We had a case for the first iPad. He is cool! On the iPad inside this case, you can easily type text or watch movies. Case worked very well. But we tried to make a beautiful design [for a tablet] and then we had to hide this design inside the case, right? In addition, now we have made the product thin and light, so it will be difficult to use it with some accessories. So we thought we could do something better for the iPad 2. Going back to the beginning, we wanted to design a case that would fit our product. And we succeeded, but this is no longer a cover. This is a cover that covers the glass. This is Smart Cover.
A lot of time has passed since March, and now we have the opportunity to evaluate the cover based on the results of six months of experience. We will finally unequivocally answer the question of whether one cover is enough for full protection.
How should Smart Cover be used without damaging iPad?
That's right: you need to put the iPad 2 with the Smart Cover on on the front side. Or, when you need a display, fully open the cover and place the iPad on it, already face up.
In landscape mode - a pleasure. Smart Cover folds in half and serves as a kind of “substrate” for fingers:
Portrait mode is worse. You either open the Smart Cover completely and hold it with both hands (the cover is not attached to the back of the tablet), or leave it folded in half:
Despite some clumsiness of the second option (as in the photo), it is perhaps the most preferable. The left hand gets tired, but only with time. Moreover, no one forbids holding the iPad with your right hand. Plus - the eye of the camera remains open.
Does the Smart Cover add any noticeable weight to the tablet?
Alas, he adds On the rare occasion when I shoot a cover, the iPad 2 is as light as a feather in comparison.
Are there signs of wear on the back of the iPad 2?
No, there are no traces. Here are photos of the tablet on which the Smart Cover was worn for six months:
Images are clickable
And not just worn, but used in different provisions. Including - in the standing:
Are there signs of wear on the Smart Cover itself?
Yes, noticeable
There are also scuffs on the second bracket, but no matter how hard I tried, I could not capture them
Does the skin wear off?
Rather, it gets dirty too easily. Dirt gets on the leather surface, which is not so easy to remove:
Does the inside of the microfiber Smart Cover wear out?
Hardly, but the dust also collects be healthy. The inner surface, by the way, can be cleaned with a clothes brush.
Does Smart Cover clean the iPad 2 display?
Yes, but not everywhere. In places of folds between the plates, stains from the fingers remain.
iPad 2 immediately after removing the Smart Cover
Have scratches appeared on the display in six months?
No, as you can see for yourself in the last photo:
Let's summarize. The Smart Cover is great protection for a second iPad if you get into the habit of laying your tablet face down. If not, please come up with additional protection for the rear panel. Alternatively, a carbon one from SGP is suitable.
Apple knows how to make not only unique gadgets, but also accessories for them. Remember the original iPad Case. It would seem that a simple cover, but added one bend, a small hook and here's a stand for you. At the same time, high-quality technological material was used, which is easy to wipe, and pleasant to the touch, and looks great. And Bumper for iPhone 4 - well, there is nothing simpler: a rubberized bezel. But after all, it was made perfectly and there were no analogues before it.
With the release of the iPad 2, Apple has outdone itself when it comes to accessories. iPad Smart Cover is something. Do not consider me too impressionable person or insane "applephile". You just need to take and touch this miracle, experience it, examine it from all sides and you will understand me. In the meantime, let me tell you about my impressions of this extraordinary accessory.
Apple has always been famous for high-quality and efficient device packaging, and the company has not departed from its canons in this case. The iPad Smart Cover is packaged in a hard case, not to be called otherwise, made of very high quality cardboard with cool printing. The top of the cover-plaid is covered with transparent plastic. The accessory is removed rather unusually: you need to remove the protective sticker from the back, which will make it possible to lift the plastic cover and get the Smart Cover.
I got my hands on a gray polyurethane model, the one that officially costs $39. The outer coating is very pleasant to the touch and resembles the original iPad Case - there is the same feeling of a rubberized Soft-touch surface.
The cover weighs a little, up to hundreds of grams - it does not increase the weight of the tablet especially much. The accessory evokes a feeling of a solid and reliable thing, as well as something very technological. This is probably due to the presence of aluminum in the construction and how the blanket is attached to the tablet, but more on that later. In the meantime, I want to tell you about the unusual effect of changing the shade of the accessory. This happens depending on the ambient light, its type (incandescent, bright sunlight, overcast day, etc.) and intensity. The cover can be light gray, almost white, it can become darker, the shade changes from pale beige to turquoise - very unusual. Another funny phenomenon can be observed when you stand next to a window in daylight and look at the Smart Cover from different angles or simply move it from side to side: the angle of incidence of light changes and it seems that the accessory becomes flat, then voluminous sections. All these experiments, of course, are childish, but many of us remain children at heart, otherwise life becomes gray and boring.
