Top critical review
3.0 out of 5 starsFingerprint magnet
Reviewed in the United States on January 30, 2024
The overall build quality of this case seems pretty decent. The magnet is strong and useful for grips (like the Popsocket or OhSnap) and other magnetic accessories. The metal kick stand seems OK, but can't comment on the durability of it quite yet. It does say it's been tested for 3000+ uses, but who knows in a real-world use case. I'd be gentle when using it if you are looking for long term durability. The raised camera section is also nice. One thing to consider is if you have those camera lens cover/protectors, it may not fit as the case has a cutout for the camera itself. Just something to consider if you are going that route.
Here are a few things I didn't particularly like about this case:
1) Main reason for not using this... The Pen seems to not work as well around the middle of the screen - it feels very glitchy and disconnects from the pen. For example, when drawing a continuous line, it will stop drawing for a split second and connect again, making it seem like you lifted the pen from the screen (also no screen protector on so that is not a factor). I've tested this without the case and on another case, and both scenarios they worked just fine. The annoying part is the Pen's menu that pops up when you take the pen out. It is so hard to navigate through and randomly selects an option with this case. Unfortunately, this S24U seems sensitive to magnets and will hinder the pen's usage.
2) The case is a fingerprint magnet. It shows all your fingerprints pretty easily. Not a huge issue, just something to consider.
3) The sides are not very grippy. It's a soft, plastic-like feel that could mean it'll slip from your fingers easily. I'd hate to test out the drop durability, but it is something you need to be a little more mindful of
4) compared to some higher end phones, the inside walls of the case doesn't have another layer for extra drop protection. I'm not sure if this is really a CON, because I haven't tested this and also the higher end cases are easily 2x the cost of this one. But if you compare to other cases like the Mous case, they have an inner lining to help with impact absorption. This case is just a single mold of the plastic-like material as the frame of the case. I bet this would do just fine on small drops, but I wouldn't test it on such an expensive phone.
Even though this case seems nice and looks good, I'll probably use another case that has a higher drop protection with magsafe built in, but mainly a case that will not hinder my pen's usage. I do think the stand will be a big plus for those who do not use things like a Popsocket, and this is one of the few cases with a decent mechanism for that without blocking the magsafe ring (in case you want to attach something while using the stand).