The Case Thread

My new Nexus has arrived and I've ordered a Poetic slimline which should arrive on Wednesday

I now have two cases for this tablet... I have the Asus Premium Cover, and the Poetic Slimline.

I'm really torn about the Premium Cover. On one hand, it feels pretty good in the hand, with materials that closely match the N7, and attachment points that ride the little ridge around the tablet so they aren't up next to the screen, which sounds small, but gives you the appearance of a lower profile case. Also, it's very thin.

However, it has no closure mechanism, and no smart cover functionality. I knew that going in, but still - seriously? How much would it have taken to add these two small things and make it the perfect cover? I suspect the smart cover function is left out because it gets too close to Apple's patent. The closure would have been nice, though. To be honest, I'm not sure the smart cover is even useful without the closure mechanism, since the cover can just swing open at will, waking the tablet up.

The Poetic Slimline is decent. It feels better than the one for the 2012 model, but still substantially cheaper feeling than the Asus cover. However, it's got smart cover functionality and a magnetic closure - both good things. It's thicker than the Asus as well, though not by much. I got the blue model which is quite nice and is a good departure from the bland black cases.

Not sure which one I'll stick with yet. They're both good cases, but I have a hard time recommending the Asus for three times the price unless you're willing to pay that premium for a little extra thinness and nicer materials.

Poetic slimline is in the mail...

Has anyone tried a Portenzo?

I almost ordered one but couldn't justify the almost $100 pricetag once you include the intellistand and shipping.

Incidentally, in case anyone is curious, my Nexus 7 inside the Asus Premium Case is ~12.5mm thick. The Poetic Slimline case makes it around ~14.8mm thick.

Sounds like not much, except you're talking about a 15% increase or so in thickness. It's also noticeably heavier, though I don't have a scale right here to measure it.

I got the MoKo Google New Nexus 7 FHD 2nd Gen Case - Genuine Leather Slim-Fit Multi-angle Stand Cover Case BLACK (With Smart Cover Auto Wake / Sleep Feature) from Amazon.

Just sent it back today.

I dont like the quality of the stitches. Loops like someone made it at home. I also dont like that in order to use it on its standing position, you need to pop it out of the corners, which is annoying.

Now back to looking for another case. I may try the nexus one. Anyone tried a hard shell case? I was thinking about doing a hardcase and putting a Imoshi screen protector. Any thoughts?

Thanks

By the way, I love the tab...Havent used my IPAD 4 since I got this bad boy....

I decided to stick with the Poetic case since it's still pretty slim, has magnetic closure and smart cover functionality, and is 1/3 the price.

^ You could give the Poetic case a try, you don't have to pop the corners out to use the stand function. Frankly, I don't see much point in a hard case that doesn't have a cover for the screen. The back is the least likely part to get damaged.

Amazon.com : Poetic Slimline Case for Google Nexus 7 2nd Gen 2013 Android Tablet Black (With Auto Wake / Sleep Function) (3 Year Manufacturer Warranty From Poetic) : Computers & Accessories

I got the blue version, which is a couple bucks more but it's a nice change from the standard, everything-must-be-black.

The Asus Premium Cover does feel a little higher quality, but you sure do pay a bunch more for that feeling, and trade off some functionality too.

If you see above, I decided to stick with the Poetic.

I actually liked the Asus case a great deal - the quality of it is pretty high, and the tactile feel matches the Nexus 7 very well. But for 1/3 the price, and having a magnetic closure, and smart wake functionality, the Poetic is what I settled on.

If it bothered me much, I would have kept the Asus case. I am not at all above spending the $40 for a case that I'm happy with vs. $15 for one that I'm unhappy with. Really, the finances were icing on the cake - I like the extra functionality of the Poetic, I like the color, and since it was also cheaper it just pushed me over the edge.

Both cases are excellent. One offers a superior tactile experience. One offers a superior functional experience. Neither significantly compromise in any way. Pick your poison.

I got the "MoKo Google New Nexus 7 FHD 2nd Gen Case - Ultra Slim Lightweight Smart-shell Stand Case for Google Nexus 2" off of Amazon. Nothing fancy, but it works well, and is very slim. I was going to get the Poetic case, but it did not have free shipping with Amazon Prime, so I got the MoKo.

