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STM Grip - Pics and my impressions

psychonaut

psychonaut

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Jul 24, 2008
573
92
While most people have been focused on the STM Skinny for the new iPad I have had my eye on the STM Grip. After using this case I can now offer up my impressions with some photos attached. Note: My full video review has been posted to my channel tonight.

Some highlights:

* I was surprised by how slim and lightweight this case actually is! I was expecting it to be much larger but in reality it did not feel much bigger than the combo of my leather smart cover and Belkin Snap Shield! The weight of this case surprised me as well, it is not heavy but instead very light adding minimal weight.

* I have the black STM Grip case and while it shows minor fingerprinting its exactly that...minor. A simple wipe of the hand with or without a cloth cleans them right off.

* The sleep / wake feature works perfectly with no issues

* I like the added protection it gives around the speaker area of the iPad and it does this without obstructing sound.

* The Grip this case gives (thus the name) is great, it really feels good in the hand.

* The stands are built into the case and give 2 positions (Typing and Viewing) both work well. If there was one improvement to be made in the stands it would be to make them slightly wider to avoid some of the minor wobble you get in typing mode. This is not a major issue and the stand position is never at risk of falling out.

Thats it for now. If you have questions let me know but I gotta say, out of all the cases I have reviewed so far this one is standing above all others. :apple:

Enjoy the pics and sorry about the rotation, not sure why they are showing incorrectly when they were not taken that way.
 

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The back looks gray. Is that just from the flash of the camera? Looks nice. Would you say a back skin would work with this case? I ordered a extreme fit Sticker Boy back skin. Would like to use this case from time to time.
 
Wirelessly posted

The back is black, could be my lighting. Not sure about skins fitting with the case.
 
My wife liked this case so much (She has been using a Red Canvas) that I purchased a Berry version. I got shipping notification today so when it arrives I'll post a few pics of it on a white iPad for you all. :)

I should mention, because the front flap does not bend it does cover up the camera in "book mode" - this is not a huge deal for me since I dont really use the camera all that often but it is worth calling out.
 
Great review as always man. I'm going to send a bunch of your video's to my dad who is currently looking for a case for his new ipad.
 
Psychonaut has the best reviews on YouTube for any iDevice. Gives all the crucial details and criticisms for each case. Hell, I bought 2 cases for the iPad 2 that he referred and his word holds true.

What I want to know is about the flaps on the STM Skinny and Incipio Lexington. I wish there was a case that had a flush cover (like the canvas) but no flap.
 
Thanks for the review! This case was on my short list, after seeing the video I know this is the one I want. Now if only they weren't backordered :(
 
iMule said:
Psychonaut has the best reviews on YouTube for any iDevice. Gives all the crucial details and criticisms for each case. Hell, I bought 2 cases for the iPad 2 that he referred and his word holds true.

What I want to know is about the flaps on the STM Skinny and Incipio Lexington. I wish there was a case that had a flush cover (like the canvas) but no flap.
Click to expand...

I also vote for Psychonaut as his SwitchEasy Canvas 2 video review was useful for my purchase decision for the new iPad case. :)
 
looks like a great case... super slim, grippy, and the cover actually folds all the way back which is great. wish they had more colors, however. i don't see mushroom offered which I think is their nicest color. might have to rethink my smart cover / hard back combo for one of these.

thanks for the vid and impressions.
 
psychonaut said:
My wife liked this case so much (She has been using a Red Canvas) that I purchased a Berry version. I got shipping notification today so when it arrives I'll post a few pics of it on a white iPad for you all. :)

I should mention, because the front flap does not bend it does cover up the camera in "book mode" - this is not a huge deal for me since I dont really use the camera all that often but it is worth calling out.
Click to expand...

How would you say this compares to the speck pixelskin?
 
Speck Pixelskin for iPad 2 was HEAVY. So heavy I returned it. So if OP is saying this folio is surprisingly lightweight, I'd think it to be better alternative than Pixelskin. And this is coming from someone who loves Speck products.
 
koigirl said:
Speck Pixelskin for iPad 2 was HEAVY. So heavy I returned it. So if OP is saying this folio is surprisingly lightweight, I'd think it to be better alternative than Pixelskin. And this is coming from someone who loves Speck products.
Click to expand...

Totally agree on this. The Speck PixelSkin for me was far too heavy and I did not like the adhesive strip on the lid to keep it closed.

Now, the new PixelSkin as I understand will be lighter and has a clasp instead of the adhesive tape. It will be interesting to see and hold it in person once it releases.

I'm still loving the Grip. Part of me is still torn between using this or a simple back shell with smart cover. The HUGE benefit I get from the Grip is the added protection, it's lightweight and the stand mode will not fall when i use it on a table, on my lap in bed, etc... it works really well and for playing games its easier for me to use than a smartcover / shield combo.
 
psychonaut said:
While most people have been focused on the STM Skinny for the new iPad I have had my eye on the STM Grip. After using this case I can now offer up my impressions with some photos attached. Note: My full video review has been posted to my channel tonight.

Some highlights:

* I was surprised by how slim and lightweight this case actually is! I was expecting it to be much larger but in reality it did not feel much bigger than the combo of my leather smart cover and Belkin Snap Shield! The weight of this case surprised me as well, it is not heavy but instead very light adding minimal weight.

* I have the black STM Grip case and while it shows minor fingerprinting its exactly that...minor. A simple wipe of the hand with or without a cloth cleans them right off.

* The sleep / wake feature works perfectly with no issues

* I like the added protection it gives around the speaker area of the iPad and it does this without obstructing sound.

* The Grip this case gives (thus the name) is great, it really feels good in the hand.

