Just got this case on sale at ebay and am pleasantly surprised at how not crappy it is.
For $12 it's tough to beat if you're looking for a super slim smart cover. The sale ends in 4 days, though I imagine it probably goes on sale regularly.
There are lots of other cases that are similar to it, but I haven't seen one exactly like it.
The good...
-Very slim and light. The snap fit corners snap in with a positive click and seem pretty secure, and they don't stick out like mouse ears like so many other cases. Ports/buttons are easily accessible, and the speaker has a rather sophisticated grill.
-Nice cross-hatch leatherette texture (Prada calls it Saffiano). Joy Factory uses it on their much thicker SmartSuit3 case. If you like that texture, you'll like this case.
-No smell. I was quite surpised that this case did not smell like a chemical accident, like so many other PU cases do. PU indeed.
The not so good. Not bad per se, just not great...
-Weakish magnets. The wake feature works fine, and the cover passes the stay closed upside down test, but it flaps open with a shake. And the cover does not stick to the back when flipped behind.
-Folding the cover into a triangle takes some concentration. The weak magnets mean it doesn't really snap into position like the Apple covers/cases, and the hinges are a tad tight, though it's new, so it tends to pop open unless you really concentrate on folding the triangle shape. Once the triangle is created however, it remains intact unless you unfold it.
-No spine protection. As the photo shows, the left edge of the back shell is cut away. This means 2 things. 1, the left edge has only a thin piece of lined leatherette protecting it when the cover is closed, and 2, the cover is a bit loose feeling when folded back on the case.
-No stitching/edge sealing on the cover. This is a mixed blessing. No stitches keeps the look very clean and the cover very thin, but it also means the PU/lining are just sandwiched together, probably with glue, and chances are pretty good the edges will eventually fray/separate.
I don't see this as a super long lasting case, but compared to the heavy-ish Joy Factory SmartSuit3 and the Apple Smart Case, this thing is sleek and light and a pleasure to hold.
Pics because it happened...
For $12 it's tough to beat if you're looking for a super slim smart cover. The sale ends in 4 days, though I imagine it probably goes on sale regularly.
There are lots of other cases that are similar to it, but I haven't seen one exactly like it.
The good...
-Very slim and light. The snap fit corners snap in with a positive click and seem pretty secure, and they don't stick out like mouse ears like so many other cases. Ports/buttons are easily accessible, and the speaker has a rather sophisticated grill.
-Nice cross-hatch leatherette texture (Prada calls it Saffiano). Joy Factory uses it on their much thicker SmartSuit3 case. If you like that texture, you'll like this case.
-No smell. I was quite surpised that this case did not smell like a chemical accident, like so many other PU cases do. PU indeed.
The not so good. Not bad per se, just not great...
-Weakish magnets. The wake feature works fine, and the cover passes the stay closed upside down test, but it flaps open with a shake. And the cover does not stick to the back when flipped behind.
-Folding the cover into a triangle takes some concentration. The weak magnets mean it doesn't really snap into position like the Apple covers/cases, and the hinges are a tad tight, though it's new, so it tends to pop open unless you really concentrate on folding the triangle shape. Once the triangle is created however, it remains intact unless you unfold it.
-No spine protection. As the photo shows, the left edge of the back shell is cut away. This means 2 things. 1, the left edge has only a thin piece of lined leatherette protecting it when the cover is closed, and 2, the cover is a bit loose feeling when folded back on the case.
-No stitching/edge sealing on the cover. This is a mixed blessing. No stitches keeps the look very clean and the cover very thin, but it also means the PU/lining are just sandwiched together, probably with glue, and chances are pretty good the edges will eventually fray/separate.
I don't see this as a super long lasting case, but compared to the heavy-ish Joy Factory SmartSuit3 and the Apple Smart Case, this thing is sleek and light and a pleasure to hold.
Pics because it happened...
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