I got the http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00E4OKXDC/ref=oh_details_o01_s01_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 zebra color and I love it. My Kindle Fire HD had a black cover and I always lost it in low lit rooms. I wanted the bright green of this Moko case but it was out of stock. I use the crap out of the stand and strap. It fits the Nexus perfectly and doesn't add much weight.

Any have suggestions on a good smart case that rotates? I have one I use on my current Nexus.

Also any thoughts on screen protectors

Just ordered my N7 LTE Monday. Hopefully will arrive in the next few days. I browsed a bunch of cases and the wake/sleep feature is a must have in my opinion. I have the gen 1 N7 and the Speck FitFolio case and love it. I would buy another one for the N7 LTE if they made it, but they don't. I looked at a bunch of cases but couldn't really decide so I ordered 3....

I ordered the:

rooCASE Origami Slimshell folio case
MoKo Ultra Slim lightweight folio
and the
Poetic Slimline

Got all 3 shipped to my door for less than the Asus case that lacks the wake/sleep feature. Not sure which I'll wind up sticking with, but at about $10 each I just decided what the hell. I'll let you guys know what I think when I get the new N7 and cases.

jhautz said:

Just ordered my N7 LTE Monday. Hopefully will arrive in the next few days. I browsed a bunch of cases and the wake/sleep feature is a must have in my opinion. I have the gen 1 N7 and the Speck FitFolio case and love it. I would buy another one for the N7 LTE if they made it, but they don't. I looked at a bunch of cases but couldn't really decide so I ordered 3....

I ordered the:

rooCASE Origami Slimshell folio case
MoKo Ultra Slim lightweight folio
and the
Poetic Slimline

Got all 3 shipped to my door for less than the Asus case that lacks the wake/sleep feature. Not sure which I'll wind up sticking with, but at about $10 each I just decided what the hell. I'll let you guys know what I think when I get the new N7 and cases.

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I have both of these:
rooCASE Origami Slimshell folio case
MoKo Ultra Slim lightweight folio

rooCase:
Good:

1. Feels nice/soft
2. Thin

Bad:

1. The magnets will sometimes make the tablet go to sleep when trying to prop it up in landscape mode
2. The magnets don't really secure the flap very strongly (not as strong as the Moko anyway)

Moko:
Good:

1. Doesn't accidentally put the tablet to sleep like the rooCase
2. It's a bit firmer than the rooCase
3. The magnets secure the cover more strongly than the rooCase

Bad:

1. Needed to be broken in a little at first but really, this isn't that big of a deal
2. No portrait standing option

Note: I saw that some people were concerned about the metal tab possibly scratching the N7...well I looked really closely and can tell you it's not going to hit it. You'd have to see it in person to understand.


EDIT: After trying out the rooCase I've decided to stop using it. I like the ability to view in portrait but setting the N7 to sleep randomly is just too annoying.
The placement/strengths of the magnets needs to be revisited for that case.

Just had the Devicewear Ridge since last Friday and absolutely love it. The quality and features are exactly what I wanted for the N7 2013.

The reviews are mostly for the iPads but they are just spot on for the Nexus tablet.

Amazon.com: Devicewear Ridge Folio Case for Google Nexus 7 Version 2 (RDG-2GN7-BLK): Electronics

I saw a video review for the Devicewear Ridge for an iPad Mini a few months back when I was thinking of buying that tablet. But late summer came and Google brought out their second iteration and knew I was sold on the N7. Purchased the LTE Version and checked out Amazon.com to see if Devicewear made a model for the Google tablet and to my delight they did!

Ordered it since it was on sale and in less than a week it arrived through normal U.S. Mail.

My impressions: fine, pseudo-leather like material and quality craftsmanship. It is made overseas but it doesn't feel cheap like the ones you find in Target or Walmart. No flimsy, thin cover or any mis-fitting at all. This will secure the N7 very well and I love that it just holds the tablet on the edges instead of covering the front of the device like most cover/cases do. I like my tablet to be nothing but its gorgeous screen in my way when I view it.

