I have been using the N7 2103 since it came out several months ago. First thing I did was order cases. I got the Moko Fit case and a Poetic Graphgrip. I like both those cases very much for their designs with my different uses. And just recently I got a BobjGear case.
The Moko Fit is good for taking the tablet outside and about with its magnetic wake/sleep and it also has great protection. Plus it looks nice and classy I think. I find the ability to use the landscape stand highly useful in many situations for hands free use. If I had to use just one type case it would be this one for sure...it is slightly stronger/beefier than my old Bluerex version on my old N7 2012. But the only thing I find with the Bluerex version better is that the first point of the vertical stand slot holds the tablet more vertical than the Moko and others with this design. The first slot in the Moko is father away from the back hinge point and thus holds the tablet at a greater angle which at times I wish it to be more vertical. I like the way this stand is more solid than the slimline type ones, with those it seems the tablet is not very stable when in full upright mode. And I also do not like the plastic back shell the tablet has to snap into. I would rather have the faux leather and padded material type the other cases use like the SlimFit types.
The Poetic Graphgrip is nice because it has a softer feel with better grip than the naked N7 backside, with not much added bulk in the hand. It is nice and slim and fits the tablet well without the inner face edges flexing away from the screen area when you hold it like many bumper style rubber cases do on different devices. If your looking for a minimal sized wrap style case and do not like the stiffer TPU types...(which I do not at all), this case is a good buy for sure especially at the low price it is.
BOBJ GEAR case .....been testing it out for a few days now. There are several reasons I have always wanted to get this case... and now glad I got one. The main reasons for getting this case are:
1. The large bulging edge area to help hold during game play helping to not make so many mis-touches. It also helps strain holding the tablet by allowing a looser and more comfortable grip. Obviously the cost of this is the added weight with the size and silicone type used. The case is nice and soft grip wise and I find this good for setting the tablet down and having a very low slip factor and various surfaces.
2. The speaker and mic channels! This is the only cause besides I think one of those wooden book type cases that has this feature for speaker and mic channels facing the front of the tablet. (personally i think those other cases are ugly, over priced, and would not be comfortable holding on too). Because I use GrooveIP and a few other video/voice apps....having the mic facing me when talking helps in a few ways with the BobjGear design. It cuts out some of the background interference but also I see a better performance when using the speak to type functions with the stock keyboard app. I seem to get better recognition of my spoken words and have to correct much less.
The speaker channels help quite a lot to make for much better listening. Though some times when using the Graphgrip case setting face up...the reflection of the speakers bouncing off your hands works good enough when holding the tablet in landscape mode. But now when I set the tablet down and listen to music or such.....I dont have to turn up the speakers as much. There is only one small thing I would like to see them do with one of the speaker channels on the BobjGear case though. The one on the top/left side that is the long open slot tends to bend in because of such a large area unsupported when you hold it in landscape. If they would put a 1/4 inch bridge in the middle of it for extra support to keep that long open slot from folding in on itself closing off the channel exit somewhat, this would be a plus. Also it would feel much better and solid like the opposite side does when you rest your hand or thumb on it when holding in landscape.
3. Protection Also one thing I found is that when using the Graphgrip cause....I tended to be more gentle picking up and setting down the tablet. At times it was also harder to pick up the cause in certain instances. With the Bobj cause....it seems like it is so much easier or takes less effort to grip and pick up the case at odd angles.....like from my night stand when laying down. I also do not feel like I need to be careful when playing games from pinching/holding/tapping. The added bulk and soft edge bumper allows for gripping harder and you just don't feel like your going to abuse the screen or tablet. This seems like a good deal when playing games where you are constantly or aggressively gripping and tapping the screen while controlling game play like with racing games, shooters, or others where some might man-handling the tablet without realizing it. For me I just felt like I was abusing the screen when playing shooters and racing games, though now I don't really play many games besides a golf game and maybe some unhappy bird ones.
All the cutouts seem to be very well designed and placed well. The only thing I would worry about is using a right angle mini USB cord. The cut out is pretty deep as far as that goes for clearance with something like a right angle connector. You have to remember that this case/wrap is made from high grade soft silicone and is much heavier than other materials like the Graphgrip are made from. It is also much much thinker around the edge and may not fit some pouches/sleeves because of this. I am looking for a simple neoprene sleeve that will accept this Bobj one. The outside measurements with the Bobj case while on the N7 are.......8 5/16 (212mm) long, hair under 5 (126mm) wide, and 7/8 (23mm) thick. I held off ordering a few cheap neoprene sleeves because most do not seem long enough. I found a couple that would fit good...but they were way to expensive at $20+ or they had handles or straps. I would prefer just a simple sleeve/pouch that didn't have zippers or extra things on it.
After using this Bobj case for less than a week....I do not miss the auto wake function of a magnetic cover. I set my screen off to 2 mins anyway and do not mind tapping the power button to turn the screen back on. As far as feeling our touching the power and volume buttons....it is much more easy to blindly find each one in comparison to the Graphgrip case. The Graphgrip cause allowed for very slight touches to engage the power or volume rocker, but it was hard to find them when not looking at them. The Bobj cause has a huge recessed channel that allows for very easy feel of each button and is much quicker for me to use the buttons when not looking. So when I need to power the screen back on or adjust the volume....it takes little effort is much easier than without a case or with any other cause I have used.
I am very happy with the Bobj for these reasons.....though I always held off getting one because of the price. They only sell them via amazon and if you do not have prime shipping.....it is another $8 to ship most places in the US. So that would make it $30+. Luckily I had a friend with amazon prime and got free 2 day shipping so it was worth it to me. I never spent over $12 for any cause...and this one is worth the extra price I feel. I highly recommend the BobjGear case if the weight is not a problem, which I have not found in any situation yet that it is for me.
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