Review: Spigen Neo Hybrid Lumi case series for Samsung Galaxy S III

Protecting our valuable smartphones is almost a top priority any more. The technology inside gets increasingly better and with that comes a larger price tag. None of us want to have an accident occur that could cause damage to our phones. If you are lucky and it doesn’t break during a drop, chances are the paint will chip and it will look ugly. On the other side of the coin, if you drop it and you were smart enough to get insurance, then you might only be out $130 or so, or you could be looking at spending $500+ to get a new one. I don’t know about you guys, but I sure as heck can’t afford to replace mine for those costs. So what is a person to do? Simple, get a case that can help protect your device from everyday wear and tear and even against the occasional drop. That is where a company called Spigen comes into play.

Spigen is a case and accessory manufacturer that creates some pretty unique and functional products. They cover cell phones, tablets and laptops with a multitude of various designs and color options to fit every lifestyle. One case I was lucky enough to get my hands on was their Neo Hybrid Lumi Series. Before we get into the actual case its self, I absolutely have to touch on the products packaging first. Anyone can just toss a case in a box with a clear window to see it. Not many manufacturers take the time design their packaging to stand out, or be this solid. So the case is housed inside this sealed hard plastic shell. You can see nearly all angles of the case, how thick it is, the name of the model and is color coded for the color you are looking at. On the back their name, Spigen SGP is engraved near the top and then a list of the special things this case can offer. Ok, so that’s cool, and semi normal. Take a look.

 Here is where the outer casings design stands out to those that pay attention. The seal around the cases edges where it goes from clear to frosted, is curved to mimic the design and curve of the Galaxy S III. That is some serious attention to detail.

Ok, enough of the packaging. Lets talk about the case. The Neo Hybrid Lumi case is made from a flexible, stretch resistant TPU back cover with an interchangeable polycarbonate frame. This would be the Shining Grass color variation. You can take the color ring off and change it out with any other Lumi series case or Color series case. The design is quite interesting. The color frame is curved much like the back of your S III to still give you the look of the curve and not turn your device into another “rectangular” device. The right side has a button that covers the power button. you will find the same rubberish cover that fits over your volume rocker too. On the bottom is your charging port cut out and the top has your headphone jack cut out. Ont he rear you will, of course, find cut out for the flash, camera and speaker phone. They were nice enough to label the camera on the case as 8.0 MEGA, case we all know that we might have forgotten what mp the camera was. They have to put their label on their too, it isn’t a huge plastered logo, it just says Spigen sideways.

 Overall the case looks really good. It fits nice and tightly, but isn’t a pain to put on. Which is nice, I know you guys have all had cases that you felt you were gonna break your phone trying to get it on and off. That can be a rather scary feeling. The Buttons for the power and volume controls are tight and snug so it doesn’t take any more pressure to press.

Oh but wait, there’s more! Inside the packaging you will find a few little bonus things tossed in from Spigen. You get your little official Spigen case card with product registration code on it. You also get very nice and soft cleaning cloth and an Ultra Nano Clear screen protector and back case cover from Steinheil. They make a pretty descent screen protector. I unfortunately didn’t have the courage to apply the screen protector to my device though. Two reasons – One, I am not a fan of screen protectors. Two, we plan to offer this case up for a give-a-way soon. :O)

While the color choices for the Neo Hybrid Lumi series aren’t up my alley personally, I can see what they were going for. The names go along with the whole Galaxy S III design principal of making it natural and based off nature. The colors are Lightning Yellow, Dazzling  Orange, Shining Grass and Sparkling Blue. The Neo Hybrid Color series has colors such as Reventon Yellow, Rubine Red, Jade Blue and Infinity White. I kind dig how the Infinity White looks.

Just because we absolutely have to do it, you guys need to check out the product video that Spigen put up on their YouTube page. You might want to tun down the volume a bit.

Pretty outstanding product video for “just a case” as many would put it.

So on to the more important stuff, like, where can you buy one and how much will they set you back. Well, you can always head to Spigen.com to snag the one we covered here, or look around at other great cases for your S III, Galaxy Nexus, HTC or…. iPhone. Seriously have a look around, be sure to check out their other accessories too. Both the Neo Hybrid Lumi and Neo Hybrid Color will set you back a cool $26.99 per case. If you feel like snagging one from Amazon.com, they will cost you the same. Those links are of course down below.

Final thoughts

I only had one issue with the case, while trying to put it on I had my finger on the power button and managed to reset my device. Pretty much all my fault though. Other than that, it is a solid case that adds a little flair to your life and enough protection to make it worth the price.