You’ll inevitably drop your smartphone. Once at a theater, my Galaxy Note slipped out of my pocket and fell onto the seat’s metal frame, crushing the side button so that the phone kept trying to activate Bixby, Samsung’s voice assistant. The phone was very hot by the end of the movie. A case might have prevented any damage … or not.
A case isn’t a guaranteed form of protection from drops, but it could help, especially if you pair it with a good screen protector. I’ve tested more than 50 cases and screen protectors for Samsung’s Galaxy S24, S24+, and S24 Ultra smartphones to find the best that offer comprehensive defense at reasonable prices. You’ll also find a few handy-dandy accessories to round out your new phone. Going with last year’s model instead? We’ve got a roundup of cases for the Galaxy S23 series too.
Updated October 2024: We’ve added new cases from Peak Design and Mous.
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Photograph: Julian Chokkattu
I have installed every case that has come into my office on either the Galaxy S24 or Galaxy S24 Ultra. I first inspect that all the ports, speakers, and microphone holes are visible and not blocked by the case. Then I try the buttons to ensure they’re not stiff. I test the phone’s wireless charging function to see whether a case causes any issues, and I gauge the edges around the screen to see whether they’re raised enough to keep the display from touching surfaces when the phone lies flat.
As much as I’d like to, I don’t do drop tests. (I don’t have an endless supply of Samsung phones to run through.) In my experience, phones with cases can still crack if dropped, so really it’s about minimizing the possibility. Pair your Galaxy S24 with a case and a screen protector for the best defense.