Google wants its Nexus 9 ($74.90 at Amazon) tablet to be a productivity monster, to compete with the Microsoft Surface Pro 3 ($274.00 at Amazon) and the iPad Air 2 ($445.00 at eBay) . In that case, a keyboard is absolutely necessary, so there's now an official Nexus 9 keyboard case from Google and HTC called the Keyboard Folio ($129). Unfortunately, it's more expensive than it should be, and it's not made particularly well, either.

The Nexus 9 Keyboard Folio is a slim, black faux-leather case that your Nexus 9 tablet magnetically snaps into. Open it up, and your tablet automatically wakes up. A folding panel lets you hold the tablet in portrait mode like a book, or slide the tablet down into a laptop-like form factor with two different screen angles. You can also fold part of the case down to reveal the tablet's camera. As it's a magnetic case, you need to make sure when you're opening it to grip your tablet by the slate itself, not by the case, which will peel away. I'd like to see an option to clip the folio more securely to the tablet.

Bluetooth keyboard makers take note: This is how you pair a keyboard. To set up the case, just tap the top of your Nexus 9 to the middle of the open case; it pairs automatically. I found the Bluetooth connection to be reliable in testing. The case has a tiny battery which Google says lasts up to five months on a single charge; it charges via micro USB.

The keyboard has five rows, including search, control, and emoji keys. The mechanical keys have really deep, excellent 1.4mm throw—no Chiclets here—but key labeling is a real weakness. On the unit I was sent, the key cap sticker edges were all visible, and the 2 and 3 stickers were a little discolored. There's no labeling for the supported key combinations, and there are many. For instance, to get to your home screen, you're supposed to press Search+Return, which isn't exactly intuitive.

There's also no trackpad. That means you'll be operating in a hybrid mode, poking at the touch screen pretty often. That's true with most iPad keyboards as well.

Just because of sheer size, the Nexus 9 keyboard doesn't compare with the Surface Pro's Type keyboard. The Surface Pro has a full-sized laptop keyboard with letter keys that are 11/16-inch wide, and this little guy's keys are 9/16-inch. You can't make a full-size keyboard match up with a 9-inch tablet, though.

The Nexus 9 keyboard isn't bad. In a world of mushy chiclet Bluetooth keyboards, its full-travel keys make it easy to write longer pieces, such as this review. But it's $130, when third-party keyboard cases from lesser names like Moko and Ivso cost around $30-40, and even the luxurious Logitech K480 mobile keyboard ($35.12 at Amazon) (which isn't a case, admittedly) costs just $50. That's a huge price premium. The mechanical, deep-throw keys, slim form factor, and long battery life mean this keyboard is superior to those in every way. But this folio doesn't deliver quite the luxury workmanship I'm expecting from a case that costs north of $100.

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• Amazon is Having a One-Day Sale on Acer Laptops, Desktops, More
• Snag Apple's Wireless Magic Keyboard for Less Than $70