One of the things about buying an Android tablet is that there are fewer choices when it comes to cases.
That has changed a little in the past six months with the arrival of the Google Nexus 7, which has proven very popular, and the Nexus 10 that is being sold in the United States, but it’s still not that easy looking for one in Singapore stores.
Earlier this week, a couple of cases I ordered from Amazon finally came for my wife’s Nexus 7 and my own Nexus 10. They are branded Poetic and sold by Exact-Deal on Amazon. And they turned out pretty nice.
First, don’t ask me why the Nexus 7 case is in lavender. My wife chose the colour, I just paid for it!
The fit, however, was top-notch and this Slimline Portfolio case snapped in place without much trouble. It also has several magnets at the edge of the case to “wake up” or “put to sleep” the tablet’s screen when you flip the cover. Yes, it’s like Apple’s Smart Cover.
The cut-outs for the connectors are all well-made and I like the sturdy finish of the plastic backing. The cover itself though is made of faux leather, which I’m not crazy about. It looks just about alright.
The Poetic case also comes with the now-common foldable design, so you can prop up the tablet for viewing movies, for example. Most importantly, it doesn’t add much weight or bulk to the device.
It’s a nice upgrade over the standard rubber case from Asus. That one doesn’t have a smart cover feature and also doesn’t prop up the tablet.
The only thing about the Poetic case is its price – US$19.95 (S$26.40) is pretty hefty, considering there are some options in Singapore forums going for about S$15.
Interestingly, the Nexus 10 cover from the same Poetic folks is going more cheaply, at US$16.95. The larger cover for the 10-inch tablet is similar in the materials used and the way it works.
I’d say the fit is very good here, because I had been using a previous Samsung original case made for the Galaxy Tab 2 10.1, which was slightly smaller and didn’t fit as well.
I now miss the suede-like interior and the textured cover on the more expensive Galaxy Tab 2 cover, but this one from Poetic is made for the Nexus 10 and fits perfectly.
The Nexus 10 has some rather difficult-to-grip rounded corners but so far, I can say the Poetic case does well keeping it snugly in place.
Like the Nexus 7 case, the Nexus 10 option also comes with a smart cover and is foldable to let you prop up the tablet. That feature has been one of the most useful for me, when I hang out at cafes typing away on e-mails with my Bluetooth keyboard.
The good news is that this case doesn’t add much bulk to the device as well. I’m really not into heavy leather cases or those with swivel features that add heft to the slim gadget.
All in, the Poetic cases are not too bad, except that I wished the interior had been a little nicer than the current plain grey cardboard-like material. Maybe when Samsung finally makes a good Nexus 10 case, I’d change my case again.
Hi, can you get one of these cases in challenger?
Hi Keith, I’m not sure. I think there are some Nexus 7 cases in Singapore, thanks to it being sold here, but Nexus 10 ones are harder to find locally because the tablet is not officially sold here yet.
Yes nexus 10 difficult to get at Singapore. Every place and shop I’m asking all dont have the case 🙁
Any idea for me to get nexus 10 case please share thx…
I’m scared to purchase thing from online 🙁 for me difficult to trust online seller.
Yes, it’s true, it’s very hard to find a case here, even when the unit is officially shipping here in Singapore now with Samsung. In the end, I shipped from the US (Amazon). Can’t say this case I’m using now is luxurious, but it works as advertised and fits snugly.
I read that users have difficulty accessing the volume and power buttons on the poetic case. Do you have that issue?
Hi Gordee, yes, good point. The Nexus 7 one is not so bad, but the buttons on the Nexus 10 are a little hard to reach because the portion is part of a recessed segment on the case. Thanks for pointing that out. -Alfred.