[Galaxy Note5 Accessories] LaRosa217:
I was given this product at a discounted price in exchange for an honest review.

I’m not someone who normally puts a case on their phone because I don’t think most phones need them. As an owner of the Samsung Galaxy Note 5, I still feel the same way, but the glass back has made me wary. Because of this, I’ve taken the opportunity to review some Note 5 cases to see how they fare.

A few days ago I received the Little Rock Series rugged case from Artech 21. When I first opened the mailer, I gave the packaging & case a good look over. The packaging isn’t anything to write home about, it’s just some cardboard & clear plastic to hold the case. At first glance, I was very impressed with the construction and overall design of the case. The case itself looks to be made from a pretty rigid & durable plastic, with a silicone bumper wrapping the edges and inside of the case. The front is made from the same plastic material as the back with a screen protector glued to the front. The screen protector also contains a cutout for the home button, which is good for those of us who use the fingerprint sensor. Your phone will survive some of the worst falls with this case. Not that I plan on trying it, I’m sure my phone could easily survive a 40-50 foot drop with this case on it and come away unscathed. In terms of looks, it’s a good looking case that comes in several color combinations. I opted for the light blue & black. I probably could’ve done without the plastic divets on the back, but hey, it’s merely cosmetic.

After giving everything a good look over, it was time to put my phone in the case and put it to use. This is where I experienced some difficulty. The instructions included with the case could have been a lot clearer than they were. I spent a good 5 minutes trying to get the top off. See my tip in the last paragraph on how to open it. Once I got the case open, getting my phone in was straightforward and effortless. Although the case is on the lighter side (thanks to its plastic build), it does add quite a bit of heft to the device. The phone feels bulky in hand, like holding a small brick. That being said, the silicone is grippy and I don’t see there being only a slim chance of this phone slipping out of my hand. The power and volume buttons still work flawlessly with the case on. My only real gripe in using this case is that because this is a rugged case and has a fairly deep lip, it is extremely difficult to do side swipes on the phone. This is a problem because most app menus pull out from the side. Most times I had to resort to pulling out the S-Pen to perform the action. This is something to keep in mind if you plan on buying this case.

Artech 21 did an okay job designing this case with the ports in mind. Even though this is a bulky case, the S-Pen is still easy to access and remove. The bottom of the case contains flaps covering the headphone jack and micro USB port. Since this case is far from being waterproof, I don’t see why these flaps are necessary. They just become a headache when trying to charge your phone or plug in headphones. Other than that, there is easy access to the rest of the ports.

Personally, I don’t see myself using this case, as it provides too many challenges in using apps and is too bulky for my needs. I mean, I work for a software company and my phone rarely needs this level of protection on a daily basis. Now, if you were someone who worked in a job like construction or some other job where bumps and falls happen frequently, this is certainly the case you want protecting your phone. Sure, you could by a more expensive rugged case, but this case gets the job done for a fraction of the cost of its competition. For what it is, I’m very satisfied with this case and think it is great for those who need it. The only things I would change about the case are: 1) getting rid of the flaps covering the ports, and 2) clearer instructions on how to open the case. Aside from that, the Little Rock Series rugged case gets a solid 4 stars from me.

Here’s a tip to get the case open: start with the corner of the case where the S-Pen will be. Lift up the silicone over the lip of the front case & then proceed dislodging the rest of the case. Do the same when the phone is in the case, but it’s a bit more difficult.

Amazon review link: https://www.amazon.com/review/R2EXBTA7BIOATX/