First Look: iChic Gear Beijing, Manhattan + Oxford Cases for iPad 2

iChic Gear has released a series of new folio-style iPad 2 cases that have almost identical bodies; they’re differentiated from one another by their materials. Beijing ($49) is made of leather, and lined with Asian-patterned silk on the inside. The rear shell is plastic and the iPad 2 snaps right in. A long opening along the top provides access to the headphone port, microphone, and Sleep/Wake button, while there are more precise cutouts along the other edges for the other inputs and outputs. Beijing can transform into a stand by folding the front cover underneath and tucking it into a flap on the back. Manhattan ($49) looks the same from the outside, but rather than silk it is lined with red fabric. iChic Gear also produces a version of this case called Manhattan 360 that is very similar, but not identical, to Targus’s 360° Rotating Stand & Case. Finally, there’s Oxford ($49) — the only model that isn’t currently shown on the company’s website. Rather than leather, this one is covered in tweed. On one of the review models we received, there was a noticeable discoloration on the inner lining that appeared to be a stain from some sort of liquid. Each of the cases have magnetic locking capabilities built into the front cover.