Smart Cover for iPad: Simple. Xiaomi smart cover mode: what is it? Original Smart Cover

- an ambiguous product. Someone considers it a genius, someone useless (since it does not protect the back of the iPad). However, the fact that this product came out original and in demand has not been canceled. This article is highly recommended before purchasing an iPad ...

The other day I made a very interesting tour of our local computer supermarket (5 floors of computers, equipment and accessories), where I looked at dozens of different cases. No, I chose the cover not for myself, but for a friend. I saw so many fakes under Smart Cover that I was simply amazed at the choice. Therefore, in the article I will talk about them as well.

Original Smart Cover

This is how the entire available repertoire of Smart Cover colors looks roughly:

Apple has an excellent page on their website that outlines the benefits of Smart Cover. The value of this page is that you can try on any color Smart Cover on your iPad and play with it virtually.

The best way to understand how Smart Cover works is the following video from Apple:

I once bought a green Smart Cover - six months have passed, it's time to share my impressions. Moreover, both the minuses and the pluses were revealed.

Smart Cover can hold iPad even on very uneven surfaces. On a soft bed, on a crooked chair, on a sofa - everywhere the iPad stands very stable with the Smart Cover.

Yes - the screen gets dirty on its own, but there are stripes from Smart Cover too - no one can cancel this fact. However, they can be easily wiped off with a special soft cloth.

The inner surface of the Smart Cover is covered with microfiber, which is supposed to protect the surface of the Smart Cover from dust and dirt. As for full protection, I would not stutter - anyway, some dust remains (I had the opportunity to compare iPad 1 without a case and iPad 2 with Smart Cover).

But the fact that the inner surface gets dirty is a must. The photo shows that the surface becomes much darker after a few months of use.

However, the inner surface of the Smart Cover survived the jam on it. I wiped it off with a barely dampened cloth and there were practically no traces left. But getting a drop of ink from a ballpoint pen was deplorable - I still could not wipe off the speck.

The outer surface gets dirty, but it is also rubbed off well from dust and dirt. Here is a photo of the Smart Cover surface after six months of intensive use. Polyurethane cover.

Does Smart Cover scratch the iPad itself? I tend to think that it all depends on the circumstances and accuracy of use. I take off and put on the Smart Cover 5-7 times a day (the position obliges), but there are no scratches on the iPad itself. Someone, judging by the reviews, manages to put them. But at the places of fastening of the Smart Cover itself, scuffs are very visible:

Another disadvantage of Smart Cover is that it significantly adds weight to the iPad, although it weighs a little by itself. That is, in practice, this translates into the fact that playing arcades, shooters, races on the iPad 2 is easier for me personally without Smart Cover. And taking photos and videos is easier without it. On the other hand, the ability to remove the cover in a second is a huge plus. :)

The comfortable position of Smart Cover in certain games and when shooting can be recognized as in the photo below

Counterfeits Smart Cover

Well, for starters, an entertaining story, a little off topic:

A Russian tourist comes to the left store with a name like “we sell everything” and asks the Thais in Russian:

- Is it Apple?

A Thai girl, accustomed to the unceremonious attitude of Russians and their unwillingness to speak English, answers them in Russian:

The Russian scratched his turnip and says:

- And how much does iPad 32 gigabyte with 3G cost you?

Taika shows the correct price on the calculator. The curtain…

Then we learned that this girl is learning Russian from the applications on the iPhone, which she demonstrated to us. Well, then we started testing covers in her shop.

I will say right away that if you buy Smart Cover abroad (and in Russia as well), then you should understand that there is a chance you will stumble upon a fake. Or you can just buy a cover that will be called something like Smart Cover Max or Smart Cover plus.

Counterfeits can be roughly divided into three types:

1. Counterfeits that simply have the Smart Cover name. It is easy to distinguish. It is often a case in general, with one side vaguely reminiscent of a Smart Cover. Often such cases have a back cover and a front cover can peel off, as it is held by glue (we have seen several such options). The price is about $ 30-50.

