A little over a week ago, Google announced two new customizable cases for the Nexus 5X, Nexus 6P, and Nexus 6 smartphones. The new cases, which sell through Google’s online store for $35, let you put a custom image, photo, or map on the back of the case, and talk to the phone via an NFC tag. The NFC tag allows the phone to set a matching wallpaper or perform a custom action when a certain area of the case is depressed.
Google’s custom cases for Nexus phones are more style than substance
For $35, the cases are pretty basic: I have the matte-finish Live Places case with a custom image of the island of Manhattan on it and it’s about the same quality of plastic as a $10 case you can get from Amazon. The ports and buttons are unobstructed and there’s a slight lip on the front to prevent screen damage when the phone is placed face down, but otherwise it’s a pretty typical hard plastic case. The NFC shortcut button is also a bit of a letdown, as it only works when I press really hard on the case, making it virtually impractical in everyday use. On the other hand, the live wallpaper that comes with the case is a map that follows me around as I go to different places, which is pretty cool. I just don’t think I’d spend $35 on this had I known what it was like in person first.
You can see more of the Live Case in the video below.
Follow topics and authors from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates.