* The stands are built into the case and give 2 positions (Typing and Viewing) both work well. If there was one improvement to be made in the stands it would be to make them slightly wider to avoid some of the minor wobble you get in typing mode. This is not a major issue and the stand position is never at risk of falling out.

Thats it for now. If you have questions let me know but I gotta say, out of all the cases I have reviewed so far this one is standing above all others. :apple:

Enjoy the pics and sorry about the rotation, not sure why they are showing incorrectly when they were not taken that way.
Click to expand...

This case looks exactly like the Kicker, only different material. The Kicker was absolute rubbish. Didn't fold back flat, cheesy kickstand that screams "I'm gonna break soon" and very large footprint in viewing mode.
 
Grip case

we just need a coupon ... i am not even sure how much shipping would be ... i am in the US but site says they ship worldwide.

doesnt seem this plastic case warrants a $45 price tag ....

think u can get more for your money out there. I would spend like 29.99 on this case.

also shows out of stock until april 6th

shipping within the US to me was 4.50 USPS priority and coupon code of AUG2011 gives u 20% off

In Stock? no
iPad 3 Gear: STM Grip for iPad 3 Color: Black
Date Expected: 04/06/12
$35.99 $35.99

Subtotal:$35.99

Shipping:$4.50

(MO Residents) Tax:$0.00

Total:$40.49

still comes out to a $40 case ... worth it ...???

i am worried about how hard and annoying that stand might get to take in and out and how long it will last snapping stand in and out of back cover. This company only warrens for 1yr

what do u guys thing ... looks like a nice slim grippy case .. u do see some signs of prints on the video that show up ....
 
Last edited:
iToNe24 said:
Grip case

we just need a coupon ... i am not even sure how much shipping would be ... i am in the US but site says they ship worldwide.

doesnt seem this plastic case warrants a $45 price tag ....

think u can get more for your money out there. I would spend like 29.99 on this case.
Click to expand...

I ordered skinny from radtech.us and the 20% coupon is aug2011 . Does anyone use google anymore? Lol
 
psychonaut said:
Totally agree on this. The Speck PixelSkin for me was far too heavy and I did not like the adhesive strip on the lid to keep it closed.

Now, the new PixelSkin as I understand will be lighter and has a clasp instead of the adhesive tape. It will be interesting to see and hold it in person once it releases.

I'm still loving the Grip. Part of me is still torn between using this or a simple back shell with smart cover. The HUGE benefit I get from the Grip is the added protection, it's lightweight and the stand mode will not fall when i use it on a table, on my lap in bed, etc... it works really well and for playing games its easier for me to use than a smartcover / shield combo.
Click to expand...


so far my case adventure is as follows:
-ordered and cancelled stm skinny
-ordered and received switcheasy canvas, returned because of bulk and bad magnet polarity
-bought smart cover + belkin snap shield... returning both due to lack of protecting and not so secure fit on the shield
-ordered macally smartmate and cancelled after seeing weird edges
-ordered stm grip in berry

hopefully i'm done after this heh. anyone familiar with the berry color STM uses? I am a guy w/ a white ipad.. i'm hoping it's a neutral color and not pink.
 
I recommend the switcheasy canvas, just because it's easier to open and the viewing angles are better. I couldn't stand how the CEO's latches worked. There were 2 of them. You couldn't just close the cover without having to secure them 1 by 1. The grooves for the stand positions weren't closed good enough and when the case was closed, nothing lined up. Those hooks that hold the case keep it from being flush with the latches.
 
rukkus said:
so far my case adventure is as follows:
-ordered and cancelled stm skinny
-ordered and received switcheasy canvas, returned because of bulk and bad magnet polarity
-bought smart cover + belkin snap shield... returning both due to lack of protecting and not so secure fit on the shield
-ordered macally smartmate and cancelled after seeing weird edges
-ordered stm grip in berry

hopefully i'm done after this heh. anyone familiar with the berry color STM uses? I am a guy w/ a white ipad.. i'm hoping it's a neutral color and not pink.
Click to expand...

I'll know soon on the berry color and I'll post a video. Apparently I ordered the berry from radtech right before they went on back order. Mine shipped and should be here next week so if you don't have yours by then I'll post about it for you.

I still have my eye on some other cases but I am still very impressed by the grip. The small stand is easy to pop open and yes the longer one takes some effort so that could be a put off for some but for me it's not a huge deal.

I am absolutely loving that I can prop this case up in stand mode on my lap while I'm in bed to play games, type, etc... I'm typing this post using it now and it's rock solid :)
 
Does anyone know of a place to order this that does NOT have it on back order? I ordered a few days ago from a store called Adorama because they offered free shipping and nothing on the site indicated that they were out of stock. Then I got the email the next day saying that the item is on back order, with no indication as to when it will be in stock. At least they said I could cancel just by letting them know.

I'd be willing to pay more than the $45 I paid at Adorama if I could just get the case in a timely manner. I've had a very difficult time finding a good case for the new iPad.... The STM Grip will be my third attempt.

Thanks.
 
UnstrungHarp said:
Does anyone know of a place to order this that does NOT have it on back order? I ordered a few days ago from a store called Adorama because they offered free shipping and nothing on the site indicated that they were out of stock. Then I got the email the next day saying that the item is on back order, with no indication as to when it will be in stock. At least they said I could cancel just by letting them know.

I'd be willing to pay more than the $45 I paid at Adorama if I could just get the case in a timely manner. I've had a very difficult time finding a good case for the new iPad.... The STM Grip will be my third attempt.

Thanks.
Click to expand...

I did a search and the only place right now that I show having it is J&R via Amazon. They show 14 left in stock but only in Berry color.

LINK
 
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