DevilCase sent over a gorgeous Champagne Gold bumper for us to check out and we weren’t disappointed. It may not be cheap but the DevilCase aluminium bumper is superbly crafted and enhances the premium look and feel of the Xperia Z3 Compact, whilst offering some protection too. Click through to read our impressions of the DevilCase Xperia Z3 Compact Aluminium Bumper.
The DevilCase aluminium bumper for Xperia Z3 Compact has proved to be quite popular, often out of stock since its launch a few weeks ago. The bumper is currently on sale via Amazon.com
Installing the DevilCase Aluminium Bumper is quick and simple. Most shouldn’t need any instructions, if you do, these are provided on the packaging which confirms how easy it is.
Inside the box, DevilCase provides the aluminium bumper, hex wrench to lock/unlock the case, some spare screws and even an optional back cover skin. There is also a supporting plate (insert) that can be used with the magnetic charging dock to ensure a good fit.
DevilCase is based in Taiwan and uses an aviation grade aluminium alloy (A6061) to craft the bumper with high-precision CNC machining. For the price paid, you would expect that both parts of the case fit perfectly and no issues with screws being threaded. This is exactly what you get.
Of course what you don’t want is your expensive smartphone rubbing against exposed metal, which could cause scratches. DevilCase therefore has lined the inside of the bumper with rubber strips to ensure no risk to your phone.
The bumper is made up of two parts that fit the sides of the phone. These are then securely held in position using two screws and locked into place using the Allen key.
The DevilCase Xperia Z3 Compact Aluminium Bumper provides a perfect fit for the phone. We noticed no wobbling of any kind in the frame, with the whole package feeling very secure. Whilst the front and back panels are exposed, we would fully expect the bumper to do a good job of protecting the phone against a short fall. The bumper provides some good grip and the use of anodised aluminium looks fantastic.
The right side of the Xperia Z3 Compact is completely covered with DevilCase opting to use its own metal buttons for the power, volume and camera.
The buttons themselves provide a good amount of travel and we did not notice any stiffness or hit-and-miss when trying to press them. It was good to see that the volume button in particular didn’t rattle whilst on the move, which some cheaper bumpers have been susceptible to.
The left side of the phone has access to the micro SD memory card slot as well as the magnetic charging function of the phone. DevilCase also includes a special plate that can be used with Sony’s charging dock. The SIM card slot is covered, but this shouldn’t be an issue for most users who will rarely change SIMs.
The top of the bumper provides ample room for even large 3.5mm headphone jacks. Unusually, DevilCase has a reasonably large opening for the mic on the top of the handset.
The bottom of the DevilCase bumper includes two holes for the use of a lanyard.
The bumper allows you to show off the classic Xperia design whilst providing some protection too. DevilCase also provide a back cover skin if you want some additional protection on the rear.
The Champagne Gold bumper that we were testing is gorgeous in the flesh (the pictures don’t do it justice) and would suit both black and white Xperia Z3 Compact’s in our view.
The bumper also provides a small ‘lip’ so that you can place the handset face down on a table without risking your display.
Overall thoughts
If you have read our previous DevilCase Xperia Z3 Aluminium Bumper review, then you won’t find much that has changed in our view. The DevilCase bumper for the Xperia Z3 Compact is once again a well-crafted piece of anodized aluminium that fits the handset perfectly, giving you some peace of mind over light bumps and scrapes whilst retaining the phone’s good looks.
In our use, we didn’t notice any issues of cell strength degradation and enjoyed the near-naked experience of using the Xperia Z3 Compact without it being completely covered in a case. The high price will be an issue for some, but DevilCase has a growing reputation for its smartphone bumpers combined with great customer service. If you can afford it, you won’t be disappointed.
Positives
– High precision aluminium bumper with a perfect, solid fit
– Bumper complements elegance of the Xperia Z3 Compact
– 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 Xperia Z3 Compact design
– No noticeable signal degradation by using the bumper
– Very quick and easy to install
– Includes spare bumper screws, just in case
Negatives
– Not cheap, so won’t appeal to all
Many thanks to DevilCase for sending the bumper for review!
