OK, maybe the "Official premium cover" for the new Nexus 7 (and it's premium price tag) isn't your cup of tea. But you still need something to keep things clean and scratch-free while dragging it around in your bag or bug purse. And that something needs to be well built, look good, and from a name you know.
That's where the Poetic Slimline case comes in. It will protect your Nexus 7 well, has that look and feel you want without the big price that ASUS has listed for the more official accessory. And Poetic is a name plenty of us know.
Hit the break and see if the budget-friendly model will suit your needs.
(Note: This accessory is for the newer, 2013 Nexus 7 — not the older, 2012 Nexus 7.)
Folio cases are a simple concept. You have a thin plastic shell that connects to the back of your tablet, and a tri-fold cover that goes over the glass. The Poetic Slimline uses a semi-rigid plastic for the shell — it's hard, but it will flex a good bit before it breaks — with a textured coating that feels like the PU cover. I opted for the black this time, but it comes in eight colors — black, navy, baby blue, green, white, red, plum and pink — to suit just about anyone.
Overall, it adds very little thickness to the Nexus 7. With the case on and the cover closed, it's about the same thickness as the original Nexus 7 was without any case on it. You won't feel that it makes things too bulky.
The case grabs the sides of the tablet at the points where the two bevels meet. The top and the bottom (we're talking as if you were holding it in portrait here) edges don't come up over the outside to meet the glass, but the edge where the magnetic closure is does — so the closure magnets can catch, of course.
The way it fits along the edges of the tablet, it almost looks and feels like it's a replacement back for the device. There are no creaky spots where things don't grip tight enough, and overall everything looks like it belongs. We like it when things work as intended and don't look ugly as sin while doing it, and this case does just that.
The cover itself hinges over from the back, and because of the coating of the plastic shell it apperas as if everything is one piece. There are three panels to the folding cover, which means you can fold things to prop the tablet up two ways — one low for typing, one at a higher angle for viewing. Either way works well, and extra magnets embedded in the cover means it will hold its position. The case also has magnets in the right spot so that it works to turn the screen on and off as you open and close it — a must-have for any folio cover I'm buying.
When the cover is open, you can fold it back against the rear of the tablet or it lays flat nicely because of the generous cut-out for the rear edge,
Speaking of cutouts, you've also got all the proper ones for buttons for the speakers, as well as the microphone and camera.
The bottom line
The Poetic Slimline may not have "official" branding, but if I were looking for a good folio case that also turns my screen on and off as a good folio case should, I would be happy with this one.
It fits well, looks good and protects your expensive tablet while you go through life. And it does it all without breaking the bank at $9.95 (as of this writing). Grab one for your Nexus 7 (2013) at Amazon.
