The heavy duty case company Pelican who is known for their hard, durable, and waterproof cases for everything from cameras to rifles is entering the smartphone business. Pelican has actually offered a few waterproof “cases” in the past, but they were more of a bag or box completely protecting the device. At CES we learned they’ll be offering actual every day cases soon, so here’s a few hands-on pictures.
I’ve used Pelican’s popular crush-proof cases for camping gear and things in the past, but it looks like their extreme levels of protection will be making their way to our favorite Android smartphones soon. Complete with lightweight aircraft grade aluminum and all these cases will be as strong as they come.
Now the first case you see above is from their ProGear Vault Series, and as you can see it certainly isn’t the prettiest case around. However, it does require a few screws to secure down and will basically protect your beloved Galaxy S III from almost any situation. This case is actually made from magnesium and engineering-grade polymer, with aircraft-grade lightweight screws to keep things thin, lightweight, yet strong. It certainly isn’t the thinnest or lightest but it can handle all the elements and is completely shock proof. Expect it to arrive soon for around $75.
Then the case you see above is Pelicans new ProGear Defender series that aims to still offer ultimate protection, only with less intrusion and a lower price point. This bad boy will be priced around $34.99 to be more wallet friendly, and is designed for ease of use. It’s built with the same engineering-grade polymer and sports a rubber interior to make the case crushproof and shock-resistant. Pelican also pointed out the curved sides were done on purpose, with extra rubber inside to act as a better point of impact on drops and reflect the fall into a roll instead of a loud slap onto the concrete. I’m thinking that’s more because the Galaxy S III is extremely round on the sides however.
Either way there you have it. These are just two of many new and durable cases from the popular folks at Pelican. We’re expecting plenty more from them soon and can’t wait to give these cases a try out in the wild.
