It looks like the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro’s first-party cases sold by Google aren’t holding up to the standards that you would expect from a $30 product. Owners have taken to Reddit and Amazon reviews to complain about excessive and premature yellow tinting as well as warping near the buttons and the USB connector. This is especially painful given how unique first-party Google cases used to be.
As first covered by The Verge, reports of the bad cases are all over the internet, making it unlikely that the issue only affects a bad production batch. The publication found Reddit threads ranging from January to just a few days ago, all complaining about differing issues with the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro cases. While discoloration is expected for all translucent cases due to their chemical properties, the Google product seems to be particularly prone to aging fast.
Other issues include warping near the buttons, making it questionable how well the case will protect the Pixel in the long-term.
The issue feels even more iffy when you consider the asking price of $30 for the cases. This is cheaper than Google’s fabric cases of the past, which could go all the way up to $50 or more, but $30 is still far too much for a case of this quality. While many people complained about these fabric cases of old, too, saying that they were too feeble and that the fabrics were prone to fray, they did present a unique design, fitting right within Google’s broader ecosystem of smart speakers and displays. The new cases don’t have any of this going for them and just appear plain disgusting as they age.
Personally, I can confirm the findings with my own Pixel 6 case, which has taken on some discolorations on the corners. What’s worse, it seems like the case is also prone to scratch up the phone itself, with small debris lodged firmly into the plastic, leaving its marks all across the glass above the camera array (at least that's the only explanation I could come up for based on the positioning of the damage).
I’m always using cases on my personal phones when out and about and I’m always careful not to take devices to the beach or other hazardous environments for glass-clad devices, and the Pixel 6 is the only device that has ever taken such damage from its protective case like this. It might be an isolated issue with my product only, but in the light of all these complaints, I’m happy that I’ve made the switch to another case since.
I wouldn’t even mind Google’s new cases too much if the company bundled them in the box with its phones. Many competitors like Xiaomi, Vivo, and OnePlus add simple but effective cases right in the box with their devices. In fact, a lot of these are made of similar translucent plastic, but interestingly, those don’t show signs of discoloration nearly as fast as Google’s expensive $30 case. True, the Google case has a nicer finish and feels better to the touch than many of these complementary protectors, but that doesn’t nearly justify the price tag.
If you're looking for an alternative, check out some other great cases for the Pixel 6. We're rethinking whether Google's first-party case will remain in this guide in the light of the issues. Should Google release similar cases for the upcoming Pixel 6a and the Pixel 7, it’s probably best to steer away from them unless they’re significantly cheaper.