Gadgetoid

gadg-et-oid [gaj-it-oid]

-adjective

1. having the characteristics or form of a gadget;
resembling a mechanical contrivance or device.

Mivizu Sense Leather iPad 2 Case

I haven’t exactly been keeping up with iPad 2 cases, a shame in light of the wealth of products I tried out for the original iPad. But I’m trying to remedy that slowly but surely.

The Mivizu Sense is a leather case for the iPad 2 which borrows heavily from Apple’s official case, sporting a folding cover complete with magnetic latch and a magnet to keep the iPad asleep when it’s curved.

What makes the Mivizu Sense better than the Apple offering, however, is in its all-round protection. Rather than magnetically attaching to the iPad, you slip your tablet inside and tuck in a clever little flap of leather to keep it neatly, but firmly, secured.

The rear of the Mivizu Sense is well protected, with an additional leather panel sewn over the top containing a small amount of padding. The net effect is a cushion for your iPad when it’s on a hard surface, and a soft-yielding place for your fingers to rest when you’re holding it.

Backing up the rear protection, the one-piece front has enough overhang to substantially protect the corners of the iPad 2.

On the down side, the leather cover flap doesn’t stay folded up or detach like that of the Apple offering, so it’ll either dangle freely or hang over your hands depending on which way up you hold your tablet. The magnets aren’t nearly as strong as those in the Apple case, either, so it won’t stay magnetically closed or hang from the fridge.

The cover can, however, be unfolded slightly to give a second, but less stable typing angle. Like the Apple iPad 2 case it will also serve as an upright stand, but it doesn’t work well in portrait mode.

In terms of build quality, the Mivizu Sense is spot on. It’s robust, fits beautifully, and has well positioned cutouts that take into account the tendency for the iPad to sit a little bit closer to the opening of the case until the leather has worn in.

The leather attaching the cover feels a bit flimsy and thin, but I don’t foresee this being a problem. Once the cover is folded up, it always provides a secure stand.

The Mivizu Sense is a good case, currently at a good price. The significantly lower price is plenty enough reason to consider this over Apple’s minimalist, but cool, leather options. Add the extra protection and you’ve got a great deal.

Folks in the US of A can pick up a Mizivu Sense for .95 from Amazon.com.

Thursday, June 16th, 2011, iPad 2.