Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Yoobao leather iPad case (OP updated with all revisions)
- Thread starter 3N16MA
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Yoobao seems to be a nice case, but I think the Pad and Quill case is the best I have found. (It is also leather)
It seems like the yoobao would kinda get in the way as it almost crowds the screen.
Good point!
Ordered the magic case from kevikev yesterday, after hearing all the reviews about the case and the seller...hopefully I'll get it soon.
That's pretty lazy considering the OP has shown the case and it says so in the title.
eBay for order.
Detailed Review
Ive had my Yoobao v4 magic case for several weeks now and have taken it on (at-least) 3 business trips involving flights. Overall, I am extremely pleased and would highly recommend the case. There are some aspects I dont like, and depending on your need, they may impact your decision.
BTW, I have Apples case and I like that as well. However, Ive now switched to the magic case for several reasons. Here are the details:
Overall fit and feel. The case fits the Ipad like a glove. Your IPad will not fall out under circumstance. The cover closes easily but securely. The cover wont flap but it is also very easy to open. When closed, your Ipad feels snug, protected, and solid. When open, there the screen is view is completely unobstructed. The case does add a bit more bulk and weight than Id like. Not too much but it is noticeable. I suppose these are the tradeoffs for extra protection.
The case is not leather but some type of lightly textured plastic/rubber. It has a nice feel not slippery but not sticky in any. It also resists smudges, dirt and dust, unlike the Apple case. Unlike the Apple case, dirt does not accumulate around the edges of the display. Because I dont use a screen protector, this is a major plus for me.
Display/Stand options. I guess whats magic about the magic case is its 3 plus different stand positions. When you open the case you pop out the bottom part of the Ipad and place it in one of the 3 grooves. Dont let the pop out phrase worry you too much. Your Ipad absolutely will not slip out of the case (I shook it over my bed to test the Ipad is not going anywhere). It is, however, a bit unnatural to pop out the case from the bottom. Its not hard or time consuming, but a tad awkward. I still have to think a second about it.
The three landscape angles (45, 75, and 90 degrees) work flawlessly. In the grooves, the Ipad will not fall over or slip out even if you push the Ipad around. (Its survived several episodes of air turbulence balanced precariously on a my seat tray.) Yet, you can also very easily move the cases between angles I like 45° for reading and light web surfing and 75° and 90° for viewing video depending on lighting and where Im sitting. Its really nice to use the 45° option to find the video on Nextflix and then quickly pop the screen to 75° to watch. For more extensive typing, such as note taking, you can turn the cover over to create an wedge just like Apples case. However, unlike Apple (and Yoobao v2), there is no flap to tuck the cover into. This doesnt seem to impact usability or stability but it does feel less solid than the other positions. A flap would be nice.
There are a few other things I didnt like. Theres no standing position for Portrait mode. Not a huge deal, but some apps do look better in landscape and it would be nice to have. Also, the cover will not turnover to lie flat. This can make holding the Ipad with one hand while standing or lying the Ipad flat on a table a bit awkward. Since I dont use the Ipad in these way often, this limit is not a big deal either. That being said, others may use the Ipads differently.
Durability. Only time will tell, but after a month of heavy use there does not seem to be any degradation.
Ive had my Yoobao v4 magic case for several weeks now and have taken it on (at-least) 3 business trips involving flights. Overall, I am extremely pleased and would highly recommend the case. There are some aspects I dont like, and depending on your need, they may impact your decision.
BTW, I have Apples case and I like that as well. However, Ive now switched to the magic case for several reasons. Here are the details:
Overall fit and feel. The case fits the Ipad like a glove. Your IPad will not fall out under circumstance. The cover closes easily but securely. The cover wont flap but it is also very easy to open. When closed, your Ipad feels snug, protected, and solid. When open, there the screen is view is completely unobstructed. The case does add a bit more bulk and weight than Id like. Not too much but it is noticeable. I suppose these are the tradeoffs for extra protection.
The case is not leather but some type of lightly textured plastic/rubber. It has a nice feel not slippery but not sticky in any. It also resists smudges, dirt and dust, unlike the Apple case. Unlike the Apple case, dirt does not accumulate around the edges of the display. Because I dont use a screen protector, this is a major plus for me.
Display/Stand options. I guess whats magic about the magic case is its 3 plus different stand positions. When you open the case you pop out the bottom part of the Ipad and place it in one of the 3 grooves. Dont let the pop out phrase worry you too much. Your Ipad absolutely will not slip out of the case (I shook it over my bed to test the Ipad is not going anywhere). It is, however, a bit unnatural to pop out the case from the bottom. Its not hard or time consuming, but a tad awkward. I still have to think a second about it.
The three landscape angles (45, 75, and 90 degrees) work flawlessly. In the grooves, the Ipad will not fall over or slip out even if you push the Ipad around. (Its survived several episodes of air turbulence balanced precariously on a my seat tray.) Yet, you can also very easily move the cases between angles I like 45° for reading and light web surfing and 75° and 90° for viewing video depending on lighting and where Im sitting. Its really nice to use the 45° option to find the video on Nextflix and then quickly pop the screen to 75° to watch. For more extensive typing, such as note taking, you can turn the cover over to create an wedge just like Apples case. However, unlike Apple (and Yoobao v2), there is no flap to tuck the cover into. This doesnt seem to impact usability or stability but it does feel less solid than the other positions. A flap would be nice.
There are a few other things I didnt like. Theres no standing position for Portrait mode. Not a huge deal, but some apps do look better in landscape and it would be nice to have. Also, the cover will not turnover to lie flat. This can make holding the Ipad with one hand while standing or lying the Ipad flat on a table a bit awkward. Since I dont use the Ipad in these way often, this limit is not a big deal either. That being said, others may use the Ipads differently.
