This Luxury Spanish Leather iPad Case Is As Practical As It Is Pretty
A luxury case that is actually practical
Case manufacturers are finally realizing that we don’t want to smother our skinny iPads inside fat, padded cases. And now even high-end, "luxury" accessory makers are offering slimline covers which are not only lovely to look at but also practical enough not to tear off the iPad and toss away in a fit of rage.
Today we take a look at Pielframa’s Smart Case, a rather hot take on Apple’s own Smart Cover.
As the name of the company suggests, the case is made in Spain, from leather. Unlike most leather folio-style cases, though, this one doesn’t look like the kind of thing a stockbroker would carry. Instead, it offers a form-fitting rear panel with cutouts for the camera and the speaker, married to a segmented, fold-back front panel which works just like a Smart Cover. Those segments are made from ABS to keep them light and to protect the screen, and there’s even a sleep/wake magnet in there somewhere.
The only thing I don’t like is the way the iPad is held in the case. Instead of grabbing the tablet’s edges, this iPad slides in and its bezel is mostly covered. This is a matter of taste more than anything. I admit I was originally put off this style when testing the first wave of ultra-fat folio cases for the original iPad, and this one looks a lot less bulky.
The other thing worth a mention is the price. €120 ($150) isn’t bad at all for such a nice leather case, but given that Apple changes up its designs on a yearly basis, you might have other thoughts. The Smart Case is available now in a rainbow of candy colors.
- Source Pielframa
- Thanks Daniel!
Charlie Sorrel sits in his gadget nerve-center in Barcelona, Spain, and spits out words about various weird plastic widgets while the sun shines outside his iCave. Previously found at Wired.com's Gadget Lab covering cameras, power cables and sneaking in as much Apple-centric coverage as he could, Charlie spends his rare moments outside perched atop a bicycle and snapping photos. You can follow him on Twitter via 