Now about the design. It is simple, reliable and ingenious. The whole magical effect of automatic alignment of the case on the tablet and its instant fastening is achieved thanks to a couple of dozen magnets in the accessory itself and in the tablet. There is also a freely rotating aluminum hinge and a pair of aluminum holders.
To secure the plaid case, it is enough to bring the aluminum hinge to the left side of the iPad 2 - click and you're done. It is also very easy to remove it by pulling one end to the side. At the same time, the cover is held securely and even holds the tablet on weight.
The inside of the Smart Cover is lined with microfiber, but it's not just a piece of fabric glued on. The cover is perceived as a single whole. There is no feeling that it is assembled from several layers. Microfiber perfectly cleans the display from dust and fingerprints, but only when a cloth is used. The Smart Cover can also create a similar effect if you swipe it hard on the screen, but usually it is rigidly fixed, so the screen does not clean much, but it protects well.
And the accessory is very thin, it practically does not increase the dimensions of the tablet!
But Smart Cover not only plays the role of a protective overlay on the screen. This is an extremely comfortable stand. You can use it for printing, and in this position it is very good to read when the tablet is on the table, and the user is drinking tea or coffee with sweets.
In addition, it is enough to turn the whole structure over and get a stand for using the tablet as a photo frame or a small TV. In this position, by the way, the tablet is more stable than the first generation iPad in its own branded case.
In stand mode, the Smart Cover folds up easily with one hand. When rolled up, it is held in place with magnets. Also, when unfolded, the cover protects the back of the tablet when it rests on a table or any other surface. It flips back easily. Of course, it is difficult to accidentally scratch unpainted aluminum, but it is possible. And the plastic bullseye behind which the Wi-Fi antenna is hidden is generally easily covered with scratches. Although, in the form thrown back, the cover goes beyond the tablet and in this state, for example, while reading or surfing the web while lying belly up on the sofa, it is not very convenient to hold it.
If desired, you can bend the cover in half - it is easily magnetized and held, and the grip of the tablet improves. In principle, taking it off is a second of business, so there will be no problems in any case. During the active testing of the Smart Cover, I remembered with what torment the first iPad was removed from my own case. But, what is most interesting, the personal iPad Case withstood at least a dozen such operations with honor and did not suffer or stretch at all, despite the fact that not the most slippery SGP Incredible Shield film was glued to the back of the tablet.
Not to mention the Smart Cover feature, which automatically puts the iPad 2 to sleep when the cover falls on the screen and exits it if it rises. It would seem a trifle, but damn convenient trifle. This is implemented using an additional sensor in the tablet and the effect of electromagnetic induction.
It is worth noting that the gray color for the Smart Cover is quite versatile. It goes well with a white tablet and looks good on a black one, contrasting with the bezel and matching the color to the silver back. For my personal use, I purchased a gray polyurethane model. (It's funny, there is no tablet yet, but there is already a case for it.)
By the way, about buying Smart Cover. Now there is a lot of hype on the iPad 2 and branded accessories for it. As a result, prices skyrocketed. Many merchants demand three or even four real prices for a fashionable case, and people are willing to pay, otherwise there would be no such offers. I used the eBay buy option. Even taking into account the rather expensive delivery (about $40) and a small margin from the seller, it will still cost less than buying in your own retail. And if you order several covers at once, then the delivery of each additional unit will cost four times cheaper. Accordingly, you can cooperate with friends and order several Smart Covers at once - it will turn out even more profitable. I personally received an order from the USA to Ukraine in a week, and the courier delivered the coveted envelope to my house - conveniently.
There are also leather Smart Cover options, which officially cost $20 more than their polyurethane counterparts and differ in color. Such a cover-plaid looks rich and cool, but somehow I prefer the gray polyurethane version. Maybe because there is still a black Belkin leather sleeve, bought at the time for the first iPad and perfect for the second. Inside, it is lined with a gray soft fabric - the color goes well with the gray cover, with which the new tablet should easily fit into it.