Durability. Only time will tell, but after a month of heavy use there does not seem to be any degradation.
@ DNAppleGold
I feel slightly lazy with this short post after your excellent detailed review, but I feel like other readers need to know your review is not a one off.
I completely agree with everything you said. I and the wife both have the Magic Case (Not sure if it's classed as V3 or V4) but its the same case that you have reviewed and your review is spot on.
This case has made my iPad so much more useable with the different angles and providing adequate protection at the same time. Almost 1 month of heavy usage and no signs of wear and tear. I just hope it lasts as long as I have the iPad as I don't know of any other case that can even get close to this one.
I feel slightly lazy with this short post after your excellent detailed review, but I feel like other readers need to know your review is not a one off.
I completely agree with everything you said. I and the wife both have the Magic Case (Not sure if it's classed as V3 or V4) but its the same case that you have reviewed and your review is spot on.
This case has made my iPad so much more useable with the different angles and providing adequate protection at the same time. Almost 1 month of heavy usage and no signs of wear and tear. I just hope it lasts as long as I have the iPad as I don't know of any other case that can even get close to this one.
I agree completely on your assessment of the Magic Case. Another MR poster sent me some detailed question on which case I like and why...and to be honest, I have been so busy the last few days, I haven't been able to respond in detail.
You hit the nail on the head on all counts. I have the Yoobao Magic, as well as the Chinao and the Apple case, and at this point, there is no contest. The Yoobao wins out hands-down for me. While the way the case has to be popped out from the bottom when fitting into the grooves MAY seem counter-intuitive, for me the "grooves" are the best and most innovative solution to the need for various angles when in landscape mode. I can "put up" with the quirky, yet necessary way, the case has to be popped out from the bottom.
GREAT case and it fits like a glove. I even ordered a second one.
I concur with all of the above.
Yoobao's "Magic" case is such a smart design, I'm sure Apple are kicking themselves that they didn't come up with it. The fit, the finish, the feeling of solidity and protection, are all superior to anything else on the market at present. I keep abreast of all the case discussion here and elsewhere and there's still nothing I would trade my Yoobao for.
Yoobao's "Magic" case is such a smart design, I'm sure Apple are kicking themselves that they didn't come up with it. The fit, the finish, the feeling of solidity and protection, are all superior to anything else on the market at present. I keep abreast of all the case discussion here and elsewhere and there's still nothing I would trade my Yoobao for.
Wirelessly posted (iPhone: Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_0 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/532.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0.5 Mobile/8A293 Safari/6531.22.7)
I considered the magic case but the extra tabs around the iPad ruin it's clean lines IMO. I received the slim case yesterday. Pretty nice for $40. I have my doubts about it being leather but the fit and finish is excellent.
My only gripe is it takes twice as long to open it into the wedge position as the Apple case, and 5x as long to close because of the leather tab/loop.
I considered the magic case but the extra tabs around the iPad ruin it's clean lines IMO. I received the slim case yesterday. Pretty nice for $40. I have my doubts about it being leather but the fit and finish is excellent.
My only gripe is it takes twice as long to open it into the wedge position as the Apple case, and 5x as long to close because of the leather tab/loop.
Great pics - do you have a direct full on frontal shot? I want to see if the tabs on the corner stick out.
Also - does the front cover fold fully round the back for when you are holding it?
Also - does the front cover fold fully round the back for when you are holding it?
Sorry to be a pain but when I meant a full frontal shot I meant with the front flap closed. Would have helped if I specified that admittedly
No worries if you can't - but it would be great if you could. My concern is that when this is closed you will have four protruding bits at the corners peeking out from under the cover. If not then this case could be perfect!!
No worries if you can't - but it would be great if you could. My concern is that when this is closed you will have four protruding bits at the corners peeking out from under the cover. If not then this case could be perfect!!
Thanks for taking the trouble to post those pics. I appreciate it.
Great case design, spoiled aesthetically by the white stitching and conspicuous branding. One of the reasons I like my Yoobao "Magic" case so much is that it's all black, all the time, and unbranded.
(As an aside, I'll repeat my weekly whinge in this thread: WHY OH WHY can't one of these Chinese case makers simply reproduce the Apple case design in leather, with no additional changes or enhancements? Man, they'd sell them by the container load.)
Great case design, spoiled aesthetically by the white stitching and conspicuous branding. One of the reasons I like my Yoobao "Magic" case so much is that it's all black, all the time, and unbranded.
(As an aside, I'll repeat my weekly whinge in this thread: WHY OH WHY can't one of these Chinese case makers simply reproduce the Apple case design in leather, with no additional changes or enhancements? Man, they'd sell them by the container load.)
There already is one... the Chinao case is an exact reproduction of the Apple case in leather. It has the same deficiencies and flaws as the Apple case. As for selling a container-load, I doubt it...
I didn't think Kevikev had a leather version yet. I do remember he mentioned trying to get a version in leather though.
Negative. The Chinao case isn't leather, and has exactly the same aesthetic flaws as the the new Yoobao slim case: white stitching and conspicuous branding. And those spurious holes in the back.
I was thinking about posting pictures of mine but you covered them all with that.
To the poster asking about the corners sticking out - they do stick out. The leather comes to the beginning of the rubber corner and the corner sticks out from there.
I for one like the strap because it keeps the front flap from sticking up from all the bending that happens to that crease on the front.
To the poster asking about the corners sticking out - they do stick out. The leather comes to the beginning of the rubber corner and the corner sticks out from there.
I for one like the strap because it keeps the front flap from sticking up from all the bending that happens to that crease on the front.