One of the more interesting accessories for the new HTC Nexus 9 tablet is the Keyboard Folio. This is a case and keyboard combination that attaches to the tablet using magnets and of course provides us with the best typing experience possible: real keys! Google are marketing the Nexus 9 with a blend of productivity and media consumption; in other words, it’s a jack of all trades. You can write a novel on it or watch a movie, or perhaps both! In terms of hardware specification, the HTC Nexus 9 certainly has a lot of great things going for it. The 8.9-inch screen is set up as a 4:3 aspect ratio, which makes the device easier to handle for reading magazines and similar. Earlier Google tablets use a widescreen aspect ratio, which is great for watching films but can make handling the device in portrait mode a little untoward. The Nexus 9 is powered by a dual core 2.3 GHz Nvidia Tegra K1, the first 64-bit processor to appear in a Nexus device, so it has the power to handle anything we expect users to throw at it.
The Keyboard Folio is now available to pre-order from Amazon’s website at $129.99, just 99 cents more than the official price from the Google Play Store. It’s due to be released on the 3 November, in time for the new tablet to arrive. The case is battery powered with a claimed up to five month battery life and pairs with the tablet via Bluetooth. There’s a dual-angle stand included in the device, so you should be able to get to a comfortable position when using it. Nevertheless, it’s an expensive case and keyboard combination but it is also designed to work perfectly with the chassis design and of course it has those dedicated Android keys! If you don’t want to pay so much for a case or you don’t need the hardware keyboard, Amazon also have the Magic Cover available for pre-order, which is a more reasonable $39.99 (again, just under a dollar more expensive than the Google Play Store). This, too, should be out in time for the tablet and it’s available in four colors: black, coral amethyst, lime stone and mint indigo, which could be just the thing to both protect your HTC Nexus 9 and make it easy to find in your bag or hold-all.
What do you think of the official Google cases? Have you used official accessories with your devices in the past, or have you waited for new cases to be released?