Google Teams Up With Skrillex In Launching Special Edition Android Phone Cases

Google is striking up a partnership with dubstep guru Skrillex in introducing a new limited run of special edition cases, dubbed “Editions,” designed for Android smartphones. These cases come in various sizes that can fit popular Android devices like Google's own Nexus 6 and Nexus 5, and Samsung's Galaxy S6, Galaxy S5, and Galaxy Note 4. On top of all that, the cases also feature a live wallpaper which displays images (either pictures of Earth taken by satellites at night, or images of constellations capture from the night sky) that matches the phone user's current location during night time. 

What has Skrillex got to do with these new limited edition Android cases? Well, it turns out the musician created three design patterns for the cases. Also, the satellite-captured pictures being used for the live wallpaper is actually taken from a Google and Skrillex custom balloon satellite that was named after Nanou, the Grammy winning recording artist's pet dog. What is more interesting is that when Nanou the satellite is finished taking images, one lucky follower of the @android Twitter account will win it. 

And music loving mobile users, especially members of the younger generation, will be delighted to know that the cases will come with a free album, plus a one touch transport directly to the official YouTube music channel of Skrillex by way of a hardware button fitted on the actual case. Interestingly, this same button can also be used to launch mobile apps, or the phone's camera. 

As limited releases, these special edition cases only made available from the Google Play Store while supplies last, which is probably through the end of next month. Pricing for the cases is at $40 per piece.

Worried that there will not be enough of these cases to go around? Don't be -- Skrillex is just the first of many guests that Google is collaborating with for its special edition Android cases. The tech giant is already lining up other popular artists for future versions of the cases. 

This is not the first (and most certainly will not be the last) time that mobile players are partnering with artists in launching new products, particularly smartphone accessories. As a matter of fact, Google is not the only mobile giant doing it. Its fierce rival, Apple, notably teamed up with rapper Dr Dre and his very popular brand of headphones when it acquired Beats Electronics one year ago.