When it comes to materials used on phones these days, things have gotten pretty boring. More manufacturers are opting for glass and metal than ever before, and while this does make phones more "premium" in some people's eyes, it comes at the expense of devices that all end up looking and feeling the same after a while.
Becuase of this trend, I immediately fell in love with the Pixel 2 as soon as I picked it up for the first time. Although technically made out of aluminum, the special coating on the back allows for fantastic grip that's surprisingly difficult to find on a modern flagship. I didn't initially think the Pixel 2 could look or feel any better, but then I slapped on Google's fabric case.
This. Thing. Rocks.
If you've been following Google's products over the past year, you've likely noticed that a lot of them are made out of fabric. The Daydream View and Google Home that debuted in 2016 were the first to introduce this design trend, and that style was continued this year with the Home Mini, Home Max, and Pixel Buds. And, of course, the Pixel 2's fabric case.
Simply referred to as the "Pixel 2 Case" on the Google Store, you can buy the accessory in Carbon, Cement, Midnight, and Coral for the Pixel 2 and 2 XL. I opted for the Carbon (black) variant, and after using it on my Pixel 2 for the past few days, I can't remember the last time I was this impressed with a phone case.
Fabric might be impractical, but it sure does look and feel amazing.
One of the biggest reasons for this is, well, the use of fabric. Look — I get that this isn't the most durable material in the world and that it'll probably start showing noticeable signs of use after a couple of months. You know what, though? I don't care. Holding a material like this in my hands each and every time I pick up my phone is such a unique experience, and it's something you simply can't find with any other device (at least not to this quality). It's soft, decently grippy, and a pure joy to use.
The volume rocker is covered by the same fabric, but the power button cover is made out of a hard plastic. Not only do both buttons still feel great to press, but the different material choice between the two makes it easy to determine which one your finger is resting on without having to glance at your phone.
Google's Coral and Midnight colors for this case are particularly striking, but I've been really impressed with how good the Carbon option looks. The fabric material is still very noticeable even from a distance, but it does this while also looking classy and not overly flashy.
The only possible annoyance is the fingerprint scanner cutout.
Two other strong points for this case are that it's compatible with the Pixel 2's Active Edge feature and the slightly raised edges around the front help protect your screen in the event of a drop. My only real nitpick with the case is with the cutout for the fingerprint scanner. Because of the added thickness, it does feel like you have to "dip your finger in the hole" rather than just tap it on the back.
So, should you buy the fabric case for the Pixel 2?
I'll be the first to admit that the $40 asking price is a bit much, but it's well worth it. This is one of the most unique-looking and awesome-feeling cases I've ever had the pleasure of using, and it's currently one of the best ways to outfit Google's latest.
See at Google Store (opens in new tab)
Joe Maring was a Senior Editor for Android Central between 2017 and 2021. You can reach him on Twitter at @JoeMaring1.
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Mines already dirty, midnight color. I love it, but I probably should've gone with the black case. For $40, I made a bad decision. I have a wooden case on the way.
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That's one reason why I went with Carbon instead of Midnight. I LOVE the Midnight case, but I was afraid it would get dirty too easily. Plus, I was able to get the Carbon case for 25% off with my corporate discount at Verizon, so ... I do love the case, though. I hate cases, but since I have to have one with this phone because of the stupid glass on the back, I'm glad I got this fabric one. It feels very nice and complements the phone very well--it creates a more seamless aesthetic--unlike most other cases.
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Where were you able to purchase the case from Verizon? Online or at a store?
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I was able to purchase mine from a Verizon flagship store nearby. They had all the colors in stock and at the time (two weeks ago) were on sale for $29.99
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I got mine from a Verizon store, but I've also seen it sold on their website.
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I love mine to fantastic and comfortable
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I planned on getting the carbon, but, foolishly without thinking, changed it to the midnight at the last second before paying. I should've stuck with my first choice. That being said, I still love it. I never liked cases (that's why my previous phone was a Moto Droid Turbo 2 & I loved that phone and it was indestructible), but when I saw the pictures of these on the Google store, I had to get one. My only regret is choosing midnight, but if I choose carbon I would've regretted not choosing cement, & if I choose cement I would've regretted not choosing midnight,... and the circle of regrets continues regardless.
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I hate cases too. I'm trying to come up with a solution where I can cover it if I'm out and about, bit easily remove it to use naked.
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I have washed my fabric Pixel 2 XL case with a little dish soap and water twice now because idiot me picked it up with dirty hands. Good news is that it cleans fairly easy and it dries pretty fast. i actually just use a paper towel with dish soap and then rinse it off under the sink and let it sit for about an hour. I mean i like soak the thing under running water with no issue (all with out the phone in it of course). I too have the midnight case.
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Thanks, I'll have to give that a try.
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These cases make the phone look so ugly
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A little peroxide, baking soda, and a toothbrush clean the case easily. A little rinse and blow dry afterwards and it's back to new.
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Wooden case from where?
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I have the charcoal case, and I'm also a big fan. It looks and feels great. My only concern is the potential of getting it considerably wet... Not sure if the fabric retains water for elongated periods of time. I know the phone is water resistant, but long exposure 'could' be bad I suppose... and taking it on and off defeats the purpose. I might just be paranoid from years and years of non-waterproofed phones though.
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Mine got dirty from a similar situation. It got some beer, a stout, on it and has a stain from that. That being said, it's not nearly as bad as I thought it would be (it was an imperial stout, I thought the stain would be a lot darker than it is), and it was dry pretty quickly. It certainly didn't feel sopping wet.
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You can hand wash it! Just some water and soap. Since it's cloth it should get not so serious stains like any shirt would
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I usually like the thin sandstone finish cases from imak. They give a good grip and look thin and blend in well with the phones.
