Not surprisingly, the release of the third-generation iPad was followed by quite a few case re-releases, including many that are exceptionally similar to those we’ve previously covered. A majority of the updated cases are folios, designs that start with either a hard shell or soft frame to hold the tablet, with a flip-over cover attached to the frame. Most of these folios have a lot in common with one another, and range in price from $40 to a little over $60, with one notable outlier. In order to give you a sense of what’s out there now, we’re publishing brief reviews of over a dozen of these folios today.
iFrogz has updated its Summit, which was originally released for the iPad 2, with a new version for the third-generation iPad that sells for the same $60 price tag. Both models closely resemble SwitchEasy’s Canvas, using a fabric-coated hard plastic shell to hold the iPad, plus a cover that wraps around the top of the shell, while leaving some of the plastic showing.
The differences between Summit and Canvas are relatively minor. Here, the cover is made of faux leather. The new iPad fits securely in place, is well protected with edge-to-edge coverage, and magnets in the cover successfully lock and unlock the screen when the lid is lifted and closed. Ridges on the inside of the cover allow for three different viewing positions, although there’s no sturdy typing angle. This time around, iFrogz has added a stylus loop and business card holder, features some users may find useful. Ultimately, however, it’s pretty much the same case, and especially after seeing the improvements SwitchEasy made between generations of Canvas, the modestly tweaked Summit doesn’t feel like it’s worthy of a different rating. It continues to earn our general recommendation.
Our Rating
Company and Price
Company: ifrogz/Reminderband
Website: www.ifrogz.com
Model: Cocoon
Price: $60
Compatible: iPad (3rd-Gen)