Smart Cover

Review: the $10 iPad Pro Smart Case

Earlier today, I got my hands on the JETech Smart Case for iPad Pro. The JETech is an uber-cheap iPad Pro case offering that's currently available for purchase on Amazon.

As you're probably aware of, Apple hasn't produced an all-in-one Smart Case solution for the iPad Pro. Instead, users wanting full 360° coverage will need to opt for both a Smart Cover and a Silicone Case. That combination, while certainly premium feeling, also comes with a premium price at around $140 before tax. In contrast, I was able to pick up the JETech case for a hair under $10.

The JETech isn't perfect, but its exceptionally low price will tempt more than a few iPad Pro adopters. Of course, you do tend to get what you pay for, so should you even bother?

Yoobao’s Executive Smart Cover for iPad Air 2 has an elegant look

When stepping out with your iPad Air 2, you may want to go natural and show off the beautiful design that Apple is known for. Or, you may want to protect your investment while still keeping a classy look.

Yoobao makes a genuine leather Executive Smart Cover for the iPad Air 2 that protects and looks good. Its thin design and soft leather look will make you feel like a CEO, even if you are a barista.

Apple introduces new Smart Covers and Smart Cases for iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 3

Following today's announcements, Apple has refreshed its Smart Cover and Smart Case accessories for iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 3. The Smart Covers are made of polyurethane and come in seven vibrant colors, while the Smart Cases have a leather construction and are available in five neutral colors.

Designed to fit the 6.1mm form factor of the iPad Air 2, Apple is selling its Smart Covers and Smart Cases at $39 and $79 respectively, with the iPad mini 3's versions being $39 and $69 respectively – the iPad mini 3's leather Smart Case coming in as $10 cheaper than its Air 2 counterpart.

Apple could also launch new iPad mini and Smart Covers with new colors this Thursday

Rumors of a third-generation iPad mini arriving in 2015 (ahead of another rumored device, a 12.9-inch iPad Pro) rather than alongside the iPad Air 2 as previously suspected may have been greatly exaggerated after all, according to the fairly accurate Japanese blog MacOtakara [Google Translate] which today asserted that the Cupertino firm is in fact going to refresh the smaller device alongside its bigger sibling at this Thursday's press conference.

The event should unsurprisingly see the addition of new colors to Apple's Smart Cover case lineup, said to receive a tweaked design to accommodate the changes in the iPad's form factor.

The SmartStyle case gives a notebook feel to your iPad Air

X-Doria is a relatively new comer to the Apple accessory arena. While they have been around for a couple years, they are still making a name for themselves. One of their key product features is a puffing ink that raises as it is heated in the production process. Almost any design you see in their product lineup, utilizes the 3D puffing ink, making it standout among other simply screen-printed competitors. The ink provides tactile feedback, offering an easier to handle case and a good looking stark color pattern.

The SmartStyle Patterns for iPad Air gets its name from the stylized printed patter and the Smart Cover technology. Using exactly placed magnets, SmartStyle behaves similarly to an Apple Smart Cover, waking or sleeping iPad as the cover is either opened or closed.

Apple could announce Surface style iPad keyboard cover tomorrow

A sketchy video recently asserted Apple's Smart Cover for iPad has undergone a redesign that may launch Tuesday alongside new iPads. Suspiciously, we've seen no credible leak whatsoever to support the thesis. Though Apple's filed for a number of iPad keyboard cover patents, it's unclear in what direction it might take the Smart Cover come tomorrow.

If you ask a former Apple engineer, however, the company is seeking to address the success Microsoft has seen with Touch Type covers for the Surface by releasing its own Surface-inspired keyboard case for the new iPads that will incorporate a physical QWERTY keyboard and a bunch of other functions...

Leaked vid purports to show iPad 5 Smart Covers

It's been a while since we heard anything newsworthy concerning Apple's upcoming fifth-generation iPad, apart from a supposed Space Grey backplate from yesterday. YouTube user Unbox Therapy today posted a video which allegedly shows off Smart Covers for the iPad 5 in a bunch of vivid colors.

It looks pretty legit and while I can't vouch for its veracity, I've decided to post it here for the sake of discussion. There are a few noteworthy observations to be gleaned from watching the clip so check it out after the break and meet us in comments...

Good deal: 25% off Smarter Stand for iPad

Folks in search of a fun new iPad accessory, or an early Father's Day/graduation present, should check out this sweet little deal going on over Stack Social. The deal site has the Smarter Stand clips for iPad on sale right now for under $15.

As you may recall, we mentioned the Smarter Stand in passing last fall when the Kickstarter project went viral and exceeded its funding goal by nearly $150,000. Backers were enamored with the product, and now you can be too, at a nice discount...

14-year-old discovers iPads can be dangerous to heart patients

As Apple has proven in its TV ads, you can use a number of words to describe its products. But I imagine it never thought that one of those words would be "dangerous." According to new research, though, that's exactly what the iPad is for certain heart patients.

A 14 year-old has discovered that the tiny magnets inside Apple's tablet, used for Smart Covers, can inadvertently shut off a heart patient's implanted defibrillator–a battery-powered electrical impulse generator— if near their chest for an extended period of time...

Jony Ive envisions mail window, media controls and more for iPad’s Smart Cover

Who thought Apple's Smart Cover, first designed to simply protect the iPad screen without adding too much bulk to the device's form factor, would grow to become another platform for the firm's design guru, Jony Ive? A new patent application which identifies Ive as one of the inventors suggests the Smart Cover could become a mini screen, displaying new email and controlling music playback, among other possibilities.

In a patent filing published earlier this week by the United States Patent and Trademark Office, Apple includes a redesigned Smart Cover which includes buttons to control your iTunes playback, along with a window where you can quickly check new e-mails or incoming texts...

iPad 5 could charge via inductive Smart Cover, patent hints

Apple seems to be working on a way to simplify the chore or recharging all of your iDevices. A new patent granted to the iPad and iPhone maker describes a Smart Cover that also recharges the device using induction. The patent, entitled "Integrated inductive charging in protective cover", brings the convenience of a charging mat to the Smart Cover now used to protect your iPad screen.

Meanwhile, the inductive technology could eliminate the tangle of wires now required to keep your iPhone, iPad, iPod and whatever other devices Apple has in the pipeline charged...

Apple accessories coming to Staples U.S. retail stores by end of March

Staple, a U.S.-based office supply chain store, has been selling Apple products in Canada and internationally for quite some time now. Last week, their web store began offering a bunch of Apple accessories, including Apple's own stuff as well as third-party products for the iPad, iPod, iPhone and Mac. It was their first such U.S. deal with Apple.

Today, we learn the Framingham, Massachusetts retailer will also start carrying Apple accessories in its brick-and-mortar stores later this month. The retailer has over 2,000 stores worldwide in 26 countries, with 1,886 outlets in North America and Canada so this partnership effectively widens Apple's distribution footprint nationwide...