Hey, all!
So several of us here on the forums have discussed over the last month that we were specifically looking for a leather Smart Cover (NOT case) for the new Pro 9.7. Apple doesn't make them, and some of us finally found some available on eBay and ordered them. Being that they were coming from China, delivery time was crazy long, but I finally just got mine today. This is my review for those waiting for theirs, or considering getting them.
I ended up buying 2, each from a different seller, because the 2nd one I bought was available with a quicker shipping option (www.ebay.com/ulk/itm/381579527462 , www.ebay.com/ulk/itm/351687307475). I ordered them both around the 2nd or 3rd of April, and just received both today. As I expected, the manufacturer and part number was identical. The verdict is:
They suck manbits.
1) They're not leather. The auction specifically said luxury leather, and they are the same cheap rubber/vinyl type material that knockoff smart covers have always been made from (I had a couple for my iPad 3 along with my name brand leather one).
2) They don't fit any better than Apple's covers. They are all loosy-goosy and hang way over. From comparing the two, I think this is mostly because the way they're attached to the hinge--there's too much excess material between the cover and the hinge.
3) The smart functionality is iffy at best. I've already chopped my hinges off trying to absorb some of that excess material to reattach it, and it's making it so the smart functionality sometimes works and sometimes doesn't. Essentially, the magnets in the cover are placed to work while the cover is all FUBAR and hanging over. If you fix it to where the cover fits right, then the auto-on/off magnets likely won't.
Here are the pictures.
[doublepost=1461279767][/doublepost]Here's an additional shot of the back of the "leather":
So several of us here on the forums have discussed over the last month that we were specifically looking for a leather Smart Cover (NOT case) for the new Pro 9.7. Apple doesn't make them, and some of us finally found some available on eBay and ordered them. Being that they were coming from China, delivery time was crazy long, but I finally just got mine today. This is my review for those waiting for theirs, or considering getting them.
I ended up buying 2, each from a different seller, because the 2nd one I bought was available with a quicker shipping option (www.ebay.com/ulk/itm/381579527462 , www.ebay.com/ulk/itm/351687307475). I ordered them both around the 2nd or 3rd of April, and just received both today. As I expected, the manufacturer and part number was identical. The verdict is:
They suck manbits.
1) They're not leather. The auction specifically said luxury leather, and they are the same cheap rubber/vinyl type material that knockoff smart covers have always been made from (I had a couple for my iPad 3 along with my name brand leather one).
2) They don't fit any better than Apple's covers. They are all loosy-goosy and hang way over. From comparing the two, I think this is mostly because the way they're attached to the hinge--there's too much excess material between the cover and the hinge.
3) The smart functionality is iffy at best. I've already chopped my hinges off trying to absorb some of that excess material to reattach it, and it's making it so the smart functionality sometimes works and sometimes doesn't. Essentially, the magnets in the cover are placed to work while the cover is all FUBAR and hanging over. If you fix it to where the cover fits right, then the auto-on/off magnets likely won't.
Here are the pictures.
[doublepost=1461279767][/doublepost]Here's an additional shot of the back of the "leather":
