The folio market is one that is brimming full of so many options these days, and it seems everyone and their dog has made a folio case for at least one device. Furthermore, most of these folios are very similar design, though they typically vary in the way that they fold into their respective viewing positions. This is an area that I think has a lot to be desired as many cases really struggle to hold tilted viewing positions and fewer still are able to do this effectively in both landscape and portrait positions. Which brings us the Dual-View Folio, a case from device protection specialist roocase (who ironically is not an Australian company). Today, we’ll be taking a look at a Dual-View Folio specifically for the Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 7.0, but note that roocase also makes this particular Dual View Folio for these other cases too:
- ASUS MeMOPad HD 7
- Google Nexus 7 FHD (2013)
- Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 8.0
The Dual-View Folio (DVF) is a relatively simple affair; right out of the box, you’ll just the folio itself, no bells and whistles. What you do get a PU leather (or bicast leather) case which is able to hold one tablet inside as well as the accompanying stylus; more on that later. The case itself looks to be quite well made and comes in a host of groovy colours including black, pink, navy, red and the purple which we have here.
Roocase has opted for a slightly unorthodox method for securing your tablet inside the folio, using a simple velcro to hold your Tab 3 in the case and relying on the leather frame around it to hold the tablet from moving. For the most part it’s very effective, but I would say that the process of putting the velcro in behind the tablet to secure it is a bit fiddly. I found the leather strips holding the tablet in place to be a little flimsy, and while they do the job, they look like they might be slightly weak. Assuming that they hold, the DVF is actually a relatively protective case with ample spaces on all sides to avoid the tablet itself making contact with hard surfaces.
Once inside the case, it provides ample gaps and areas for you to access all the buttons and slots that you require from your tablet. Probably one of the neat things with using this leather enclosure rather than a plastic shell case to hold the tablet in place is that there can be so much space left open to manipulate the various buttons, which you can see in the gallery of images above.
And of course there’s also the stylus that we mentioned earlier; the stylus pictured above comes standard with each DVF and although you might not be able to see from this angle, also doubles as a pen, much like the moshi Stanza Duo we check out the other week (read the full review for the Stanza Duo here). Unlike the Stanza Duo, however, this stylus has a very simple pen and a very simple rubber capacitive tip. While it might not be made of the same premium materials, the included stylus in the DVF does the job. If I have one criticism of the stylus it is that the metal clip that holds it in the pen holder is a little too stiff which can make it a little fiddly to get back into the pen holder.
As for the inside of the folio case cover, you get two grooves for two different viewing angles when using the folio in stand mode, as well as two slots for what look like SD cards. When the case is closed, it is held closed by a magnet, but only on the top edge of the case; this makes the case cover a little looser than what you might be hoping for.
As the grooves suggest, the DVF is able to act as a stand as well with the grooves providing two viewing angles. The Tab 3.0 is a relatively light tablet so it didn’t appear to have too many issues staying in the grooves. The inside of the folio is made from a material that is almost like felt, which makes it quite good for stopping any sliding when in these viewing positions.
What is probably the best party trick of the DVF is the fact that the enclosure part of the folio which encases the tablet is actually only attached to the outside of the folio by velcro, as you can see in the photo above. What this means is that the tablet can be rotated to be used in portrait mode for viewing purposes, or if the front cover of the case is annoying you, you can just handle just the tablet without removing it from the enclosure. This makes for a much more versatile case as you can use just the bits that you need when you need it.
Rating: 4/5
The roocase Dual-View Folio is a prime example of what a folio case should be: multifunctional. The Dual-View Folio would perform admirably in the home or office setting with its set of features. What the folio gains in functionality though, I feel it loses in polish; parts of the case aren’t that well designed and the stylus isn’t the best either. That said, for a MSRP of $29.98, there are plenty of worse cases around and none that offer the kind of versatility that the Dual-View Folio offers.
What makes that even sweeter is that Amazon is currently having a sale on the Dual-View Folio, reducing the price to just $19.95. If you’re in the market to get a case for your Galaxy Tab 3 7.0, or any other device that roocase makes a case for, you can’t go wrong with a Dual-View Folio; Amazon links can be found below.
If you want to find out more about the Dual-View Folio, you can visit its product page here, or if you want to take a look at some of roocase’s other products, you can visit their website here.
