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Air 2 vs. Air cover
 

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No, I was talking about the thickness of the casing, not the thickness of the case when closed.



That is, iPad Air is 1, the case would add .2 thickness, so the total would be 1.2.



Air 2 is .8, the case would add .2, so the total would be 1.0.



But never mind all that. I looked up the actual dimensions of the Air1 and Air2. Air 1 is 0.29 inches thick. Air2 is 0.24 inches.



That's a difference of 0.05 inches. Not 0.5, 0.05!



Do you have a ruler that can measure that difference? I don't.



Those of you who were expecting to be able to see a significant difference in thickness between the Air1 and Air2 have been taken in by Apple marketing. 0.05 inches is within expected variance for leather cases of this type. Of course we can't tell the difference in thickness between Air1 and Air2 cases, it's stupid of us to expect a difference in the first place.


The Air is 7.5mm thick. The Air 2 is 6.1mm thick. A difference of 1.4mm is quite significant. So why produce a case that completely negates this?
 
The Air is 7.5mm thick. The Air 2 is 6.1mm thick. A difference of 1.4mm is quite significant. So why produce a case that completely negates this?

Have you worked with leather? It's not really practical to make thickness of leather exact to that degree.

Comparing the Air1 and Air2 in their cases side by side, I'd say you can tell a difference in thickness if you squint. That's exactly what I expected, and that's what we got. Those of you who expected something else, IMO, you are being unrealistic.
 
1.4 mm is less than the thickness of a US cent coin. Seems to me that's about the difference I see in Zeos' picture above. I don't find the case bulky at all, and have zero problems pressing the home button. It's a very nice and well-fitting case IMO. If the leather was paper-thin it wouldn't provide any protection either.
 
The Air is 7.5mm thick. The Air 2 is 6.1mm thick. A difference of 1.4mm is quite significant. So why produce a case that completely negates this?

As I said earlier, I believe it is because Apple wanted more "lip" so the cover would close more securely. It definitely does that.
 
Personally, I like the new iPad Air 2 full case much better than the the case for the original Air. The case is just barely less deep (I have compared both side by side), and the Air 2 sits just a little deeper in the case. This lets the case's cover close more tightly and securely over the iPad. I never liked the way the original case's cover could slide around when you carry it around. There is clearly a more solid close with the new case.

The Midnight Blue looks great with the gold Air 2. The leather has a better texture than the Air case. Nice improvement IMHO.

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YES, the case is thinner, but barely. I am looking at them side-by-side right now. There is more "lip" to the Air 2 case, which allows for a more secure closer for the cover.
Can you take an up close shot of the edges in the case specifically the bottom area near the TouchID?

Thanks
 
The Smart Case is junk in my opinion. It has fitment issues with the big lip which extends past he iPad screen and makes it awkward to use the TouchID. Also the folding cover does not stay closed well when cover is folded back. It also defeats the purpose of the reduced thickness of the Air 2 since it makes it the same as the Original Air. For $80 I expect a lot more then a case which Apple barely redesigned for the Air 2 and probably costs less then $5 to manufacture. Many cheap Amazon and eBay cases will have much better fitment. I returned mine - and my Air 2 but for different reasons.
 
Air 2 vs. Air cover

Thanks for the picture! I've been holding out on getting the case because I wasn't sure if Apple actually adjusted the thickness. I remember when I bought the polyurethane Smart Case for iPad 3, the fit was absolutely horrible. The iPad was too loose inside the case and wouldn't often pop out in the corners. Glad to see Apple actually took into account the reduction in thickness. I was afraid it was going to have the EXACT same dimensions and result in a loose fit.
 
The Smart Case is junk in my opinion. It has fitment issues with the big lip which extends past he iPad screen and makes it awkward to use the TouchID. Also the folding cover does not stay closed well when cover is folded back. It also defeats the purpose of the reduced thickness of the Air 2 since it makes it the same as the Original Air. For $80 I expect a lot more then a case which Apple barely redesigned for the Air 2 and probably costs less then $5 to manufacture. Many cheap Amazon and eBay cases will have much better fitment. I returned mine - and my Air 2 but for different reasons.


Hmm I haven't had any issue with touchId and the new case.
 
Hmm I haven't had any issue with touchId and the new case.
Me neither and I wouldn't want a paper thin leather case. It would feel cheap in comparison. If thinness meant everything to me, I would just go without a case or get a cover.
 
Honestly for me the smart case for the air 2 feels fantastic. The one for my rMini... The magnets feel looser and I've had it fall within a month of usage. My Air 2s case is extremely sturdy in comparison. The only thing that bothers me is the gap in the headphone jack hole that allows light to pass through. It makes my OCD go a bit crazy.
 
Honestly for me the smart case for the air 2 feels fantastic. The one for my rMini... The magnets feel looser and I've had it fall within a month of usage. My Air 2s case is extremely sturdy in comparison. The only thing that bothers me is the gap in the headphone jack hole that allows light to pass through. It makes my OCD go a bit crazy.

I don't see any gap in my Air 2 case.
 
Me neither. Where is this gap supposed to be? In the iPad's case? I see no light coming out anywere (except the display :p).
 
I'm going to eat some humble pie here. I just bought the midnight blue smart case just to see what it was like. And, you know, it's bloody nice. The lip isn't actually as bad as had been described. I can acknowledge the point that the screen cover fits better and more firmly. As to making it harder to use Touch ID, that's BS unless you use your cats paws to authenticate. Well pleased. So, I was wrong.
 
I just broke down and bought the Air II black Smart Case at Best Buy ... I should point out that you really need to look at the little label on the back of the box. Do MAKE CERTAIN that the little tag says *iPad Air (Second Generation),* because it’s not marked that way on the main section of the box at all! And BB had them all mixed together with last year’s thicker models! So do be careful, or you might pick up a more chunky version from theAir I. My new black Smart Case is considerably more thin than the first release with the Air I, and my cut-outs are perfect, no problem with the home button, and the lip is not too high for me! It’s pretty sweet overall. A little tip from last year ... I also waterproofed the leather case from last year with Cadillac Leather Shoe Shield spray when I first got it, and there was little to no wear, or color loss, last time around!
 
Note the lip differential, or thickness

Black case new today, Air II -- Red case, last year’s model, Air I. I hope this helps!
 

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I had the Air 1 case and disliked it, partly because the long sides of the case were too easy to flex and bend away from the iPad while holding it. Are the sides of the Air 2 case any stiffer or sturdier, or do they flex as well? I might decide to shell out $80 for the Air 2 case if that problem is fixed. Any info will be appreciated.
 
So the new cases are in fact thinner for the Air 2? Some people are saying that it's the same thickness which makes it a lot recessed.

Apple Online Store
Which Smart Cover or Smart Case should I use with my iPad?

The iPad Air Smart Cover is compatible with both iPad Air 2 and iPad Air. The iPad Air 2 Smart Case fits only iPad Air 2. The iPad Air Smart Case fits only iPad Air. The iPad mini Smart Cover and the iPad mini Smart Case work with all iPad mini models.

Looks like they are 2 different versions.
 
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So the new cases are in fact thinner for the Air 2? Some people are saying that it's the same thickness which makes it a lot recessed.

Yes, it is thinner, but not by much, so I can kind of see why someone might think they are the same thickness.
 
It is indeed thinner. Just make sure to look at the little tag on the back -- confirm that it says: Air (Second Generation)!
 
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