2. Well-made cases and there are even magnets like the Smart Cover, only this is far from a Smart Cover - we tested the magnets by lifting the tablet horizontally to the ground. The cover opened - the magnets are very weak. Prices are 25-50 dollars.

3. Almost a copy of Smart Cover, it is difficult to distinguish from the original. There is even a suspicion that this is the original. :) Maybe some pirate party from China? The price for such a Smart Cover is about $ 20-25.

It should be remembered that a fake can sometimes be better than the original and you may be lucky, but the quality of most of them did not please us very much.

FAQ:

Should I buy Smart Cover for iPad 2?

I think that Smart Cover is a good choice when buying an iPad. It is not worth doing this only if you have definitely decided on buying another cover.

Remember: Smart Cover is above all a convenient protection for your screen. You will have to take care of protecting the back of the iPad yourself. From experience I can say that with careful intensive use of the iPad it is difficult to scratch it, but everyone has their own experience.

After reading reviews about Smart Cover, you can see that some people are disappointed with the low security that the cover provides. It seems to me that this is a matter of high expectations.

Therefore, buying a cover or Smart Cover is a matter of personal preference. The general advice is this: if you need security, choose a case more seriously, if functionality and style, then Smart Cover. Although in terms of functionality, individual covers can compete with Smart Cover.

Now I have an average option - I use Smart Cover at home (when I play, I take it off), and for the road I have a separate closed case-bag for iPad.

Which Smart Cover to choose: leather or polyurethane?

• Well, you can decide on the color yourself. However, I draw attention to the bad reviews of the cream-colored leather cover. Many complaints about a heavily soiled surface. No, they all get dirty, but this color seems to get the most dirty.

• Polyurethane covers have brighter colors than leather covers.

• The price of a leather Smart Cover is almost twice as high - also an important factor.

They do not differ in functionality. We chose a polyurethane cover and were not disappointed.

Launched with the launch of the iPad 2, Smart Cover is now a faithful companion to all new Apple tablets. The accessory not only protects the device screen from damage, but also serves as a convenient stand for it.

More than 5 years after the release of the "smart" cover, Cupertino decided to finally release it, which will satisfy all the needs of the modern user. This theory is supported by a recently published patent, which very clearly describes multifunctional protection for tablets, the potential of which can be developed indefinitely.

Colleagues from the foreign AppleInsider often find interesting patents of the California company Apple. A patent titled "A visual notification system built into a device accessory" describes a method by which a smart iPad can become even smarter. The new Smart Cover should help him in this.

One of the arguments for the advancement of Android is that Google-based devices have been using wireless charging for a long time. And if you are already desperate to wait for the appearance of a similar solution from Apple, then some information on this matter nevertheless appeared. And as usual, the friends decided to go their own way again.

On the same day that Apple showed the world the second generation iPad, a new cover case was also presented -. It is a leather or polyurethane cover that attaches to the aluminum case of the iPad using magnets and acts as not only a screen protector, but also a stand. It was also expected that a smaller Smart Cover was presented along with the iPad mini.

While buyers who pre-order the new iPad mini are still waiting for the courier to ring the doorbell, Smart Covers for the new gadget have already begun arriving at early adopters. If you still do not know what this accessory looks like for a smaller version of the tablet, we suggest you take a look at the published photos.

Today we will consider one very unusual question, which is quite often asked by users of smartphones and tablets from Xiaomi: what does the item "Smart Cover Mode", which is in the settings, mean? The answer is simple.

This is how this item looks on the screen of a Xiaomi smartphone or tablet:

It's actually pretty simple. You may have heard of the so-called “smart” cases for mobile devices. They are in the form of a book, when in order to access the screen, the cover needs to be opened - just like a book. Here's an example of a case:

These smart cases have built-in magnets. In turn, a smartphone or tablet has a special magnetic sensor located under the glass. When you open the "smart" cover, the display of the device is automatically unlocked, which is very convenient.

