Friday, March 29, 2024

Your Google Pixel 4 XL deserves only the best cases this Black Friday

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With that fun new Soli sensor, a 90Hz screen, and the latest and greatest goodies from Google, the Pixel 4 XL is a tall drink of awesome. It’s also made entirely of glass and metal and needs to be protected at all costs. We’ve spent hours scouring the internet for the best cases to get for your new Pixel 4 XL.

Even with Black Friday sales coming fast and furious, deals on Pixel 4 XL cases may be fewer and further between, but we’re keeping our eyes peeled for discounts and case sales as we head into the hectic holiday shopping season. I’m expecting at least a few sales from name-brand cases like Pela, Spigen, and Otterbox. In order for a deal to be a good value, it has to start with a good case, and these are the best.

Classic heavy duty

Tudia Merge Series

Staff pick

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Tudia’s hybrid case grips your Pixel 4 XL snugly with a TPU sleeve and adds sturdiness with a colorful polycarbonate shell. There are four colors here, but the best of them are the bright blue and warm Rose Gold.

$10 at Amazon

Feels so good

Google Fabric Case

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Google’s done fabric cases for three years now, and they always feel and look amazing. This year, Google’s widened the weave and the colors are absolutely on point. Just look at that Blue-ish! Look at it!!

$40 at Amazon

Protect and showcase

Ringke Fusion-X

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I love the Fusion-X because it showcases the phone’s natural beauty while still giving robust corner and drop protection. The black and camo black options should really pop against the orange Pixel 4 XL.

$10 at Amazon

Crystal clear

Spigen Liquid Crystal

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Spigen’s clear case is slim, shiny, and perfectly accents the Pixel 4 XL’s curves while adding some much-needed grip to this glassy Google beauty. The flexible TPU construction makes it a breeze to get on and off.

$10 at Amazon

Do your part

Pela Eco-Friendly Turtle Edition

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Phone cases need to be sturdy and stylish, but they don’t need to be wasteful. Pela makes cases that are 100% compostable and super-cool. A portion of this Ocean Series case’s proceeds is donated to charity.

$43 at Pela

Forget it’s there

Totallee Thin

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Totallee’s cases are perfect for people who hate cases. They’re ridiculously thin, feel great while adding grip, and come in a couple of styles to let you get the feel you prefer: understated black, frosted white, or a squishy clear.

$29 at Amazon

Mesmerizing mosaic

Caseology Parallax

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Caseology’s hybrid case eschews the solid, boring back for the unique cubist pattern that adds some depth and style to your Pixel 4 XL. I’m eager to see the fall festival vibe the Burgundy/Rose Gold gives off with the Orange version.

$14 at Amazon

Fab folio feel

Snakehive Vintage Leather Wallet

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Snakehive’s wallets are a swanky suede European nubuck leather, with three card slots and an extra cash flap behind them. There are five colors available, and Snakehive offers free engraving to personalize yours.

$37 at Snakehive

New take on an old favorite

Cose Jack Carbon Fiber

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Carbon fiber cases have been popular for as long as Android phones have existed, but rather than consigning the carbon fiber to accents at the top and bottom, Cose Jack puts it all over the back instead.

$5 at Amazon

Hefty protection

Supcase Unicorn Beetle Pro

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This heavy-duty case comes with a kickstand around back that you can use in portrait or landscape, which is great for power-users like me who prop up their phone for note referencing while working.

$20 at Amazon

Hold on tight

Speck Presidio Grip

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Speck’s durable case comes in four fun two-tone color schemes that offer up those distinctive grippy grooves across the back and sides while also offering antimicrobial properties and 10-foot drop protection.

$30 at Amazon

Let’s kick it

Spigen Tough Armor

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Spigen’s heavy-duty case packs a kickstand into its tortoise-like shell, while the thicker TPU sleeve can help absorb more force from drops to avoid shattering your screen.

$14 at Amazon

Ultra-thin durability

Tech21 Studio Colour

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Tech21 may be better known for the thicker and clearer Evo Check line, but the slimmer Studio Colour line offers the same anti-microbial protection and plant-based materials while offering great protection in a super-slim package.

$40 at Amazon

Leather luxury

Bellroy Leather

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Bellroy’s cases are lovely and luxurious, which is why Google has partnered with them for leather cases since the original Pixel. Four years later, they’re still every bit as wonderful.

$45 at Bellroy

Clear protection

ESR Air Armor

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ESR’s sturdier clear case sports air-cushioned corners to help keep your Pixel 4 XL safe from drops while still showing off that Google style in full glory without being quite as angular as the Ringke Fusion-X.

$12 at Amazon

Holster included

OtterBox Defender Series

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OtterBox is synonymous with heavy-duty cases, and sometimes you do get what you pay for. This can withstand just about anything life throws at you, but you may need to turn up Active Edge sensitivity.

$41 at Amazon

Slot in the style

Abitku Leather CS

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Folio cases can carry a lot, but they’re also huge. This leather/fabric case instead sports a slim card slot you can use for an ID or cash, comes in three colors, and looks quite swanky.

$12 at Amazon

Make it personal

Skinit Custom Clear Cases

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Get customized cases from Skinit with designs from Disney, DC, sports teams, anime shows and if none of those strike your fancy, you can always upload a picture for a one-of-a-kind case.

$20 at Skinit

Defend your Android

Whether you have a Pixel 4 or 4 XL, Google phones can last a long, long time — the original Pixel got 4 years of OS updates — but that long support life only matters if you keep your Pixel 4 XL safe. Safe phones are happy phones, and heavy-duty cases like the affordable Tudia Merge Series can help you ensure that your Pixel 4 XL lasts you as long as possible.

On a clearer note, the Ringke Fusion-X allows me to show off the distinct Google design while also adding some extra edge and style with the colored bumpers. Space Blue will look great with the black and white versions, and the Black and Camo Black will look great with any color Pixel 4 XL.

If you prefer not to bulk up your brand-new and already-large phone, the Tech21 Studio Colour and its super-slim profile offer scratch protection and grip without adding any bulk at all. Despite being an ultra-thin case, the Studio Colour is still rated for drops up to 8 feet — not that I’d want to test that claim — and has anti-microbial protection, which is great for those of us who use our Pixels quite literally everywhere.

Cases will see Black Friday deals and discounts like every other electronic accessory under the sun, but you’re going to have to pay a little more attention to them to get the best value you can. Seeing $20-30 off a Pixel 4 XL case doesn’t necessarily mean you’re getting a better deal for a case that debuted at $60; it just means you’re not getting ripped off as the folks who bought that case on Day One. Apart from first-party cases like the Google Fabric Case and name brand cases like Bellroy, Lifeproof and Otterbox, it’s rare to see a case being sold at list price in 2019.

Of course, for those high-quality, high-priced name-brand cases, Black Friday can mean a rare discount on a case that normally never sees a discount, such as the custom-printed Skinit Clear cases, which are already 30% off for Veterans Day and will likely see a similar sale for Black Friday/Cyber Monday. You’ll want to compare case prices between the manufacturer and big retailers like Best Buy and Amazon to see who has the better price, since Black Friday is one of those rare times that casemakers will likely have better discounts.

We’ll post the best case deals as we come across them in Android Central’s Black Friday deals roundups, so check back early and often. Don’t forget that a great number of cases tend to pop up in lightning deals during major shopping events like these, so you might want to add cases you like to your wishlist so you’ll get a notification when a Lightning deal on them goes live.

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