A rare sale on this weirdly protective minimalist case is something we only see in Prime Day's final hours

When you think of a protective phone case, you probably think of something that covers the entirety of the phone to ensure maximum protection. The Arc Pulse case series says "you don't need all that nonsense," but usually doesn't give you a price break for its lack of materials. Thankfully, Prime Day changes that with a rare 20% discount on what are otherwise pretty expensive phone cases.

Arc Pulse works by covering the area of your phone that most commonly come in contact with the ground when it's dropped. That's the top and bottom edges, as well as all four corners. It's even got protective lips around the front edge of the display, but the rest of the phone is totally exposed for the whole world to see.

Arc Pulse cases are often limited-run items. For example, the Pixel 9 Arc Pulse case can no longer be found on Amazon, even though the manufacturer sells them in limited quantities on its website. That makes a discount on the cases a special event, but it's only good until the end of the day Friday, July 11.

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Redefining the term "case"

Save 20%

Arc Pulse Case for the Galaxy S25 Ultra: was $89.99 now $71.99 at Amazon

"I don't often drop test phones in cases because so many cases are very similar, but Arc Pulse is a different beast entirely. For the test, I dropped the phone on three different flooring types: a wood floor, an area rug placed on concrete, and bare concrete. I dropped it at pocket height, roughly 3ft, and at head height, roughly 6ft, to simulate the two most common ways someone might drop their phone. To my surprise, the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL was spotless after all these drops. No scratches, cracks, or any other damage was found, and the case's unique design is surprisingly effective." — Nick Sutrich for Android Central

Android Central review ⭐⭐⭐⭐

✅Recommended if: you love the way your phone looks and hate covering it up, but are afraid to drop something that costs $1,300 outright. This keeps your phone looking like its beautiful self without opening it up to the dangers of being totally naked.

❌Skip this deal if: you're looking for a case that adds MagSafe or something else. You can always add a MagSafe ring to the back, but it'll cost you extra.

Price check 💵: $89.99 at Arc

Alternative deal 🪙: Pitaka Aramid Fiber case with Magsafe ring: $54.99 $43.99 at Amazon

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You might wonder why anyone would want such a case on their expensive phone, but I'll posit that it's a great alternative to having no case on your phone. I prefer to use my phones without a case, but not everyone is as crazy as me. This, at least, gives you protection on the most important parts without ruining the look and feel of a caseless phone.

The case is made entirely of metal, so you know it's super sturdy, and has a rubberized interior shock layer that keeps the metal from scratching or impacting your precious glass phone in the event of a drop.

When I got the first Arc Pulse case for the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL earlier this year, I made a quick video showing the drop test performance on carpet, wood, and concrete from two different heights. Check out that video below to see how it would protect your Galaxy S25 Ultra.

Drop testing the most minimalist phone case in the world - YouTube

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Even with this video evidence, I totally understand being nervous about buying an ultra-minimalist case like this. In that case, I recommend grabbing the Pitaka Aramid Fiber case for Galaxy S25 Ultra, also on sale for 20% off for the rest of the day today.

An Aramid Fiber case is designed to offer additional grip for these super slippery glass-and-metal sandwich phones, as well as scratch protection in the event of a drop. Not that they are generally not great for drops on concrete or similar situations, while the all-metal and rubber-lined Arc Pulse case above will almost certainly do a better job, ironically.

• For more on Prime Day 2025, check out our ultimate shopping guide