Hey gang, Valkor here. Even though this year’s CE Week turned out to be a small event, the quality of products I covered were on point. And that brings us to the next company that’s visiting the Val-cave to join the ranks of Catalyst, Speck, Tech 21 and more. Introducing x-doria, or more specifically x-doria Defense series, and it's looking to give your smartphone the protection it needs.
The x-doria Defense series touts “military-grade protection” as each case promises that your smartphone can survive drops of up to ten feet all while looking stylish in the process. At CE Week we took a look at four cases in the Defense series. However, for this review, we’ll stop at two – Lux (iPhone X) and Shield (iPhone 8 Plus and Samsung Galaxy S8+). Each case is a one-piece system but separated by design. For instance, the Shield for the iPhone 8 Plus and Galaxy S8+ both feature a clear back with button access for controls and openings for the camera and speaker. However, they differ slightly with the corner bumpers (for shock absorption), which the iPhone actually has. While the S8+ has a protruding lip that juts out just enough to protect your screen from a full-frontal drop. The Lux is also one piece, however, the back features a patterned design that not only compliments the phone but also gives it a professional appearance. I’m not saying that the others don’t, but the Lux is the kind of case you’ll want on your phone when entering a meeting or other such events.
I own or have access to a phone for each case above, but I also took great care not to completely abuse each device because I’d like to make use of them again in the future. With that being said, I still put the x-doria Defense cases through the ringer with slight drops, tumbles and falls from a fair height. Does each device survive the process? Yes! What are my thoughts overall? Let’s find out in the TOV Breakdown.
The Bang:
The x-doria Defense series touts their cases as having “military grade protection”. And to have that level of protection means the case should be able to take a certain level of abuse and your smartphone comes out with no harm done. And I’d have to say, x-doria scores big in that department; I’ve put my devices through several minor drops, again nothing too extreme, and other than the one dummy phone that doesn't work anyway, the others are working just fine. The cases have a nice sturdy quality about them. But on top of that, they look great. I was impressed with the design of the Shield case and it looks just as impressive at home, especially with the coloring along the sides. And for you iPhone users, you gotta love that clear back so you can show off that Apple logo or the rose gold of the phone. You know you want that! In the end, x-doria ranks high on the “must own” scale not only for the great protection for your smart devices but for its winning designs as well.
The Slack:
My only issue with the case, specifically the Shield for the S8+ is that the buttons are a little stiff and need some extra pressure to either power up or lower/raise the volume; maybe when I’ve used the case a bit longer it’ll loosen up. However, it’s been more than a week using the case and it feels about the same.
Even with its one fault, I’d highly recommend x-doria Defense series which not only includes Shield and Lux but also Ultra and Clear. The cases hold their promise of strong durability but they also get cool points for their look as well. So, out of TOV 5 stars, I’m giving x-doria Defense series a strong 4.
