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Google's long-awaited foldable, the Pixel Fold, is now on sale. While the phone's stainless steel construction gives it a premium and sturdy in-hand feel, most consumers will likely want to protect their $1,800 investment by going with a case. Last month we compiled a list of best cases for Pixel Fold, including usual players like Spigen and DBrand. All of those cases offer great protection, but almost all are solid colored, and many have a masculine, rugged armor look. In fact, this seems to be the trend for foldable phone cases. A look at our best cases for the Galaxy Z Fold 4 also shows mostly black Kevlar cases that look like they were made for Bruce Wayne.
And so when Casetify reached out to see if we wanted to test its Pixel Fold case, we took the offer because we liked its iPad cases and also because Casetify is known for adding colors and fun to phone cases. After testing a pair of cases for a few days, I can definitely see why they're popular: the cases offer playful vibes, customization options, and protection that's enough to get a military-grade rating. But they are relatively pricey and make the Pixel Fold a bit too thick for my personal preferences.
About this review: Casetify sent me two Pixel Fold cases for testing. It did not have input in this article.
Casetify case for Pixel Fold
Casetify's case for the Google Pixel Fold brings art and color prints as well as protection with thick bumpers that wrap around the cameras and both screens.
- Large selection of designs
- Customizable
- Protection for camera bump and both screens
- The lip elevates over the outside screen so much it makes gestures difficult
- Relatively bulky
- Pricier than competition
Casetify case for Pixel Fold: Pricing and availability
Casetify's Pixel Fold cases are available for purchase now and ship directly from the company's warehouse. Because Casetify's cases are mostly clear soft plastic with an art piece embedded on the back, it's easy for the company to offer new styles: currently, there are over 900 different options, not including personal, customizable options. The cases are all $72 and include free shipping.
Fit and design
Could've been thinner
The Casetify Pixel Fold case is a pretty standard two-piece option that is the norm for foldables. There's a back piece that covers the back and a frame that snaps over the screen. The materials are made of recycled plastic and feel harder/more rigid than typical jelly cases. Thick bumpers elevate over and cover almost every sensitive aspect of the Pixel Fold, except for the hinge. For example, the raised bumper wraps around and elevates over the camera island and both screens, so it's much harder for those areas to touch a flat surface. The power button and volume rockers are also deep into a thick side bumper. As for the unprotected hinge, you'd have to go with the rugged options form Spigen or Encased to get that.
I'm glad this case doesn't try to cover the hinge because I think it's bulky enough as is. In fact, I think Casetify should have gone slightly thinner on the bumpers because the elevated bumpers on the front screen can get in the way of back swipes in Android. During my first few hours using the case, I would try to swipe from the side and find my thumb hitting the bumper. I eventually adapted my thumb's positioning to get the sideswipe gesture down, but it took a learning curve.
The insides of the front flap are lined with double-sided tape that helps ensure the case doesn't slip off the front. I did not use the stickers at all over three days, and the case stayed on fine. Casetify also includes three additional stickers, which is generous, but in my opinion unnecessary, touch. The idea of having four sets of stickers is the case can be reused with another device of the same model. Considering these stickers don't lose adhesiveness after just a couple of rounds, four stickers are probably good enough for swapping phones at least 10 times. But should you decide to let the Pixel Fold go naked for a while, sometimes the adhesive strips can get messed up when removing the case. So, having extras can be helpful.
As mentioned, Casetify's cases are mostly clear plastic cases with a specific piece of art on the backside, and the company has worked with illustrators and designers, both big and small, to create a large selection of art. I received two cases: a clear one without any customization and a Hong Kong-themed one with a black-and-white illustration.
As someone who called Hong Kong home for half of my life, I absolutely adore the artwork and the textured print that I can feel by touch. I suppose whether you think a Casetify case looks good comes down to whether you can find a piece of art that catches your eye. Casetify has hundreds. Customization options include adding text in various fonts or personal photos to the case.
Protection
Tested for damage control
The Casetify Pixel Fold case is officially rated MIL-STD-810G, meaning it's been made to go through a series of tests for heat, cold, shock, humidity, and drops by a third party. Casetify advertises the case can protect the phone from drops from 4 feet in height and have an antibacterial coating. I did not test the drop protection claim, and while I won't make any assumptions for the Pixel Fold because foldables are more fragile and Google's track record of gen-one hardware is not great, I will go out on a limb and say I am sure this exact same case with the bulky bumper and raised lips will protect a slab phone from major damage.
Should you buy the Casetify Pixel Fold Case?
You should buy the Casetify Pixel Fold case if:
- You want a case for the Pixel Fold with lots of colorful and playful options
- You want a case for the Pixel Fold that is customizable
You should not buy the Casetify Pixel Fold case if:
- You don't want to add too much bulk to your phone
- You want a great value case
- You want a case that protects the hinge too
At $72, the Casetify Pixel Fold case is not the cheapest option around, as Google's own first-party silicon case is $60, and there are cases from brands like Ghostek that costs just $40. However, Casetify has the most customization options. Even if you don't want to customize your own, there are over 900 different art pieces to choose from. While I personally find the Casetify case a bit too bulky, I am not sure the other options are much slimmer.
Foldables, by nature, are thicker than slab phones and require two pieces that cover the top and bottom, so they're almost always going to be bulky affairs. If you do want more protection, including a cover that goes over the hinge at all times, then you'd have to look elsewhere too. The bottom line is Casetify's Pixel Fold case does what it advertises, and it's up to you to decide on price/looks preferences.
Casetify case for Pixel Fold
Casetify's case for the Google Pixel Fold brings art and color prints as well as protection with thick bumpers that wrap around the cameras and both screens.