Google has never been great at getting accessories for Nexus devices to Australia, their usual turn around varies from between a couple of months and never. It’s been a particular bug bear of ours for about as long as they’ve been selling Nexus devices in Australia. It’s not changed this time around with no sign of the Nexus 9 Keyboard Folio cover which has gone up for pre-order on Google Play in the US, nor any sign of a date when we can order the Nexus 9 Magic Cover which has appeared on Google Play in Australia. But if you’re willing to order from the US, there’s two accessories you can order right now.
Amazon has begun taking orders for both the Nexus 9 Keyboard Folio cover, as well as the Magic Cover giving you a way to ensure you’ll have a cover very close to the time you’ll be receiving your tablet in 2-3 weeks. Both the Keyboard Folio and the Magic Cover are listed as ‘Temporarily Out Of Stock’ with no time-frame for when stock is expected, although it should hopefully change status around the time the Tablet and the covers are shipping from Google Play.
The Keyboard Folio appears to only be available in Black, offering a smartcover which powers the tablet on/off as you open and close the flap, as well as that lovely mechanical keyboard. The cover also offers a tri-fold option to prop the tablet up at various heights to make typing easier. The cover has a built-in Lithium-Ion battery, charged by microUSB port that offers up to 5 months of battery life. Amazon is asking US$129.99 (Around AU$148) for the Keyboard Folio cover in black + Shipping.
The HTC Nexus 9 Magic Cover is also available, but as well as the three colours we’ve seen on the Google Play Store – Black, Lime Stone and Mint Indigo – we also get our first glimpse of the Coral Amethyst option which is named but not listed. The cover offers an origami style smart cover flap which will protect your screen and allow you to prop your tablet up at a variety of angles. Amazon are offering the HTC Nexus 9 Magic Cover for US$39.99 (Around AU$45.50) + Shipping.
There’s three shipping options which Amazon offers when shipping to Australia, with scaleable pricing dependent on exactly how fast you want to receive your item. It’s the same shipping fees for either item :
- AmazonGlobal Standard Shipping (averages 9-12 days) – $7.98
- AmazonGlobal Expedited Shipping (averages 7-11 business days) – $10.98
- AmazonGlobal Priority Shipping (averages 2-5 days) – $35.98
If you want to purchase a cover for your Nexus 9 from the US, you can jump over to Amazon to grab the Keyboard Folio Case, or the Magic Cover to place a pre-order, but be warned there’s no guaranteeing exactly how long it will take for the stock to come in.
