Samsung Galaxy Note 8 LED Wallet Cover: A case that can do more than protect your phone (review)

If you grabbed the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 you know that you have one of the best phones on the planet. It has a long list of functions it can perform that no other smartphone can even dream of. It also has top of the line specs with premium internals, high-quality materials, and a drop dead gorgeous display that’s even better than the Galaxy S8 and S8+. Arguably the only real downside to the Note 8 is its high price tag of $950. But if you’ve already made the splurge, you realize that you got every bit of your money’s worth. To protect your investment, we look at picking up a case for added security. I’ve got my hands on one of the best cases for the Note 8: the Samsung LED Wallet Cover.

Sure you could go with any case, but the Note 8 is not any phone. And if you’re a Note lover, you want the best of the best. That’s why you should consider the Note 8 LED Wallet Cover. Sure it’s pricey at $59.99, but it can do more than protect your phone.

Let’s check it out.

Samsung Galaxy Note 8 LED Wallet Cover

The Samsung Note 8 LED Wallet Cover is a complete coverage style case. It has a hard internal frame with a front cover that folds over the front to protect the display from scratches and nicks while your phone sits in your pocket, purse, backpack or laptop bag. The LED cover has been made for several Galaxy devices before the Note 8 and has been refined with each iteration. On the front cover is where LED lights sit behind the case and are how this case differentiates itself from all other cases. While this case does use power to light up the LEDs, it doesn’t need batteries to keep it going.

Its hard internal frame is surrounded by a premium feeling material that has texture to provide aesthetics and added grip. The LED Wallet Cover is one of the most professional looking cases I have ever used with my Galaxy devices and this version seems even better than the LED Cover for the S8. The soft material wraps around the side (it didn’t on the S8) and completes the look of the case.

The textured material prevents grease build-up no matter how much you use it. If it ever does get dirty, you can use a damp cloth to clean it and it will look good as new. I prefer the cover style case for the Note 8 because screen protectors have a hard time staying stuck to the display with the curved Infinity Display. The inside flap of the cover also has a slot for credit cards – I can fit two credit cards and my driver’s license with little room to spare. There’s no room for cash or anything else you might carry in your everyday wallet, but with Samsung Pay/Android Pay, this should be enough space to leave your wallet at home.

Looks wise, this is easily my favorite case. Protection wise, it’s not as protective as the Samsung Rugged Protective Cover, but it’s thinner and still allows for wireless charging without removing the case.

Now that we’ve got the looks and build explained, let’s get into the fun part: LED Notifications.

Notifications:

• Time
• Alarms
• Incoming and missed calls
• Battery charging
• Incoming and unread messages
• Low battery alert
• Music playing and volume control
• Custom caller ID icons for specific callers

You also have the ability to control your phone by tapping the front cover. You have access to music controls, and you can also answer/end phone calls with the notification menu that pops up.

For Note fans who love to customize their devices, this is the kind of case that will satisfy them. You can custom make your own LED notifications and is super easy using the S-Pen. When you insert your Note 8 into the LED Wallet Cover, your smartphone automatically detects the case and opens the LED Icon Editor designed for it. Within that app is where you can assign pre-made notifications to people or apps.

For example, I play Clash Royale a few times a day to kill time. There is no pre-made notification that I would use for it, so I made my own called clash. Whenever I get a notification from that game, I don’t have to open up the cover to know that it’s an app I need to really worry about at that instant. But when I get a call from my mother, father or other loved one, I know exactly who is calling based on what custom notification I have set up for them on the cover. I can even take the call without opening the cover by hitting the answer LED when it pops up. There’s even a cutoon in the front cover to leave the earpiece open for calls.

Using the S-Pen to create custom LED notifications makes this process a breeze too – it only takes a few seconds to create one custom notification.

Beyond the custom notifications, I love the animations the case provides when I close it. In the GIF above you can see the case transition from music to the clock. Eventually it turns off and looks like a normal case.

I also took photos without my photography lamps so you could see just how bright the case actually gets. It looks awesome and suits the capable Note 8 well.

The default icons for text messages, calls, music and battery levels are already built-in so you don’t have to assign those icons. You only need to assign icons to specific activities or people if you desire to do so. The build quality and features are second to none and I highly recommend you at check out the official Samsung LED Wallet Cover for the Note 8. It’s a bigger investment at $59.99, but is the most unique case for the Note 8. It comes in four colors: Orchid Gray, Gold, Navy and Black. If you’re willing to wait a month or two, these cases usually drop in price a bit and make it a little easier on the wallet.

I took quite a bit of photos of this case, but don’t want to overload this review with too many images. If you would like to see more photos of this case, I’ve created a Google Photos Gallery which has more images of the case so you can see it in more detail.

You can grab your own LED Wallet Cover for the Note 8 at Target, Best Buy, Amazon and Samsung.