To paraphrase Spider-Man’s uncle Ben: With great screens come great responsibilities. Sony’s upcoming XZ Premium, unveiled earlier this year at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, certainly has a great screen. The diamond-cut, 4K, HDR display will wow you — but with a screen this nice, you’ve got to protect it at any cost. Curved screens are great to look at, but one bad bounce on a staircase or a cement sidewalk could render that beautiful piece of technology forever fractured.
With that in mind, we’ve put together a short list of the best cases available for the XZ Premium, so you’ll be able to enjoy the screen’s voluminous beauty without worry. Slip on one of these bad boys and ride in style from day one.
For less than $10, the SunRemex Rugged Armor case provides the type of protection you need. Built from shock-proof, scratch-resistant polycarbonate, this case is equipped with a kickstand so you can enjoy the Premium’s gorgeous display in landscape mode, while the rounded corners defend the phone’s most fragile regions from harm. Plus, the unique grip design prevents any slippage and provides fingerprint protection to boot.
Roxfit’s Premium Book Case combines style with strength to create one sleek package. The brushed metal fiber PU front flap and scratch-resistant rear shell are engineered to keep your new phone safe from drops and dings, and the ultra-soft inner lining promises to keep your screen looking good as new. The inner flap even has a credit card slot, so you can leave your wallet or purse behind while on the go.
If you’re looking for a case that’s compact, attractive, and classy, look no further — with TopAce’s Leather Flip Cover, you’ll be stylin’ and profilin’ and keepin’ your XZ Premium protected. The leather and polyurethane shell keeps your phone safe inside and out, with a soft, comfortable interior liner that feels great and includes an easy-access slot for your credit card. It’s even available in four different colors! What’s not to like?
What’s the point of buying a sexy new Sony smartphone, only to hide it behind several layers of rubber and plastic? With Vigeer’s Crystal Clear case, your new phone’s natural beauty will be on full display, fully visible through the clear, shock-absorbent TPU shell. The case is scratch-resistant and built to allow easy access to each button and port, and the interior’s unique dotted texture prevents air buildup.
For maximum utility, few companies can compete with Armor-X’s Shockproof Case, which boasts a unique, integrated X-mount adapter, which is magnetic and compatible with the full line of Armor-X mount technologies. Keep your phone handy on your bike, arm, or holster with the included belt clip and carabiner, or combine it with an X-mount attachment to affix the phone to a helmet, bag, or tripod, among other things. Not to mention, the case does a great job of protecting your phone in all scenarios.
Google Play is borrowing one of the Nintendo Switch’s most useful little tricks. A new Sidekick tool called Playbacks captures a short clip after something interesting has already happened, sparing players from running a screen recorder throughout an entire game.
Playbacks is part of Google Play Store v53.8 and keeps saved clips on the phone. Google first announced it earlier this month, but the new Play Store update marks its arrival for players. Anyone who has watched a perfect win vanish because the record button came too late already understands the appeal.
Samsung’s scandal over its Game Optimizing Service, or GOS, has returned with a bill attached. South Korea’s Fair Trade Commission has tentatively fined the company 20.1 billion won, or about $15.1 million, over gaming claims made for the Galaxy S21, Galaxy S22, and Tab S8.
The regulator says Samsung promoted the devices as gaming powerhouses without disclosing that GOS placed preset CPU and GPU limits on certain demanding games. Samsung disputes that conclusion, calling GOS a legitimate way to manage heat.
Apple's next cheaper iPhone could get a brand-new processor while keeping its most stubborn display compromise. Digital Chat Station tips the iPhone 18e for a 2027 release with a 2nm A20 chip and a 6.12-inch OLED screen still limited to 60Hz.
The rumored camera setup includes a single 48MP rear camera and a possible 24MP selfie camera. There's new hardware to consider, but buyers hoping Apple would extend that upgrade generosity to smoother scrolling could be disappointed.