So, returning to our item "Smart cover mode", which you can find in devices from Xiaomi, we inform you that this function activates the "smart" cover. What does it mean? If you enable this function, then when using the smart case, the desktop will be automatically unlocked when the case is opened. If you deactivate the function, you will have to unlock the device yourself when you open the case. Actually, that's the whole answer.

Apple knows how to make not only unique gadgets, but also accessories for them. Think back to the original iPad Case. It would seem a simple cover, but they added one bend, a small hook and here's a stand. At the same time, high-quality technological material was used, which is easy to wipe, and is pleasant to the touch, and looks great. And the Bumper for iPhone 4 couldn't be easier: a rubberized bezel. But after all, it was made perfectly and there were no analogues before it.

With the release of the iPad 2, Apple has surpassed itself in the accessories arena. iPad Smart Cover is something. Do not consider me too impressionable person or insane "apple". You just need to take and touch this miracle, experience it, examine it from all sides and you will understand me. In the meantime, let me tell you about your impressions of this extraordinary accessory.

Apple has always been famous for high-quality and efficient packaging of devices and the company has not deviated from its canons in this case. iPad Smart Cover is packed in a hard case, otherwise it is not called, made of very high quality cardboard with cool printing. Top cover-plaid is covered with transparent plastic. The accessory is removed in a rather unusual way: you need to remove the protective sticker from the back side, which will make it possible to lift the plastic cover and get the Smart Cover.

I got my hands on a gray polyurethane model, the one that officially costs $ 39. The outer coating is very pleasant to the touch and resembles the original iPad Case - the same feeling of a rubberized Soft-touch surface.

The case weighs a little, up to hundreds of grams - it does not increase the tablet's weight especially much. The accessory evokes the feeling of a solid and reliable thing, as well as something very technological. This is probably due to the presence of aluminum in the design and how the blanket is attached to the tablet, but more on that later. In the meantime, I want to tell you about the unusual effect of changing the shade of the accessory. This depends on the ambient light, its type (incandescent light bulbs, bright sunlight, cloudy day, etc.) and intensity. The cover can be light gray, almost white, it can become darker, the shade changes from pale beige to turquoise - very unusual. Another funny phenomenon can be observed when you stand next to a window in daylight and look at the Smart Cover from different sides or just move it from side to side: the angle of incidence of light changes and it seems that the accessory becomes either flat or voluminous section. All these experiments, of course, are childish, but after all, many of us remain children at heart, otherwise life becomes gray and boring.

Now about the design. It is simple, reliable and brilliant. All the magical effect of automatic alignment of the case on the tablet and its instant attachment is achieved thanks to a couple of dozen magnets in the accessory itself and in the tablet. There is also a freely rotating aluminum hinge and a pair of aluminum holders.

To secure the blanket cover, just bring the aluminum hinge to the left side of the iPad 2 - click and you're done. Removing it is also very easy by pulling one edge to the side. At the same time, the cover holds securely and even holds the tablet in weight.

The inside of the Smart Cover is finished in microfiber, but it is not just a piece of matching fabric glued on. The cover is perceived as a whole. There is no feeling that it is assembled from several layers. Microfiber perfectly removes dust and fingerprints from the display, but only when it is used cloth. Smart Cover can also create a similar effect if you move it well over the screen, but it is usually rigidly fixed, so it doesn't clean the screen very much, but it protects well.

And the accessory is very thin, it practically does not increase the dimensions of the tablet!

But Smart Cover not only acts as a protective cover on the screen. It is also an extremely comfortable stand. You can use it for printing, and in this position it is very good to read when the tablet is on the table and the user is drinking tea or coffee with snacks.

In addition, it is enough to turn the whole structure over and you get a stand for using the tablet as a photo frame or a small TV. In this position, by the way, the tablet is more stable than the first generation iPad in its own branded case.

