I’ve always hated phone cases and refused to use one for a long time, preferring to admire the design and take the risk.
When I started with phones, cases replaced the standard case or simply didn’t require one, but handsets became more expensive and became more and more like a wet bar of soap to handle, thanks to smooth surfaces like polished glass.
It feels premium, but if you don’t want your phone to look like someone grabbed a jeweler with a crowbar, then a case is pretty much a necessity.
Granted, I’ve had some nice cases from the likes of Carved and Pela, but it still feels like a waste to cover up a nice phone. Then something very unusual appeared in my Arc inbox.
Chris Martin / Foundry
I had never seen such a case and thought it was not a good idea. I wanted to hate it, but after testing it for a few months, I have to eat my words.
The anti-case design
As you can see from the photos, the Arc Pulse is essentially a bumper that attaches to the top and bottom of the phone. It protects the device in important places with the smallest amount of material.
The designs vary, of course, mainly because they fit around different camera modules, with some looking gnarlier and weirder than others. Compared to the crazy Galaxy S25 Ultra case, my Pixel 10 looks smart in the Arc Pulse, which neatly encompasses Google’s pill-shaped camera bar.
Chris Martin / Foundry
Each part of the case fits with relative ease and remains secure thanks to a grippy rubber layer beneath the metal. I had to push the case back into place a few times after initially putting it on, but it was resolved quickly.
The metal itself is aerospace grade aluminum and feels very strong. As mentioned, it wraps around the important areas, leaving all four corners covered, and circles around the front so you can place the phone face down without scratching the screen.
While I immediately liked being able to feel the Pixel 10’s glossy glass back and see the design a lot better, I remained concerned about how protected the phone really was.
Chris Martin / Foundry
Well, after using the Arc Pulse for several months, I am pleasantly surprised. Not only has my Pixel 10 fallen out of my pocket onto laminate floors, but it has also been knocked from higher surfaces, such as tables, onto both wood and tile floors.
Numerous drop tests – many of them of the grimacing variety where some sort of crack or even hairline crack seemed certain – and yet not a single mark on the phone.
The phone is still more fragile than a traditional phone, so it’s a risk, but perhaps one you’re willing to take.
Two problems
Like virtually every product on our test bench, the Arc Pulse isn’t perfect.
For starters, the Arc cases are only available for select (in some cases, highly select) models of iPhone, Samsung Galaxy, Google Pixel and Nothing phones – as well as AirPods.
Chris Martin / Foundry
Even if you’re lucky enough to have a compatible phone, the case is on the pricey side of the market.
For example, the case for my Pixel 10 in the matte black color I tested costs £59/$69, while the silver option is £79/$89. Rose Bronze for the Galaxy S25 Ultra costs £99/$109. And if you want the Titanium Onyx Black for the iPhone 17 Pro Max, it will cost you an eye-watering £299/$299 – more than most budget phones.
