Being such a large and hefty phone, the Pixel Fold needs a good case that protects it and offers a bit of functionality. The Dbrand Grip case for the Pixel Fold is exactly that, with a little bit of a bonus in personalization with the new X-Ray skin.
I’ve always been a fan of Dbrand’s Grip cases. The design usually stays the same through iPhone, Pixel, and Samsung variants and among generations. Really, there’s no need to change anything dramatically because the look is dictated by the Dbrand skin on the back.
The whole premise behind the Grip case is that you can switch the skin on the back whenever you like. If you’re tired of a certain design, just get a new one and install it, which, might I add, is much easier than installing it on the phone itself. When you grab a case, it comes with one skin by default, but there’s always the option to get more down the road.
Though the design has changed little, the Pixel Fold forced Dbrand’s hand. A foldable case needs to come in at least two pieces and be able to protect the phone when closed and open, which is an obvious requirement. Unfortunately, in some cases, manufacturers forget that the hinge needs protecting and that the metal spine is exposed when the Fold is closed shut. That’s great if you’re developing a minimal case, but I’ve used a couple of cases from designers that don’t protect the hinge and still take on a thick material choice.
The Dbrand Grip case for the Pixel Fold is not that. It’s essentially two pieces – a front frame and a rear panel that has a hinged cover attached to it. The hinge protector takes on a couple of jobs. First, it adds protection, obviously. Second, it houses a built-in kickstand, which has come in handy a ridiculous amount of times, especially for a tablet-sized smartphone.
The hinge is magnetically secured closed when the Fold is closed. When it opens, it simply slides open and along the frame of the phone. The case gets bonus points because the hinge acts as a fidget toy when the phone is closed.
The build of Dbrand’s Pixel Fold case is great. It utilizes a high-end BPA-free polyblend that offers a heavy amount of protection at a reasonable thickness. I wouldn’t do it, but if I accidentally dropped the Fold from waist height, I wouldn’t expect anything less than an unharmed phone. It does come in a little thicker than some phone cases, but it’s something I quickly got used to. The Pixel Fold is already thick when shut, and adding material all around it certainly doesn’t make it thinner. With protection, it’s something that has to be ignored a little bit.
In the spirit of transparency, it’s worth noting that this is my second Grip case from Dbrand. The first one had an issue – one that seems to have affected more than a couple of users – where a crack began to form alongside the top portion of the hinge and next to the camera cutout.
In an official statement, Dbrand noted that the issue is, in fact, being addressed. The company plans to reach out to those with affected cases and switch them out for a unit that should be structurally sound. The issue was that one of the internal screws could be torqued too much during fabrication, leading to undue stress on the rear paneling at a 3% defect rate.
Since then, the tooling has been modified, and the issue should be resolved. Dbrand noted that replacements should be available sometime in December.
This second version of the Grip case for the Pixel Fold has been great. I’ve used it for the same amount of time and haven’t run into any quality control issues.
Dbrand’s new X-Ray skins are just the cherry on top
One of the skins I immediately installed on the Pixel Fold case was Dbrand’s new X-Ray skins. The skins come in both dark and light theming. Each is personalized for that exact device, much like the Teardown series that seems too popular not to copy.
The X-Ray skin for the Pixel Fold looks fantastic. It showcases every capacitor and diode in the device that wouldn’t be visible in a top-down photo. The battery ribbon cables are even clearly visible against the cell itself. Perhaps the best part is the embossed Google “G” that shows up in the X-Ray taken.
The X-Ray skins come in both a Grip case version and an actual device skin, which should look even cooler than the case version I have installed.
Overall, I really like the Dbrand Grip case for the Pixel Fold. It offers a heavy amount of protection and throws in the functionality of a kickstand and hinge protector. As far as questions some may have about quality control go, Dbrand is one of the best at standing behind its products and making things right. The Pixel Fold Grip case is the best case I’ve tried on my Fold so far, and I’m not sure that will change soon.
Buy the Dbrand Pixel Fold Grip case
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