Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G Case

Cons: The new, molded plastic grip ridges on this generation of Speck cases are inferior to old models' rubber ridges. With rubber used on cases for Samsung S20 and earlier models, you could put the phone on any slanted surface and it would feel secure from slipping on a slight incline. This plastic case, on the other hand, slips easily.I spoke to Speck to see if they had any rubbery variants, and they said the rubber ridges in former designs would occasionally separate, and customers complained. So they changed them to plastic molded ridges as one piece with the case. I am sure it's just cheaper to make. Contrary to their excuse the 2-year-old rubber-ridge version I have is still perfect, like new.In my experience, the surface friction added by rubber is as an important drop protection factor as the impact absorption itself. Additionally, the glossy plastic parts of the former design were immune to fingerprints, whereas the new matte plastic is the opposite.Other problems: case's side buttons stick out a lot, probably making phone buttons damage-prone if the phone falls and lands on them. Again, old school speck had rubber buttons, very protective, and low profile. Ok, maybe slightly less tactile but who cares - how often do you get to use them?Finally - specifically for the S21 Ultra case - the phone camera module sticks out a lot and the protective rim of the case is very close to the lens height, only a hair taller. In other words, the camera lip is absolutely minimal. I am assuming it would still protect the camera from damage if phone lands on a flat surface, but I would prefer a slightly taller lip.The case also adds noticeably to the height and the width of the phone, but not so much to the thickness. S21 Ultra in this case feels a little like a small brick.Pros: The front lip seems adequate, especially at the top and bottom of the screen. The ridges still improve hand grip. Overall the case feels strong.