Motorola Moto G official Flip Shell review

The Moto X was announced to much fanfare after month of speculation and rumours. One of the reasons it drew a lot of attentions was for its Moto Maker feature which allowed prospective buyers to browse different color, backplate and accent options to personalize the phone to their tastes. This great feature was unfortunately not made available to Canadians. With the Moto G, this all changes as the the back on the device is removable making customization options much easier than on the Moto X. Today we check out the Official Moto G Flip Shell.

Materials, Fit and Finish
Not unlike that Flip Covers sold by Samsung for the Galaxy S and Note Line, the Moto G's Flip Shell is a first party accessory so the fit on the device is better than almost any other third party case you can find on the market. The Moto G's back cover is hard to remove to begin with so users can rest assured that it won't come off easily.

Overall the feel of the materials used on the Flip Shell are of very nice quality. The primary material used on the Cover is primarily plastic but on the outside is a diamond like pattern almost like it was done via a knurling process while the sides have more of a soft touch matte finish. Both finishes on the the plastic makes the phone feel fantastic in the hand. On the inside of the flip cover, the main material is very similar to a microfiber cloth allowing the screen to some out decently clean out of pocket.

When it comes to added bulk, the case will add a noticeable 1-1.5mm (as seen in pictures at end of review) to the thickness of the device but we don't feel like it's a huge detriment to one handed usability. Since we found the Moto G to be one of the most usable phones in one handed use we see no problem with the tradeoff of slight thickness for increased protection and functionality.

Protection
As far as protecting the phone, the Flip Shell feels sturdy enough to take a hit or two and since this is a magnetic Flip Cover it does offer some decent protection to the screen. The sides of the phone are exposed to if you drop the Moto G, there can be some damage depending on the angle it hits the ground. The soft touch sides are prone to getting dirty but nothing a stiff wipe down with a clean cloth can't fix.

Use
As with other first party Flip cases/covers the Moto G Flip Shell has a magnet embedded in the cover to both wake and sleep the device. We found this to be quite a bit more convenient than hitting the power button constantly to check the time or take a glance at notifications. There is also a cutout at the location of the earpiece that allows for calls to be made with the case closed.

Final thoughts and Pricing
We can say pretty confidently that we have no issues recommending the official Moto G Flip Shell as it works exactly as advertised and can add that little bit of flair for those looking to customize the look of their device. For people outside the US, Moto Maker could have been that killer feature but was unfortunately not available, the Moto Flip Shell is a great alternative.

At £18.99 in the UK (which is around $32.50 CAD), the Flip Shell isn't the cheapest option but it most certainly will be one that fits the best on the Moto G and functionally offers more than an ordinary case. The Flip Shell is available in black, white, yellow, pink, green and two other colours.

[UPDATE:]We've gotten official word that there will only be three colours available in Canada (Black, White and Royal Blue) and that they will be available from TELUS for $34.99.

Motorola Moto G Flip Shell