MacSources
4 min readFeb 9, 2017

--

UAG Trooper Series iPhone 7 Plus Case REVIEW

Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on Pinterest

When it comes to our smart devices, there are many options for personalization. I have found that there are three main varieties of cases that people can choose from. First, and the most adverse to me, is the naked phone. I cannot understand spending $650–850 for a device to leave it unadorned, unprotected and ready for trauma at any moment. However, some people do not care, this does not bother them and they are content to enjoy the phone in its al natural state. Personally, I have been a fan of the phone armor. These are the cases that are fully enclosed, provide bezel, screen, and back protection. However, lately these have felt bulky and I wanted to try something different than the standard Otterbox Defender. This leaves the final group, which protects the back and bezel. These can be made of leather, plastic, silicone etc. They provide protection to the screen by raised outer edges.

UAG, Urban Armor Gear is a company that produces accessories that you can trust. If you cannot find a preferable case, through their website, it likely does not exist. Their customer service is great, the team is very pleasant and overall they really do care about the customer. I have recently become interested in the wallet/folio style cases, which allow you to use the case as your wallet. This type of case is ideal for the gym traveler, the vacationer and the one who wants to take a single device, instead of multiple devices.

The trooper iPhone 6S/7 Plus case is shipped in rather attractive retail packaging. Along the bottom right is a sporty SUV coming out of the phone. Most of the packaging is clear, allowing the beauty of the case to shine through the window. I absolutely love this form of marketing, as this allows the device to be the star. The case, like most of the UAG cases, meet the Mil-Std 810G drop test rating. This particular case is designed with rubberized phone gripping material and a hard shell plastic surround. It is capable of holding up to four cards, in a concealed posterior compartment. Now you can have your license, a credit card, gym card or any other card of your choice. Combine this with Apple Keychain and you have your entire wallet in the case/phone combo. Fold a $20 bill and place it behind your cards or even behind the phone for an emergency.

The back of the packaging details the main features of the case. The edges are impact resistant, the inner lining is scratch resistant (thank you from an owner of the Jet Black iPhone), the screen surround provides screen and bezel protection and the case has proper cutouts for the buttons. The bottom has a cutout for the 3.5mm jack that is not present on the current generation phone. I understand this addition, the desire to accommodate the prior iPhone 6S plus as well. I wish that this cutout was symmetrical, however. Alas, my eye will have to be drawn to the asymmetry. I do love that the buttons are incredibly well laid out and that the camera cutout was designed for the iPhone 7 Plus.

The packaging lists the case as feather-light, which may be an overstatement. Removing the case from the packaging, you will notice the thick plastic feel of the 3 oz case. The flat black coloration provides a prominent tactical feel to the case. The latch is incredibly firm and is more difficult to open than I like. The back flap is thin plastic, but closes very well and securely. The case is heavy, especially if you are camping/hiking/backpacking etc. Minimalism in that case will prevent you from using this case. In fact, the iPhone 7 Plus and UAG Trooper case combined weigh 9.7 ounces. As stated, this is a very noticeable weight and it is heavy.

If you press into the middle back of the case and lift up on the latch, the door will open more easily. The back compartment will store 4 cards as recommended or anything that is shaped similar to a credit card. I like that a quick glance at the case does not scream “I have cards in here.” It takes a relatively close look to realize that the back opens up. I wish that there was a pouch, a holster or some method to attach this to the waist/belt. The weight and the cards inside of the case make me concerned about hand carrying the device. Pocket carrying would be a reasonable method to carry the phone. You will undeniably notice ~10ounces of weight in one of your pockets. This weight is essentially the same as the pocket carry LCP pistol from Ruger.

I am a huge fan of the UAG company. Their products are well made and seem to last. I have used their case for the past week and found that it held up very well. As a typical Catalyst or Otterbox Defender fan, I was really impressed with the quality of this UAG case. I would rate the case as 4/5 mostly on preference as the quality easily meets 5/5 stars.
BUY FROM AMAZON

Check out the UAG Trooper at UAG.com
Follow them on Facebook and Twitter.

Originally published at macsources.com on February 9, 2017.

--

--

MacSources

Mac Sources is an Information and Technology Company. We review all things technology-related. Our team also reports on tech news happening in the world. 