I made the leap into the Z Fold series last year with the Galaxy Z Fold 2 and never looked back. One thing that was hard to come by out the gate was cases. One I did manage to try out though was the Civilian Case by Urban Armor Gear for the Z Fold 2. While it added protection, I felt it may be too much and at times made it feel unusable. Thankfully UAG has taken another stab at it with the recently released Z Fold 3 and it’s been a far better experience than previously.
Style
UAG has made some design changes this time around, with the case broken into two parts. You have one half that snaps on to the back panel where the camera resides while the other part can snap or rather side on to where the cover screen is. There are cutouts for access to the USB-C port, speakers, and of course the fingerprint sensor. Clickable buttons are provided for the volume controls.
On the Z Fold 2 version the volume buttons were exposed and there was a stretchy material that provided protection to the hinge when closed.
As always with UAG their cases are built with military drop test standards and here they are utilizing what they call HyperCush which is basically there to take in all that energy when your device hits up against a surface.
There are also little strips of adhesive tape on both parts of the case if you desire to use those to help keep it in place. I opted out mainly as I have and know I’ll be swapping from case to case.
Usage
So, I got the Z Fold 3 just about a week ago and I been rocking with the Civilian case for the most part. When folded you get a nice grip and protection on the backside of the phone while the front has bezels that provide protection around the screen. This time around they aren’t as thick and tall like on the Z Fold 2. Swiping down the top of the screen isn’t as cumbersome, but you can at least maneuver with it better this time. I’d have the same goes to typing as well.
When unfolded it feels comfortable whether you decide to one or two hand the device. It does all around the Z Fold 3, but the bezels aren’t too raised which may or may not be a concern for some.
It does also support wireless payments which I have used in stores as well as wireless charging which I have time to time at home.
Verdict
Overall, I think UAG made some vast improvements to their Civilian case for the Z Fold 3 compared to the one for the Z Fold 2. Its not as heavy, bulky and way more comfortable to use thanks to its bezels not being too wide or tall.
If you are interested in the Civilian case for the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 its $59.95 in three different colors when you can catch it in stock that is.
