The Pixel XL may be Google’s flagship smartphone, the first all made by themselves, but there just aren’t enough of them around to attract attention from case manufacturers. If you’re looking for a case to protect your Pixel XL, the choices are limited. I’m using one from Bear Motion that seems good enough to share in this review.
Different people look for different things in the cases they want for your smartphones. For me, I like minimalist cases that don’t add too bulk to the device, but which should still provide some protection against accidental dings. The case should also reveal, accentuate, or complement the original design of the smartphone too.
Sometimes, it’s not possible to get everything, so you’ll have to make some compromises.
The Ultra Slim Case for the Google Pixel XL from Bear Motion seems to strike the right balance.
This Bear Motion case is a hard plastic back cover that’s really quite thin, and also quite minimalistic in its coverage, so it doesn’t add much bulk to the Pixel XL. All the ports and buttons are exposed, and the back has a sort of rough sandy texture that reminds me of the OnePlus One’s back. This textured surface provides lots of grip, but remains easy to slide in and out of your pocket.
There are appropriate cutouts for the buttons, rear camera, sensors, and fingerprint scanner. The top and bottom edges are totally exposed, so you won’t have problems with blocked 3.5 mm port or USB-C port. Nothing gets in the way of the bottom speaker either.
That exposure could also be a bit of a problem. I wished that Bear Motion had perhaps extended the plastic just a little bit more around the curved corners. Interestingly, the top is left a bit more exposed than the bottom. You see, on the bottom, the case edge is just a hair over the Pixel XL’s bottom edge, so technically, if the Pixel XL is held perfectly vertical on a flat table surface, only the Bear Motion case will touch the surface. This isn’t true for the top edge though.
At the top, the Pixel XL’s edge just very slightly protrudes above the Bear Motion case. Why did Bear Motion do that? Now, this isn’t about variances in manufacturing process (I have a second case with exactly identical measurements).
The case itself is very thin, and fits the Pixel XL very snugly. The holes for the camera, sensors and fingerprint scanner are sized just right so that there is still maximum protection around them.
The buttons on the side are exposed. The buttons are still accessible, although some people may find that the case makes them slightly more difficult to press.
The case has a very, very, slight lip over the front of the Pixel XL, so you can set the Pixel XL face down on a perfectly flat surface and the glass display should be protected. It’s quite likely, however, that with a tempered glass screen protector applied on the front, that slight lip may be insufficient to keep the glass off the surface.
My biggest concern with this Bear Motion case is if it would offer enough protection. Clearly, there are a couple of ways to drop the Pixel XL that the Bear Motion case would be unable to protect. The material is thin enough that I wouldn’t mind to have a bit more coverage around the top and bottom edges.
Here’s another view of that top edge that would benefit from just a little bit more coverage.
To be fair, it seems like corners are actually reasonably protected even up to 45°. Even then, don’t drop some significant height.
The Bear Motion Ultra Slim Case for Google Pixel XL (Amazon affiliate link) is available from Amazon for US$7.99.
Conclusion
The Bear Motion Ultra Slim Case for Google Pixel XL offers good minimalist protection for the Pixel XL.
Pros:
- Very thin, snug fit
- Rough textured surface offers good grip
- Adds very little bulk
Cons:
- Could do with a bit more protection around the top and bottom edges
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