Nexus 7 (2013) official flip case review

Affordable as it may be, the new Nexus 7 is still a valuable and sensitive piece of gear that you’ll want to protect with a good case. There are many models out there, for all tastes and all budgets, but today we’ll have a look at the official, Google-designed flip case for the Nexus 7.

Available in the Play Store for $49, the Nexus 7 (2013) Case (creative naming there, Google) features a microsuede cover and built-in stand. It’s designed by Google to mold perfectly to your Nexus, but nevertheless, fifty bucks is pretty expensive, so is it worth it? We check it out.

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First off, know that there are four color options available: White/Red, Gray/Blue, Gray/Red, and Black. There’s no material difference between them – they are all made of a fabric that feels a bit like denim on the outside, while the interior parts that actually come in contact with the tablet are made of microsuede, a nice rubbery material that feels like leather to the touch. The part of the case that latches on the Nexus is made of solid plastic.

The choice of materials and the construction give this official case a nice premium finish that feels Googley at the same time. The stitching around the cover is a nice touch, and, to remind you that you’re using a Google-designed product, there’s a little flag in the company’s colors, as well as an embossed logo.

The case and its cover add quite a bit of thickness to the tablet, but really, the benefits of having the case outweigh that small inconvenience.

The Nexus 7 2013 official case from Google fits very well on the device, which is important for a case of this type. In fact, the fitting is so precise, that you’ll need to work a little to insert and remove the tablet, which is reassuring for those prone to accidents.

The plastic enclosure fits snuggly around the tablet, but it features all the necessary cutouts, so you’ll still get to enjoy all the functions of the tablet.

Besides the basic protection function, which the case does admirably, you can also use it as a stand, even if there’re only two positions you can put the tablet in. That’s possible thanks to the crease in the cover and the small fabric flap that acts as a stopper. The two positions you can use the stand in should be enough for most use cases, though the one where the tablet is tilted at about 80 degrees isn’t very stable.

This is clearly a well-designed, well-built case for your Nexus 7, with a little touch of Google inside. As a general-purpose soft case for your tablet, it does its job well and looks great in the process.

However, there are a few shortcomings that limit its appeal. The biggest is probably the lack of magnets inside the cover, which means the tablet won’t turn its screen on and off when you close and open the cover. That’s more of a nuisance than a dealbreaker, but it’s still a nuisance, especially if you are used with the functionality from other cases.

Another issue is the fact that you can’t fasten the cover so it doesn’t open accidentally. Other cases have magnets, clasps, or other ways of securing the cover, but Google omitted to equip its official case with something similar. That may be a problem if you drop the device, as the cover might come open and expose the fragile screen.

Another small qualm we have with the Nexus 7 (2013) official case is that it’s not very flexible as a stand. The two available positions should better be enough for you.

At $50, Google’s Nexus 7 flip case is quite expensive, especially since there are many cheaper competitors on the market, and some of them offer more functionality. Nevertheless, this is a very nice case that should be perfectly adequate for most users.

Buy this case at Amazon