DevilCase has a strong reputation for manufacturing high-quality aluminium bumpers for Sony Xperia devices. We have reviewed a number of DevilCase bumpers in the past and this time we are looking at the bumper designed for the Sony Xperia Z3+/Z4.
The Taiwanese-based company makes these aluminium bumpers in various colours and today we are reviewing the Silver Xperia Z3+ version. The Xperia Z3+ DevilCase bumper costs £36.99 from Amazon.co.uk
DevilCase has changed the packaging from earlier bumpers. The front of the packaging now clearly labels all of the ports and parts of the bumper. DevilCase uses a covered power/camera button and volume rocker and has openings for all other ports. The rear of the packaging describes the process of making the bumper. DevilCase carves the bumper from a block of aluminium using a CNC milling machine.
The DevilCase bumper comes pre-built, held together with two screws. In the packaging, DevilCase provides a small screwdriver and a couple of spare screws.
The DevilCase bumper is made from aluminium, therefore to avoid any scratches with the metal edges of the Xperia Z3+, the company lines the interior of the bumper with rubber.
The DevilCase aluminium bumper is easy enough to install. Simply remove the two screws that hold the bumper together, you will find that the bumper comes in two parts. Slide the phone into one part of the bumper and then screw the second part of the bumper.
DevilCase uses precision engineering to manufacture the aluminium bumper. We found the Xperia Z3+ bumper fits the phone perfectly, keeping the phone very secure with little risk of slipping out. The great thing about using a bumper is that it keeps the good looks of the phone intact whilst providing some light protection if the phone is dropped.
The right side of the bumper uses covered buttons for the power button, camera and volume rocker. As with all other DevilCase bumpers we have tested, we found each button worked well in practice. They work smoothly and do not get stuck, which can be a risk when using other cases with covered buttons.
DevilCase does not provide access to the microSD memory card and Nano SIM card slot on the left side of the Xperia Z3+/Z4. This is not a big deal as you are unlikely to change this very often.
The top of the bumper allows full access to the headphone jack and noise cancelling mic.
The bottom of the bumper has access to the exposed micro USB power and includes a couple of holes that can be used as a lanyard.
Overall thoughts
The DevilCase Xperia Z3+ aluminium bumper is just as well-crafted as the previous DevilCase products we have reviewed. The bumper provides added protection to the phone without impacting the design and weight of the handset. This means that you can feel confident using the handset on a day-to-day basis without the fear of light bumps and scrapes.
The DevilCase bumper is not cheap
Positives
– High precision aluminium bumper with a perfect, solid fit
– Bumper complements elegance of the Xperia Z3+
– Access to all major ports and buttons (only the SIM slot is blocked)
– All covered buttons are easily pressed/activated
– Provides light protection without sacrificing the design
– No noticeable signal degradation by using the bumper
– Very quick and easy to install
– Spare bumper screws included
Negatives
– Expensive
Many thanks to DevilCase for sending the bumper for review!
