Google's Live Cases for your phone integrate with your Pixel's wallpaper

By Julian Chokkattu November 17, 2016

google pixel photo contest chromecast xl shooting — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Enjoying your new Pixel smartphone? If you still haven’t gotten a case for it, Google has two new Live Cases and they go a little further than just protecting your phone.

The Google Earth Live Case uses satellite imagery from Google Earth to envelope the exterior of your Pixel with beautiful landscapes. But like the Earth View Chrome Browser extension that adds a gorgeous satellite image on the New Tab page, the Earth Live Case connects with the Wallpapers app on the Pixel to offer a new location every day “from a curated collection of images from Google Earth.”

You will be able to tap the NFC shortcut button on the back of the case to explore the day’s location on Google Maps. Unfortunately, while the locations may seem endless for your phone’s wallpaper, the case only comes in three designs — Antartica, Ceel Dheer, and Moindou. At the moment, only Moindou is available.

google — Image used with permission by copyright holder

The second new option is the Google Trends Live Case. Case wise, it is a little more dull as you only get two gradient color choices — Sunset and Asphalt. But what is unique about the Trends case is the companion wallpaper that “charts the top trending Google searches,” on your home screen. The wallpaper visualizes these searches and you can tap the NFC button on the back of the case to get more details on what you are seeing.

At $50, both the Trends and Earth cases are $10 more than other live cases, such as the collection from Jeremy Scott or the ones you can make yourself.

You can purchase the cases from the Google Store online, or from Verizon and Best Buy in the U.S.

Topics

Julian Chokkattu

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Julian is the mobile and wearables editor at Digital Trends, covering smartphones, fitness trackers, smartwatches, and more…

Mobile

5 phones you should buy instead of the Google Pixel 8a

The Google Pixel 8a's screen.

Everyone loves a bargain, and it's hard to argue that the Google Pixel 8a is anything but. With a flagship processor and one of the best phone cameras around, the $499 smartphone has the specs to make it a steal. But Google hasn't just crammed great hardware into the phone, as it also has one of the cleanest implementations of Android 14, all of Google's current AI roster, and an incredible seven years of software updates to boot. It's a cheap phone that can go the distance, and one we are more than happy to recommend.

But it's not perfect. The battery is a little weak, as is its charging ability — and the less said about the cheap-feeling plastic body, the better. So even though it's a strong phone, there are a number of alternatives that could pull your eyes away from Google's latest midrange phone.

Mobile

Google is doing something incredible with the Pixel Watch 3

Leaked render of Google Pixel Watch 3 XL.

It seems going XL is in vogue at Google’s design labs. We recently came across leaks claiming to depict the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL, Google's all-out big-screen flagship that will be its answer to the Pro Max and Ultra phones out there. A similar treatment is in line for the upcoming Pixel Watch 3 smartwatch, as well.

Android Headlines has shared leaked product renders of what it calls the "Pixel Watch 3 XL." Fittingly for its name, this one will serve a larger 1.45-inch display, up from the 1.2-inch OLED screen on the regular version. It’s also reportedly going to be roughly 12% thicker compared to the Pixel Watch 2. The added chassis depth is said to accommodate a larger battery, but we don't know the exact capacity yet.

Mobile

Have a Google Pixel 8? You’re about to get these 4 new features

A person holding the Google Pixel 8a, showing the back.

A new set of features is set to debut as part of the June Google Pixel Feature Drop. These include fresh productivity tools and enhancements. Of the latest tools, four will undoubtedly be the most popular.

If you have a Pixel 8 or Pixel 8a, you will soon be able to use Gemini Nano on your phone. Gemini Nano, Google's most efficient AI model for on-device tasks, was previously only available on the Pixel 8 Pro. To access Gemini Nano, you must enable developer options on the phone. Gemini Nano is a bit limited today, but it sets the foundation for powerful on-device AI features down the road.