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Huawei already did this ahead ago. Epic fail,
OP. -
Lolwut
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I had a fabric case for my 6p, nice but couldn't take a screenshot with on the phone.
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Fabric cases are great, I have one on my Huawei P10+. Nice to hold and very stylish.
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I would like it better if the bottom was covered also. I had a phone with a leather case with the bottom unprotected and the screen crack when I dropped it right on the unprotected side.
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When I first got mine, I thought the same thing, but then I realized that the problem with that is it'd make it very difficult to put it on/take it off.
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They figured that out for their new Live Cases and are charging you $10 extra to have the bottom covered.
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Definitely, agree, I got mine earlier this week, and I love it. I usually hate cases, but I have absolutely no problem using this one.
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Agree with all the love this case is getting. One of the nicest and most unique cases I've ever owned.
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Agree love my midnight color case, feels great in the hand and looks great. Yeah gets dirty but still looks great with dirt 😁
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$40 for a case is well worth it? Huh? Maybe if it was an otterbox that served a specific purpose. There are plenty of deals from spigen, caseology,supcase that even without a discount cost under $15. I do like the fabric on this and loved the one for the old nexus phones but to say this is worth $40.... It literally doesn't cover the bottom of the phone. i guess an opinion is an opinion. I guess it could help keep the unexposed area from scratching in a purse or pocket. Either way, it does look good. So i guess if you are into showing off your phone like when some people buy a case for an iphone and want the apple exposed.
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I have a live case with a photo on it of my cat. I love my case and I love my phone
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Carbon on regular Pixel 2 here as well. I tried Bellroy's Made for Google case and was really disappointed as their products are normally amazing. Pushed me to try this though and I love it. Great feel on the buttons.
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I really like the case but the one problem I've found is that magnets for car mounts do not stick to it. I have the Steelie mount and the magnet will not adhere properly to the case. Does anyone have a workaround for this other than buying a mount that encloses the case and doesn't require something to be adhered to the case?
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I use the Scosche magnetic dash mount, with the steel plate adhered to the phone, under the fabric case, and it works great and holds tight. SCOSCHE MAGDMB MagicMount Universal Mount for Mobile Devices https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00I608BJ8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_pTweAbQK5WWKN?ta...
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I got a photo live case for my Pixel 2 XL and while it looks great, I hadn't expected it to be so smooth, it's really too slippery for a case. I also don't really like the way it fits around the edges. May have to see about this fabric case.
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Not worth it for the money.
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I bought two because I thought they looked great online and I couldn't decide on the color (carbon or cement). When they came in though, I was pretty disappointed. I found that not only did I really not like how they looked on my phone, but that they made a sleek phone turn into a Nexus 6 sized monster (says a former Nexus 6 owner). I kept trying to convince myself that they were great, but ultimately I returned them both. I know every case will add some bulk to a phone, but in my hand this case made it feel considerably larger, and I'm a big guy with big hands. Plus, the case is almost flush with the screen, so you can't set the phone on it's face and they aren't made of any material that will help you if you drop the phone. I couldn't reason spending so much for something that didn't do anything to help the look (IMO) or the protection of the phone.
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You must have gotten a different case?
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The case you got is made of TPU? It has a significant lip on the front so you can set it on its face without it touching the screen? Are there other protection benefits that I missed out on?
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If it's anything like Google's moral fabric, it'll ruin your phone in 30 days. XXXXX.. be evil.
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Black & White Pixel 2 XL owners...what cases are you using? I really don't want to cover the Black & White and Orange aesthetic of my phone with a bulky case and am having a hard time finding something that doesn't do that.
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Just search for a clear case, that's what I did for My panda. If I was just going to get a case that covered the aesthetics, I would have just gotten black and got it weeks earlier. Mines clear rubber edges with a clear hard back. Works good and feels good.
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Clear Spigen
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Nothing new. The 6P had a microfiber case
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I loved that 6P case! I'm also really enjoying the fabric case for the pixel 2 XL
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It took me awhile before I ordered the fabric cases while. I got the cement gray one and I absolutely love it. I do often wear military style khakis with velcro straps to close my pockets and sometimes I noticed fraying on one of the bottom corners of my Google pixel 2 XL cement fabric case. That is because it is hitting the velcro on the inside of my pocket. I brought this to Google's attention and they actually gave me all my money back and told me to keep the case LOL so essentially I got a free case. It wasn't enough for me to return the case and I wasn't trying to get a free one I just wanted to see if I could get them to switch this one out. They told me they don't do that they could only offer me a refund and allow me to keep the case. Anyways I absolutely love the case it has been absolutely my favorite case I've ever owned for any phone and if it gets ruined I see myself buying a new one.
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I will say the biggest reason I didn't get the panda phone was because I knew I would end up putting a case on my device and I didn't want to cover up the color of the panda LOL so I decided to go with just black
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I bought the Carbon one for my Pixel 2 XL, and I love it. It has a nice feel and a great look. This was a great replacement for my Nexus 6P and its carpet case.
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I would rather take clean and minimal case from LAYER guys it is more then a half cheaper and your phone looks amazing in it :)
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I am very interested about a long term review of this case...how is it holding on after all this time? Cheers
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Hi,
I have had the coral one for 8 weeks. I loved it at first but now it is filthy. In Australia, there were very limited options when I purchased this phone so I did not really have many covers to choose from. I am unsure how the other colours stack up, but I would not recommend the coral at all. -
Did you try two wash it with some sope and water and then let it dry in the air, like everyone is recommending? Cheers
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I got the all black fabric case today
Only concern is the open bottom -
Im back on fabric case
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This just seems like a way of cheaping out against the Alcantara cases galaxies have. Except Alcantara is stain wear and fade proof and dries in seconds.
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