By 
…and it came out 100% fine thanks to that case up above. It’s not often you get a chance to test out the claims of a protective case, but I had the unfortunate opportunity to find out that my choice — a generic metal bumper case for the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 — lives up to expectations.
Many people like to “go naked” and risk their phones’ protection in order to enjoy their natural good looks. I’m one of those people, but as clumsy as I am (Rob and the rest of the gang know all about it) I knew I had to protect this $750 investment at all times.
I hate full body cases, so I opted for a bumper instead. I knew it could absorb impact well due to its metal body, and the .25 centimeter-thick buffer on either side of the bumper and every corner of the device meant there was a high chance my device could survive first impact no matter which corner or side hit first.
Cases with shock buffering are nothing new, of course, but it’s the height at which I dropped it, and the surface it smacked against — face down on cold, hard concrete — that surprised me. I got the case for minor drops (no less than about 3 feet and no higher than about 5.9 feet) so when this 5.5 inch beast came tumbling out of my pocket, over a railing and hurdled face first into concrete I was all but certain I’d lost nearly a month’s worth of rent in just a few short seconds.
While I don’t mean for this to be a review of the case in question (you can buy it here if you’re interested anyway), my real message is for those who feel like desecrating their phones with cases is silly. Take it from someone who planned on treating this thing like a baby for at least the next year — the peace of mind and added protection certainly is worth the girth. The case didn’t fare well post-impact, but I’ll only need to shell out another $30 as opposed to $750, and it’s one repurchase that I won’t hesitate to make at all.
Hopefully the nexus 4’s bumper is as durable.
Doesn’t help the Nexus 4 is as fragile as a Fabrige egg.
Tsk. Tsk. It is spelled “Fabergé”.
Not if you spell it wrong…….
Has this changed your reception at all?
I’ve had this case for my international note 2. It destroyed the signal completely every time it was on. I wrote a review on the black one on amazon
uumm video test ?
looks big by the way
that’s what she said
Pretty sure Quentyn doesn’t want to risk breaking his $700 phone again. Lol
Hah, they should give you some commission payments. Only 2 left =]
Just reading the headline gave me a heart attack! I’ve always gone naked with previous phones, but with the Galaxy Note 2, it’s fully encased. Heck, if they make a nerf case, I’d probably buy it.
A little modification and this should work great!!
http://www.lifeproof.com/shop/us_en/iphone-4s-4/lifeproof-lifejacket
nice. i rock a naked n2 cuz best buy mobile well replace it for free
if you don’t mind me asking for how much? Does it cover water, theft, etc? I have heard horror stories about BB and their plans, but not cell phones so thats why I am curious.
It’s 10 bucks a month. Covers everything but lost or stolen or intentional damage. If you fully submerse it just say water spilled on it. They will send it off for a few days while you rock something else (usually a crappy smartphone) and call you when the new one is in. It’s worth it if you’re clumsy, but not if you lose your phones.
Yeah, but does the bumper do anything about removing the god awful Verizon logo from the home button? ;-P
Seriously, though… Don’t you just hate that feeling from the split second you realize you’ve dropped your phone to the point that you get to see how bad the damage is? Ugh.
when i dropped mine last week my stomach came up through my chest!!! thank god it was fine!!!
I was using mine naked and dropped it accidentally from about 6ft and I feared for the worst, but it only suffered a small dent in the corner of the bezel. Now cases are my best friend.
the Verizon logo has it’s powers
After shattering the screen on my GNex, I won’t go without a case. Anyone interested in a GNex with a broken screen??
How much you asking?
Almost the same feeling I got when I dropped my Note 1 into the bath a few months ago. Except…water isn’t forgiving, at all *sigh* Im off to A&T store now to pick up a Note 2 and pay the price for an “exception upgrade” vs paying $200 to Asurion for a refurbished Note 1 or paying full price for a Note 2 or paying early termination fee
Sigh….expensive and stupid mistake I shall not make again
Ha ! Reminds me when my ol Sony Ericsson T610 wound up in the bath also, the phone was on top of the bog cistern/tank thing when it started ringing – AND vibrating – causing it to skid [no pun intended] off the cistern, bounce onto the bog seat & into the bath.
