TL;DR - After a week of testing I’m sold on the Arc Pulse and will be using it as my daily driver.
Well, a week has passed, and as promised, I’m back with my report on the Arc Pulse (not that anyone was waiting for it…lol). To my surprise, it’s still on my phone and will likely be my daily driver for the foreseeable future. Here are a few more thoughts, all personal opinions, with the usual caveats.
Pros:
- It’s light, like 18 grams light for the 16PM, which is less than even most super minimal aramid cases.
- Arc supposedly drop tested this thing to 10 feet. That was on flat surfaces, but even so-called “military-grade” cases are only tested on flat surfaces, and usually only to 4-6 feet. Not bad for a metal bikini… lol.
- It provides surprisingly ample lay-on-the-table protection, and it lays perfectly flat on its back like the Nomad Rugged and UAG Monarch.
- Being all glass and metal, this combo makes the phone super easy to wipe clean (no more stubborn smudges and shiny areas that develop on many aramid and TPU cases).
- Seeing and interacting with the phone directly is so much more enjoyable than with a full coverage case (this is number 1 for me).
Cons:
- The lack of full coverage makes the back and sides more vulnerable to damage. Dropping it in a field of boulders or a work environment with lots of debris around would not be good. Keep a Defender or Rebel around for those situations.
- It’s more slippery than many TPU and silicone cases.
- The polished metal bumpers start showing fine scratches fairly quickly (the matte black finish is reportedly more scratch resistant). Because they’re metal, you also have to be more aware of what kind of surface you’re setting it on.
- Even though it’s lighter, it can feel more bulky than the thinnest aramid cases due to the beefy corners. This depends somewhat upon how you hold it.
- It’s a polarizing design, but I’m slowly getting used to it. I think it’s acceptable because it’s so functional, but I’d prefer a more angular, less globular aesthetic. That said, I’ve always been a fan of machined metal parts on motorcycles, cameras, and other devices, and this case fits that preference. It’s definitely not for everyone though.
That’s all for now. 😊
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