Here's my more long form impressions of the Tech21 case after using it last night and this morning:
1. This may sound a little dumb, but most cases I buy feel like just a thing I slap on my iPad and forget about it. This case is almost like a whole other product in itself, because of the premium look and feel, the nice packaging, and the attention to detail.
2. I thought the Pencil holder was kind of dumb at first, but it's really quite nice, and that's for two reasons. 1) It's easily detachable, so I have the choice of whether or not to use it, and 2) the Apple Pencil actually fits perfectly into it, and I would have no fear of it falling out. Most of the time I won't use the Pencil holder, as I've tried a couple of cases now with that built in, and I found that I often wished it wasn't there. Sometimes it's just annoying and beside that, having the Pencil always attached to the iPad means the Pencil is always "waking up" and draining battery. So this is the best of both worlds.
3. The packaging mentions that the finish on the case resists smudges. I have found that to be true. I have not yet managed to leave a fingerprint on it, and I'm not sure how they pulled this off. Most matte finish plastic cases are fingerprint magnets, especially the clear/opaque ones. It also says it is scratch resistant. Jury's out on that for now.
4. The fit is absolutely perfect, and my aversion to hard shell cases does not apply here. Most of the time I steer clear of shells because they tend to trap debris underneath and scratch the metal up if they are even ever so slightly loose on the device. This case has a nice smooth/soft interior and is not going to wiggle around on the iPad, so this is not a concern. In fact, it fits so well that I don't think debris will even be able to get in anyway. There is not even the slightest bit of give on the back, and that's where cases like this usually have wiggle room even if the corners fit perfectly--this is usually due to the smart cover cutout. Not a problem on this case.
5. The iPad ALMOST looks like it has no case at all. The finish is very clear and blends in very nicely with the finish of the iPad. In fact, holding it almost feels like you're using the iPad without a case. The only thing that gives it away is that it has ridges on the sides and corners and they stick out a bit from the case.
If I had to list a complaint, it would probably be that the case is hard to remove. I removed it once last night just to see what it would be like. It's not easy. And I will probably not attempt it again unless I really need to clean some gunk out. I guess another complaint could be the price, but there are plenty of options out there that are between $10 and $20 that are also perfectly fine cases. This case was $70. Is the plastic they made it out of as fancy and high tech as it says on the box? I guess that's possible. But I think in the end, it fits, feels, and looks like a $70 case. All that remains to be seen now is if it's durable enough to warrant the price tag. I'm glad to pay Tech21 for cases like this in the future if this one proves to be able to go the distance with me.