Why do you need a Smart Cover if you already have a case? First of all, this accessory is just cool. As one good friend of mine puts it, if you don't want an iPad 2, then you definitely want a Smart Cover. Secondly, this is an extremely convenient stand, and it can be purchased only for the sake of such a function.
I don’t know who in Apple came up with the Smart Cover - Jonathan Ive or a designer unknown to the public, but this man is a genius, and as long as such geniuses work in the company, it will continue to amaze with its bold decisions and offer people a small technological miracle every year. After all, this is why we love Apple.
Apple knows how to make not only unique gadgets, but also accessories for them. Remember the original iPad Case. It would seem that a simple cover, but added one bend, a small hook and here's a stand for you. At the same time, high-quality technological material was used, which is easy to wipe, and pleasant to the touch, and looks great. And Bumper for iPhone 4 - well, there is nothing simpler: a rubberized bezel. But after all, it was made perfectly and there were no analogues before it.
With the release of the iPad 2, Apple has outdone itself when it comes to accessories. iPad Smart Cover is something. Do not consider me too impressionable person or insane "applephile". You just need to take and touch this miracle, experience it, examine it from all sides and you will understand me. In the meantime, let me tell you about my impressions of this extraordinary accessory.
Apple has always been famous for high-quality and efficient device packaging, and the company has not departed from its canons in this case. The iPad Smart Cover is packaged in a hard case, not to be called otherwise, made of very high quality cardboard with cool printing. The top of the cover-plaid is covered with transparent plastic. The accessory is removed rather unusually: you need to remove the protective sticker from the back, which will make it possible to lift the plastic cover and get the Smart Cover.
I got my hands on a gray polyurethane model, the one that officially costs $39. The outer coating is very pleasant to the touch and resembles the original iPad Case - there is the same feeling of a rubberized Soft-touch surface.
The cover weighs a little, up to hundreds of grams - it does not increase the weight of the tablet especially much. The accessory evokes a feeling of a solid and reliable thing, as well as something very technological. This is probably due to the presence of aluminum in the construction and how the blanket is attached to the tablet, but more on that later. In the meantime, I want to tell you about the unusual effect of changing the shade of the accessory. This happens depending on the ambient light, its type (incandescent, bright sunlight, overcast day, etc.) and intensity. The cover can be light gray, almost white, it can become darker, the shade changes from pale beige to turquoise - very unusual. Another funny phenomenon can be observed when you stand next to a window in daylight and look at the Smart Cover from different angles or simply move it from side to side: the angle of incidence of light changes and it seems that the accessory becomes flat, then voluminous sections. All these experiments, of course, are childish, but many of us remain children at heart, otherwise life becomes gray and boring.
Now about the design. It is simple, reliable and ingenious. The whole magical effect of automatic alignment of the case on the tablet and its instant fastening is achieved thanks to a couple of dozen magnets in the accessory itself and in the tablet. There is also a freely rotating aluminum hinge and a pair of aluminum holders.
To secure the plaid case, it is enough to bring the aluminum hinge to the left side of the iPad 2 - click and you're done. It is also very easy to remove it by pulling one end to the side. At the same time, the cover is held securely and even holds the tablet on weight.
The inside of the Smart Cover is lined with microfiber, but it's not just a piece of fabric glued on. The cover is perceived as a single whole. There is no feeling that it is assembled from several layers. Microfiber perfectly cleans the display from dust and fingerprints, but only when a cloth is used. The Smart Cover can also create a similar effect if you swipe it hard on the screen, but usually it is rigidly fixed, so the screen does not clean much, but it protects well.
And the accessory is very thin, it practically does not increase the dimensions of the tablet!
But Smart Cover not only plays the role of a protective overlay on the screen. This is an extremely comfortable stand. You can use it for printing, and in this position it is very good to read when the tablet is on the table, and the user is drinking tea or coffee with sweets.
In addition, it is enough to turn the whole structure over and get a stand for using the tablet as a photo frame or a small TV. In this position, by the way, the tablet is more stable than the first generation iPad in its own branded case.
In stand mode, the Smart Cover folds up easily with one hand. When rolled up, it is held in place with magnets. Also, when unfolded, the cover protects the back of the tablet when it rests on a table or any other surface. It flips back easily. Of course, it is difficult to accidentally scratch unpainted aluminum, but it is possible. And the plastic bullseye behind which the Wi-Fi antenna is hidden is generally easily covered with scratches. Although, in the form thrown back, the cover goes beyond the tablet and in this state, for example, while reading or surfing the web while lying belly up on the sofa, it is not very convenient to hold it.
