Otterbox's Emoji Kitchen Fusion is the perfect case for the Pixel 8a

Otterbox decided to include the popular Gboard Emoji Kitchen in their case, and we agree.

What makes it different from other Pixel cases out there?

As far as we know, Otterbox's Emoji Kitchen cases are the first third-party cases that use Google's own intellectual property (other than the “G” logo) as a primary selling point. This practice is common with many other popular IPs, but it's very rare to see Google do this with a software add-on. It's easy to get a “Made for Google” case, but it's very rare to get a case that's made for a Pixel and has other Google IP built into it. These are licensed for the Pixel 8a, the cheapest Google phone released this year.

The case is based on a clear Otterbox React case, but with Emoji Kitchen's artwork embossed on the inside, and there are two slight variations to choose from.

• Funny collage
• Quirky Collage

The difference between the two Emoji Kitchen cases isn't huge, but it's still notable. The back of each case features a total of nine silly food emojis mixed with plants and animals. Personally, I think the Silly Collage case is the better choice because it has the “Hot Dog Turtle,” but I also love the “Bread Cat” that's exclusive to the “Quirky Collage” case.

All emojis are printed on the inside of the case, which means that as long as you don't remove the case from your phone periodically, the emojis will not fade or get scratched off with extended use of your phone or rough handling of the case.

It's also fully compatible with the Pixel Stand and other wireless chargers, which is very important for the Pixel 8a. Otterbox makes a lot of bulky cases, but this is a slimmer form of protection that doesn't add bulk or unnecessary weight to the mid-sized Pixel 8a. It works well with a screen protector, but there's room for improvement. The display has fairly short borders, so a screen protector is a must.

The combination of Emoji Kitchen and the clear case is, in my opinion, the perfect combination of what Google does best: fun software, and great hardware at a reasonable price. I wish Otterbox had provided a cheat sheet for how to make the Emoji Kitchen stickers. length Trying to replicate all 18 would take a long time.

The detail in the fusion of each emoji is amazing – you can see the textures and layers that make each emoji stand out – they really do look like stickers, and I think that's the whole point.

Each emoji is taken straight from Gboard's Emoji Kitchen section, so they don't really try to bait you with designs that you can't recreate yourself on your Android phone. That said, I did my best and still that's right Instead of recreating the “blue thumbs up” emoji, I managed to combine two emojis together. close enoughIf you use Gboard and want to make these yourself, the recipes for each case are listed below (in no particular order).

OtterBox needs to make this claim for the further rollout of its Pixel smartphones. If the company does, it's definitely very It's a popular item. A number of premium case makers have jumped on the Pixel bandwagon in recent years, including Peak Design, Mous, and Bellroy. While Otterbox's Emoji Kitchen case isn't “premium” in the traditional sense, it's still a great lightweight case for the Pixel 8a and offers something unique in the case category.

Customization is another great option for the upcoming release, especially since Emoji Kitchen has thousands of possible combinations, so the possibilities for future iterations are endless. Imagine creating your own personalized case with your favorite emoji mashups. The level of customization this offers will be a huge benefit to Pixel users who are eager to express themselves in a truly unique way with a layer of protection for their phone.

This is a pricey case at $49.95 in the US. For some reason it's much cheaper in the UK at £20.99, making the pricing model even more confusing. That said, this is one of the best Android extensions available in accessory form. Is the first Emoji Kitchen case worth buying? We'll let you decide, but we hope to see more accessories like this in the future.