It seems as though I’ve been trying out various M-Edge tablet and smartphone accessories for years now. In fact, it’s been five years. And I still have most of those accessories, a testament to good design and quality construction. This time M-Edge sent a trio of new universal tablet cases: The Sneak, Folio Plus Pro Keyboard, and Stealth Power.
Sneak
Sneak is a lightweight portfolio style cover with a bright, microfiber leather exterior. It’s available to fit most 7-inch, 8-inch, and 10-inch tablets. Four silicone loops secure the tablet, a magnetic enclosure keeps the whole thing safely closed for drop and scratch protection, and a “GripTrack” strip on the inside cover means a large range of secure positions when used as a stand.
Device-specific features (like Apple’s auto sleep/wake) aren’t supported, but there is easy access to all ports.
The cover color is one of the main reasons to consider the Sneak over other alternatives. If you need basic protection and stand functionality, there aren’t many options that offer the same bright and sporty color combos.
The 10-inch version is priced at $49.99 (although Amazon has them for 10 bucks less).
Folio Plus Pro Keyboard
So far as I’m concerned, this is one of the real bargains in the M-Edge lineup. The case itself is a pebbled microfiber material, in black. It uses the same silicon loops as the Sneak to mount the device and expands into a landscape stand.
Included is a Bluetooth 3.0 wireless keyboard. It’s not full-sized (obviously), but the keys are large enough to hit with accuracy and they actual have some action to them. As a result, typing using it is quite a pleasant experience. The keyboard attaches to the bottom of the case with magnets, or you can pick it up and use it anywhere within wireless range. After use, you slide it back in the case with your tablet and a fabric elastic keeps the works enclosed. The built-in rechargeable battery easily went two months of occasional use. A USB cable is included for recharging.
There are keyboard cases that offer a more authentic laptop-like experience or keyboards with OS-specific commands, but at $49.99 (for the 10-inch version) the M-Edge Folio Plus Pro Keyboard is a bargain.
Stealth Power
Finally, one of the more interesting products the company has introduced, the Stealth Power case.
This combines an M-Edge black microfiber folio case and a 4000 mAh rechargeable battery with USB out and LED indicator lights. It’s not as elegant a solution as physically docking with the tablet–when recharging you end up with a USB cable connecting the stand to your tablet–but going this route eliminates compatibility issues (iPad owners take note you’ll need a USB to Lightning cable as only USB to microUSB is supplied) and lets you recharge a smartphone just as easily.
In my experience, the battery was just enough to recharge an iPad Mini 2 from near zero to about 50 percent. The numbers add up, given that the iPad has a 6471 mAh battery. That recharge took just over three hours and you can use the tablet while it’s recharging.
I think “stealth” might be downplaying the battery a bit, at least on the 7-8 inch version I tried out where the battery pack was almost identical in size to my iPhone. It’s integrated into the case, but that is still a noticeable lump. However, if you need extra power on the go, having a battery incorporated into your tablet case does mean one less device to forget…
The model I tested retails for $89.99, but Amazon currently has it at $18.98, which is a steal.
While these were universal tablet cases–meaning they fit virtually any device within a designated size range (but not always perfectly)–M-Edge does offer some products made specifically for popular devices. Expect those to fit in a more tailored fashion.
It’s worth noting that if you shop directly from its website, M-Edge is offering a site-wide 30 percent off promotion until May 31, in celebration of Mother’s Day. So if you received a tablet, smartphone, or e-reader for Christmas and haven’t gotten around to protecting it yet, now’s a good time to have a look.
Disclosure: M-Edge provided cases for review purposes
