Review: Unifi leather case for Samsung Galaxy Tab
When RealNetworks previewed Unifi, its new cloud-based personal media service, at CES 2011, I would never have guessed that I'd go home with a Unifi-branded leather case for my Samsung Galaxy Tab. It's the only piece of swag, acquired from Digital Experience, that I'm keeping for myself (I'm giving the rest of it away) because it's one of the best cases for the Tab that I've ever seen or used.
It's a slim book-style easel case made of good quality leather that fits the Tab nicely. The exterior is made of coarse grain black leather, while the inside is lined with relatively smooth tan leather. Completely unseen magnets inside the top and bottom outer corners of the screen border keep the case securely closed, and of course all of the ports, slots, and buttons are fully accessible while the Tab is encased.
The case is probably sold under a different brand (anyone seen it before?), but mine bears an understated Unifi logo on the front. I didn't know what Unifi was at Digital Experience, so I thought it was a legitimate case manufacturer.
When the case is open, the Tab slips into its pocket from the center. A large leather flap wraps around the device to keep it in place.
The case doesn't offer too much protection against drops, as much of the Tab is left exposed, but I think it looks incredibly elegant and stylish. I love that it's so slim and that it lays flat, as a lot of easel and folio cases add a fair amount of bulk and can make the device look unnecessarily thick.
The front cover flips backward and folds at its predetermined crease to slip into the leather slot on the back so that it can be used as a stand. It also positions the device at a better angle for typing in landscape mode when placed on a flat surface.
I can't find any glaring flaws with this case, especially since it was free, but I guess if I had to change a few things I'd get rid of the Unifi logo and add some interior pockets for ID/credit cards and microSD cards. Other than those incredibly minor complaints, I think this case is damn near perfect for my Galaxy Tab. It sure beats the horrible TPU case I was using that made the buttons almost impossible to press!
