Customer Reviews

ForeFront Cases® New iPad Mini Leather Case Cover / Stand For New APPLE IPAD MINI / New Generation iPad mini with Magnetic Auto Sleep Wake Function (BLACK)

Length:: 1:46 Mins



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Initially I was quite skeptical when I received this item, because when it is brand new the support/stand system doesn't work that well.

Indeed, I was initially very tempted to log on to Amazon and give this case 1 star, as the primary reason I was interested in it was because of the ability to have a better viewing angle when watching movies, and at first it didn't appear that this did that.

However, I held fire, because I thought that maybe the folds in the case just needed to be bent a little more.

Having done that and waited a little while to check that was in fact the case, I am pleased to report that the two stand settings do in fact now work.

You may need to bend the folds on the front of the case a few times to make them work properly and get a proper grip on the case. So do that when you first get it and the stands should work fine.

The case itself is rather attractive and the ipad mini fits very snugly into it, so there is no real sense in which it adds greatly to the slim features and light weight of the ipad mini, which are two of its primary selling points.

I weighed the case on my digital scale and it weighs 105 grams. The ipad mini itself weighs 312 grams. So together the two weigh 417 grams which is not at all heavy.

I like the fact that the volume buttons (and indeed all the buttons) have cutouts from the case, so that none of the functionality of the item are affected. And can confirm that these are all in the right places and dimensions, so that for example the camera on the back of the case still works fine while it is in this case.

If you look at other cases you will find that often times the volume buttons ARE covered up by the case, and that for me seems like a design flaw.

The magnet on the front of the case works great. It is a little weak however, as others have pointed out, and could probably do with having an additional magnet on the other side to make it a little more secure.

Overall though it works well, and the ipad does turn off and come back to life when the cover is opened and closed.

I also like the fact that the case does not cover up the face of the ipad at all. And yet the back is properly covered up, so the principle flaw in the design of the Apple cover is addressed in a cover that costs 1/3rd of the price.

Overall, I am very happy with this purchase and would be happy to buy it again.

UPDATE - 28th July 2013 - I have knocked a star off to take this down to 4 stars. Overall, I am still very happy with it, and haven't noticed any problems with "peel away" that some others have spoken about.

The quality of the material and the basic design is good. My iPad mini is very well protected by this, but with no noticeable bulking up.

The case remains good to use. The stand feature continues to work fine, and overall it protects the ipad very well.

There is however one recent issue that has led me to decide to downgrade my review from 5 stars to 4.

This is that the magnet issue is a little more irritating than I at first appreciated.

If its just on your desk, or loose at home, there is no problem. But if you put the unit in a backpack, then because the magnet on the front cover is weak, the case does open up from time to time and turn the unit on, and also drain the battery.

You can work around it, because you can put the case in a separate compartment in your backpack etc, to stop anything from catching on it and pushing the front open. It really isn't the end of the world, especially given that the all-around protective arrangement in this cover is still vastly superior to the silly "front cover only for three times the price" Apple solution.

But it should be nevertheless be sorted out.

On the 3rd April 2013 (almost 4 months ago), a representative from Forefront Cases commented on this very review:

"Hello Stuart,

Thank you for taking the time to review our product. I agree that if you do manipulate the folds it does make the standing positions work more effectively. I will also pass on the feedback regarding the magnetic closure too see if this is something we can improve on for future products.

Once again thank you very much for taking the time to review the case.

Regards,
Nicola
Forefront Cases"

Four months have passed Nicola and the magnet is clearly an issue.

Has this been rectified?

Update 30th July 2013 - Nicola has been in touch and offered to send me the "new case design" which is now what is apparently being sent out when you buy this. It apparently has a stronger magnet and one or two other fixes to some of the issues folks say they were having.

Once it arrives and I have had a chance to have a play around with it, I will update this review as to my thoughts.

