It might not be an issue for you, but some users who have purchased new iPads have found that the magnets of their existing cases won’t turn the display on and off. This doesn’t just go for third-parties, either: even some old Smart Covers won’t turn the screen off.
What the heck’s going on? As it turns out, there’s a small change in the way the new iPad that only applies to magnetic cases: polarity now counts.
As it turns out, the new iPad’s Smart Cover wakeup isn’t just based on whether or not a magnet is in the proximity of the sensor, but on that magnet’s polarity. In other words, which direction the magnet is facing.
Most Smart Covers are fine, but some of the first batches of Smart Covers apparently have this problem. In addition, many third party cases also have issues, with some case makers now offering replacements.
So there you go. If your Smart Cover doesn’t work with the new iPad, it’s disappointing, but at least now you know. And knowing is half the battle.
[via The Verge]
John Brownlee is a writer for Fast Company, and a contributing writer here at CoM. He has also written for Wired, Playboy, Boing Boing, Popular Mechanics, VentureBeat, and Gizmodo. He lives in Boston with his wife and two parakeets. You can follow him here on Twitter.
