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Samsung Galaxy Note 8 Tech21 case roundup: Drop and screen protection for the best smartphone

While the Galaxy Note 8 uses advanced Gorilla Glass 5 panels drops can still cause breakage. Tech21 offers several Designed for Samsung certified products to help protect your expensive smartphone.
By Matthew Miller, Contributing Writer
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1 of 14 Matthew Miller/ZDNET

Tech21 Samsung Galaxy Note 8 lineup

The Samsung Galaxy Note 8 is the best smartphone currently available and I've been using one for a few weeks. Three cases and a screen protector from Tech21 spent a week rotating on my Note 8.

I haven't use screen protectors on my phones for a couple of years and for the most part they have been nearly scratch free. I bought the Note 8 using T-Mobile's latest Jump on Demand program so it is important to keep the phone in excellent condition. Thus, using a screen protector makes sense to protect my investment and allow me to switch to another phone in the future. Tech21 sent along its Impact Shield screen protector for testing.

I was also sent the Evo Tactical, Evo Check, and Pure Clear cases for testing. These three cases are priced at $44.95 each.

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2 of 14 Matthew Miller/ZDNET

Impact Shield package contents

The Impact Shield screen protector is priced at $39.95. It is designed for edge-to-edge protection and covers nearly 100 percent of the front and down both side edges. There is a detailed 13-step process for installation with a suggestion to watch the installation video first before attemptint installation. It is a different approach to installation, with an applicator and four tabs on the protector.

I followed the process and installed the screen protector within a few minutes. The included squeegee has a soft microfiber cloth edge that does an amazing job of getting everything off of the display before you position the protector. At first I had several small bubbles in the top third of the screen protector, but within about four to five hours they all disappeared and the protector now looks perfect.

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4 of 14 Matthew Miller/ZDNET

Perfect fit after a few bubbles settled down

The Impact Shield is a plastic screen protector, not a glass one. It contains BulletShield material, which is used in bulletproof glass. The only part of the glass front not covered is the headset speaker, front-facing camera, and front sensor area. It is also important that the Tech21 cases all still work with the Impact Shield in place.

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5 of 14 Matthew Miller/ZDNET

Rear dual camera opening on the Evo Tactical

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Cool textured design of the Evo Tactical

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14 of 14 Matthew Miller/ZDNET

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