Sena creates some of the best leather cases for the iPhone, and I felt intrigued to find out how these translated to a larger device such as the iPad. The Folio is a versatile case that incorporates some nifty features not possible on a smaller case. At the same time it breathes corporate boardroom, and maturity. The question I ask myself is not whether this is a quality design, but rather what is the target audience for the case?
The Folio is available in black, brown and red. The leather is excellent, soft and shiny. The iPad is inserted from the left, and is secured by a buttoned latch. Once inside it sits really well with a tight fit. The case encapsulates the iPad, and there is a rather thick border spanning the screen. This makes the case feel large, and the iPad feels somewhat smaller.
As far as protection goes this is as good as it gets for a leather case. Thick leather covers everything but the sync connector dock, speakers, volume controls, headphone jack and silent switch. The corners are also rather open, and this is probably the weakest point if the iPad is dropped. The thick front cover protects the screen, and if you want it to be even more protected you can make sure to fill up all the credit card slots inside.
There are four credit card slots where only the top of the card is shown, and one iD pocked where the entire card is seen through a plastic holder. A larger pocked is found below these, and here you can place folded papers or a passport. Of course the more you put in the more the case weighs, and bulges. I rather have a bag complimenting the iPad for these extra objects. Still if you are doing a presentation it is an excellent place to put your visit cards, and other small papers.
Speaking of presentation the Folio also acts as a video stand in landscape mode. By simply unbuttoning the latch on the front it extends a leg making it stable standing on a table. It is not stable on smaller surfaces, as the leg is only about 3 centimeters wide, and in need of support from the case itself. The design is clever, and if you didn’t know about this feature you wouldn’t find it yourself.
Back to my initial question regarding target audience. The iPad Folio is definitely a great case for anyone bringing his or her iPad to work as a tool. It actually helps the iPad from being viewed as an expensive toy, and instead enhances it as something with a definite place in a professional environment. It is not targeted towards the social gamer only using it at home, or the user reading/watching movies in bed. The front flap becomes rather annoying when you try to use it in bed. If you have filled it up with credit cards it also becomes unwieldy. For the hardcore gamer the case becomes heavy and wonky as well. This is especially evident when playing racing games. It is easy to take it off though if you are both using it at the office, and play games at home.
The Folio is an excellent case aimed at the professional. If President Obama looked for a case to complement his profession it would definitely be a suitable case. For the average Joe playing games on the crapper it is rather overkill. The design, and workmanship is top notch. The durability of other Sena products has been great, and the Folio will work for as long as there are iPads. And it is already prepared for a Face Time forward facing camera. This is a feature found in iPod Touch cases from Sena as well, and even though the forward facing camera hasn’t been announced yet I like to see a company planning ahead for the future.
Final Rating
iPad Folio at Senacases.com $99.99