The various positions are perfect and the strap that keeps the case closed is simple and effective. The cover does have the sleep/awake function but I've noticed that it doesn't always turn on the tablet. (I looked into this and it's not the fault of Devicewear but a software issue instead)

Ports and buttons are just aligned right where they should be and the black version that I bought matches the color of the sides and looks like it's actually part of the hardware, nice! The back is a tough poly-plastic and will protect the edges and is a perfect fit.

On a final note, I just want to say that the feeling of holding the case with the N7 is of premium quality that the only way to describe it is like a "Moleskine" notebook. It doesn't add much bulk and it's still very light that I can still hold it in one hand for hours of reading.

I definitely am very impressed with this case and will buy more products from Devicewear in future. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Poetic makes a great case very similar to Otterbox, two piece construction, hard inner case, silicon outter, integrated screen protection (supposedly protects against water), and built in stands. A little pricey at $29, but Otterbox charges double that. It's called the Poetic Revolution

Poetic Revolution Case for Google Nexus 7 FHD 2nd Generation!

I really like it. Had my Nexus 7 2012 housed in an Otterbox, but this case feels just as good and just as safe for half the price.

justanotherguy said:

How long do you figure before the big boys come out with a hard shell case......?
Seidio active case comes to mind

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Good question. I have one on my 2012 N7 and really like it. I signed up for email notification on the 2013 version when it comes available - nothing from them yet.

Dave

Groundpounder, I agree; I received my Moko Slim Lightweight Smart-shell Stand from AMZN yesterday--and I don't like it for a few reasons:

1. whichever way I try to fold and crease the folds, the case doesn't hold the the tablet in either of the two horizontal positions; the folded sections just slip out of the grooves.
2. the case is made from a slippery plastic, so the device can easily slip out of my (large) hand and end up on the floor.

But then, I did not expect too much for $9.99... ;-) I'll be looking for something better, made from TCP and perhaps with an integrated handle.

UPDATE: Just got a Moko "Carbon Fiber" case from AMZN; a bit thicker, but for $16.99, it's perfect in both form and function. However, it's not a carbon fiber composite case as the product entry on AMZN would suggest, only an embossed 2:1 cross-weave pattern in some soft polyurethane ;-)

More significantly to some, the case is not designed to hold the tablet in a vertical position, only in two horizontal settings.

Got my N7 and DeviceWear Ridge today. I am VERY pleased with the Ridge and would highly recommend it.

What do you guys think about this case:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00D9VAAG6/ref=aw_ls__2?colid=1TZ4B0OKDAH7&coliid=I1XNGIIAYJVMQS&vs=1


My previous case made light scratches on the screen and i am looking for another one. Please let me know what you think of it.

Why do you believe, and what proof do you have, that it's the case that made scratches on the hardened glass--did it have any steel or carbide parts touching the screen ;-)? Otherwise, I do not see any plastic or fabric capable of scratching the Nx 7 glass, no way.

I tried the Poetic case, but it started delaminating after being in the heat of the car for an afternoon. (I live in Texas, so you know what that means.) Anyway, I then ordered the case from Fintie. It is great. It is a little thicker, but it has a nice texture, good slip-in case and magnetic closure. I prefer it to any of the others I've seen and/or tried. I got it through Amazon. You may want to take a look at it too.

TonyG said:

Why do you believe, and proof do you have, that it's the case that made scratches on the hardened glass--did it have any steel or carbide parts touching the screen ;-)? Otherwise, I do not see any plastic or fabric capable of scratching the Nx 7 glass, no way.

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I had the n7 for 3 weeks without a case and thoroughly scanned the screen every week and noticed nothing. A week after i got the case, i noticed small scratches on the right side of the screen.

jamb046 said:

I tried the Poetic case, but it started delaminating after being in the heat of the car for an afternoon. (I live in Texas, so you know what that means.) Anyway, I then ordered the case from Fintie. It is great. It is a little thicker, but it has a nice texture, good slip-in case and magnetic closure. I prefer it to any of the others I've seen and/or tried. I got it through Amazon. You may want to take a look at it too.

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Thanks for the reply. Do you know of any cases (sleeves) that the tablet can just slide in and out? I dont want it to be attached to the tablet, if you know what i mean...