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Back in the day, Google offered some pretty incredible fabric cases for its Pixel devices. However, this stopped when Google moved to using its own processor with the Pixel 6. Google’s fabric cases were not the cheapest; in fact, they were more expensive than Google’s current silicon cases, but I feel like they were a better value. At $49.99, you were getting a pretty unique case and one that you could also toss in the washer when it got dirty—something you can’t do with really any other cases that are available these days.
The cases above were made for the Pixel 2 series, a few years ago. Available in different colors, with various recycled materials, they looked very unique. But perhaps most importantly, they added a good amount of grip to, otherwise, very slippery phones. The new silicon cases do fix that, however they also attract all the dirt, dust and other debris that might be around you. Making them dirty pretty quickly.
I’m not the only one who wants to see Google bring back these fabric cases; you can see many people asking in Google’s own product forums, on Reddit, and even at other publications like Digital Trends. It’s pretty universal that customers want these fabric cases back, but will Google listen? Probably not. At least not for the Pixel 9 series. We’ve already seen leaks of the cases coming for the Pixel 9 series next week, and they are still the same old silicon cases, but this time in new colors.
Google’s Silicon case is expensive, and not that good
The Silicon cases that Google makes for its Pixels now look pretty nice, but that’s where the good things end. Obviously, I do prefer to have this case on my phone versus no case, especially on my Pixel 8 Pro that’s in Bay with that mirror-like finish on the camera bar. But the fabric case would be so much better, especially in a Bay color.
Google does offer Silicon cases that match the colors of the Pixel phones, but they are pretty boring and expensive, too. These cases range between $30 and $35, depending on the Pixel device, for a silicon case with a nice and soft texture on the inside. You could get something similar from Spigen for about a third of that price. Obviously, first-party cases are typically more expensive, but it’s hard to say these cases are worth it.
Don’t get me wrong, I feel the same way about Apple’s even more expensive silicon cases. Apple’s are poorly built, which is something I can’t really say about the Pixel silicon cases. I’ve been using the Bay colored silicon case on my Pixel 8 Pro for almost a year now, and it’s still in great shape, and hasn’t started to break like Apple’s Silicon cases would have by now.
I don’t see many Pixels out in public, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen Google’s Silicon case on any of the Pixels I have seen in the wild. That’s pretty telling. Though, I’m sure a big reason for that is the price, they are also not very unique. Which goes a long way for people selecting a case for their phone.
Google, please bring back the fabric cases
Google used to have the best case available for Pixel phones. The fabric cases for Pixel 1 through Pixel 5 were incredible. I know this probably sounds dumb since we’re talking about a freaking case. But these looked incredible; they had plenty of grip, and each case looked a bit different due to the fabric being used. I’ll never understand why Google got away from these cases, nor why they ditched the accent color power buttons, which also made the Pixel look unique compared to other phones on the market.
Instead, Google decided to make the Pixel more like an iPhone. Apple has silicon cases, so does Google. Though Google did forget about the Apple Leather cases – thankfully, they have not copied the finewoven cases Apple debuted and then killed months later. Google, if you want to sell more Pixels, more accessories, more anything, the best thing you can do is listen to your customers. And your customers are saying to bring back these fabric cases.