Belkin Storage Folio Case / Cover with Stand for Apple iPad with Retina Display (4th Generation) & iPad 3 (Red)

I've been using Belkin products since at least the early 1990's. The company enjoys a reputation for producing practical, well-made, competently-designed products. The Storage Folio with Stand for the new iPad and iPad 2 is such a product. I have been using it with the new iPad (Spring 2012).The iPad is held securely in the case by four corner clips that are part of a frame built into the case. I can't envision any situation where the iPad could pop out of the case accidentally. The clips also add an additional layer of protection for the corners. One of the clips pushed up on the screen protector I am using; I had to use a fingernail to get the protector to slip under the edge of the clip. It has stayed under the clip since.This case supports the Smart Cover Sleep/Wake feature on the new iPad. There is an elastic strap that can be used to keep the cover tightly closed so that the iPad does not wake inadvertently as you carry it around.The cover folds in a way that lets you stand the iPad up in landscape mode or lay it down at a convenient angle for typing. I found that you can also stand the case in portrait mode by pulling the opened cover up about 3/4 of an inch in the small flap that holds it in to open position.My only minor concern about this case is with the storage pocket. The pocket itself is a convenient size and shape and does expand to hold items like your power supply. The hook and loop closures, however, seem weak to me. You have to press on them with your thumbs to get a good grip. It seems to me that in a noisy, crowded, distracting environment (the subway, for example), the flap could open by accident and allow the contents to spill without being noticed. You can mitigate this possibility by leaving the elastic strap in place over the pocket flap instead of flipping it around to keep the case itself closed. This is not an issue if you typically travel with your iPad inside a larger bag or case or just get in the habit of carrying it with the flap side down, so that the flap is always under your thumb or palm when you're moving around in a crowded location.The Storage Folio with Stand for the new iPad and iPad 2 is or will also be available in red/black and magenta/blue.Around the house, I use the Griffin FlexGrip case on my iPad. The Belkin Storage Folio with Stand will now be the case I employ whenever I take my new iPad elsewhere, replacing a couple of sleeve-type cases I've had since the original iPad.

I don't like covers, I really don't. It's the same for everything, seat covers in the car and covers for my phone, I think that the designers did a good job making the device so putting a cover on it will inevitably make it worse. That was why I was very excited when apple announced the smart cover. I thought "Finally, the company that made the device, also makes the cover, this can't fail!"... I was wrong.The apple smart cover is simply uncomfortable (though very pretty), and I had to get rid of it. But I understand that when you come to buy a cover, that is the touchstone, that is what you want to compare to so in this review, I will actually do a comparison (If you like this format, please mark the review as helpful):Color selection and general aesthetics:This is an obvious win for apple, so if you are just about aesthetics (unfortunately a lot of apple users are these days) you should go with the smart cover, it's thinner, feels better and looks way better.Functionality:Here they are pretty equal - both have the ability to work as a stand, a magnet that turns of the screen on close and they both protect the font. The main advantage here is Belkin's who have a back cover (and a front cover) which is slightly padded so it protects from scratches and small blows. one note here, when the back cover is covered by the front cover, it blocks the front camera, which is annoying.Price:The Belkin product is $10 cheaper than the apple equivalent, so it's a definite winner in this categoryNotes:this works with the new iPad as well.Conclusion:4 stars, because of the camera blocking issue and the general bulkiness of it. Otherwise excellent and very comfortable!Recommended!

Initially this case was a serious disappointment, but after using for a month it grew on me. I'll start with the negatives that you may experience with it.First if you want to use the case in upright landscape mode (useful if you rest it on a countertop to watch a video), the base of the case is somewhat flimsy. If you're not careful, your iPad will fall over on its own in this position. I can now get it fairly stable by flattening the base on gently pushing the iPad down a little.Second, this case while light does still some weight and bulk to the iPad. I'm using the new iPad 4g version, which is not exactly light on its own. I found that if I'm using the iPad for awhile, and not using the case as a stand, I prefer it outside of the case. Particularly while reading, I find the extra width of the folding the cover back to be slightly annoying.Third, the smart cover effect of automatically locking and unlocking the iPad is a little flaky. I don't know how this compares to the smart cover by Apple, but on here sometimes I can notice that the magnet doesn't quite trigger a locking of the screen. Also, occasionally when opening the cover the screen does not always come on right away. Also, possibly related to this is a strange degradation of the felt like material on the front flap in one spot. It happened within the first week of using the case. It would leave particles on the screen that needed to be wiped away. Now it seems degraded enough that nothing more comes off it Have no idea how it happened, just a theory that it could be related to the magnet? See the user photos if you want to see what it looks like.However despite the negatives, the case is overall good. The fabric on the outside feels nice. It is easy to hold and feels moderately protective. The iPad is secure in the tabs holding it, but it is also easy to take out if you want to. Also the fact the the smart cover magnet is there was a surprise that I was not expecting.Eventually I may want to upgrade to a sturdier case, but for now it does the job once you get past the quirks.