I've been an Android fan for quite some time now. I followed the release of the G1 (and wanted one) but at the time felt the iPhone was a better product. That quickly changed and I've been a faithful Android user since. I found these forums when looking for cases for my CDMA HTC Hero. The case in question was a Seidio case. I finally joined so that I could see the pictures for the review. I purchased the product and was very happy with it. Since then I've made it a point to do a detailed review whenever I get accessories for my new Android phone errrr.... device.
That being said... here is my review of the
Seidio Active Case with Multi-Purpose Cover for the Nexus 7.
Packaging:
No need to dwell on this one. Package arrived with no issues. I opened the Fed-Ex box and found the case secure within a plastic packaging. No annoying sealed edges to cut or deal with.
What's included:
Inside the box are a few items:
A silicone flexible "inner" piece
A soft-touch hard "outer/skeleton" piece
A soft-touch hard Multi-Purpose Cover
There are also instructions for those who have a difficult time with these kinds of things
Instructions:
There are instructions (as is normal with Seidio products) in the shape of the device. The directions fit inside the case in an attempt to replicate the product. No special tools or triple jointed body parts needed!
Next there are also instruction stickers attached to the soft-touch hard "outer" shell and the Multi-Purpose Cover. Personally I saw these as overkill but you never know when someone may need it or can't figure it out. Fortunately these additional directions are just pictures. These secondary directions are pretty well stuck on there and are not made to peel off (in case anyone wants to know). They frankly annoyed me for the first day. Now I don't even notice them.
Quality:
A+!!! Seidio nailed it with this one! Everything lines up great. Headphone jack, speaker, microphone(s) and charging port all have ample clearance. The power buttons and volume keys also line up perfectly with the physical keys that say hidden underneath the case.
Silicone Flexible Inner Piece:
A+ As mentioned above, EVERYTHING lines up perfect. Nothing to note here. Easy as pie to put on. Easy as pie to take off.
Soft-Touch Hard Outer Shell:
A+ A lot of reviews refer to this piece as the Skeleton as it is what gives the case it's strength. To be honest, that makes a lot of sense. This piece is what makes the case useful and sets it apart from the standard case.
This Outer Shell/Skeleton is a hard plastic that features Seidio's signature soft touch. It's not slick at all. This shell literally "clips" right onto the the silicone piece and is a TIGHT fit. It's not easy to remove (at all) so you don't have to worry about it falling off. It's there and it's on there TIGHT!
When you order a different color case, this is the piece that varies, the inner silicone and multi-purpose cover will remain the same.
***As is, Seidio sells JUST the combination mentioned above but they also sell a combination that includes the Multi-Purpose Cover (mentioned below)***
Multi-Purpose Cover:
A- Let me start by saying this. I have the book-style cover on my kindle. It's great for books and if that's your preference. Personally, I wasn't about to put one on my Nexus 7. Personal preference.
That being said, the idea behind this Multi-Purpose Cover is what sold me and it, mostly, does the same things that all those popular iProduct and Nexus/Kindle cases do. In my opinion, this blows them out of the water. Here is why: every case I've seen has a landscape (and occasionally portrait) option. Each of those cases usually can sit at 2 or 3 angles. If you don't want the front cover of the book-style your only option is to take it out of the case or use the funky-elastic straps to snag the front of the Nexus and hold in it place. I refused to do this because I feel that this looks TERRIBLE!
Enter the Multi-Purpose Cover! There are indents on the corners of the Outer Shell/Skeleton that line up in all directions with the cover. Basically it clips on and stays on (for as long as you want it to) whenever you want to store the cover on the front or back of the device. I was easily able to pick up the case and shake it around with the Nexus attached without fear of it falling.
If you want it on the back of the case, you can put it on. If you don't want it on the back of the case, you can take it off. If you are transporting the Nexus, you can put it on. If you aren't and are just using it around the house, you can take it off. There is plenty of room between the cover and the screen of the Nexus 7 when in place over the screen to help prevent damage to our fragile toys.
If you want to use it as a stand, you can! There is a piece built into the cover that folds out and acts as a stand. Not only that, but there are 10 angles you can choose from to use the cover as a stand. I must say that this piece feels a bit clumsy and I am curious to see how this holds up long term.
When using the cover as a stand there are long rubber feet that help prevent the the stand from sliding across a desk or table.
I only have two dislikes about the cover which is what gives the cover itself a A- rating. First, when in landscape mode it feels like there is a bit of wiggle (front and back) where the Nexus sits in the stand. It doesn't seem to affect anything but it's worth noting. That being said, it didn't stop me from using it. It works great when working on projects in bed, etc. Second, there isn't a viable option to use the stand in portrait mode (if I ever wanted to) as the Nexus 7 would only be resting on one tab of the cover. I feel that this is an oversight that could have been corrected with perhaps a longer middle tab. Perhaps it'll be worked on in future versions. Either way, as long as you know these two things going in, you'll be happy.
It's also worth noting that having the Cover on the Nexus 7 does not seem to effect the sound quality of music/video.
Overall:
A In my opinion this is the best product I've ever seen Seidio produce. It's simple and to the point. It protects our beloved Nexus and looks good doing so. It withstands the pressures that the day to day activities can throw at it.
We've all seen the horror stories of the glass on the Nexus 7 breaking too easily. This was one of my MAIN reasons for wanting a case for it. I can confidently say that this case has alleviated those concerns. I've had the Nexus in the outer pockets of my luggage and in my gym bag and have put them through their standard uses and the case (and more importantly the Nexus) have come out completely unscathed!
Is it worth $34 bucks ($44 with the cover) when an ebay case can be had for 1/4 to 1/2 the price? I would most definitely say YES!
