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UAG Monarch for Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus: Attractive lightweight drop protection

The Galaxy Note 10 Plus has a high level of dust and water resistance, but it has glass front and rear panels so it is susceptible to breakage. UAG's new Monarch case provides drop protection that meets the MIL-STD 810G standard.
By Matthew Miller, Contributing Writer
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1 of 6 Matthew Miller/ZDNET

The black UAG Monarch has an ample opening for the quad camera system

The Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus, see our full review, has been in my hand for about more than a week and since it arrived it has been protected by the UAG Monarch. While it is nice to carry a phone without a case, at $1,000+ I feel better about putting something on it to protect it from accidental drops.

Samsung includes a screen protector on the Note 10 Plus so with the UAG Monarch you can now get back and side protection for the phone. It's tough to cover up the Aura Glow color, but it's worth protecting your investment.

The UAG Monarch is available for $59.95 in black and crimson colors. UAG also makes the Plasma ($39.95) and Plyo ($39.95) for the Galaxy Note 10 Plus so there is a model in a style and color to meet your needs.

The UAG Monarch series is the top end style at UAG, thanks in large part to its double military standard drop protection and integration of leather and metal hardware in the case. The side honeycomb traction grip looks great and makes it easy to hold onto your Note 10 Plus.

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Lower back and UAG branding

Leather, plastic, and metal come together on the back. Notice the extra reinforcement in the corners, which is one of the most important areas for protection from drops.

The back of the case has black matte plastic material with embedded black leather material and corner alloy screws. The case is fully usable with wireless charging and Samsung Pay. Wireless PowerSharing will not work for charging the Galaxy Buds, but does work for charging the Galaxy Watch so you will have to test it with various gear due to the thickness of the case.

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3 of 6 Matthew Miller/ZDNET

Left side buttons

Samsung made a pretty radical change by removing the dedicated Bixby button and shifting the power button, now capable of also launching Bixby, to the left side. Thus, the three buttons on the device are now all on the left side and UAG makes them easy to activate with the Monarch case.

Notice the textured sides that help you hold the Note 10 Plus securely in hand.

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4 of 6 Matthew Miller/ZDNET

Bottom view of the UAG Monarch

There are openings for the mic, USB-C port, speaker, and S Pen silo on the bottom of the UAG Monarch. Even with these openings, there is still plenty of material to protect the bottom of your Note 10 Plus.

The S Pen is easy to remove while your Note 10 Plus is mounted in the case.

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5 of 6 Matthew Miller/ZDNET

Large opening for the quad camera system

The cameras are not compromised at all while you have your Note 10 Plus in the UAG Monarch. There is angled plastic around the rear openings that leads into the back of the case.

The case also comes with a 10-year limited warranty, which is longer than anyone ever keeps a smartphone. There is plenty of rubber material in the corners to help with drops and material inside to also protect your phone while it rests in the case.

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Slightly raised sides for screen protection

The sides protrude a bit higher than the display so that the screen is protected when you set your phone down on a table. The case is also cut to allow full functionality of the Edge Panels.

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