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Today we’re taking a look at the Otterbox Defender case for the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra. I don’t normally work with Otterbox so I purchased this case for the S25 Ultra launch. It’s been a while since I have taken a look at a Defender case but can confirm, they’re still quite beefy where it counts. This is a robust case option for your S25 Ultra. The Defenders cases have a softer outer TPU sleeve essentially that wraps around the harder TPC casing that forms a shell around the S25 Ultra. The TPU layer is soft and importantly very grippy and textured. The TPU material has that nice bounciness quality that you want to see in a smartphone case. When peeling that layer back, you can see that the TPC casing is two layers, a main rear case body piece and a front frame that latches on to the rear case body part. Both the main rear casebody and the front frame are very rigid and strong. Together they really eliminate any type of flex which is nice to see. Installation is relatively straight forward, just remove the TPU layer, separate the front frame and get the S25 Ultra in its new super suit. After working with this case for a little bit, I can confidently say it’s got more than enough material on the sides, tops, and bottom to adequately shield the S25 Ultra. The corners are just as strong if not stronger and the TPU layer has some extra material on each corner to help cushion any corner impact events. The case does not come with a screen protector but the case forms a nice bezel that is raised above the screen height at the top and bottom of the phone case. This helps with screen protection when you drop your phone. If your phone lands on a tile floor, concrete sidewalk, or asphalt street, the frame and TPU material will make the initial impact, not some part of your phone made out of glass. That’s definitely not a battle your phone can win alone. This case is generally speaking relatively thick so it’s going to increase the overall profile somewhat but that tradeoff is totally worth it if you need the protection. This case was able to wirelessly charge on my layflat QI charger too which is nice. There’s a bonus USB-C protection flap too which I always like to see. These help keep out dirt, dust, and other debris which will help keep your USB port working well throughout the lifetime of the phone. The S-pen bay is a decent size and has some reinforcement which is good. No issues removing or re-inserting the S-pen during my testing. This case in general has to be one of if not the most grippiest cases that I have ever tested for any phone so, that’s quite excellent. Grip is really important as a quality of life feature and as a protection feature. The better your grip is on the S25 Ultra, the less likely you are to drop it. Since this is my first Otterbox in a long time, I was surprised to see the insert offered a free belt holster by scanning the QR code. Not sure if that’s a one time S25 ultra launch thing or standard practice for Otterbox, first time I saw anything like that. This case is coming in at just over $60 on Amazon right now so it is one of the more expensive cases, up there with the Rokform Rugged case that I looked at recently. I definitely like this one, its grip is honestly unmatched but they aren’t including a front frame with a built in screen protector, I’d like to see that as an option. This case also does not support MagSafe accessories. Clearly most people don’t care because this is one of the best selling cases for the S25 Ultra on Amazon. I like this case and if maximum grip or case feeling along with solid protection was my priority, this would be the case to get. I think for just a few bucks more though, the Rokform Rugged case might be an interesting option. If you want to learn more about the Otterbox Defender case for the Galaxy S25 Ultra, I’ll leave an affiliate link in the description below so definitely check that out. Until next time, stay charged up!
Affiliate links: These links help support MobileTested. They are free for you to use and we may be paid a commission for anything you may purchase.
Samsung S25 Ultra: https://amzn.to/42CIqch
The OtterBox Defender For The Galaxy S25 Ultra: https://amzn.to/4lyauUE
MagSafe Accessories: https://amzn.to/4hcPDEf
