Spigen has been one of the most reliable names in affordable smartphone cases for a long time now, and with the launch of the Pixel 7, the company has joined the Made for Google program. Here’s how this year’s lineup looks on Google’s latest smartphones.
Spigen Cases for Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro
The single most iconic design in Spigen’s lineup might just be the Rugged Armor, and it’s one that I quickly found myself using most over the past couple of weeks on the Pixel 7 Pro.
This moderately thin case provides the perfect amount of grip and comfort, and the matte texture looks excellent with the faux carbon fiber accents. The tactile buttons are covered (but have full flexibility), and the textured side rails make for a utilitarian case that looks nice and feels great. It also has a lip that comes up over the top of the display enough to provide some actual protection and lift the display up off of a flat surface enough to make Google’s “Flip to Shhh” feature less worrying.
Spigen says this case has “military-grade drop protection” and “Air Cushion” tech for absorbing the impact of a drop. It’s a little buzzwordy for my taste, but it’s a design that’s proved itself over the years. Your phone can take a bit more of a beating in this case, just don’t expect miracles.
Similar to Rugged Armor, Spigen’s Liquid Air design is meant to be fairly thin, but it has a different design. A geometric pattern covers the back of the phone while grippy textured sides make the phone easier to hang on to, and it has the same solid lip over the display too.
What should really have your attention this year on the Liquid Air case, though, is the gorgeous blue color that Spigen is offering for both Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro. I wasn’t lucky enough to get my hands on that color in time for this review, but it looks absolutely stunning.
If you’re looking for a wallet case rather than a wallet that attaches to your phone – more on that to come – Slim Armor CS is a decent choice.
This is a thicker case that has the same lip and a similar feel to the cases mentioned so far but with a pocket on the back to hold a couple of credit cards or some very carefully folded cash. You can’t hold much, but it might be enough to prevent you from needing your wallet on a night out.
I have two complaints with this case. The first is the USB-C cutout. Spigen’s cutouts are typically quite generous when fitting cables in the slot, and that remains true here, but this case has a sharp edge in that spot. If you hold your phone on a “pinky shelf” like I do, it gets very uncomfortable very quickly.
The other problem is that the “door” of the wallet portion picks up fingerprints incredibly quickly, and feels kind of gross when it does.
For those among us who are a bit more on the clumsy side, Tough Armor is a solid choice. It has a thicker design with a bigger lip over the screen and shock-absorbing foam on the inside. While it is a thicker case, it doesn’t feel overly bulky like many other “tough” cases do, and I think it looks super nice. It has a slick utilitarian look and I like the “Metal Slate” color I was able to try out.
It also has a kickstand on the back, which is always nice touch. It can be a little hard to remove if you have smaller fingernails, but it holds up the phone nicely and doesn’t slip out of place very easily.
For the minimalist, Spigen’s Thin Fit and Ultra Hybrid cases take two routes to the same goal.
With Thin Fit, you’re getting a fairly thin case that focuses mainly on adding grip but can still protect your phone in a tumble with its lip over the screen. The black and “Metal Slate” colors are devoid of patterns or prominent logos. It’s a great option for a subtle case option.
Meanwhile, Ultra Hybrid is a clear case – either “Crystal Clear” as pictured or with matte black around the sides.
It’s a little bit thicker than the Thin Fit, but equally minimal. This is a case that lets Google’s intended design shine, and it does a great job of that. The case is even shipped with plastic coverings to ensure no dust gets trapped before you get the case in hand.
Since I’ve mainly been on Pixel 7 Pro, I didn’t get to test this one over an extended period of time, but I noticed quickly that the back panel is eager to pick up dog hairs, and in my experience with this design in the past, hairs and dust will eventually sneak their way into the case. Still, this is as perfect of a fit as you can possibly ask for, and it looks stunning with the Pixel 7’s Lemongrass colorway.
Spigen only sent over the Pixel 7 version of this case for our review, but I’m pretty sure I’m going to buy one for my Pixel 7 Pro soon.
Spigen OneTap adds MagSafe
While these cases are all designed to be pretty simple, there is something that can add a bit of extra functionality.
Spigen’s OneTap ring adds MagSafe support to the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro by attaching the ring to your case. An installment tool is included with your purchase which ensures an easy, properly aligned install. My only gripe is that you won’t get any specific directions on exactly where to place the ring on your phone. There’s plenty of margin of error on the Pixel 7 Pro here, but some more specific instructions would be helpful. Nonetheless, I had the ring installed in under a minute.
The performance of the magnets is decent, too. It’s certainly not strong enough to reach through a case, but mounted to the outside of a case, it had no problems holding on to wallets or a charging stand.
I personally used this on the Rugged Armor case for the Pixel 7 Pro, and I was really surprised at just how well it adhered to the matte surface. And, I love that there’s an option that perfectly matches the carbon fiber pattern of this case. That said, I think you’d get even better adhesion from the clear Ultra Hybrid case or the Thin Fit case.
Would I trust this as much as a case with MagSafe built in? Not quite. While the adhesion is strong, it’s just one more potential point of failure. For holding a wallet or mounting to a charger, this is perfect, but I’m not sure I’d use it in the context of a wall mount or something that holds my phone in a particularly precarious position.
The one major downside would be with wireless charging. Qi chargers do work, but for whatever reason, Google’s Pixel Stand doesn’t. I couldn’t manage a charge on the second-generation Pixel Stand while using the ring, but my and Anker chargers worked just fine.
Final thoughts
The beauty of Spigen cases has been, for quite some time, that these have been tested over and over again. If you buy in once, you pretty much know what you’re getting yourself into in terms of quality and long-term durability. With Spigen’s Pixel 7 lineup, that holds true, and it’s even better with the badge that comes from Google, certifying these as a perfect fit for your new phone.
You can get Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro cases from Spigen’s website, but you’ll always get the best deal when buying through Amazon. Links for every case are below, and you’ll typically see prices ranging from around $15 to $40. The OneTap adapter runs a little under $20 usually.
Pixel 7 cases:
- Rugged Armor
- Liquid Air
- Slim Armor CS
- Tough Armor
- Thin Fit
- Ultra Hybrid
Pixel 7 Pro cases:
- Rugged Armor
- Liquid Air
- Slim Armor CS
- Tough Armor
- Thin Fit
- Ultra Hybrid
OneTap adapter:
- Carbon
- Silver
- Matte Black
More Pixel 7 Cases:
- Review: Peak Design’s Pixel 7 case brings the magic of MagSafe and should be easier to buy
- Casetify is the latest ‘Made for Google’ partner with Pixel 7 cases
- Review: Google’s official Pixel 7 case has me cautiously optimistic
Author: Ben Schoon
Source: 9TO5Google
