We have another showcase showdown and this time for apple’s junior tablet, the iPad Mini. Three case manufacturers provided me with their latest cases for the Mini and we are going to see how each fares with my usage and preferences. The cases on the chopping block are in no particular order X-Doria’s Dash Folio, id America’s SmartFold, and last but not least Case Scenario’s Pantone Universe case. All three cases bring multiple viewing angles, auto sleep and wake, and similar black portfolio designs, so what I plan to do is see what separates the three and functionally works best to my liking, so let’s get it on!
First up we have the Dash Folio from X-Doria, sporting a black and gray appearance using multiple layers and an elastic strap when not in use. Fear not, even though it uses a band to hold shut, it still wakes when open and sleeps when closed. My devices easily snapped into the rubber case and had no problem with taking pictures or accessing the charge and headphone ports. What I particularly enjoyed most was the variety of viewing angles, as there are indents for the case to stop on from side to side and are a plenty, not this measly few speed bumps. Of the three cases, this was my prefered case visually, but felt a bit flimsy in comparison. X-Doria’s Dash Folio is available now for $39.99 in black or brown.
Next up we have id America’s version of the case and dubbed the SmartFold fold away cover, ours was the black, but the leatherette portfolio is also available in brown, gray, orange, red, and white. Of the three cases, the Smartfold was the bulkiest but also the best built and most professional looking. The cover both lays flat against the back but also folds into a triangle to hold upright and slightly propped up for easier typing, great for typing up reviews on the go. The Mini slides into the case and a flap folds into place, this was preferred over the other folios, but I would have preferred the magnets to also hold the flap against the back during use. The SmartFold is available now for $39.99 in a variety of colors.
Last but creatively not least is Case Scenario’s Pantone iPad Mini Bookcase, what is Pantone you say? Pantone is the common color language, and is a library of colors recognized globally. The case resembles a color swatch most commonly seen in paint and home improvement stores, and my case 19-4004 and the color is Tap Shoe or black. What I particularly liked about the case was was the subtle and creative design topped with it also being the most compact of the three. With two speed bumps on the cover, you get multiple viewing angles and because it is so compact, the flap lays almost completely flat against the back of the case. While this is another case that you slide the iPad into, Case Scenario did a great job at minimizing the borders and leaving the camera exposed for higher picture quality. Case Scenario’s Pantone iPad Mini Bookcase is available now in Tap Shoe (black) and Scarlet Sage (red) for the price of 49.99 Euros or currently 64.90 Dollars based on today’s conversion value.
