From its immaculate screen to its horsepower under the hood, the Lumia 1520 is an impressive smartphone. But let's face it, its size and slick polycarbonate chassis make it a little hard to handle sometimes. And being that it is also pricey, the last thing you want to do is drop it.
So as soon as I bought mine, I also picked up some snap-on cases to give my Lumia 1520 some added grip. One of the cases I got was the Nillkin Ultra Slim Case, which I really like. The other is EnGive's Quicksand Hard Matte Skin Case.
Design
The EnGive Quicksand case is a single piece that snaps around the back of the Lumia 1520. It comes up the sides of the phone, and wraps around the front just about to where the chassis meets the display. The Lumia 1520's top and bottom are left nearly completely exposed, with the exception of the most important parts, the corners.
There are cutouts for the volume, camera, and power buttons. There are also openings on the back for the camera, flash, and speakers. Because the top and bottom are mostly left bare, there is access to the USB port and audio jack as if there were no case on it at all.
Just like the phone it is made to protect, the Quicksand Hard Matte Skin Case is made of polycarbonate. However, unlike the Lumia 1520, it is slightly textured, which makes it much less slick.
Using it
The Lumia 1520 is a behemoth, so adding any additional bulk to it has the potential to make it unwieldy or uncomfortable in your pocket. But the Quicksand is so light and thin that its presence is nearly undetectable.
That is, except for the fact that it makes the device significantly less slippery. I have owned my Lumia 1520 for less than two weeks, so I am still adjusting to its size. But in just the first day of using it with the Quicksand, my number of clumsy moments decreased dramatically.
As is the case with any similarly-designed covers, the EnGive Quicksand is not meant to be a suit of armor. It is going to provide basic protection from scuffs and, possibly, minor drops. The corners do appear to be beefy enough to absorb some impact, so you are reasonably protected there.
Because the sides of the case extend around to the front of the phone, it prevents the screen from touching when lying face down on a flat surface. This spacing helps defend against screen damage caused by dirt or granules though it couldn't hurt to throw a screen protector on it for good measure.
Yay or Nay?
In my opinion, EnGive has produced a big winner here. For one, it is added protection with little impact on the size or weight of an already huge phone.
It also makes the normally slippery Lumia 1520 much easier to handle. I have a history of dropping my flagship phones, but with the Quicksand case, I feel much more optimistic about the fate of this one.
From an aesthetic perspective, I think the Quicksand also looks good. There are five colors to choose from: black, blue, green, coral (red), and grey (pictured). The textured matte finish gives it a unique look, and enough of the phone's chassis is still visible that you can complement or contrast it with your phone's native color.
Last, but certainly not least, this case is a steal, for under $7.00 with a cleaning cloth and free shipping. I highly recommend taking a chance on the EnGive Quicksand Hard Matte Skin Case. You can find all five colors on Amazon.
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