The Smart Cover folds into stand mode easily and can be done with one hand. When folded, it is held in place by magnets. Also, when unfolded, the cover protects the back of the tablet when it lies on a table or any other surface. It can be easily thrown back. Of course, it is difficult to accidentally scratch unpainted aluminum, but it is possible. And the plastic apple, behind which the Wi-Fi antenna is hidden, is generally easily covered with scratches. Although, when thrown back, the cover extends beyond the tablet and in this state, for example, while reading or surfing the web, lying belly up on the couch, it is not very convenient to hold it.

If you wish, you can fold the cover in half - it is easily magnetised and held, and the tablet's grip improves. In principle, taking it off is a matter of seconds, so there will be no problems in any case. During an active test of Smart Cover, I remembered the pain with which the first iPad was removed from its own case. But, what is most interesting, the personal iPad Case withstood at least a dozen of such operations with honor and did not suffer or stretch at all, and this despite the fact that not the most slippery SGP Incredible Shield was glued to the back of the tablet.

It is impossible not to mention such a feature of Smart Cover as automatically putting the iPad 2 to sleep when the cover is lowered onto the screen and exiting from it if it rises. It would seem a trifle, but a damn convenient trifle. This is realized with the help of an additional sensor in the tablet and the effect of electromagnetic induction.

It is worth noting that the gray color for Smart Cover is quite versatile. It fits well with a white tablet and looks good on black, contrasting with the bezel and matching the silver back. For my personal use, I bought a gray polyurethane model. (It's funny, there is no tablet yet, but there is already a case for it.)

By the way, about buying Smart Cover. Now there is a great excitement on the iPad 2 and on branded accessories to it. Accordingly, prices skyrocketed. Many merchants demand three or even four real prices for a fashionable case and people are willing to pay, otherwise there would be no such offers. I used the eBay buy option. Even taking into account the rather expensive delivery (about $ 40) and a small markup from the seller, it will still cost less than buying at home retail. And if you order several covers at once, then the delivery of each additional unit will cost four times cheaper. Accordingly, you can cooperate with friends and order several Smart Covers at once - it will be even more profitable. I personally received an order from the USA to Ukraine in a week, and the courier delivered the coveted envelope to my home - conveniently.

There are also variants of Smart Cover made of leather, which officially cost $ 20 more than polyurethane counterparts and differ in color. Such a blanket cover looks rich and cool, but I somehow prefer the gray polyurethane version. Maybe because there is still a black Belkin leather sleeve, bought in due time for the first iPad and perfect for the second. Inside, it is trimmed with a gray soft fabric - the color is cool to match the gray cover, with which the new tablet should easily fit into it.

Why do you need a Smart Cover if you already have a cover? Firstly, this accessory is just awesome. As a good friend of mine puts it, if you don't want an iPad 2, then you definitely want Smart Cover. Secondly, it is an extremely convenient stand and only for the sake of such a function it can be purchased.
I don't know who in Apple came up with Smart Cover - Jonathan Ive or a designer unknown to the public, but this person is a genius, and as long as such geniuses work in the company, it will continue to amaze with its bold solutions and offer people a small technological miracle every year. This is why we love Apple.

Apple has long been coming up with not only new products and services, but also accessories, additions for these very products. Moreover, here, as in the case of goods or services, it seems that everything has already been invented, but some little thing is added, or it is not added, but on the contrary, it is diminished, and something new appears before us. Thought-out utterly.

We can now recall iPod Socks, cloth covers for Apple players that have become very popular - these covers were used, of course, not only with players, but with anything. I have a friend who wears Vertu in his "sock". What? Handsomely.

Only not very functional. But it doesn't really matter. For the iPhone 4, a so-called "bumper" was invented, now this type of cover is becoming more and more popular, there are a lot of proposals for other devices. You should have seen how many accessories there are for the Samsung Galaxy S, I have seen, among other things, “bumpers” of different colors made of silicone.

