Trident Aegis vs. Trident Kraken 2 (pics)

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Since I get bored easily, I thought I'd splurge on a Trident Kraken 2 for my Charge. I previously compared the Otterbox Commuter to the Trident Aegis and found that while I preferred the Aegis, it still had some short comings.

So what do you get for twice the price of the Aegis?

• A split case, which makes the Kraken 2 easier to install and remove.
• A kickstand, which is metal and quite nice.
• A screen protector, which is an integral part of the front cover.
• Protection for the hard buttons, front facing camera, ear speaker, and sensors.
• A holster.

Thoughts:

I've read other reviews of Kraken 2 cases which stated that the case doubled the weight of the phone. I never believed that, so I weighed the bare Charge and the Charge with the Kraken 2 on it.

Bare: 5 ounces.
With Kraken 2: 8.25 ounces.

So, I still don't believe it doubles the weight of the phone.

The hard case on the Kraken 2 seems to have slightly less grip to it than the hard case on the Aegis. Some may not notice a difference, but I do.

The integral screen protector appears cheap, but I guess any piece of plastic in that area would appear cheap. Mine arrived with a small flaw at the bottom of the protector, I may contact Trident about a replacement. It is factory sealed to the front half of the hard case, so it does provide good moisture protection. I was worried that having two layers of screen protection would have a negative effect on the touch screen experience, since I already have a Steinheil Ultra Clear protector installed, but I notice very little difference. I do notice a strange "oil slick" effect when the screen is dark wherever the two protectors make contact. I might remove the integral protector... time will tell.

Most of the silicon port covers have a different design than the Aegis, with the exception of the headphone jack cover. The new design makes it easier to open the covers.

The case is easier to install and remove than the Aegis, but I have yet to accomplish the task of removing it without the using a small flat bladed screw driver, or other prying device.

The kickstand is metal, operates well, and could be very handy.

The Kraken 2 is thicker than the Aegis, but I am still able to slide the phone in and out of the front pocket of my Levis.

The holster is 100% plastic. It holds the phone very well, but I question the durability of the clip. I'm sure the plastic that flexes when you operate the clip will have a very limited lifespan.

All of the buttons are very easy to press. No complaints at all.

You have to be more precise with your finger swipe to access the pull-down menu, because the hard case limits your finger movement near the top of the phone. I will adapt to that.

Overall, I really like the Kraken 2. Yes it is a large case, but it has everything I wanted, and then some. I'll be using the holster all of the time, and I may grow to love the kickstand. I will miss the flared top corners of the Aegis. They made for a very nice place to rest your index finger and thumb.


Photos:

I really need to buy a light box! Also, please ignore the poor fit of the Kraken 2. My wife had an appointment, so I had to install the Kraken 2 on her phone and snap the photos as fast as I could. I screwed up the install in a couple of spots.

Note: When the Aegis and Kraken 2 are shown together, the Kraken 2 is on the right.


The front cover (far right) has a built in screen protector.

Nice, I'm totally getting on of those. Thanks!

Sent from my SCH-I510 using XDA Premium App

I wanted to get a Kraken II in red but the belt holster is too important for me to risk it. I've read a lot of bad reviews on Trident's Kraken belt holster so I went with the Otterbox. Props for the comparison though!

Great reviews! Just curious, if you could only get one case which would buy after trying out all three of the cases the Aegis, Kraken II or Otterbox...

I ordered my blue Kraken II on ebay 5 minutes before you posted this. Red and blue are not available on the Trident site as of yet but there is a seller on ebay that has them and the rest of the colors for $33 with free first class shipping. I was waiting to jump on this case because I either wanted the red or blue. Thanks for posting the comparison, the case looks great.

Originally Posted by blahdc

Great reviews! Just curious, if you could only get one case which would buy after trying out all three of the cases the Aegis, Kraken II or Otterbox...

I'd go with the Kraken 2. It's not quite as nice to hold as the Aegis, but you can't beat the protection and features.

I forgot to mention that the HDMI cover on my Aegis didn't want to stay closed. It was getting annoying.

Sweet thanks! Now I'm torn between the red or the green. Red might be a little too flashy, I'm leaning towards the green.

That's a bunch of case.

I have the Aegis, and it seems huge enough as it is. I don't know that the "additional" protection is worth it. I don't see the need to have my buttons covered and the top portion of the phone is covered by my clear screen protector. Due to the lip on the Aegis, if you drop it, its not going to land flat on the screen as it is.

But, if you're into the belt holster thing, I guess that's a plus. The kickstand would never get used for me either.

I do wish that the Aegis had the Kraken's dust covers though. My HDMI cover is really easy to uncover (though it doesn't ever fall open like the previous poster's did, thank god) yet the charger cover is rather difficult. Looking for a silver lining, I guess that is a good thing that the slot that has an opening to the inside of the phone is the best sealed.

I just couldn't deal with that bulk. Thanks for doing the side by side. It reaffirmed my happiness with my purchase, but I did want to offer my perspective for the people who are looking to buy one of the two. I'm certainly not lambasting anyone's opinion or purchase.

I am glad I am not the only one that feels the same about the Aegis dust covers. Hdmi too easy to open and usb too hard.

Update: In my review, I said "You have to be more precise with your finger swipe to access the pull-down menu, because the hard case limits your finger movement near the top of the phone. I will adapt to that."

Well, I don't think I will be able to adapt. It's driving me nuts. I'm using the Zeam launcher and when you swipe the home screen with that launcher, it takes you to the app. drawer. When I'm attempting to use the pull down menu in the limited space that the Kraken 2 provides, I'd say that 50% of the time I end up in the app. drawer.

So... I'm not sure if I'll be using the Kraken 2 as my permanent case.

In fact, I'm thinking of going the other direction now and trying the Case-mate Barely There. I told you I get bored easily.