Review: Apple’s new Smart Folio covers for 2018 iPad Pro—slim but pricey

Apple Smart Folio review

Older iPads had Smart Covers, but they don’t fit the new iPad Pro models introduced in 2018 so Apple has decided to come up with all-new slim covers for the pro tablet, called Smart Folios.

Apple Smart Folio review

This year’s iPad Pro models give you the choice between Apple’s Smart Keyboard Folio case, which we reviewed recently, and the Smart Folio covers that our resident video guy Harris Craycraft has taken a closer look at in the hands-on walkthrough video embedded below.

Yes, you can download Harris’s wallpaper if you like.

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Made of polyurethane, the new Smart Folio cases offer protection for both the front and back thanks to more than a hundred magnets placed strategically in these new iPad Pros and Smart Folios. The case attaches magnetically to the back of the tablet and provides open-to-wake and close-to-sleep functionality similar to the original Smart Cover.

Smart Folio covers for 2018 iPad Pro

The soft fabric on the inside protects your iPad screen whilst a three-fold design makes it easy to open and close the cover or use your tablet at a slight angle when typing. Like with Smart Covers, the Smart Folio case can also hold your iPad in an upright position at an angle suitable for watching video, conducting FaceTime calls and enjoying your photos.

The strong magnets prevent the case from falling off easily. You et protection for the iPad’s back, too—unlike with the original Smart Cover that protected the front but not the back. Too bad Smart Folios are significantly more expensive than their Smart Cover counterparts.

iPad Pro cases

Due to their size and more magnets in them than before, Smart Folios are bulkier and heavier than Smart Covers. They also attract fingerprints and dirt due to the material used (Apple currently doesn’t sell leather Smart Folios like it does for the 10.5-inch iPad Pro).

Pricing and availability

You can get a Smart Folio cover for your 2018 iPad Pro from such retailers as Amazon (11-inch version; 12.9-inch version), B&H (11-inch version, 12.9-inch version) and others, in addition to Apple itself (11-inch version; 12.9-inch version).

iPad Pro cases

Both sizes are available in White and Charcoal Gray but the 11-inch Folio comes in an additional Pink Sand finish. The 11-inch one costs $79 and the bigger 12.9-inch edition is $99.

Pricey or?

Are the new Smart Folio covers more practical than the original Smart Cover, do you think? And are they worth the rather steep asking price, in your personal opinion? Let us know by chiming in with your thoughts and observations in the comments section down below.