Today we have another Sony Xperia Tablet Z case review for you in the form of the Zenus Masstige Neo Classic Diary case. This is another premium case and follows our recent review of the Noreve case that we were fond of, but commanded a high price. This Zenus case has a classic look and comes in two colours Wine Red and Dark Grey, we are reviewing the latter.
GearZap is a specialist online retailer of laptop and tablet accessories and delivers products to selected countries worldwide. The Zenus Neo Classic Sony Xperia Tablet Z Case is available in both colours for £44.95 plus delivery. Click through to read our review.
The packaging for the Zenus case is not as aspirational as with the Noreve product we reviewed recently, it comes in a simple cardboard box. The front outlines some of the key attributes of the case including grip and durability, however no mention of its stand capability is a crime in our eyes especially as it’s one of its most defining features.
However we do get the stand functionality mentioned (in the last bullet point!) Another key point mentioned is that the case is open to all controls and ports.
Whilst the front of the packaging markets the case as a ‘Premium Leather Case’, it is only when you get to the back of the case that you realise it is synthetic rather than real leather.
This ‘Dark Grey’ Zenus case looks and feels lovely in the flesh. The synthetic leather is soft to the hand but with good grip too. It has a snap closure to ensure the case stays closed whilst travelling.
A metallic Zenus badge is included on the bottom right, which is a nice touch. The case also has a stitched effect which adds to its classy allure.
The back of the case has a single cut out, for the tablet’s camera.
The bottom has an embossed Zenus logo.
The non-magnetic snap closure is easy to open and feels quite secure when closed, it will not open by accident which gives peace of mind if the case is inside a bag.
The inside of the case consists of the shell on the right side where the tablet side and on the left you’ll see the stand and an elasticated grip to hold the tablet.
The inside of the case is padded with premium chamude. It is soft to the touch, so you won’t scuff the tablet removing it from the case.
On the left side of the case you will see a grip at the top along with the stand at the bottom. These two stands (one low, one high profile) tuck neatly inside when not being used.
The left side of the tablet is completely exposed, which means you have full access to the headphone port and volume rocker without being hindered. Also, the LED notification light is not obstructed like it was in the Noreve case.
However, like the Noreve case, the micro USB charging port can only be accessed when the case is open.
The top of the case has a cutout for the infra-red sensor, so you’ll have no problems controlling your AV equipment.
What was slightly disappointing was the camera cutout which wasn’t perfect as can be seen in the picture below. We thought it may have been down to the tablet inside the case, but despite our best efforts the tablet didn’t budge inside the case. Thankfully, it didn’t appear to have any detrimental effects on taking pictures from our testing.
The hand grip on the inside of the cover is elasticated and useful if you want to securely hold the tablet whilst reading/browsing.
The Zenus case comes with two stands, one large and one small. The large stand has what appears to be a ribbon attached to it to maximise how far it can stretch.
When in use, the tablet stand was secure. Even when prodded the stand stood firm and didn’t topple over like other cases we’ve used in the past.
The stand doesn’t need to be fully extended, but we found it was less stable if it wasn’t.
Using the stand provides a great platform when watching media.
The smaller stand sits inside the larger stand and works in the same way.
It provides a shallower viewing angle for those that prefer it.
You’ll notice that when looking at the stand on side profile that the top layer of the case doesn’t sit flat. This is down to the inclusion of the grip and stands on the inside cover.
Unlike the Noreve case, some of the edges are exposed which means if your tablet does suffer a fall they may get scratched. As you can see below, you can see the signature power button and volume rocker protruding the side of the case.
Wrap-up
Overall, we found few niggles with the Zenus Xperia Tablet Z case. Yes, the build quality isn’t on par with the Noreve case that we reviewed recently, but then again the Zenus case is over £20 cheaper. The Noreve case also offers better protection in our view, with most of the tablet’s edges covered.
However, where the Zenus case has the edge is its easy-to-use stand. The Noreve case requires the bottom of the tablet to be unclipped before it can be used in stand mode, which is cumbersome. The Zenus case requires no such effort so is useful if you don’t like messing around. Plus it comes with two sized stands, a hand grip and a secure snap closure that isn’t on the Noreve case. It also offers full access to the tablet’s ports and, unlike the Noreve case, doesn’t cover the LED notification light.
All in all, the Zenus Masstige Neo Classic diary case can be recommended. Whilst it is cheaper than the Noreve case, it’s still not a cheap case at around the £50 mark shipped. However, the premium is worth it considering all the functionality you get over similarly priced cases.
Comparison to Noreve Xperia Tablet Z case
We have included a few comparison pictures of the Zenus and Noreve Xperia Tablet Z cases side-by-side.
Thanks to Gearzap for sending us the Zenus Xperia Tablet Z case to review!
