Case-MateBarely There Case for Sony Xperia Z2 - White

Very well made, clear phone case. It's hard plastic and all the key parts of the phone are still accessible through the case except for the sd/sim card holder.The buttons on the case are actual plastic buttons unlike some cases I've had that use cutouts for all of them. The only button cutout here is the power button which is for the fingerprint sensor.I don't think this case would protect the phone very much from hard impact from dropping since its just hard plastic, it is ridged on the screen though so if you do drop it on the front, the case takes the impact not the screen.I do think it's better used as a scratch protector though which is fine for me. If you are looking for drop resistance you would be better with a hard outer case with a rubber insert since these are designed for that purpose but they are bulkier as a result.Overall, this case does not feel cheap and nasty at all, it has a very nice feel when in use since it's all rounded off nicely. Would definitely buy this again over other cases.UPDATE: This case has a fairly large flaw, if you use the flash on your phone, it reflects back into the final image, leaving white around the bottom two corners. For this I have deducted a star.

Premium quality and designed cases for the Xperia Z5 are hard to come by, mainly due to the lack of people buying Sony in the first place, therefore not that many manufacturers make cases. Having bought the official Sony SCR42 cover case, which is a great case in itself, the only thing I disliked about it was the exposure of the right hand side of the Z5. I wanted a second case, a little more rugged for daily use.The Case-Mate Tough Case was my second choice and seeing it was now greatly reduced to under £12 from its previous price of £25, I took the opportunity to try it. At a £2 premium compared to some of the overpriced and awful glossy TPU cases out there, the Case-Mate was a no brainer. Couple this case with a glass screen protector (which I have) and the phone is fully protected.The case is well designed, with a rubber membrane for the inner layer and an external hard case, with a dotted texture to provide extra grip. It does make the Z5 slightly bulkier, but as its marketed to be a rugged, this is to be expected. The case protects all sides of the phone with it's dual layers which I can imagine will take some impact whilst keeping the phone inside safe. The headphone jack and micro usb connector is easily accessible, whilst the volume rocker and camera button are catered for by button extenders on the case.A few of the cheaper cases I come across, had cut outs for the fingerprint sensor which made it unusable or harder to use. The Case-Mate doesn't get it fully right, as you can not unlock when holding the phone from the front, but the cut out to access in a normal holding position (i.e with your palm behind the back of the phone) is unobtrusive, making it easy to unlock with both fingers and thumb.Theres a knack to fitting the exterior shell to the inner rubber membrane, which is not obvious as the packing did not provide any instructions and it was a case of trial and error for me. At first, the 2 layers did not fit rigidly, and there was a clear gap at the top of the case between the 2 parts. However, the trick is to fit from top to bottom, ensuring the external shell slides under the headphone jack rectangle, which provides a click, and then clicking the rest of the case in place, providing the clean lines one would want.This is a great case and worth the extra money over cheaper TPU cases, especially if you want the rugged protection.

Where to being with Casemate..I originally had my first case from them about 3 years ago, with my Sony Xperia Z3C - and what a case. 3 years of bouncing, knocking, dropping, soaking wear and tear and it never let me down. Friends were so impressed that all 3 of them with Z3Cs got a Casemate case. The only issue I had was the button for the camera fell off. So I was in no doubt it would be the case for my new Z5C.On first impressions the Z5C case seems to be of even better quality than my Z3C case. This covers all of the phones edges (Z3C couldn't on the left side because of the charger), and seems to be very sturdy. I've been using this now for about 5 months, and there are literally no signs of wear still. Seems to be made of the same stern stuff as the other case.The only qualms I have of this case, and they are VERY minor, is that the charger port has a bit of plastic from the case above it - making getting some chargers (with large USB connectors) a little trickier to get in (as you have to bend the plastic very slightly). Other than that - that's it.Casemate, you shall forever be my phones silent guardian. A watchful protector. A dark knight.

I purchased this case having broken the screen on my phone a while back...I was advised that this brand provides much better durability and that in the event of a fall that it will protect your phone much better than standard covers. This is of course reflected in the price...However, one day as I was doing a job in the garden my phone fell out of my pocket as I was bending down to pick something up...it did not fall a great height and landed on its back. Unfortunately when I checked my phone the whole back piece had shattered...even through the case mate cover it was in bits...if I remove the cover the phone will actually have bits falling off it......yet the case is in tact...this makes no sense to me...it did not do the job it claims to do and when I contacted customer service all I was offered was a replacement case mate cover. When I explained that this was not the problem and that I would be out of pocket in having to replace the back of my phone, they did not contact me further. So I spent a substantial amount on a phone cover that does not do its job. Very disappointed with both the product and the customer service!