Don’t Buy Official Google Pixel Cases
Smartphones and cases go hand in hand. After all, these pocket computers that we carry around with us are expensive and fragile; it only makes sense to protect them. Smartphone manufacturers like Google are aware of this and make their own cases to sell with one of their devices. However, when Google asks if you want one of their cases when you buy a new Pixel phone, say no.
As reported by The Verge , there are dozens of complaints on both Reddit and Amazon about official Google Pixel 6 cases related to three main issues that seem to recur in these cases: the material is turning yellow ; cases do not fit phones ; and, if they fit phones, the case itself deforms , so the material protrudes around the buttons. Some even blame cases for scratching their phones, which of course you buy a case for.
One post from Redditor user A_Giant_Baguette with photos caught the attention of the crowd at r/googlepixel . This image shows how the case warps around the Pixel’s volume buttons, and this photo shows how much yellowing the case has. These issues reportedly occurred within seven months, which is too fast for a $30 smartphone case, especially one made by the same company as the phone itself.
Worse, seven months is a long time compared to the experience of some other clients who have reported that their business began to deteriorate after two or three weeks . Whether your case looks new for two weeks or seven months, you have the right to be upset about a clearly defective product.
That doesn’t mean that everyone who buys a Google case for their Pixel has these issues. If you scan their review pages, you will find many positive ratings in addition to complaints. However, the complaints are hard to ignore. Some users who bought through the Google Amazon store cannot even get their money back; A_Giant_Baguette, who identified exactly this, reports that when they requested a refund from Amazon, they were sent to Google, who in turn sent them back to Amazon.
When they finally contacted someone at Google, they were told that the company does not provide warranties for products purchased from third parties, even though that “third party” was Google’s official store on Amazon. (Take this as another lesson: don’t buy anything made by Google from anyone other than Google if you want Google to cover it.)
For now, your best bet is to look elsewhere for the Pixel case. Let’s hope Google looks into the issue and handles the next case better. The company’s fabric cases have been a hit, so we might see them return for the Pixel 7, if not one of Google’s other upcoming devices .
[ Fringe ]