Who lives without a phone case these days? There’s not many of those brave souls around, especially when modern smartphones can cost €1000 at the top end. At Goosed we are always on the lookout for the perfect case that can give you both protection and style. I personally have been rocking the Google Pixel 3XL as my daily rider and I always find it such a shame when my case covers such a stunning bit of kit. Recently, Speck sent me the Presidio Stay Clear case that offers OtterBox level of protection while still letting me see the phone beneath. Happy days.
All Clear
We’ve been playing with a few Speck products of late and to be fair I’ve been quitely impressed. After using their Popsocket alternative, the GrabTab, I was interested in seeing what the Presidio Stay Clear would offer.
When it comes to the Presidio Stay Clear, as the name suggests it’s simply a clear case. As a result the pretty flat white of the Pixel 3XL can be shown in all it’s glory. Ideal when the body of the phone is rather prone to scratches.
The Presidio Stay Clear offers a tight and strong fit to the body, even if it is a bit of a balls to install and remove. When testing a case like this you want to conduct a few drop tests and sometimes it was impossible to both install and remove the case. Basically when you put this on, leave it on.
A common misconception about clear cases is that they lack grip. When it comes to the Stay Clear I found it provides a really strong grip, with a nicely textured surface enabling a good balance when you hold your phone.
The downside comes when we talk about the buttons. The main problem with high-end cases can be sticky buttons and to be perfectly honest the buttons on this case are so bloody firm that you really need to press that button hard to get a reaction. I failed more times that I can count unlocking the phone or controlling the volume without pressing harder than normal.
Dropping
Speck promises drop protection up to 8 feet, so obviously I had to test this out. The Presidio Stay Clear is very similar in style to the Otterbox in the sense it offers protection all around – sides, corners and even on the front with raised bezels protecting the screen.
I tested this alongside the standard Google Pixel 3XL case, just to see how they stacked up. Having put my poor Pixel through the ringer by conducting three different drop tests. The first a standard pocket drop, the second pushing of a counter and the third and a staircase drop. I can honestly stand over the Speck case as my phone came through without a scratch, something which wasn’t the case when doing the same test with the fabric Pixel cases.
The Goosed Verdict
Overall I think the Presidio Stay Clear offers protection on par with most modern high-end cases at a comparible price.
Personally, I think you could do much worse in terms of a case but to be perfectly honest when you can buy the Otterbox in your local phone shop at a cheaper price ($40 & €30 respectively) , then it becomes much harder to recommend. Unless like me you are using a phone not commonly found in store. If you are solely worried about protecting your phone, then this clear case might be an option, otherwise, there are plenty of other options to choose from.
Pros & Cons
Cons:
- Hard to install and remove the case
- Buttons are too hard to press
- Back surface gets scratched easily
- Similar price to locally sourced competition
Pros:
- Strong fit
- Good protection overall
- Nice feel and design
- Great grip
