Bellroy Google Pixel Fold leather case review

REVIEW – Like many other Gadgeteers out there, when we get a new phone, that means that it’s also time to get a new case for it. For me, my new phone is a Google Pixel Fold. Yes, after 3 years away from the platform I’ve switched from the iPhone back to Android. I really like the feel of leather and was very excited for the opportunity to review the Bellroy Google Pixel Fold leather case. Let’s check it out!

The Bellroy Google Pixel Fold leather case is a 2 piece case that has been designed especially for the new Google Pixel Fold smartphone.

The Bellroy Google Pixel Fold leather case has two parts. There’s a thin frame for the front of the phone and there’s a back cover that has a soft lining that’s made of recycled microfiber.

The exterior of the Bellroy Google Pixel Fold leather case is covered in eco-tanned leather. I have the Terracotta version (brown) shown here, but this case is also available in black and a blue grey leather called bluestone.

This case isn’t all leather. The frame or shell of the case is made of polymer that is color matched to the leather.

As you can see in the image above, the polymer case is thin-ish. I prefer a very thin case because I don’t want to bulk up my phone. The Bellroy Google Pixel Fold leather case isn’t super bulky, but I can’t help but wish it was a little thinner.

Installing the case on the Pixel Fold is simple and requires no use of special adhesive strips like some other cases use. You basically just snap the frame over the front display and the back cover on the back of the phone and you’re done.

The front frame is raised around the edges of the display to provide extra protection when you lay the phone face down. I didn’t have any issues interacting with the front display with this case in place.

The back of the Bellroy Google Pixel Fold leather case has a large cutout for the camera module with a slightly raised ridge around the edges. There’s also a very understated Bellroy logo stamped into the leather.

With the case in place, the spine of the Pixel Fold is open and unprotected. This doesn’t bother me because it needs to be uncovered in order to allow easy opening and closing of the phone.

The top edge of the phone has a cutout for the speaker and microphone.

The opposite edge has cutouts for the other microphone and speakers as well as the USB-C port.

The right edge allows full and uncovered access to the fingerprint scanner/power button and volume button. Does anyone else hate cases that have built-in buttons as much as I do?

You can see how the leather is attached to the polymer case around the edges. The weird thing is that the screen frame part of the case has leather that wraps around the edges but the back shell of the case doesn’t. See how the polymer around the USB-C port, speakers, and microphone is just plastic? Meh…

When opened, the case edges are completely flush with the edges of the inside display. This allows the phone to fully close with a satisfying thunk.

The phone opens just fine with this case installed. No issues here.

The only issue that I had with the Bellroy Google Pixel Fold leather case was that I could feel the left edge of the front frame flexing when I gripped the phone in my right hand and when I was unfolding the display.

Since I love leather, I was hoping to love the Bellroy Google Pixel Fold leather case. Unfortunately, I don’t. I don’t hate this case, but the plastic feels just a little too thick and I think it makes the case look a little cheap. At the same time, the frame around the front display flexes too easily when I grip the phone in my right hand. I do think this case will protect the phone from everyday wear and tear and may even protect the phone from a short fall. If you don’t mind the plastic, and like leather, you might love this case, but I’m going to stick with the Pitaka MagEZ 3 Google Pixel Fold case that I reviewed (for now).

Price: $75.00Where to buy: Bellroy and AmazonSource: The sample for this review was provided by Bellroy.