If desired, you can bend the cover in half - it is easily magnetized and held, and the grip of the tablet improves. In principle, taking it off is a second of business, so there will be no problems in any case. During the active testing of the Smart Cover, I remembered with what torment the first iPad was removed from my own case. But, what is most interesting, the personal iPad Case withstood at least a dozen such operations with honor and did not suffer or stretch at all, despite the fact that not the most slippery SGP Incredible Shield film was glued to the back of the tablet.
Not to mention the Smart Cover feature, which automatically puts the iPad 2 to sleep when the cover falls on the screen and exits it if it rises. It would seem a trifle, but damn convenient trifle. This is implemented using an additional sensor in the tablet and the effect of electromagnetic induction.
It is worth noting that the gray color for the Smart Cover is quite versatile. It goes well with a white tablet and looks good on a black one, contrasting with the bezel and matching the color to the silver back. For my personal use, I purchased a gray polyurethane model. (It's funny, there is no tablet yet, but there is already a case for it.)
By the way, about buying Smart Cover. Now there is a lot of hype on the iPad 2 and branded accessories for it. As a result, prices skyrocketed. Many merchants demand three or even four real prices for a fashionable case, and people are willing to pay, otherwise there would be no such offers. I used the eBay buy option. Even taking into account the rather expensive delivery (about $40) and a small margin from the seller, it will still cost less than buying in your own retail. And if you order several covers at once, then the delivery of each additional unit will cost four times cheaper. Accordingly, you can cooperate with friends and order several Smart Covers at once - it will turn out even more profitable. I personally received an order from the USA to Ukraine in a week, and the courier delivered the coveted envelope to my house - conveniently.
There are also leather Smart Cover options, which officially cost $20 more than their polyurethane counterparts and differ in color. Such a cover-plaid looks rich and cool, but somehow I prefer the gray polyurethane version. Maybe because there is still a black Belkin leather sleeve, bought at the time for the first iPad and perfect for the second. Inside, it is lined with a gray soft fabric - the color goes well with the gray cover, with which the new tablet should easily fit into it.
Why do you need a Smart Cover if you already have a case? First of all, this accessory is just cool. As one good friend of mine puts it, if you don't want an iPad 2, then you definitely want a Smart Cover. Secondly, this is an extremely convenient stand, and it can be purchased only for the sake of such a function.
I don’t know who in Apple came up with the Smart Cover - Jonathan Ive or a designer unknown to the public, but this man is a genius, and as long as such geniuses work in the company, it will continue to amaze with its bold decisions and offer people a small technological miracle every year. After all, this is why we love Apple.
The Smart Cover was released alongside the release of the iPad 2 and is now a faithful companion for all new Apple tablets. The accessory not only protects the screen of the device from damage, but also serves as a convenient stand for it.
More than 5 years after the release of the “smart” cover, Cupertino finally decided to release one that will satisfy all the needs of the modern user. This theory is supported by a recently published patent, which quite unambiguously describes multifunctional protection for tablets, the potential of which can be developed indefinitely.
Colleagues from foreign AppleInsider often find interesting patents of the Californian company Apple. The patent titled “Visual Notification System Embedded in Device Accessory” describes a method by which a smart iPad can become even smarter. The new Smart Cover should help him in this.
One of the arguments for Android's sophistication is that devices based on Google's system have been using wireless charging for a long time. And if you are already desperate to wait for a similar solution from Apple, then some information on this matter has nevertheless appeared. And as usual, friends from again decided to go their own way.
On the same day that Apple showed the world the second generation of the iPad, a new cover was also introduced - . It is a leather or polyurethane cover that is attached to the aluminum case of the iPad using magnets and acts not only as a screen protector, but also as a stand. It was also expected that a smaller Smart Cover was presented along with the iPad mini.
While buyers who have pre-ordered the new iPad mini are still waiting for the doorbell from the courier, Smart Covers for the new gadget have already begun to arrive at the first consumers. If you still don't know what this accessory looks like for a smaller version of the tablet, we invite you to take a look at the published photos.
Apple has long been inventing not only new products and services, but also accessories and add-ons for these same products. Moreover, here, as in the case of goods or services, it seems that everything has already been invented, but some little thing is added, or it is not added, but on the contrary, it decreases, and something new appears before us. Perfectly thought out.
