One of the quieter new product releases this week from Apple is the new iPad Smart Case. It’s a sort of extension of the iPad Smart Cover – offering protection for the front, back and sides of the iPad.

It was released on Monday afternoon and I picked one up at my local Apple Store first thing Tuesday morning.

Notes

The new iPad Smart Case is made of polyurethane and comes in a range of six colors – light gray, dark gray, blue, green, pink, and red.

The case’s interior is a soft, color-matched microfiber lining that should help a little in keeping the iPad screen clean.

It’s priced at $49, is compatible with the iPad 2 and new iPad 3, and can be personalized with laser engraving for free.

 

Highlights

– The case is smart looking. I don’t find the polyurethane smart covers as nice looking (or feeling) as the leather versions but these are attractive enough. I got the dark gray model and I’m happy with the look of it.

– The coverage of the back and sides of the iPad is complete – with the only openings being for the dock connector port, the screen lock switch, the camera, and the headphone jack. This is not a rugged case like an Otterbox but it provides a basic level of full-body protection for the iPad.

– All the buttons and ports are still accessible and usable while in the case. The Power/Sleep/Wake button and the Volume up and down buttons are actually covered by the case but it’s designed so they can be used easily with extra rubber buttons over them and they work well. Even the camera works as long as you fold the front cover when using it.

– The back of the case sports an Apple logo – so you won’t miss it by covering up the aluminum back of the iPad.

– It’s relatively easy to get the iPad into the case, and the iPad feels very secure in the case.You slot the iPad into the holder at the corners and then just pull the rubber of the case over it on each side.

– In much the same way as Apple’s case for the original iPad, the iPad Smart Case works as a stand in a viewing mode and typing mode. The typing mode works quite nicely.

– The case adds some bulk and weight to the iPad of course, but it’s fairly minimal and still feels more than comfortable to carry around and when using the iPad. I’ve currently got two iPad 3s – so I took a quick shot of one with just a smart cover stacked on top of the other with the new iPad Smart Case:

Lowlights

– I find it a little less easy to open the smart cover when using this case. It’s not as instant an action as it is with just a smart cover – though perhaps I’ll get more used it and more adept at this as I spend more time using the case.

Overall

If you enjoy using an iPad smart cover but also want some protection for the back and sides of the iPad, the new iPad Smart Case is quite a nice solution. It’s also nicely priced for an Apple accessory and in comparison to some of the other similar 3rd party cases of this type.

You can check these out at a local Apple retail store or see details and place an order at Apple’s online store page for the iPad Smart Case.

Disclosure: This accessory was independently purchased by the post author. For information on our review policies please see our About page.