I just got in the 'defective' unit which I'd been proactively warned by Poetic was sent before they could stop it in anticipation of sending a replacement, the defect purported to be an issue with the smart cover's magnet turning off the screen when folded back. Poetic has indicated a replacement will be sent shortly (at no charge) with the defective issue resolved, so it's possible that some of the measurements and observations may not apply fully to the final unit.
For comparison, by my measurements:
Nexus 7, naked:
7 12/16" x 4 11/16" x 7/16"
Nexus 7 in Poetic SlimLine case:
7 15/16" x 4 15/16" x 10/16"
The case adds 3 3/4 oz. to the weight of the device.
So the case adds a maximum of 1/4" to each dimension; This is about as compact as you can get while offering a reasonable degree of full body and screen protection.
One thing that I'd been uncertain of was whether there was any mechanism to hold the flap against the body, and there is, magnetically.
While I had been concerned about stability as a stand, those concerns are completely allayed. In landscape mode it is surprisingly solid (on a flat, level, non-moving surface). I also found that by folding the flap back but not creating the 'triangle,' a fairly stable lesser angle can be achieved making for easy typing.
In terms of quality of the case construction: It fits the Nexus very well, with cutouts lined up perfectly. The tablet snaps in very easily, but proved quite difficult to remove without placing some degree of stress on the tablet. If you expect to be taking the tablet out in and out of the case on a very regular basis, this might be cause for some concern; if not, nothing to worry about.
It's worth noting I did find one physical manufacturing flaw in my case: there is a very small separation in the plastic in one corner of the 'lid' of the case, which I would be concerned about growing over time if this case weren't already proactively scheduled for replacement. Hopefully this was just bad luck on my part, and not the sort of thing that will be commonly found on the final production cases. I've tried to capture this in the attached image; my apologies for the quality, as I only have my cellphone available as a camera. I have not bothered to take other pictures as ones in the above post cover it pretty well - it looks as advertised
In short...
Things I like:
- Ultra compact case with body and screen protection while adding no more than 1/4" to any dimension
- Perfectly fitted (body and cutouts) for N7
- Proactive customer service
- Very stable stand for movie watching
- Smart lid works fine (I haven't been able to replicate the defect they said this initially shipped case would suffer) and stays securely closed
Things I don't like:
- Feels like undue stress must be applied to tablet to remove it from case
- perfectly fitted (body and cutouts) for N7
- Cover flap cannot be folded back fully flush behind the unit, makes it awkward to hold in hand
- Cosmetic flaw in my sample (separated corner, pic attached)
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