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Beware of fake iPad Smart Covers for sale on Amazon

Erica Ogg — Tue, 20 Nov 2012 21:09:05 +0000

Something to keep in mind if you’re shopping for an iPad Smart Cover or Smart Case heading in to the holidays: not all of them are created equal, especially on Amazon.com. For many of us, Amazon is a natural place to order an iPad cover or case as a gift this holiday. But as dozens of complaints on the site show, many of the “Apple Smart Covers” or “Apple Smart Cases” for sale on Amazon are not actually sold by Apple and are not the genuine article.

As first pointed out by Frequent Business Traveler, many customers have been fooled into buying one of these through Amazon, believing they just bought an actual iPad case from Apple. And you can’t blame them, based on how the products are presented.

Amazon user “Forest” uploaded this image comparing the fake iPad cover he bought on Amazon to a real Apple iPad cover.

If you search Google for “Apple Smart Cover on Amazon” the first half dozen links (as of today) will take you to an Amazon page that labels these covers “by Apple.” But just below that — in far smaller print — you will read that the orders are sold by another company, often NC Apple Tree or Less Deals, and fulfilled by Amazon. That’s not normally cause for concern — third-party retailers sell other brands’ products to Amazon customers through its affiliate program all the time.

But reading the customer reviews from those who have purchased these covers shows something is amiss. There are several dozen negative reviews that are each a variation on this complaint: “is is a fake! it is not the real apple smart cover! i bought this and i turned out to be just some plastic with magnets on the side that didn’t even fit the iPad 2 and was just a replica.”

The same goes for some of the Smart Cases for sale (the kind that protect the entire iPad, not just the screen), which are fulfilled through Amazon by a company called FantaWare, that also lists the case as “by Apple.” Here’s a sample review from several weeks ago: “This looks sort of like an authentic Apple Smart Case but much thinner. I know because I have one I bought directly from Apple. It came in a box with a clear top, this one arrived in a plastic bag. The liner is also not as soft as the true Apple Product.” There are many more like it.

Here’s how the items are displayed by Amazon:

It specifically says it’s “by Apple,” with a link to a page full of real Apple products that Amazon sells, like iPods, iPhones, MacBooks and more. Only in the small print below “In Stock” does it say it’s sold by a third party.

Based on other feedback, some customers seem aware these are not real Apple Smart Covers and are fine with it. But it’s understandable why many would be confused over whether this was a legitimate Apple product and feel ripped off. Looking back through these reviews, it’s clear this has been going on for some time; some of the negative reviews date back to 2011. Obviously this is an important lesson in reading reviews before ordering something. But it’s also clear that Amazon needs to fix the way the products on its site are labeled.

Amazon didn’t respond to repeated requests for comment on this. I also tried to contact Apple to find out if they even sell real iPad Smart Cases or Covers on Amazon, but did not hear back. My own searches didn’t find any that appear to come direct from Apple.

It’s probably best to follow what an Amazon customer service representative told Jonathan Spira, who described his experience with this in the Frequent Business Traveler blog: “check out these items you wish to order from the Apple store directly to ensure their genuineness.”

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Video look at the useful $15 Blurex Nexus 7 case

Kevin C. Tofel — Fri, 24 Aug 2012 13:25:39 +0000

Earlier this week, I mentioned the Blurex Ultra Slim case for Nexus 7 tablets and my order arrived yesterday. After just a day with this case, I’m more than happy with the purchase. First of all, $15 is a steal for this case, even without the special features it offers. The case is $5 cheaper than Google’s own Nexus 7 case and it’s one is far more versatile. Take a look and see: Besides protecting the device, the magnets automatically wake or sleep the little slate.

Watch this video for free on GigaOM

For those looking just to protect their Nexus 7, Google’s own case is a solid choice. But I like consuming various bits of content on my small slate and I don’t always want to hold the device. That’s why I prefer a case like the Blurex model: I can prop up the Nexus 7 in three different angles to watch a movie, read a book or play a game. I’m still not sold on the hand-strap this case offers, but I don’t have to use it, so it’s not bothering me. All in all, this was $15 well spent to protect and enjoy my $249 Android tablet.

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The $15 magnetic Blurex Nexus 7 case trumps Google’s official $20 cover

Kevin C. Tofel — Mon, 20 Aug 2012 21:29:01 +0000

Since I take my Nexus 7 tablet everywhere I go, I decided to order a protective case. Luckily for me, the official $20 Nexus 7 case in the Google Play store was listed as “coming soon”; Google must be getting more of them produced. Why is that a good thing? I noticed a review on Gadgetell for the Blurex Ultra Slim Case for Nexus 7 and it looks far better for my needs. Even better: It’s only $14.99 and has more features.

