Noreve Pixel 9 Leather Wallet Case

Noreve sent over a couple of cases/covers for some Pixel phones I have here, the other being for a Pixel Fold (which I reviewed here) and now it's the Pixel 9's turn for the luxury treatment. I've never really been a fan of flip/wallet cases for my phones, but as soon as my eyes fell on this one from Noreve's new line, I was changing my mind!

As it was for the Pixel Fold cover, what struck me first about the Noreve Pixel 9 Luxury Leather Wallet Case was the lovely colour that Noreve had chosen for me - Ocean Blue. It really is a striking colour, bold, bright and vibrant on the 'Smooth' finish of this classy, hand-made, gorgeous leather case. The premium leather is simply a delight to touch, hold and smell.

There are twelve colours and a range of textures available: Synthetic, Grained, Patent, Nubuck, Special, Vegan, Saffiano, Premium Smooth or Patina, all made-to-order and sent out, worldwide, from their base in France.

As you can see from the photos, each is dispatched in a premium box and inside, a red drawstring pouch, adding to the unique attention to detail from Noreve. The case is protected inside by a sheet of polystyrene so that there's no risk to it during shipping/transit. The whole experience instills a feeling of confidence that although these cases and covers are far from the cheapest available, they have a special something, missing elsewhere.

You can hopefully see from the photos here that the case has been carefully designed and crafted with this quality leather. Take a look at that stitching - it really is as lovely to touch as it is to look at and creates a premium experience. As you can see, the leather is thick and although I've only had it in hand a short time, it gives the impression of durability over any other case out there - and I've tried a lot of cases over the years!

The flap connector fits perfectly, magnetised, clasping with a satisfying click when folded away. The phone sits inside a red velvety-backed enclosure which firmly grips all sides of the phone - very firmly indeed - it's not going to come loose or fall out! The cutouts for the camera island on the back, the volume rocker and power button on the side, the USB-C port and speaker at the base and microphones around the phone have been perfectly created, again, with this thick, sturdy leather.

The leather which envelops and attaches to the enclosure, wraps around the outside fitting beautifully - and on the front, it feels a little 'padded' too, producing a 'bouncy' soft-touch. Inside the flap, there are three slots for credit/debit cards and behind that, a long pouch for bank notes or papers.

The case has also been equipped with a ring of MagSafe compliant Qi Charging magnets at the rear, meaning that with the right equipment for this Apple-style wireless protocol, the phone won't need to be removed from the case to charge. Sadly, I don't have any MagSafe accessories here, not living in the Apple world, so I have not been able to test this - but our friends over at Noreve have assured us that wireless charging works just as it should and have even provided videos for us, showing it in action. Maybe one day I'll get onboard with this MagSafe stuff along with Qi2 myself!

There's really nothing to complain about here as everything works exactly as you'd expect. It's not the cheapest solution out there, prices range from €135-€260 depending on colour and finish, but I contend that it's worth every penny for such a remarkably classy and premium product - very often in life you get what you pay for. I can honestly say, hand on heart, luxurious as it is, more expensive as it might be, it looks and feels as though it'll last a lifetime - certainly more than the 7 years which Google are promising to support the Pixel 9!

I really wasn't sure about wallet cases at the outset, as I said, but this is so lovely that I've ended up changing my tune! Noreve did send this over to me for review, but in no way dictated to me what I should say in my review and were quickly responsive when I had queries. Recommended. More discussion about this and loads of other mobile-related topics are on our weekly Phones Show Chat Podcast.