28th Aug 2013 - Haven't yet recieved the new case with the better case magnet. So will update when I do. I contacted Forefront a couple of times in the last few weeks, but the messages went unanswered. I subsequently spoke to Nicola at Forefront today (who replied in the comments to this review with a number to contact her - may have been removed by now) who said that the messages hadn't been recieved. She said it was something to do with the fact that Amazon fulfills this product for the company or something, and so they weren't getting the messages. Seems odd. But Nicola seemed straightforward enough, so if you have any issues try leaving a review if they don't responded to a contact through your account. It may be an Amazon contact issue. The case is apparently being sent today, so will advise as to any differences in design etc when I get it.

Update 2nd Sept 2013 - New case has arrived (read whole review for reasons). Wrong colour supplied. Purple, not red. As to the cover magnet, well, honestly I can't see any difference with the last case I was supplied with. The purple case weighs 105 grams as opposed to the old case which also weighed 105 grams. So it seems unlikely that an extra magnet has been added as it seems logical it would weigh more, not exactly the same. It also looks the same (though the internal felt material looks ever so slightly darker - But I think that's just the batch of cloth rather than a change of material). But overall I am not sure how it has been modified? Overall the case is still fine. I would be happy to buy it again. But it doesn't seem to me like the magnet issue has been fixed, (or in fact that anything has changed about the case from the first one I got) so the cover magnet may prove a source of annoyance. Accordingly, my review of 4 stars for a generally good cover, but with possible weak magnet issues remains. Accordingly, the below review and comments are still accurate and will remain as is.

25th Nov 2013 Update - Bought my Dad one of these in blue for his new Ipad Air. Can confirm that the case is a good fit on the bigger device, looks great and my Dad is very happy with it. For the price it is great and really makes the official Apple ones look like someone is pulling your leg by charging £67 for a case! For £12 this is a great buy.

I purchased this and the official apple mini ipad case which was £35. After using this product for a day i took the apple one back. This product is great value for money. For me, the best feature about the product is the back protector which the apple case is lacking. I don't know why anyone would pay much more for much less. It's incredibly lightweight and doesn't get in the way when the cover is folded behind and i'm using it with one hand. The material feels nice and the entire product feels high quality and well put together. Folding the stand is a bit stiff at first but once you've done it a couple of times, it works perfectly. My biggest worry was if it would fall over when the stand was in use and i was taping the screen. I've had this for about a week now and not once have me and my clumsy finger been able to knock this down accidentally. Finally, the ipad sits very nicely within the case and all the ports, buttons and camera are in no way obstructed.

This product is much better than expected and with Christmas coming up, this will be a perfect present for those expecting an ipad minis from santa!

Not a great product. Stand does not fold correctly so it keeps falling over. I suggest you look at a different product.

The case it self is good quality and covers the ipad but that's about all. It won't stand in any orientation unless propped against something else.

After just a month this case is still working like a case, I mean it closes and stays closed to protect the Mini, but the lid no longer keeps it upright when sitting on a table. The folds have become sufficiently loose and flexible that it just falls over.

I found this to be very flimsy and would not stand up as displayed in the product photograph, the only redeeming feature of this case is that it has a protective back to it. Have since opted for the Genuine Apple cover of the same design as while it does not have a protective back to it, it does at least work well as a stand.

Great case, whilst it lasted. Bought only 6 months ago, turned my ipad portrait and the ipad fell out of the case, one of the plastic holders on the corner had sheared across. Lucky this case is cheap!

Not recommended for heavy usage. Stand is weak. Concertina effect means the cover won't lie flat after using as stand.

The back cover is exactly what I was looking for. It doesn't add much size, and doesn't cover any of the front.
The front cover on the other hand has some issues.
1. The magnet is strong enough for the sleep/wake function, but isn't strong enough to keep the cover in place. It falls open very easily.
2. The "leather" on the hinge is either slightly too short, or too stiff. Whatever the cause, it means that the first segment of the cover doesn't lie flat. The Apple Smart Case has the same problem.
3. Using the cover to stand the iPad up isn't secure in any way. It's not using the magnets. It's really just resting on the folded segment. It's easy for this to move and the iPad to fall over.

The back cover protects ipad mini well but cannot get the case to fold to enable ipad mini to stand up so not great. Cheaper than the real thing, get what you of pay for I guess.