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iPad How good is the Smart Case for iPad Air 2?
- Thread starter Bromio
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I had the smart cover + back case combo back when I had the iPad 2, before Apple started making smart cases. I found I didn't like the gap left in the side of the iPad when I took off the smart cover. When I'm not using the cover, I'd rather have a complete back case -- I just find the mixture of textures from the naked iPad and the case unpleasant when holding the iPad on the exposed side. Unfortunately, a majority of cases now have that gap for the smart cover and it's become very hard to find a good back-only case.
http://youtu.be/RG_aAlA4f70?list=UUmY3dSr-0TOkJqy0btd2AJg
Mike - Detroitborg has good review up on these cases.
Mike - Detroitborg has good review up on these cases.
You and I must have different definitions of "substantially," because looking at pictures of this case on Amazon, it looks like it could be slightly less bulky, but it does not look "substantially" less bulky. Plus, all the reviews say the sleep/wake function doesn't work.
No it is a substantially less bulky. It feels like an iPad Air in this case. In the apple case it feels like an old iPad - bulky and heavy.
The sleep wake feature does work but because the case lacks heft. The cover can slide around while in your bag thereby draining the battery.
I got this case in midnight blue yesterday for my iPad air 2 and it is fantastic, feels very well don't listen to the negative complainers. This is the best case for the iPad air 2 as far as quality goes. And it fits just perfect and snug. It feels very slim when you use it too.
I had the smart case for the air 1 and this one is even nicer.
I had the smart case for the air 1 and this one is even nicer.
Had mine for a week now and it is going back. It is great quality and a nice fit but the really annoys me that it is the same thickness as the Air 1 case and you don't get the benefit of the new slim design. For the money I paid, I expect it to be a better match for the Air 2.
It isn't the same thickness. I was just looking at the Air 1 case of one of my coworkers next to my case. The Air 2 case is about 1mm thinner (the device itself is about 1.4mm thinner than the Air 1).
My apologies, I compared it against my mini smart case and they are the same thickness. I didn't realise the Air case was slightly thicker than the mini. Either way, the case is not flush with the screen as it is with the mini which annoys me.
As the other poster said, the Air2 case is a bit thinner than the Air 1 case, but I just can't relate to quibbling over 1mm in thickness. I can feel the difference between a naked Air1 and Air2 if I hold it in both hands and concentrate. But if someone handed me one or other and told me to say which one it was without checking for the side switch, I don't think I could. I mean, it's not like the difference between older iPads and the Air, where it was like you pick up the older one and go, "Wow, that's heavy." I would be upset if a case for the Air made it as thick and heavy as the older iPads. But between the Air1 and Air2, they are just so close in weight and shape, I just don't care if the case makes them the same size.
My issue is that you pay Apple a premium for their official smart case and it doesn't fit as well as I would expect and is inconsistent with their other casses. Because of this, I would prefer to pay less money for a slimmer case from a third party. It's not the ~1mm difference I am quibbling over.
Yes, I agree with this. The difference between the two is insignificant in practice. But some people seem to assume that the new case somehow doesn't fit the Air 2 very well. In fact, it fits like a glove.
i don't own an air 1 and could immediately feel the thickness difference (actual weight is minimal), but from what I'm hearing, the mini's smart case fits a lot better. I will try find one for the wife as the lifeproof fre, although strong feeling is quite bulky as one would expect.
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time to scour MR for comparison pics lol
gadgetmac's review of the gen 1 case seems to have a much smaller lip, which I would've liked in the air 2.
I've used my mom's air 1 with leather case and it seems the right thickness in ratio with the ipad itself, where on the 2 it seems slightly too thick even though it may be thinner? Mine has the same issues with the portion close to the hinge not laying perfectly flat..same issue as gen 1 case.
I had a smart cover for a week when I tried out the air1...the weird poly texture kind of bothered me but I may get one until I can find a decent tray type case for it.
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Ipad Air looks like this.
https://forums.macrumors.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=444740&d=1383325267
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1665165/
Air 2 lays flat.
https://forums.macrumors.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=444740&d=1383325267
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1665165/
Air 2 lays flat.
I have the Air1 and Air2 in their respective cases side by side, and I'm not seeing much difference in lip size between the two.
But it's a leather case. Individual units would differ from each other. I had a brown Air1 case and my boss had a black case for his Air1. His case felt heftier than mine, and if I compared lip sizes, who knows, they may have been different. When the Air1 case first came out, some cases had a significant air gap, others had very little. So maybe some Air2 cases have more lip than others. Maybe I'm just not as bothered by the lip as some other people. Point is, try it out for yourself before deciding it's horrible. What is unacceptable to one person might be perfectly fine for another.
Don't know what the other poster was referring to, but in my case, the texture of the leather on my Air2 case feels nicer. Hard to describe, but it just feels like a bit more high quality leather.
lip difference at these mm tolerances could be coming down to QC. I may exchange for a midnight blue to see if its any better.
I held a Smart Case with an iPad 2 today and was disappointed by the flap of material in my left hand (when the case is folded open) and the high lip around the iPad (it sits rather downward inside the sump).
When I get a back shell for my Smart Cover I can remove the cover (no flap of material in my left hand) and it won't have such a high lip around the edges (nice and flush).
I wish Apple made just a leather back shell into which I could add/remove a Smart Cover at will or designed the Smart Case to have a removable front cover and a lower lip. Right now, it's not a best-in-class solution. Forces a compromise, only for folio diehards.
BJ
When I get a back shell for my Smart Cover I can remove the cover (no flap of material in my left hand) and it won't have such a high lip around the edges (nice and flush).
I wish Apple made just a leather back shell into which I could add/remove a Smart Cover at will or designed the Smart Case to have a removable front cover and a lower lip. Right now, it's not a best-in-class solution. Forces a compromise, only for folio diehards.
BJ