With new smartphones come new cases and accessories. Such is the case with Google’s new Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro, and I’ve had a chance to try out a couple of new options for these devices. There was a third case, but it’s lost somewhere out there in the postal service for now.
The cases I did receive came from Google and Casetify. You can read all about them below:
Google Pixel 8 Case
First up, we’ve got the accurately-named Google Pixel 8 Case (there’s also a version for the Pro that’s called — you guessed it — the Pixel 8 Pro Case). I’m actually quite impressed with Google’s case this year after a couple years of less-than-stellar cases from the company.
Both versions come in six colours, though some of the options differ to match the colours of their respective phones. For example, the Pixel 8 Case comes in ‘Hazel,’ but the Pixel 8 Pro has ‘Bay’ instead, matching colour options for the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro too.
The Pixel 8 Case comes in ‘Hazel,’ ‘Coral’ (a Google Store exclusive), ‘Mint,’ ‘Rose,’ and ‘Charcoal.’
The Pixel 8 Pro Case comes in ‘Bay,’ ‘Coral’ (surprisingly not a Google Store exclusive), ‘Mint,’ ‘Porcelain,’ and ‘Charcoal.’
The inside of the Pixel 8 Case is lined with soft felt.
Aside from the colours and phone-related differences like size, the cases are the same. Both versions are made from 42 percent recycled materials, with the case itself made of a soft-touch polycarbonate shell that feels fantastic in the hand, along with 100 percent recycled aluminum for the power and volume buttons.
I can’t stress enough how nice these cases feel. The material feels like a slightly softer version of the matter back of the Pixel 8 Pro. The buttons are clicky, tactile, and feel premium. The cutouts for chargers and speakers are very precise, though I found there to be more space around the camera bar than I’d like.
After using these cases on and off for a few days, my only real gripe was that they don’t slide in and out of pockets well. The material also attracts a ton of lint, so I find myself studiously wiping it down whenever I pull the Pixel 8 out of my pocket.
That issue aside, these are probably my favourite cases in a long time, and I think I’ll be keeping them on for the foreseeable future. That’s a rarity for me, who usually prefers to go caseless.
The Pixel 8 Case and Pixel 8 Pro Case are both available on the Google Store and other retailers for $49.99 in Canada.
Casetify Impact case
Next up, we have Casetify’s Impact case. Also made from recycled materials, the Impact case offers a solid mix of drop protection and customization.
Casetify advertises up to 8.2 feet of drop protection with the Impact case and its ‘EcoShock’ shock absorption material. It’s an impressive number but not one I’m keen to test out. That said, the case definitely feels sturdy, and there’s some welcome grip to it as well. The Impact cases I tried don’t stick to my pockets nearly as much as Google’s Pixel 8 Case, which is another bonus, though they don’t feel as nice as that soft touch material.
I tested out a ‘Clear-Black‘ version of the Impact case and the ‘Inside Parts‘ version, which replaces the back with a panel that looks like the inside of the smartphone. While I generally like the look of the ‘Inside Parts’ case, it’s not an accurate depiction of the inside of the Pixel 8, at least, judging by the tiny Apple logo you can see just below the bottom-right corner of the camera bar cut-out.
Can you spot the Apple?
One upside to the Casetify options is that you can select from tons of different back panels. Inside Parts is just one of many options out there.
That said, I actually enjoyed the clear Impact case more than I expected. Since the sides and back are all the same material, it feels more unified than the ones with printed designs. Plus, the material used for the cases with special designs is more slippery, so the clear case has more grip.
My main gripe with the Casetify cases is that they add quite a bit of bulk to the phone. Both variations of the Impact case I tried were thicker than the Google Pixel 8 Case, with a more significant lip around the edge of the display and bulkier sides. The Casetify cases sit flush with the camera bar, making the phone feel much thicker than it actually is.
Minor issues aside, the cases are overall quite nice. They do run at a premium of $50 USD (about $68.28 CAD) for the Pixel 8 version and $55 USD (about $75.11 CAD) for the 8 Pro versions.
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