We can now recall iPod Socks, fabric covers for Apple players that have become very popular - they used these covers, of course, not only with players, but with anything. I have a friend, so he wears Vertu in his “sock”. And what? Beautiful.
Just not very functional. But this is not so important. For the iPhone 4, the so-called "bumper" was invented, now this type of case is becoming more and more in demand, there are a lot of offers for other devices. You should have seen how many accessories there are for the Samsung Galaxy S, I saw including the “bumpers” of different colors made of silicone.
There were a lot of accessories for the original iPad, on our website you will find reviews of these devices.
For the iPad, there was also an adapter that allowed you to connect the device to a monitor. The set of accessories is great, there is nothing to complain about.
For the updated iPad, a new product category was invented called Smart Cover. Interestingly, if you type the phrase Smart Cover in Google, the first link will be Smartcover.com, about cosmetics and more. As if there were no patent wars. Although, for Apple, these are all seeds.
There are two types of covers, leather and polyurethane. Rather, on the one hand, one of these materials, on the other, microfiber. On the side is an aluminum bar with magnets. There are also magnets on the iPad 2 case, on one side for mounting, plus one to the left of the display, when the cover closes it, it goes into sleep mode. Open cover, iPad wakes up, close - falls asleep. Something similar can be found in the BlackBerry spark plus the original case (this is true for almost all models), only in a slightly different way. For example, one or another call mode is activated in the case.
Case materials leave a good impression, especially for leather models, there is only one opinion - you have to take it.
Fastening takes place in seconds, attaching the cover incorrectly simply will not work. Apple loves magnets, just remember MagSafe, which is present in every laptop of the company. If you do not know, this is a very convenient thing - you can pull the plug out of the socket without looking and insert it into place. Plus, if you suddenly pull the laptop, the plug will easily disconnect and there will be no harm (to anyone). I have been using macbooks of all stripes for four years now, and more than once MafSafe saved me a lot.
The cover sits in place like a glove, if you remember the original case for the first iPad, then it's just heaven and earth. There, if you remember, it was necessary to hammer the gadget almost with a creak. The black PVC cover was covered with an incomprehensible white coating, but it practically did not increase the size of the device.
With Smart Cover it is even more interesting, because there is no question of increasing the size at all. The cover consists of segments, due to this, the accessory fits snugly to the display. The photographs clearly show that with the cover the thickness practically does not change, and this is just wonderful. Plus, of course, there is an image effect - with the cover, the iPad 2 takes on a completely different look.
Immediately, I will quickly say about the white iPad 2. Actually, the color of the edging of the display has changed and, oddly enough, even a certain feeling of "sonystyle" has appeared. Beautiful and, in my opinion, this is a real gift for girls.
The Smart Cover can also be used as a stand, the segments fold into a triangle, and you can set the device as a photo frame or place it horizontally to use, for example, a virtual keyboard. With proper skill, it will fit for typing small texts, for example, you can safely answer emails or write on Twitter.
A simple cover has another purpose, it is to clean the display of traces, and, of course, they appear all the time. Unfortunately, she is not very good at this task. Obviously not a miracle rag. But there is no effect.
A simple accessory, but just think of the work involved. The PU Smart Cover costs $39, the leather one costs $69. It is clear that the company earns a lot on the accessory, but the thing turned out to be good. The cover is small, easily attached to the device, serves as a stand, puts it into sleep mode, clears the display, there is an image effect - finally, it's just a beautiful and solid thing. It is possible to choose one of several colors, polyurethane covers are bright and look interesting in real life.
For manufacturers of accessories, this is a kind of hint in which direction to move. The presence of magnets on the iPad 2 case can be an impetus for creating the most unusual things. The first iPad has already been turned into a laptop, built into cars, turned into a smart home control center and into a DJ console. The second iPad is waiting for the transformation even more interesting.
There is one oddity and one major drawback of Smart Cover. Look, the cover protects the display of the iPad 2. But the gadget has an aluminum "back" and it's just that it's prone to scratches to a much greater extent. The first iPad in use has a couple scratches on the back from who knows where. Probably caught something in the bag. The iPad 2 will have the same trouble if handled carelessly, and this is where the Smart Cover will not save. Scratching the display is difficult, the aluminum back is easy. This means that the prudent owner of the gadget will have to look at other solutions. In this case, probably, Smart Cover will still be purchased.
Sergey Kuzmin ()
