Having just dropped over $600 on a 32GB metallic grey Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 on launch day, I was hoping to pick up a case of some sort to keep it protected during rides in my backpack. Sadly, Best Buy did not have any accesoies in stock and told me to come back on Monday (today).
So, I ran out and picked up the $50 Belkin Slim Folio Stand (Belkin, Best Buy) in blue and I have been quite satisfied so far. For the price, the build quality feels very solid and the blue and grey color scheme goes great with the blue and black UI of Honeycomb.
The tablet itself is held in the case by a lip that you fold under the bottom and tuck back behind the device. Cutouts along the sides leave the speakers plenty of rooms while openings in the bottom and top leave space for the microphone (I think?), charging/data port, power and volume switches, and the headphone jack. The cameras on both the front and back are given enough space to take pictures without issue, which you can sometimes run into on cases of poor design and/or quality.
Attached to roughly the middle of the back is the flap, which does double duty as a cover when you aren't using the Galaxy Tab 10.1 and a stand that can be secured in multiple positions. An elastic band lets yous secure the flap across the face of the tablet when you aren't using it. Along one side towards the end there are small groves which catch the bottom of the case to allow customization of the angle the tablet is held at. So far, the stand feels surprisingly solid when used in this position, which surprised me.
The stand can also be used in a more upright "viewing" position as well as a gently-sloped typing angle. This is possible thanks to a small flap on the back of the case that you can slide the edge of the cover into. The only downside to this is that the tablet is essentially upside down when in the typing position which makes the power, volume, and headphone jack somewhat awkward to access. Luckily my headphone's plug has some bend to it so I was still able to use it without issue.
Overall I think the case is a great mix of typical Belkin quality, style, and function for a middle-of-the-road price of $50. There are cheaper cases and there are more expensive cases, but the Slim Folio Stand might offer the best combination of feature and price as a middle-of-the-road option.
9/10
So, I ran out and picked up the $50 Belkin Slim Folio Stand (Belkin, Best Buy) in blue and I have been quite satisfied so far. For the price, the build quality feels very solid and the blue and grey color scheme goes great with the blue and black UI of Honeycomb.
The tablet itself is held in the case by a lip that you fold under the bottom and tuck back behind the device. Cutouts along the sides leave the speakers plenty of rooms while openings in the bottom and top leave space for the microphone (I think?), charging/data port, power and volume switches, and the headphone jack. The cameras on both the front and back are given enough space to take pictures without issue, which you can sometimes run into on cases of poor design and/or quality.
Attached to roughly the middle of the back is the flap, which does double duty as a cover when you aren't using the Galaxy Tab 10.1 and a stand that can be secured in multiple positions. An elastic band lets yous secure the flap across the face of the tablet when you aren't using it. Along one side towards the end there are small groves which catch the bottom of the case to allow customization of the angle the tablet is held at. So far, the stand feels surprisingly solid when used in this position, which surprised me.
The stand can also be used in a more upright "viewing" position as well as a gently-sloped typing angle. This is possible thanks to a small flap on the back of the case that you can slide the edge of the cover into. The only downside to this is that the tablet is essentially upside down when in the typing position which makes the power, volume, and headphone jack somewhat awkward to access. Luckily my headphone's plug has some bend to it so I was still able to use it without issue.
Overall I think the case is a great mix of typical Belkin quality, style, and function for a middle-of-the-road price of $50. There are cheaper cases and there are more expensive cases, but the Slim Folio Stand might offer the best combination of feature and price as a middle-of-the-road option.
9/10