The big Pocket Gamer accessory guide 2018 - Samsung Galaxy S9 cases

The Samsung Galaxy S9 might not be tearing up trees with any design and feature innovations, but it remains one of the most capable phones on the market. It's certainly one of the prettiest.

Together with the Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus, this is a big, bold, curvy slab of glass and metal, with an excellent camera (especially in low light) and a beautiful Super AMOLED display.

For the first time, the Plus model isn't just larger - it also gains an extra camera. Still, most case manufacturers will provide for both, so we're not going to differentiate beyond this point.

This being our first Galaxy S9 case round-up we're largely focusing on Samsung's own extensive protective offerings. This will naturally expand to incorporate more third party efforts throughout 2018.

Samsung's Clear View cases are folio with a high-tech difference. Here you can see key information and even interact with the phone to answer calls without opening the cover. The latter also doubles as a stand.

The LED View cover is similar in concept to the Clear View, but with a more textured, less transparent finish. This serves to render the text in a pleasing retro font, which some people will prefer.

Samsung has continued its Alcantara range from last year's Galaxy S8, providing an unusually plush, suede-like cover. It's the kind of material you might see lining the cockpit of a luxury car.

You normally have to look to third party providers for a case that's a little more overtly rugged, but Samsung here provides its own. The ridged Protective Standing Cover has a military-grade drop-test rating, as well as a handy kickstand.

The Hyperknit Cover is basically what would happen if a really accomplished designer turned your swanky running shoes into a smartphone case. The result: a lightweight, grippy, tough and distinctive cover for your S9.

Samsung experiments more than most with its case design, but it's good to see that it still provides the basic Silicone Cover. It's light, colourful, and bouncy - and it's also very cheap.