This is a review of UAG cases (Navigator and Scout) for Note 3. Navigator – URBAN ARMOR GEAR and Scout – URBAN ARMOR GEAR
I'm not going to deny it, I have been a huge fan of UAG and have tested and reviewed all of their Galaxy cases. As a matter of fact, considering amount and variety of all other cases I've tested and reviewed in this forum/community - UAG is still my go to case for Note 2 when I don't use Zerolemon battery. What makes them so special? A perfect combination of protection, style, and how thin and lightweight these are at the same time. There is one simple reason people buy a case for their phone - to protect it. Often protection comes at a price of bulky design without any "personality". In my opinion, with UAG cases you don't have to worry about any of this!
Packaged in a very minimalistic box, in addition to a case itself you also find a screen protector with a cleaning kit. Although I never installed their screen protector, just from a quick examination it feels more premium than most of the stuff you get from ebay. I know its not the focal point of the product, but still a nice accessory to include to protect your screen from scratches. For anybody who is familiar with their S3 and S4 cases you will be greeted with a familiar design when you take out this Note 3 case out of the box. Previous users of Note 2 will react to this in two ways. Either you are going to realize how much you missed your interchangeable vents, or like me you will say "why the heck didn't we have this for our phones". I always preferred their original industrial solid back design rather then vented design, but that is just a matter of personal taste. As a matter of fact, there has been a lot of changes going from Note 2 to Note 3 version of this case, and overall improvements in comparison to previous versions of UAG case are noticeable.
The case is very lightweight at only 52 grams despite its composite design where hard outer PC shell is fused with a softer TPU-like inner soft impact resistant shell with a signature honeycomb pattern. The idea of such fused design makes the case thinner while still retaining a decent drop protection, and also adding a convenience of quick one-piece case removal without dealing with two separate shells. What surprised me the most is the fact that Note 3 is a bit larger in overall dimensions in comparison to Note 2, while UAG Note 3 case turned out to be narrower and a bit shorter then Note 2 case. In addition, N3 case has a more squared off shape which makes it less slippery and easier to grip. And speaking for grip, a new external honey-comb grip was added along the sides of the case to improve its handling. I found this design improvement to be very effective. Along with a sculptured industrial lines of the back design with decorative hex screws, UAG Note 3 case definitely has a much better grip. Although case feels slimmer, you still get the same rubber lip around the screen to lift the display with phone placed down or to provide a protection when dropped. You still get an enhanced corner protection, and rear skid pads that allowed phone to be placed on the back without any wobbling and keeping it from sliding on a smooth surface. And of course you get all the generous port openings to accommodate oversize usb cables and headphone connectors. Power and volume buttons have a very nice tactile feedback and can be easily located just by sliding your fingers along the side of the case. You also get a very generous opening for s-pen. One thing I do have to mention. Just like a found with other Note 3 cases from different vendors, some of them don't include a hole opening in the lower right corner for temperature/humidity sensor. It is not a hole for an extra mic, as some were suspecting originally. Is that a big deal? I don't think so, unless you need it as part of S-health app or something similar. Perhaps UAG will update their cases in the next batch to open this hole. But I would think for majority it's not going to be a show stopper.
Overall, I was VERY impressed and jealous with a new slick form factor and additional improved side grip on this new UAG Note 3 case in comparison to my Note 2 UAG case. The quality is still top notch, and it's one of the few slim cases that will give you a piece of mind in case of accidental drop. After reviewing all of their previous cases, and now looking at Note 3 case (even so I'm using display model of Note 3 for my review), my opinion still remains about UAG being one of the top cases for any smartphone. Just please keep in mind, there is a number of cheap counterfeits and cheesy imitators. All I have to say is that I had my Note 2 UAG Navigator (white) case for almost 9 months with a heavy duty use, and it still looks like brand without any scratches or color fading and all the fused layers still intact. I can guarantee you no imitation or counterfeit case will stand the same test of time.