Want one? You can find them at Seidio's website by clicking HERE!
If anyone has any questions about the case or would like additional photos, be sure to let me know. :smokingsomb:
That being said... here is my review of the
Seidio Active Case with Multi-Purpose Cover for the Nexus 7.
Packaging:
No need to dwell on this one. Package arrived with no issues. I opened the Fed-Ex box and found the case secure within a plastic packaging. No annoying sealed edges to cut or deal with.
What's included:
Inside the box are a few items:
A silicone flexible "inner" piece
A soft-touch hard "outer/skeleton" piece
A soft-touch hard Multi-Purpose Cover
There are also instructions for those who have a difficult time with these kinds of things
Instructions:
There are instructions (as is normal with Seidio products) in the shape of the device. The directions fit inside the case in an attempt to replicate the product. No special tools or triple jointed body parts needed!
Next there are also instruction stickers attached to the soft-touch hard "outer" shell and the Multi-Purpose Cover. Personally I saw these as overkill but you never know when someone may need it or can't figure it out. Fortunately these additional directions are just pictures. These secondary directions are pretty well stuck on there and are not made to peel off (in case anyone wants to know). They frankly annoyed me for the first day. Now I don't even notice them.
Quality:
A+!!! Seidio nailed it with this one! Everything lines up great. Headphone jack, speaker, microphone(s) and charging port all have ample clearance. The power buttons and volume keys also line up perfectly with the physical keys that say hidden underneath the case.
Silicone Flexible Inner Piece:
A+ As mentioned above, EVERYTHING lines up perfect. Nothing to note here. Easy as pie to put on. Easy as pie to take off.
Soft-Touch Hard Outer Shell:
A+ A lot of reviews refer to this piece as the Skeleton as it is what gives the case it's strength. To be honest, that makes a lot of sense. This piece is what makes the case useful and sets it apart from the standard case.
This Outer Shell/Skeleton is a hard plastic that features Seidio's signature soft touch. It's not slick at all. This shell literally "clips" right onto the the silicone piece and is a TIGHT fit. It's not easy to remove (at all) so you don't have to worry about it falling off. It's there and it's on there TIGHT!
When you order a different color case, this is the piece that varies, the inner silicone and multi-purpose cover will remain the same.
***As is, Seidio sells JUST the combination mentioned above but they also sell a combination that includes the Multi-Purpose Cover (mentioned below)***
Multi-Purpose Cover:
A- Let me start by saying this. I have the book-style cover on my kindle. It's great for books and if that's your preference. Personally, I wasn't about to put one on my Nexus 7. Personal preference.
That being said, the idea behind this Multi-Purpose Cover is what sold me and it, mostly, does the same things that all those popular iProduct and Nexus/Kindle cases do. In my opinion, this blows them out of the water. Here is why: every case I've seen has a landscape (and occasionally portrait) option. Each of those cases usually can sit at 2 or 3 angles. If you don't want the front cover of the book-style your only option is to take it out of the case or use the funky-elastic straps to snag the front of the Nexus and hold in it place. I refused to do this because I feel that this looks TERRIBLE!
Enter the Multi-Purpose Cover! There are indents on the corners of the Outer Shell/Skeleton that line up in all directions with the cover. Basically it clips on and stays on (for as long as you want it to) whenever you want to store the cover on the front or back of the device. I was easily able to pick up the case and shake it around with the Nexus attached without fear of it falling.
If you want it on the back of the case, you can put it on. If you don't want it on the back of the case, you can take it off. If you are transporting the Nexus, you can put it on. If you aren't and are just using it around the house, you can take it off. There is plenty of room between the cover and the screen of the Nexus 7 when in place over the screen to help prevent damage to our fragile toys.
If you want to use it as a stand, you can! There is a piece built into the cover that folds out and acts as a stand. Not only that, but there are 10 angles you can choose from to use the cover as a stand. I must say that this piece feels a bit clumsy and I am curious to see how this holds up long term.
When using the cover as a stand there are long rubber feet that help prevent the the stand from sliding across a desk or table.
I only have two dislikes about the cover which is what gives the cover itself a A- rating. First, when in landscape mode it feels like there is a bit of wiggle (front and back) where the Nexus sits in the stand. It doesn't seem to affect anything but it's worth noting. That being said, it didn't stop me from using it. It works great when working on projects in bed, etc. Second, there isn't a viable option to use the stand in portrait mode (if I ever wanted to) as the Nexus 7 would only be resting on one tab of the cover. I feel that this is an oversight that could have been corrected with perhaps a longer middle tab. Perhaps it'll be worked on in future versions. Either way, as long as you know these two things going in, you'll be happy.
It's also worth noting that having the Cover on the Nexus 7 does not seem to effect the sound quality of music/video.
Overall:
A In my opinion this is the best product I've ever seen Seidio produce. It's simple and to the point. It protects our beloved Nexus and looks good doing so. It withstands the pressures that the day to day activities can throw at it.
We've all seen the horror stories of the glass on the Nexus 7 breaking too easily. This was one of my MAIN reasons for wanting a case for it. I can confidently say that this case has alleviated those concerns. I've had the Nexus in the outer pockets of my luggage and in my gym bag and have put them through their standard uses and the case (and more importantly the Nexus) have come out completely unscathed!
Is it worth $34 bucks ($44 with the cover) when an ebay case can be had for 1/4 to 1/2 the price? I would most definitely say YES!
Want one? You can find them at Seidio's website by clicking HERE!
If anyone has any questions about the case or would like additional photos, be sure to let me know. :smokingsomb:
