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Today we’re taking a look at the Tongate Case for the Samsung S23 Ultra. Tongate reached out asking to sponsor this video and since the case looked like it was built well and offered good value, I was more than happy to work with them. This Tongate case is the tried and true interlocking frame style of cases which means, while it is two pieces, the frame interlocks with the main case backing or case body to form a tight connection. This is good because it means you have a strong frame on the screen side and a solid case body working together to absorb fall damage. These types of cases are personally my favorite for expensive cell phones but, I know people do like ultra thin cases and some of us out there even roll without a case at all.
Tongate opted to include two different frame options for this case, you’re getting the open frame, which does not include a built in screen protector and you have the option to install the frame with a built in screen protector. I like that they included both options, some people don’t like screen protectors or wish to supply some other type of screen protector be it a plastic material or tempered glass. I however like the built in screen protector option, I think for the price of the case, it makes this case a good value. I’ll go through installing both options. By the way, Tongate is also including this larger belt clip style phone mounting piece which is kind of cool. If you’re moving around a lot and constantly reaching for your phone, this might be a very useful accessory that happens to be included with the case. Getting back to the case installation though, it’s relatively simple, you’ll want to do a preliminary screen cleaning with a microfiber cloth, then grab the frame option you prefer, I’ll be installing the open frame first. After removing it from the packaging, you can see I fitted the frame to the phone body first then went to install that into the main case body. The trick with these kinds of cases is to always install the top side of the phone first and I always flip the phone upside down to press in the rest of the phone. The way that the main case body seals to the frames on the Tongate is very precise, you’ll want to make sure you run your fingers around the entire perimeter of the case to make sure the front and back are completely interlocked. The material on the main case body is on the smoother side but not slippery, this is good, it will help your hands and fingers have some grip but the case still feels nice to hold in your hands. The sides, top, and bottom of the case are a good thickness too. The case is formed well, it looks like the corners should absorb some decent drops. You can see even with the open frame, the case’s total Z height extends a few millimeters past the screen which means when the phone falls on a flat surface, the screen will not touch. This is ideal, you want the case to absorb that uneven impact when the phone gets dropped, not your expensive screen. Switching over to the builtin screen protector, I think the thickness of this one is good, it seems like it will hold up against your everyday scratches like keys or miscellaneous pocket or purse items. In testing the fingerprint sensor, I didn’t really have any issues. Tongate uses a different material in this section of the case to allow your thumbprint or fingerprint to be read more easily. I like that the screen side of the phone is lifted up a bit, the backside of the phone is also raised a bit too. When it comes to the back side design, I think the case looks good. I like that the cameras seem well protected. There’s a cutout in the case which puts about 2mm in between them and the outer surface. You have a dual rail sliding camera door which I haven’t seen before. This is kind of neat, you can slide it back and forth and lock it in place. This is one way to definitely put a barrier between your camera lenses when they are not in use. This case also has a kickstand which I am a fan of. I like to put on my earbuds and play videos on my phone while doing things around the office and in my house. I like propping the phone up so I can at least catch a glimpse of the video when I’m nearby versus the phone laying flat. In terms of the cut outs for the mic, speaker, USB, and S-pen, they were all clean and worked well. No audio issues, no issues with plugging in a charge cable or ejecting and reinserting the S-pen. I did get this case on my Qi charger, it charged in both the upright and lying on its side position so I would say it performed well here.
Overall, I would say the Tongate case for your S23 Ultra is a solid option. I like the included frame options, the locking system seemed very tight which is good, I also liked the camera door, that’s not something I see a lot of, and I liked that while this is a more protective case, it didn’t seem overly bulky when using it. I would have liked to see Tongate include the dust stickers to help remove those small but stubborn specs of dust for the built-in screen protector but at this price, I think its fine to not include them. If you’re looking for a solid S23 Ultra case option with screen frame options and a unique twist on the camera protection, I would definitely recommend taking a look at the Tongate case.
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