There were many accessories for the original iPad, on our site you will find reviews of these devices.

For the iPad, there was also an adapter that allowed you to connect the device to a monitor. The set of accessories is great, there is nothing to complain about.

A new product category called Smart Cover has been invented for the updated iPad. Interestingly, if you type Smart Cover into Google, the first link will be Smartcover.com, about cosmetics and more. As if there were no patent wars. Although, for Apple, these are all seeds.

Two types of covers, leather and polyurethane. Rather, on the one hand, one of these materials, on the other microfiber. On the side there is an aluminum bar with magnets. There are also magnets on the iPad 2 case, on one side for attaching plus one to the left of the display, when the case closes it, it goes into sleep mode. Open the cover, iPad wakes up, close it - falls asleep. Something similar can be found in the Spark BlackBerry plus an original case (this is true for almost all models), only in a slightly different way. For example, this or that call mode is activated in the case.

The materials of the covers leave a pleasant impression, especially for leather models, here there is only one opinion - we must take.

Fastening takes place in seconds, attaching the cover incorrectly simply will not work. Apple loves magnets, just remember MagSafe, which is present in every laptop of the company. If you don't know, this is a very handy thing - you can pull the plug out of the socket without looking and insert it into place. Plus, if you suddenly jerk the laptop, the plug will easily disconnect and there will be no harm (to anyone). I've been using MacBooks of all stripes for four years now, and more than once MafSafe has saved me a lot.

The cover sits in place like a glove, if you remember the original case for the first iPad, then it's just heaven and earth. There, if you remember, it was necessary to hammer the gadget almost with a creak. The black polyvinyl chloride cover was covered with an incomprehensible white coating, but practically did not increase the size of the device.

It's even more interesting with Smart Cover, because there is no question of increasing the size at all. The cover consists of segments, due to which the accessory fits snugly to the display. The photographs clearly show that the thickness practically does not change with the cover and this is just wonderful. Plus, of course, there is an image effect - with a cover the iPad 2 takes on a completely different look.

I’ll quickly tell you about the white iPad 2. Actually, the color of the display bezel has changed and, oddly enough, even a certain feeling of "sonistyle" has appeared. Nice and, in my opinion, this is a real gift for girls.

Smart Cover can also be used as a stand, the segments fold into a triangle, and you can set the device as a photo frame or place it horizontally for use, for example, a virtual keyboard. With the proper skill, it is suitable for typing small texts, for example, you can safely reply to mail or write on Twitter.

A simple cover has one more purpose, it is cleaning the display from traces, and they, of course, appear constantly. Unfortunately, it does not cope with this task very well. Obviously not a miracle rag. But there is some effect.

A simple accessory, but just think of the hard work behind it. Smart Cover in polyurethane costs $ 39, leather - $ 69. It is clear that the company earns a lot on the accessory, but the thing turned out to be good. The cover is small, easily attaches to the device, serves as a stand, puts it into sleep mode, cleans up the display, there is an image effect - finally, it's just a beautiful and solid thing. There is an opportunity to choose one of several colors, polyurethane covers are bright, they look interesting live.

For manufacturers of accessories, this is a kind of hint in which direction to move. The presence of magnets on the iPad 2 can be an impetus for creating the most unusual things. The first iPad has already been turned into a laptop, built into cars, turned into a smart home control center and a DJ console. The second iPad is waiting for the transformation even more interesting.

There is one oddity and one major drawback to Smart Cover. Look, the cover protects the iPad 2 display. But the gadget has an aluminum "back" and it is more prone to scratches. The first iPad in use has a couple of scratches on the back. Probably caught in the bag with something. IPad 2 will have the same trouble if handled carelessly, and this is where Smart Cover will not help. The display is hard to scratch, the aluminum on the back is easy. This means that the zealous owner of the gadget will have to look at other solutions. In this case, Smart Cover will probably still be bought.

Sergey Kuzmin ()