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I got mine for £30 or so (around $50), and whilst the quality is great, even at that price, it definitely isnt worth it. The two hinges arent symmetrical either, similar to the knock off covers, which tends to result in one hinge scraping the iPad itself when opening and closing.

I feel sorry for anyone who pays full price from Apple. They must have around a 95%, probably higher, profit margin on these things. But I suppose we are paying for it for one simple fact, it just works!

Plus, my room always smells of leather, as do my hands, now that the chemical smell has settled.
 
I got mine for £30 or so (around $50), and whilst the quality is great, even at that price, it definitely isnt worth it. The two hinges arent symmetrical either, similar to the knock off covers, which tends to result in one hinge scraping the iPad itself when opening and closing.

I feel sorry for anyone who pays full price from Apple. They must have around a 95%, probably higher, profit margin on these things. But I suppose we are paying for it for one simple fact, it just works!

Plus, my room always smells of leather, as do my hands, now that the chemical smell has settled.

I like the smell of leather... the steering wheel of my car leaves the same smell on my hands... as do my winter gloves.
 
Hmm... well it's real leather and feels pretty nice... how does one tell the difference?

The fakes almost never fit perfectly. The magnetic strip and hinges shouldnt dangle very loosely either. Also, if you look at the sides of it, there should be no frayed edges, and it should be smooth to the touch, not rough or starting to seperate.

The fake ones also seem to have a problem with the hinges being magnetised, due to them being made from metal, not aluminium, so they will always tend to stick to the smart cover itself, making it awkward to attach to the iPad. The real ones swing freely, and will not stick to the inside of the smart cover at all.

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I like the smell of leather... the steering wheel of my car leaves the same smell on my hands... as do my winter gloves.

Same here. It really gives everything a sort of premium feel.
 
The fakes almost never fit perfectly. The magnetic strip and hinges shouldnt dangle very loosely either. Also, if you look at the sides of it, there should be no frayed edges, and it should be smooth to the touch, not rough or starting to seperate.

The fake ones also seem to have a problem with the hinges being magnetised, due to them being made from metal, not aluminium, so they will always tend to stick to the smart cover itself, making it awkward to attach to the iPad. The real ones swing freely, and will not stick to the inside of the smart cover at all.


Based on all this I'm going to surmise that my Smart Cover is real. I swings freely but not loose... the hinges do NOT stick to the cover itself, the leather is very smooth and there are no frayed edges. The hinges are NOT magnetized and I can slap the cover on the iPad like they do in the commercial.
 
If you've ever bought Apple products chances are you've paid too much for it so why stop now.
 
If you've ever bought Apple products chances are you've paid too much for it so why stop now.

Considering their competitors usually charge more for a lesser quality item, a lot of the purchases are justified.

Apple have bought out the suppliers etc, and have been very smart in doing their business.

They could quite easily drop 10% or more off all their products and still generate much more profit than any competing companies.
 
Since I've gotten my new iPad i've been looking for the right case for it. I finally decided on the Red Incipio Smart Feather as it became available today. I was planning on pairing it with Apple's Red smart cover (Red is my favorite color) but now that I think about it, $70 bucks is ALOT for a smart cover even if it is leather. I'll probably end up with it anyway :( but I really wish they offered it in Poly. What are your opinions?

I returned my Apple Red Smartcover. Staining was inconsistent.

I bought this in red and while not leather (PU Leather), it looks good and the wake sleep works):

Click me

I am sure the icarbons would stick to it as well.
 
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I've been a user of the red leather smart cover since last June. I like it just fine, but my recommendation is to go with a darker color if you're adamant about choosing a leather one.

The lighter leather options noticeably darken after prolonged usage from the oils on your hands.
 
I also think $70 is too much. I ordered the red one, which I wanted, but have yet to take it out of the box. I may end up going poly or Amazon/eBay tomorrow.
 
Yes.

That's why I bought one used for $20. Authentic, too - has the Designed in California thing, and does not fit any of the description of the fakes posted above.

A bit beat up - some scratches, etc. But still looks awesome, and for $20 I'm not complaining one bit..
 
$15 is about all it is worth in my mind so I'd have to agree that it is WAY overpriced. But then you wouldn't be an Apple customer if you cared about paying too much for what you get in return. ;)
 
Too expensive in my opinion. I could try really hard to justify it if quality was top notch but reviews on Apple's site complain of staining etc. went with a bland poly grey version instead.:p
 
Yes.

That's why I bought one used for $20. Authentic, too - has the Designed in California thing, and does not fit any of the description of the fakes posted above.

A bit beat up - some scratches, etc. But still looks awesome, and for $20 I'm not complaining one bit..

Many, many of the fakes have the inscription inside. $20 seems really low for an authentic cover.
 
I was lucky and snagged an authentic used black leather off eBay for $9. It was used but in very good condition. Even though the leather is pretty nice, I can't see myself paying more than $40 for a cover like this. I love the smart cover, but the retail price is just insane!
 
Does anyone know if an Apple store would allow you to exchange a black leather for a red leather with no receipt if it's unopened? You can get a black one a little cheaper elsewhere then exchange it if they allow you to.
 
I was lucky and snagged an authentic used black leather off eBay for $9. It was used but in very good condition. Even though the leather is pretty nice, I can't see myself paying more than $40 for a cover like this. I love the smart cover, but the retail price is just insane!

Sorry you got a fake. There is no way someone will let it go for $9 unless its really worn (bad shape) or they're really stupid.

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Does anyone know if an Apple store would allow you to exchange a black leather for a red leather with no receipt if it's unopened? You can get a black one a little cheaper elsewhere then exchange it if they allow you to.

Sure, why not if its unopened.
 
Sorry you got a fake. There is no way someone will let it go for $9 unless its really worn (bad shape) or they're really stupid.

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Sure, why not if its unopened.

I know some places are picky about having a receipt. I guess its worth a shot, I may try this weekend. Thanks
 
Does anyone know if an Apple store would allow you to exchange a black leather for a red leather with no receipt if it's unopened? You can get a black one a little cheaper elsewhere then exchange it if they allow you to.

Any time I buy something at the Aplpe Store, I just ave then e-mail me a receipt. Easy and I have it for as long as I don't delete it which is typically a lot longer then a paper one lying around. ;)
 
Any time I buy something at the Aplpe Store, I just ave then e-mail me a receipt. Easy and I have it for as long as I don't delete it which is typically a lot longer then a paper one lying around. ;)

I wouldn't have a receipt if I buy it somewhere else. I was just hoping since its an Apple product they would allow me to exchange it anyway.
 
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