You’ve just got a spanking new beautiful smartphone, and you realised it needs some protection. But most cases, no mater how thin they’re described to be, still makes your svelte smartphone look clunkier than a model from 5 years ago. Enter MNML Case. They make smartphone cases that are so minimalist, they’re almost not there.
I’m not exaggerating that at all. The cases from MNML Case are absolutely the thinnest I’ve ever used. At just 0.35 mm of ultra-minimalist thinness, these cases could even be considered too thin.
I have the case for the Pixel 2 XL. Look at how tight the case hugs the smartphone. It practically adds no bulk to the device at all.
Here’s another view looking at the USB Type-C port at the bottom of the Pixel 2 XL, where you can see how little thickness there is on this case.
The volume rocker and power button sit almost flush with the case surface, so they’ve become just a tad more difficult to use now.
So minimalist this case is that it will not protect the display at all. The view below shows how much of the display glass is exposed. You will definitely need a glass protector, or just remember never to put your smartphone face down on any hard surface.
On the back, the Pixel 2 XL’s rear camera protrudes past the case. That’s right, the case is thinner than the small protrusion of the camera. The case has a raised circular bump around the fingerprint sensor. Interestingly, that bump lifts the case enough so that when you set the Pixel 2 XL down on a flat surface, the camera is protected.
I tested by sliding a piece of paper under the camera, so it’s clear that the camera doesn’t contact the surface at all. Of course, in practice, you should still better be extra careful, unless you know the surface is perfectly flat.
The case is made of plastic, with a matt textured finish. I feel the finish isn’t grainy enough to add significant better grip. So in addition to having to be careful of the display glass and the camera, you also better be careful with holding the smartphone.
In fact, you do still have to be careful with this case. The material is so thin that the case on its own has little rigidity. It’s easily twisted and bent like, say, a silicon gel case. It’s so thin, it offers no useful drop protection. The only protection this case will offer is, perhaps, slight knocks against hard objects. It can also defend your smartphone against scratches, at least in areas that are covered by the case.
A nice feature of this minimal case is that it has no visible branding.
MNML Case also makes cases for numerous other flagship smartphones, including both sizes of both generations of Pixel smartphones, the Galaxy Note 8, Galaxy S8, Galaxy S8 Plus, and iPhones from the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus.
(Note: Case in photo is the Clear Black for Pixel 2 XL. Description visible on box is for a different case not in this review.)
The Pixel 2 XL case retails for US$14.99. You get 20% off with discount code MNML20 on the MNML Case website, plus free shipping on orders over US$25. You can also get this case from Amazon (affiliate link).
Conclusion
The Pixel 2 XL case from MNML Case is so minimal, it’s almost too minimal.
Pros:
- The thinnest, most minimalist case
- Adds zero bulk to the smartphone
Cons:
- No real protection against drops
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