Here are the pictures, including comparison to my Note 2 case.
Note 3 vs Note 2
I'm not going to deny it, I have been a huge fan of UAG and have tested and reviewed all of their Galaxy cases. As a matter of fact, considering amount and variety of all other cases I've tested and reviewed in this forum/community - UAG is still my go to case for Note 2 when I don't use Zerolemon battery. What makes them so special? A perfect combination of protection, style, and how thin and lightweight these are at the same time. There is one simple reason people buy a case for their phone - to protect it. Often protection comes at a price of bulky design without any "personality". In my opinion, with UAG cases you don't have to worry about any of this!
Packaged in a very minimalistic box, in addition to a case itself you also find a screen protector with a cleaning kit. Although I never installed their screen protector, just from a quick examination it feels more premium than most of the stuff you get from ebay. I know its not the focal point of the product, but still a nice accessory to include to protect your screen from scratches. For anybody who is familiar with their S3 and S4 cases you will be greeted with a familiar design when you take out this Note 3 case out of the box. Previous users of Note 2 will react to this in two ways. Either you are going to realize how much you missed your interchangeable vents, or like me you will say "why the heck didn't we have this for our phones". I always preferred their original industrial solid back design rather then vented design, but that is just a matter of personal taste. As a matter of fact, there has been a lot of changes going from Note 2 to Note 3 version of this case, and overall improvements in comparison to previous versions of UAG case are noticeable.
The case is very lightweight at only 52 grams despite its composite design where hard outer PC shell is fused with a softer TPU-like inner soft impact resistant shell with a signature honeycomb pattern. The idea of such fused design makes the case thinner while still retaining a decent drop protection, and also adding a convenience of quick one-piece case removal without dealing with two separate shells. What surprised me the most is the fact that Note 3 is a bit larger in overall dimensions in comparison to Note 2, while UAG Note 3 case turned out to be narrower and a bit shorter then Note 2 case. In addition, N3 case has a more squared off shape which makes it less slippery and easier to grip. And speaking for grip, a new external honey-comb grip was added along the sides of the case to improve its handling. I found this design improvement to be very effective. Along with a sculptured industrial lines of the back design with decorative hex screws, UAG Note 3 case definitely has a much better grip. Although case feels slimmer, you still get the same rubber lip around the screen to lift the display with phone placed down or to provide a protection when dropped. You still get an enhanced corner protection, and rear skid pads that allowed phone to be placed on the back without any wobbling and keeping it from sliding on a smooth surface. And of course you get all the generous port openings to accommodate oversize usb cables and headphone connectors. Power and volume buttons have a very nice tactile feedback and can be easily located just by sliding your fingers along the side of the case. You also get a very generous opening for s-pen. One thing I do have to mention. Just like a found with other Note 3 cases from different vendors, some of them don't include a hole opening in the lower right corner for temperature/humidity sensor. It is not a hole for an extra mic, as some were suspecting originally. Is that a big deal? I don't think so, unless you need it as part of S-health app or something similar. Perhaps UAG will update their cases in the next batch to open this hole. But I would think for majority it's not going to be a show stopper.
Overall, I was VERY impressed and jealous with a new slick form factor and additional improved side grip on this new UAG Note 3 case in comparison to my Note 2 UAG case. The quality is still top notch, and it's one of the few slim cases that will give you a piece of mind in case of accidental drop. After reviewing all of their previous cases, and now looking at Note 3 case (even so I'm using display model of Note 3 for my review), my opinion still remains about UAG being one of the top cases for any smartphone. Just please keep in mind, there is a number of cheap counterfeits and cheesy imitators. All I have to say is that I had my Note 2 UAG Navigator (white) case for almost 9 months with a heavy duty use, and it still looks like brand without any scratches or color fading and all the fused layers still intact. I can guarantee you no imitation or counterfeit case will stand the same test of time.
Here are the pictures, including comparison to my Note 2 case.
Note 3 vs Note 2
