The OnePlus 6 is here, and it has a shiny new glass exterior that's gorgeous to look at ... and also far more susceptible to damage than the OnePlus 5's metal frame. That means you'll probably be checking out a case, and on Day 1 your best option is to pick up one of the first-party options directly from OnePlus. The set of cases mostly follows what's available for the OnePlus 5T, plus a couple little changes and one entirely new case. Here's how the group lines up.
The first set is what I'd call "full protection," which are all a bit on the thick side but have a sizable lip around the display and enough thickness to survive bumps and small drops. This includes the "silicone protective case," the "wood bumper case" and the all-new "nylon bumper case." I'm not sure why they call the latter two "bumpers" because they are more than just protection for the edges of the OnePlus 6 — like the silicone case, they cover everything.
You can't go wrong with the silicone case, but the nylon bumper offers the most protection.
If you've used a first-party OnePlus case from the past couple generations you know what these are all about. The silicone case is nice, and comes in black or this beautiful bright red, plus a nice felt interior — though it has the one downside of being a little too grippy on pants pocket fabrics. The wood case (the one shown here is "ebony") is obviously thinner and stiffer on the back, offering less grip, but feels oh-so-nice in your hand and is handsome looking. The new nylon case is the most protective of the bunch with a thick nylon weave on the back that's built for more abuse — it's highly reminiscent of the ballistic nylon Moto Z shell, and that's a good thing.
On the other end of the spectrum is the pair I'd call "shell" cases, providing less drop protection but keeping the shiny OnePlus 6 safe without adding bulk or obstructing buttons and ports in any way. There's the well-known grippy "sandstone protective case," and also the faux carbon fiber "karbon protective case" option.
The shell-like cases are a great choice for keeping the OnePlus 6 safe (and stylish) but not adding bulk.
Both cases are the type that I usually put on my own phones. They're thin and completely unobtrusive, adding protection from bumps and scratches but also don't get in the way. I like the sandstone one more personally, as the karbon is just a little gaudy to my eyes — to each their own, though. One note on the textures is that the sandstone isn't quite as gritty as previous iterations of the case — it still gives you tons of grip, but it's something worth noting. The karbon finish doesn't offer any additional grip, which means it isn't going to snag on clothing but also won't help you hold onto the OnePlus 6 any better than its own glass exterior.
If pricing follows the current crop of cases for the OnePlus 5T, the silicone and sandstone cases will be $20, the karbon will be $25 and the bumpers will be $30 each. They'll be on sale at the OnePlus store coinciding with the launch of the phone.
