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Today we’re taking a look at the Spartan case from Poetic for the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra. I asked Poetic to send over a few case for testing and this was one of them. The Spartan is one of the beefier, more ruggedly built and aggressive looking case options. This case features a main case backing with two different interlocking screen frame options. You can choose the open frame with no screen protector or the frame with a built in screen protector. Since both screen options interlock with the main case all around the perimeter of the phone, this makes for a very strong case assembly. It’s super unlikely that these types of interlocking cases are going to split or break apart when they are dropped. With a hard plastic frame only, you run the risk of it just shattering when dropped, with a rubber only case, you might not have the rigidity you need for hard drops. The Spartan case features a raised lip at the top and the bottom of the case which will prevent the screen from being the first part of the phone that impacts a flat surface. Since the lips on the top and bottom go all the way out to the corners of the case assembly, this means no matter which angle the case impacts a flat surface, the screen won’t touch because it will always be lifted a few millimeters up higher than the lips. You can actually slide a few business cards under the screen when it lays flat on a flat surface which is great to see. There’s extra material around each of the corners to help reinforce the case durability and absorb fall damage. The top and bottom as well as the sides are also sufficiently thick enough to protect the phone when it hits the ground at a bad angle. This does add a little bit of bulk and weight but it’s well worth it in my opinion. The button feel for the screen sleep and volume was good, not too hard but not too soft either which is what I like. The USB-C cover flap is a great thickness and looks strong enough to hold up over the life of your phone. It was relatively easy to plug the cable in and remove it, so that’s good. The speaker and mic cutouts are a good size and I had no trouble with calls or hearing anyone or music when I was streaming. The S-pen was easily ejectable and re-insertable which is good. In terms of the way this case feels in your hands, it’s solid, got a good amount of weight and it’s definitely not going to slip out of your hand. That’s because the sides of the case are nice and grippy and the back side of the case isn’t slippery like the rubber or neoprene cases. This case also has a kickstand which is kind of nice. I like this inclusion because it helps when I’m working on projects because I can flip the phone on the side with a video playing instead of the phone laying flat. As for the look of the Spartan, the whole case looks and feels aggressive in my opinion. I like the textured design elements on the back side of the case too. I really like the screen protector option that’s included, I would definitely run this on my phone. The material seems thick enough to hold up to your everyday type of abuse, scratches from keys or drops on the floor or your desk. Crucially, I had no issues with using the fingerprint reader thanks to the fingerprint stamp that Poetic inserted into the screen protector. If you opt for the open frame instead of the built-in screen protector, it will still form a strong interlocked case and you have the option to run no screen protector or supply your own desired screen protector. In terms of camera protection, the thickness of this camera cutout region easily provides a few millimeters worth of clearance between the cameras and any flat surface which is what I need to see in cases that I use. The cameras are a big part of smartphones now and they need to be protected somehow. Overall, I really like the Poetic Spartan case. It’s beefy and its definitely going to absorb quite a bit of fall damage instead of you breaking your expensive S23 Ultra over time.
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