about which case to pick, I would recommend going with the Spigen Rugged Armor case because it offers a perfect blend of ample protection and minimal design. It’s also comparatively slimmer than the other rugged cases on this list. That’s kind of crucial for people with small hands, as the Galaxy S21 Ultra is already a big phone and a bulky case will end up making it unmanageable. That being said, if you want the best protection, you should go with the Samsung Rugged Protective Cover, as it offers the best protection and it can handle the occasional drop with relative ease.
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The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra is the ultimate overkill in the new 2021 flagship series, packing in a flagship SoC, a premium build, a great display, and an amazing camera setup, as well as all the extras expected on a premium flagship.
So, which of the aforementioned cases do you prefer? Let us know in the comments section below. Also, if there’s a good case we missed out on, drop a link in the comment so that we can add it to our list and help other Galaxy S21 Ultra users out.
The post Protect your brand new Galaxy S21 Ultra with these durable rugged cases [March 2021] appeared first on xda-developers.