If you’re looking for a black leather case for your iPad 2 there is no shortage of choices both online and in stores.  Black leather seems to be the most popular finish when it comes to protective cases for the Apple tablet.  But what if you want something different?  Something more colorful?  It may sound stereotypical but my only guess is that there are more iPad than are men that women?  That’s not to say men don’t like colorful cases either.  If you’re a woman using an iPad or a man who wants something other than plain black leather on his iPad perhaps the ingear Smart Folio is for you.  Sure it comes in black but today we’ll be looking at a more vibrant version of the functional protective case.

Read on for the full review.The majority of this version of the Smart Folio is blue.  It’s made from authentic leather both on the inside and out.  It features a flap style closure which not only keeps the front cover shut but allows the case to be used in two different stand style positions (note the crease in the front flap of the case which is what allows the case to be used as a stand.)  The Smart Folio also utilizes the magnets built into the iPad 2 to put the screen to sleep or wake it up (a al the Apple Smart Cover.)

The leather used in the Smart Folio is soft yet feels durable.  It has a slight give to it which tells you it’ll do a decent job of protecting your iPad 2 once you place it inside and it feels smooth in the hand.

The interior of the Smart Folio features a dual color design.  On the left side you’ll find green leather while on the right blue.   The flap which secures the front cover closed is orange making for a really vibrant use of colors.

The flap is held closed via a tab located on the back of the case.  This tab also comes into play when it’s time to use the case in stand mode.

The iPad 2 is held inside the Smart Folio via the four corners.  The two two have an elastic tab which fits over the corner of the iPad 2 and holds it down in place.  While the bottom two are fixed.  To place the iPad 2 inside you simply start with the lower two tabs first then pull/stretch the top two over onto the bezel.

Once you’ve got the iPad 2 inside the Smart Folio and have secured all four corners what you’re left with is a very good fit.  The iPad 2 doesn’t feel as though it’s going to move or fall out yet the four tabs do not get in the way of using the iPad 2 in any way.

If you use a screen protector on your iPad 2′s screen you’ll have no issues with it and the four tabs interfering.  I did not experience any bubbling or lifting of my screen shield when using the Smart Folio.

The cut out for the iPad 2′s rear facing camera is perfectly cut out and once you have your iPad 2 placed straight inside the case the lens of the camera aligns to the cut out at center.

If you fold the Smart Folio’s cover all the way back and then tuck the flap inside the tab you’ll then be able to use your iPad 2 in two different stand angles.  You can choose to prop it up at a steep angle – best for viewing video or other media.

Or you can opt to lay it down flat which is best for typing and doing other swipe and tap intensive tasks.

The ingear Smart Folio has many of the features I look for in an iPad 2 case.  First, and perhaps most importantly, it works with the iPad 2′s magnets and allows you to wake the screen up and put it to sleep simply by opening the front cover.  Second, it allows you to prop up the iPad 2 in two different angles, one for viewing and one for working.  Finally, it’s made from quality materials and offers a look that’s different than the countless other black leather cases on the market.  If you dare to be different check out the ingear Smart Folio and step our from the crowd.

You can learn more about the ingear Smart Folio for the iPad 2 by visiting this page on the company’s web site.  If vibrant colors aren’t your thing but you’re still interested in it in black head here to check out the black version.

ingear is running a special promotion on their Facebook page.  If you “LIKE” them you can save 20% off your next purchase.

MSRP:  $59.99

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