If you couldn’t tell from the name of this particular case, Speck’s $34.95 CandyShell Grip case adds a ton of grip to the somewhat-slippery Nexus 5X.
Video Review
Photo Gallery
I’ve been a big fan of the CandyShell Grip series of smartphone cases for a very long time, so I was pretty happy to see that they also brought it over to the Nexus 5X. On its own, I found the 5X, thanks to its matte texture, to be fairly slippery. Thanks to the CandyShell Grip, that’s no longer a problem.
The white shell that you see is an impact-resistant polycarbonate, while the black is rubberized TPU. That same material can be found on the inside to provide a slight amount of shock absorption. Combine both of these, and you have something that should offer you quite a bit of protection without being a tank type of case. The rubberized material also acts as a lip for the front of the 5X, also called a “lay-on-the-table” design. This prevents your phone’s screen from actually touching a table if it’s on one.
There are three button covers along the right side, which only provide a mushy experience when being pressed. There’s a single cutout on the top for the microphone, and cutouts on the bottom for the USB-C port, bottom microphone, and 3.5mm headset jack. On the back, you’ll find one large cutout for the camera section in addition to a circular opening for the rear fingerprint sensor. Because you can actually feel the cutout, quickly finding the fingerprint sensor is now even easier, and you can better center your finger within the sensor.
If you aren’t used to $35 smartphone cases, the price may be considered too high. However, I feel as though this case’s design, amount of grip and protection all make up for that price. Without hesitation, this would be my go-to case for the Nexus 5X.
Feel free to follow Brian and Gadget Unit on Twitter.