ID America’s SmartFold Case For iPad Mini Is Ideal For The Office [Review]

By

P1040005

The id America SmartFold is a leatherette folio case for the iPad mini which offers drop protection and a smart design that will fit in just nicely at your next board meeting. It protects your iPad mini from top to toe, with a reinforced back for impact absorption and a sturdy front cover that stays closed with magnets.

SmartFold by id America
Category: Cases
Works With: iPad mini
Price: $39.95

The SmartFold provides access to all of your iPad mini’s ports and buttons, and leaves its front- and rear-facing cameras exposed. Its front cover can be folded back into a stand for typing or watching movies, and it has a soft microfiber lining to prevent your device from getting scratched.

The SmartFold is available in black and white and it’s priced at $39.95. I’ve been using it for the past two weeks to find out if it’s any good.

The Good

The SmartFold is a good-looking case, and it’s ideal if you’re after something subtle and sophisticated that’s suitable for the office. It’s not made of real leather, which is a shame, but you can’t really tell, and in the two weeks I’ve been using it, it’s been just as strong and as reliable as my leather iPad cases.

Extra protection.
Extra protection.

The SmartFold has an extra strip of leatherette on its back to provide additional impact protection. It makes the case a little thicker, but it brings added piece of mind. There’s also a sturdy front cover that’ll protect your display in the event of a drop.

It has magnets inside it to keep it closed, and they’ll also activate your iPad mini’s automatic sleep/wake function—just like the official Smart Cover. The cover also folds back and acts as a stand for typing, or for watching movies, holding FaceTime calls, and more.

The stand provides a good angle for all of those things, and it’s plenty stable enough while standing, too. It would be nice if it elevated the iPad just a bit more while typing, but it is comfortable as it is—at least it was for me while replying to emails and drafting up posts.

The Bad

P1030996
The interior.

The SmartFold has a lip around its front edge, and as far as I can tell, it doesn’t need it. It makes the case feel bulkier than it needs to be, and it can be a little uncomfortable in your hands after long periods of use. I don’t know why it’s there, but I wish it wasn’t.

I’m also not overly keen on the extra padding on its back. I know it’s there for a good reason, but I think the case would be nice without it. That’s just a personal thing, though—I go for slimmer cases rather than more protective ones.

I also wish the SmartFold was made with real leather, but again, that’s not a massive downside, and it seems to be holding up very well as it is. It’s also cheaper than a real leather iPad case.

The Verdict

The SmartFold is worth checking out if you’re after a basic folio case that looks pretty good and keeps your iPad mini protected. It’s also well priced at under $40. But if you have the money to spend on a real leather iPad case—one that doesn’t have that odd lip around its front edge—I’d recommend doing that instead.

IDCB101WHT_onoff
Product Name: SmartFold
The Good: Smart, sturdy, strong, and protective.
The Bad: Not real leather, bulkier than it needs to be.
The Verdict: A good case for those who need something smart and subtle, with plenty of protection.
Buy from: id America

[rating=good]

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