Android Central Verdict
Price: $12.99-$13.99Bottom line: This glittery jewel of a case gives off a subtle, shimmering shine while letting the details of the Galaxy S9+ show through its glittery guise.
Pros
- +
Flat back offers good grip and plays well with phone grips
- +
Lip around the screen is high enough to protect the glass while still allowing edge-to-edge use
Cons
- -
Limited glitter colors available
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Flat back can feel dirty at times
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Spigen is known for cases that can deliver at every price point and level of protection, but unlike brands like Otterbox or UAG, Spigen is known for bodyguarding our phones without brutish bulk. While some of us may want to lock our beautiful Samsung Galaxy S9+ inside Fort Knox and forsake any semblance of thin, grace, Spigen knows that so many more of us want to keep as much of the lithe, light luxury of our S9+ as a case will allow.
Spigen's Liquid Crystal case allows you to show off the natural beauty of your phone while still offering some extra grip and some very basic protection from scratches and scuffs. The Liquid Crystal Glitter takes all that lightweight loveliness and turns it into a glimmering gem.
Spigen Liquid Crystal Glitter case for Samsung Galaxy S9+ What I like
The Spigen Liquid Crystal Glitter case hugs every curve of the Galaxy S9+ perfectly, with a gentle lip at the top and bottom of the screen to keep it up of a dirty desktop should you place it face-down to show off that glam glitter back.
The glitter infused into every centimeter of the Liquid Crystal Glitter's thermoplastic polyurethane allows the more bold branding of the SAMSUNG and Galaxy S9+ to shine through its starfield while hiding the less sexy but legally required information — like the IMEI — and if you managed to scuff your Galaxy before you found this case, the glitter will help hide smaller signs of wear and tear.
The flat back of the Liquid Crystal Glitter case isn't quite as mesmerizing or magical as the Ringke Air Prism case, which featured a geometric texture, but I'm okay with that tradeoff because the Liquid Crystal Glitter can use something the Air Prism cannot: phone grips. As I've said before, phone grips aren't a frivolous accessory anymore, they're a necessity and I'll take a case that can use one over one that cannot any day of the week.
It's stunning in the best way possible.
The buttons on this case are solid and still offer up that satisfying clicky feel when pressed, but I do wish that either the power or Bixby buttons were textured to better distinguish them from each other, especially when blindly reaching over to my phone to turn down my morning music. These port cutouts are just as expertly padded and rounded as they are on my new favorite case, the Spigen Neo Hybrid case, and the slope to the fingerprint sensor is small but still easily guides my pointer finger into place.
Spigen Liquid Crystal Glitter case for Samsung Galaxy S9+ What dulls the shine
The Spigen Liquid Crystal case technically comes in seven styles, but five of them are variants of the Crystal Clear: regular Crystal Clear, Crystal Clear with three different styles of flowers printed on the back, and Glitter Crystal Quartz. The remaining 2 are the cliche but cute pink of Glitter Rose Quartz and solid snore-worthy Black.
That's all, and that means that for anyone with a Titanium Gray, Lilac Purple, or Coral Blue, your choices here are to get a glitter case that mutes your phone's color or a glitter case that clashes with your phone's color.
I get that colored cases are a harder sell — especially since glitter already has a stigma of juvenile, jean-bedazzling childishness to combat — but the colors here feel especially lacking considering until the Sunrise Gold and Burgundy Red Galaxy S9+ came out this spring, the Rose Quartz didn't really fit properly with any of the model colors.
Rose Quartz's millennial pink hue may have felt like an easier sell since glitter cases are far more likely to be bought by women, but a cooler shade of purple or blue would've blended better with the launch colors that are far more prevalent, and it wouldn't have felt so cliche.
The only other blemish on the Liquid Crystal Glitter is something that tends to plague clear cases: grime. Now, the glimmering shine of the Liquid Crystal Glitter hides the appearance of grit and grime far, far better than traditional crystal-clear cases, but the flat back of the Liquid Crystal Glitter doesn't hide the feel of the sweat/dust/grime building up on the back.
Most clear cases come with a protective film on the back so that no dust gets on it before you apply the case, but Spigen instead includes an alcohol wipe, and while you may not need it when you apply the case, you'll need it a week or two in. I take this case off and take a Lysol wipe to it every couple of days to help keep things feeling and looking clean.
Spigen Liquid Crystal Glitter case for Samsung Galaxy S9+
The Spigen Liquid Crystal Glitter case is perky, pink, and darn near perfect, and since the Rose Quartz version matches Spigen's new Style Ring Pop Rose Gold model perfectly, I foresee this being a case I can rock when I'm feeling especially glam. It shows just enough of the Galaxy S9+'s style without showing off every smudge and blemish either the case or the phone inside it has picked up.
That said, I'm dreaming of a nautical navy version that could've made my Coral Blue S9+ shine like an oceanic gem. Millennial pink may be everywhere right now, but some of us want a glitter case that's a bit cooler in color and class.
