Phone design is irrelevant. There. I said it.

When factoring in minute differences between glass on glass sandwich gadgets, a fraction of a millimeter of bezel, or an edge of a sidewall taper, manufacturers have largely agreed on what a modern smartphone should resemble.

That aesthetic is incomplete.

We want a daily driver phone, able to survive lifestyle abuse. To make our phone functionally usable in the real world, without having to baby it, you have to “finish” the phone hardware on your own dime.

You gotta slap a case on it.

When I received my #GiftFromGoogle Pixel 4 XL review unit, I was relieved to see they included a fabric case in the box. I refuse to leave the house with a review phone unless I can protect it. Even if I have to send the phone back, I end up buying a LOT of bumper cases to protect my review devices.

I really like Google’s fabric case. It’s a unique twist on look and feel. It does have a fatal flaw though.

It gets gross fast.

I’ve been able to clean it up a little, but setting my phone down on a ring of coffee, dropping it in some wet grass while shooting a flower macro, I can’t completely scrub out some of those stains.

The folks at UAG took pity on my poor slovenly Pixel 4 XL, and sent over a Monarch case in Red. I’m really glad they did.

Urban Armor Gear (UAG) makes some of my favorite rugged bumper cases. The Monarch brings excellent attention to details, which is satisfying for a phone destined to be a low unit seller in the Android ecosystem. Less popular devices often get ignored for high quality accessories, but UAG did the work for the Pixel.

The traditional hallmarks are here, reinforced chunky corners, side etching to improve grip, with a textured back. Wonderful cut outs for the bottom speaker, microphones, and wide access for the USB-C port.

There’s a “construction-grade” appearance to the Monarch. It’s meant to look tough, all the way down to the faux torx screws.

I am happy to see this offered in red. A little style, a splash of color, it’s not just another black on black on black bumper. (Though there is a black on black case too if that’s your jam.)

The only downside I can find for the aesthetic, the red finish is proving somewhat easy to scratch. One week into using it, I already have two hairline scratches by the logo.

Not just impact resistance and style though…

The monarch features excellent raised button cut outs, that communicate a responsive click per press. The edges of the front are raised to protect the screen, but have enough clearance for users who like glass screen protectors.

For a rigid rugged case, the sides flex easily for folks who use the Pixel’s squeeze feature to activate Google Assistant.

And the rear of the case delivers enough depth to properly protect the raised square camera housing.

The tinniest detail though?

The camera is located on the top corner of the phone, so UAG couldn’t include a fake torx screw in that corner. To prevent the case from wobbling on a flat surface, a small nub sits above the camera to keep the phone flat on a table.

Those details matter.

I’ve recently run into some frustrations trying to find good cases for phones like the Xperia 5 and the LG V50. Mushy button feel, improper fit, blocked ports. It seems it’s easy to get lazy on offerings for lower selling devices.

Happily, for folks using a Pixel 4, UAG has them covered. Literally.

The Monarch is a bit on the spendy side, currently $59.95 on Amazon (affiliate link) as I write this, but properly protecting an expensive phone is worth a little investment.

Plus, it cleans up a LOT better when you get some life on it.