DevilCase Aluminum Alloy Protective Bumper for Sony Xperia Z3 Compact - Retail Package with Back Cover Protective Film X 1 and Charging Dock Supporting Plate X 1 (Z3C/ Champagne Gold)

I debated myself whether to give 4 or 5 stays, I would give 4.5 if I could but for now it'll stay at 4. This protector is pretty nice, it is made of two pieces of machined aluminum that screw together. The pieces fit very well, but together they are a tiny bit too big for the phone and so there is a little bit of space inside. This makes the phone sit just a little bit crooked and the joint where the pieces fit on that side is a tiny bit crooked. This is the kind thing only the owner of the phone would notice, but it does bug me.As a note, the space that is cut out for the magnetic charger is big, but it's not quite big enough for the bulkier chargers. I have the Magnector X2 and it does not fit unfortunately.The finish on the metal bits is highly polished and slippery.The included faux leather backing is OK. It gives the phone more grip but it's just a cheap textured rubber.The screws that hold this thing together require a small hex wrench (included.) Be prepared to put this wrench in your wallet and carry it around otherwise you may find yourself unable to extricate your phone from its case if the need ever arises.

As pretty much everyone has mentioned, the build on this bumper is excellent. It definitely does not feel cheap; it feels expensive. With this bumper, you totally get what you pay for. The fitting is pretty much exact. So much so that when I was putting it on, I had the top a bit crooked and tried to slip it on and it left a teeny scratch on my phone because I didn't check the alignment. Once it's on, it feels like it's part of the phone. No movement or anything. It was easy to put on and in fact, the hardest part of putting it on was getting the tiny screws to go into the holes. The bumper didn't interfere, either, with my tempered glass screen protector. It doesn't even touch the screen protector at all, which was what I was worried about before buying the bumper.After putting it on, one thing became very clear. It added a little bit of weight and to me, it added a much needed little bit of weight. Before the bumper, the phone was a little too light for me. It made it feel extremely fragile and because of how thin it was, I felt like I couldn't get a proper grip on it when picking it up. Now that this bumper has been placed on it, the weight feels perfect! Also, because of all the bevels and slots on the bumper, it made picking it up easier as well. It also leaves a tiny gap on the back and front of the phone so when placing it down on a flat surface, those areas don't touch said surfaces.ONE BIT OF WARNING to anyone who has a Magnector X2 or plans on buying one: the Magnector X2 adapter will NOT fit through the bumper's slot for the magnetic charger port. You'll either have to buy a different magnetic adapter, remove the bumper when you want to charge, use the USB port, or use sandpaper/a dremel to whittle down the edges of the Magnector X2 in order for it to fit through the slot. For me, I opted to dremel the sides a bit to make it thinner. My Magnector X2 now fits perfectly through the slot and makes a solid connection to my phone when charging. You don't need to whittle too much.

This is the best case I've found for the xperia z3c that looks like it actually provides some sort of drop protection. I tried a few others, and they were either plastic-y, ugly, and bulky with poor button response, else they were primarily aesthetic. I really only see two problems with it: the cost, which is basically ~10% of the cost of your phone, and the screws. The screws are really the weak point; they are something like tiny M2 screws (~2mm major diameter, ~3mm head diameter). About every month or two, the screws start to work themselves loose, and I get worried I'm going to lose it before I get to an allen wrench (which is provided). I've searched for a ~3.05mm OD high-collar lock washer to fit the countersink bore, but haven't found one. On the upside, they do provide an spare screw, but in the short term, I've just covered the screws with small pieces of black electrical tape to catch them in case they work themselves out.

I ordered the red version of the case on a Friday, and it found its way across the country by the following Monday. Not bad for $4 shipping. I’ve never paid this much for a case before, and I was quite hesitant to actually pull the trigger. Obviously, I’m quite glad I did. For starters, the build quality is incredible. If it wasn’t, I wouldn’t have even considered it. The feel in hand is wonderful, comparable to a single layer slim TPU case. I haven’t personally tested the durability for obvious reasons, but I’m fairly sure the protection it offers is comparable to anything else on the market. It screws together, and solidly at that, so I’m positive it’ll never fail.The hole placement is the main reason I was looking at the case. Any z3 owner would be well advised to primarily charge through the magnetic port, as this reduces wear on the flap, thus preserving the waterproofing. I originally had an Incipio Dualpro, and had to (badly) cut into case to allow access to the port. With this case, I only had to cut a bit off of the bottom of my Magnector x2, and it fits like a dream. There’s absolutely no play, and it just slots right in, with no fiddling necessary. The usb/sd flap is also easily accessible as well, should that be necessary. Also, the headphone port has a little indent, so not only will any size plug fit, but it will also accept my radio transmitter. No other case has worked with it before. I haven’t noticed any drop in reception as mentioned by any other reviews.I do have one minor complaint. I didn’t like the bright red back cover that came with the bumper. I spray-painted it black (off the phone, of course) which fixed that, but I think the paint seeped into the adhesive behind it. I had to throw it away the next day because it kept coming up around the top corners. I wouldn’t remove a start for this, as it’s more of a personal taste thing.Bottom line: this is the best case there is for the Z3c, and if you can afford it, buy it.