The Blurex reminds me of the case I used previously with my Galaxy Tab. Scosche made that one for the Tab and I liked how it offered different viewing angles for the tablet. The Blurex case does the same: It angles the tablet based on which slot you tuck the cover into. That’s handy for using the Nexus 7 when I want to put it down to watch a movie or television show, for example.

That alone would be worth buying the Blurex, which is made from a synthetic leather outside and microfiber inside. But unlike Google’s own case, this one takes advantage of the auto-wake and sleep functions just like Apple’s Smart Cover for iPad. Some sleuthing with the Nexus 7 tablet revealed magnets for the feature, but Google isn’t yet using it in its own case. Leave it to a third-party case-maker to not only include the magnets, but to do so for $5 less than the official Nexus 7 case.

I’ve ordered my own Blurex Ultra Slim Case from Amazon and it should be here in a few days, so I’ll report back in. On paper, it looks like a winner for both me and my Nexus 7, but I’ll share some feedback after it arrives.

Update: My case is here and I have a video look at it available.

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Logitech pairs a smart cover and keyboard for Apple’s iPad

Kevin C. Tofel — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 14:43:44 +0000

Logitech introduced its newest iPad keyboard / cover combo on Wednesday and if you could imagine Apple designing such a product, this is what it would look like. The $99 accessory works with both Apple’s iPad 2 and the new iPad, pairing a smart case with Bluetooth keyboard. Logitech says if you use the keyboard for two hours per day, the batteries should last for six months.

I’ve never even entertained the thought of a keyboard accessory for my iPad, mainly because I don’t type long prose on it, but given the look and functionality the Ultrathin Keyboard Cover provides, I’m tempted to get one. I’d likely use the iPad more often as a result.

Aside from the Apple look-and-feel, Logitech made good use of the iPad’s internal magnets. Closing the case puts your iPad to sleep and of course, opening the case will wake your tablet. Magnetic hinges, similar to those on Apple’s own Smart Cover, keep the iPad attached to the case. For keyboard use, you simply place the iPad in a slotted grove above the keyboard’s top row of keys: A simple but elegant looking solution.

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Apple changes up iPad 2 Smart Covers

Darrell Etherington — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 13:41:49 +0000

The quieter-than-usual update to the MacBook Pro line wasn’t the only change on the Apple Store on Monday. Updates were also made to the iPad Smart Cover product section. The Smart Cover is Apple’s magnetic flap/stand accessory that protects the iPad 2′s display.

Of the changes made on Monday to the Smart Cover listings, the most noticeable is that Apple has dropped the orange Smart Cover entirely from its offerings and replaced it instead with a dark gray color option. Both the exiting orange design and the new dark gray version are polyurethane Smart Covers, not the more expensive Italian leather variety.

The polyurethane Smart Covers now also feature color-matched microfiber linings for each color option, including light gray, blue, green, pink and the new dark gray designs. Previously, color-matched interiors were limited to the leather Smart Covers.

On Apple’s main iPad site, the orange version still appears as of this writing, the polyurethane versions still all have the same gray microfiber lining, and the dark gray cover hasn’t yet been added, but the dark gray cover is listed as “In stock” and ready to ship on Apple’s online store.

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Evernote releases an app for your iPad’s Smart Cover

Darrell Etherington — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 20:16:50 +0000

In a clever twist, Evernote introduced a new app Wednesday that does something cool using not only the iPad 2, but also one of its constant companions. Evernote Peek works with the Apple iPad 2 Smart Cover, using the magnetic screen protector to hide information as well as your screen.

Peek is a question and answer app that’s designed to help people study and learn new things. It works like a series of flashcards, but with the help of the Smart Cover, it makes the process both easier and more fun. The app works by revealing a one line clue or question when you lift just the edge of the iPad Smart Cover. Once you lift the cover entirely, the answer is revealed. Close the cover and it advances to the next question automatically. Evernote ships a sample sushi quiz with the app, that gives you the English name of a type of fish, and then provides the Japanese name as the answer.

You can create your own quizzes based on your Evernote notebooks right from within the app (though you’ll need an Evernote account, of course), and you can also get additional content from StudyBlue, a company that partners with Evernote to bring notebook content to flashcard apps. Evernote recently announced it had hit the 10 million user mark, so there should be lots of people with notebooks ready to take advantage of Peek.

The app is free, and fun to use even if you’re not studying with any particular goal in mind, and the way it uses the Smart Cover is amazing. Making apps that use accessories and outside devices for core functionality is a big risk, but Apple pushes the Smart Cover very hard with the iPad 2, so it’s probably the best choice if you’re going to pick a secondary device to work with.

Anyone have any other ideas about how the Smart Cover might benefit from app integration?

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