I was in the next room giving the good lady a seeing too when I heard it ring then go silent. When I went in to see what the ‘coo’ was when I twigged, looked in the bath & saw bubbles floating up – the phone WAS STILL RINGING & VIBRATING causing the bubbles ! ! WTF ? the phone actually survived to my disbelief lol.
Ok, now you have to review that case :)
nice
$9 shipping? What, this thing weight 5 pounds or something?
hay, its a 5,5” screen jajaja
is the Verizon version, eww. lol.
Ewe…until you realize you have solid and fast 4g LTE everywhere.
We’re you upset at the Packers losing? I was too but I don’t throw phones. Just kidding! We will get them this week. It’s good to know these things work. I dropped my phone one Wisconsin winter on to the ice and it spider webbed the screen (even with a cheap case). GO PACKERS!
As a guy who dropped his S3 on a glass (tempered, mind you) bathroom scale about 3 feet down, take it from me … get a bumper case!!!! I had no case on my phone because they “bulked my phone up too much”. Well I regret it now because i have a 1 sq in. spider web in the top right corner now. That is lucky that it is just that size and not covering much of the readable screen. But it still bothers me. I later researched bumper cases and wish I had one before I dropped my phone :(
BTW, I will add too that I’m glad you made this post.. I know someone looking at different cases.. I recommended a bumper then second guessed because some iPhone peeps said theirs sucked for protection. When I get my next phone, I will be getting a bumper (I now have some bulky case on it to help hide the spider web damage).
i dont feel like desecrating their phones with cases is silly, i feel like droping my phone is silly, i rather keep my phone naked in a safe poket
Im with you, but the grip on samsung phones is horrid!!! I had to case it!
My phone was in a safe pocket, but it was too big to stay there. Any other phone would have been fine.
Ugh. Verizon logo on home button! :-[
and juicy signal strength and blazing 4G LTE speeds… worth the trade-off.
Quentyn, does the aluminum bumper case cause a decrease in signal strength/reception? Thanks…. MY Note 2 won’t be happening until Feb, but saw a vid on YT that showed a loss of signal strength when attached. Comments?
Dropped my naked GNex on the hard tiled floor of a train station. Thought the screen was a gonner as it landed face first but there was no damage at all, just had to put the battery cover back on. It’s still naked after that.
The Samsung GALAXY S4 was leaked!!
Urghhhhhhhhhhhh wth is that on the home button!!!!!
Report quentin for property abuse!!!
http://www.amazon.com/ZuGadgets-Aluminum-Protective-Samsung-Note/dp/B00A0A903S/ref=sr_1_5?s=wireless&ie=UTF8&qid=1357303032&sr=1-5&keywords=galaxy+note+2+bumper
one in black looks awesome on grey note2
Dropped my s3 5′ onto concrete the day I got it, put the battery back in, then used it to buy a case from amazon. I don’t like the added bulk but disliked seeing my phone bounce naked more..
any marks on the phone at all? If not I maybe getting this!! I dropped my Note2 for the first time last week face down on concrete in a bar, my screen protector was marked up a tiny bit but that was it! I did have the case with the kick stand that verizon sells. its just black and a little grip to it! I was shocked my front wasn’t damaged!!! But I like that bumper for sure!!! Glad to hear your phone is safe!!
My phone tumbled off my lap while lying on couch and the screen was compmetelt trashed. I had an otterbox on mine. Was not even a week old. Not a scratch to be found yet a tiny tumble ruined it. You guys all got lucky. I seen 1 phone bout 3ft drop busted pen in 2 and that corner of screen ruined
Unless your phone was jumping of its own volition, you meant “hurtled” face first.
So true. Glad you shared this with the crowd.
so sad…..