Thursday, March 28, 2024

Spigen’s Neo Hybrid is one of the most reliable Pixel 4 cases out there

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Rugged protection, good looks, and a slim profile.

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Spigen’s Neo Hybrid is one of the most prominent cases out there. It’s available for just about every phone that’s released, and more often than not, it ends up on our “Best Cases” lists for those devices.

Unsurprisingly, the Neo Hybrid is launching once again, this time for Google’s Pixel 4. As with years past, the Neo Hybrid is a winning combination of design and ruggedness, all while keeping a low profile.

As long as you don’t mind the slippery back, it’s one of the most well-rounded cases available for the Pixel 4.

Tried and true

Spigen Neo Hybrid

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Bottom line: If there’s one Spigen case that stands out as one of the most iconic, it’s the Spigen Neo Hybrid. The dual-layer design creates for a classic look and ample protection, protecting your Pixel 4 from any harm that could befall it. The Neo Hybrid does this while maintaining a relatively slim profile, and it comes in at a great price. It’s a shame the back is so slippery, but if you’re after well-rounded durability in a comfortable form factor, the Neo Hybrid fits the bill.

Pros

  • Dual-layer design for max protection
  • Iconic design
  • Not too bulky
  • Fits the Pixel 4 perfectly
  • Good price

Cons

  • Back is slippery as hell
  • Not enough colors

From $14 at Amazon (Pixel 4)
From $14 at Amazon (Pixel 4 XL)

Spigen Neo Hybrid What’s awesome

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I’ve used the Neo Hybrid on a variety of phones over the years, and on the Pixel 4, it’s more of the same great experience I’ve come to know and love. The Neo Hybrid strikes a balance few other cases can — offering legitimately good protection without turning your phone into an unwieldy beast.

The Neo Hybrid’s dual-layer design is one of its greatest strengths, giving itself a distinct aesthetic while also providing your Pixel 4 with 360-degree coverage against drops, scratches, dings, you name it. I have the Gunmetal color, but there’s also a fantastic-looking Burgundy option.

As far as bulk goes, I’m quite happy with the Neo Hybrid. It keeps a relatively slim and lightweight profile, and that’s an impressive feat considering how much protection it gives the Pixel 4. The cutout for the rear camera is raised for added durability, as is the front bezel of the case around the entire display.

Spigen’s attention-to-detail is also showcased with the Neo Hybrid, as the case goes onto the Pixel 4 like a perfectly-machined glove.

All of this is made even better when you factor in the Neo Hybrid’s price, which is low enough that most folks should be able to add the Neo Hybrid to their virtual cart without thinking twice.

Spigen Neo Hybrid Where it can improve

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Spigen gets a lot right with the Neo Hybrid, but that doesn’t mean there’s no room for the case to improve.

While the herringbone pattern on the back of the Neo Hybrid is easy-on-the-eyes, it’s far too slippery. There’s very little grip here, so much so that I’d wager to say the Pixel 4’s matte glass back is more grippy than the Neo Hybrid.

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I’m also not a fan of the stiff button covers on the Neo Hybrid. They’re mushy, difficult to press, and nothing at all like the excellent buttons on the Dbrand Grip. Spigen did tell me that this was a known issue specifically for the Neo Hybrid for the Pixel 4 XL (the one I have), and since then, the company has released a new Version 2 model that’s fixed this issue. In other words, the Neo Hybrid you buy today should be perfectly fine in these regards.

Last but not least, I’d love for Spigen to kick out more colors for this version of the Neo Hybrid. Gunmetal and Burgundy are a good start, but where’s the Arctic Silver and Midnight Black colors from the Galaxy S10?

Spigen Neo Hybrid Should you buy it?

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Here are AC, we’ve been fans of the Neo Hybrid for a while. As mentioned already in this review, it’s stood the test of time thanks to providing phones with seriously good protection without bulking them up too much.

Those traits are in full force with the Neo Hybrid’s Pixel 4 debut, and as such, it’s once again one of our top recommendations. There will never be any such thing as a “one-size-fits-all” case, but the Neo Hybrid gets very close to being just that.

4
out of 5


I hope Spigen is able to address the grip issue sometime soon, as that’s the biggest shadow looming over the case. Thankfully, it’s not enough to ruin what’s a pretty phenomenal overall package.

Tried and true

Spigen Neo Hybrid

spigen-neo-hybrid-pixel-4-cropped.png?it

If there’s one Spigen case that stands out as one of the most iconic, it’s the Spigen Neo Hybrid. The dual-layer design creates for a classic look and ample protection, protecting your Pixel 4 from any harm that could befall it. The Neo Hybrid does this while maintaining a relatively slim profile, and it comes in at a great price. It’s a shame the back is so slippery, but if you’re after well-rounded durability in a comfortable form factor, the Neo Hybrid fits the bill.

From $14 at Amazon (Pixel 4)
From $14 at Amazon (Pixel 4 XL)

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