When purchasing a new phone and deciding whether or not you need a case for it, most of the time you need to hunt around on Amazon or some other retailer for the available options. This time around with the Nexus 5x and Nexus 6p Google partnered with a few companies to make some “official” cases, making the decision a bit easier. There are still a handful of choices though, so which one is right for you? Adopted makes a few cases for the Nexus 6p, but the one we’re looking at specifically here is the rubberized case with fabric on the back. Fabric, you might ask? Yes, it’s actually fabric on the back of the case and it lends a look and feel to the case that’s not often used in the industry.
It’s this fabric that intrigued me most about the case when I received it back in mid-October with our Nexus 6p review unit, and I’ve been using that case since then on my own Nexus 6p just to see how well it would hold up. After all fabric is going to attract oils far more than a rubberized material would, so how well does the fabric actually age? The fabric itself is a soft material, feeling closer to a cotton t-shirt mixed with a soft carpet more than anything. It’s got a hexagonal cube design on it with very clear Nexus branding, and I was also concerned about these patterns and words rubbing off over time too. Thus far a month and a half into using it as my daily driver most of the time, putting it in and out of pockets, bags, sliding it on the table and whatever else a case has to endure over time, I have yet to see any obvious signs of wear and tear anywhere on the case.
The fabric itself feels best in a climate with lower humidity. I’ve been fortunate to be able to test it in the late fall months here in Florida when we occasionally get a day or two with relatively low humidity and temperatures for this region, and it’s on those days that I love this case the most. The rubberized material on the rest of the case combined with the fabric gives it an amazing grippy feeling that the metal phone simply doesn’t have. It also acts as a bit of a hand warmer too, which furthers the idea that this is a great winter case. In fact the more humid and warm it got here and the clammier my hands got, the less pleasant the fabric on the case was to hold. I wouldn’t go so far as to say I wouldn’t recommend this case in a more humid climate, but I think it will definitely lessen the life span.
The rubberized material used for the rest of the case has just a bit of give to it and is flexible, but not so much as to keep it from accurately snapping onto the phone and staying there. In fact the fit on the phone is so tight I felt like it significantly enhanced the already super high quality build of the Nexus 6p and definitely feels like it brings the durability of the phone up quite a few notches. I threw my phone around on the table quite a few times and it makes a solid plunk when it hits the desk or table, and never slid or bounced. It has a great absorption factor thanks to the rubberized material, and thanks to the lip around the phone I wouldn’t doubt a drop on even concrete face down would keep the screen from breaking.
The great thing about this lip is that it’s not so big as to cause problems when sliding out from either side of the screen, which is definitely an issue with plenty of cases on the market. The case is also incredibly thin and light and adds almost no noticeable bulk to this thin and sleek phone, and thankfully doesn’t make it feel any taller or wider either. This is important on many phones but even more important the larger you get, as in the 6p’s case. The case fully covers the power buttons and volume rockers, and while this isn’t normally an issue you’ll need to be careful when trying to take a screenshot. If you try to press the power button in the middle with your full finger while also pressing the volume down button you’re likely going to press all 3 accidentally. Pressing the top edge of the power button and bottom edge of the volume down button fixed this problem.
Holes are cut out for the 3.5mm headset jack up top, USB Type-C port on bottom, fingerprint scanner on the back as well as the camera lens and surrounding sensors. Overall this is one of the nicest cases I’ve ever used, bar none. I’m usually someone that hates to put a case on their phone, but the metal build of the Nexus 6p has forced my hand, quite literally, as it’s incredibly slippery thanks to the low friction that metal brings with it. The biggest problem with a case like this is the dust and junk that accumulates in the edges of every opening, thanks to the friction and space created by the case. You’ll probably want to take it out every now and then and clean it, or at least get some compressed air and blow it out.
I would whole-heartedly recommend this case for anyone, especially those that might not normally like cases, but those living in more humid climates might need to be aware that the fabric on the back could definitely wear out quicker. I’ll certainly find out in the coming months, but thus far it’s held up like a champ and feels no different than the day I took it out of the box. Check it out in light or dark gray for $34.99 from the Google Store.