ZAGG recently introduced the Crystal Palace Folio and the Havana Folio for the iPad. I’ve had a chance to use both on my 12.9-inch iPad Pro and find them great folios for folks who (like me) don’t use the tablet as a laptop replacement/alternative (and, believe me, I’ve tried).
If you’re going to use your iPad in lieu of a Mac laptop, the best case is Apple’s pricey (US$299) Magic Keyboard. It remains the best combination of case and keyboard for using the tablet for productivity.
However, if, like me, you use your iPad mainly for reading ebooks, looking at photos, and watching videos, I recommend the ZAGG cases over Apple’s $79 Smart Folio. One is less expensive; both offer a bit more protection and are made of recyclable materials.
The US$69.99 transparent Crystal Palace case (pictured above) protects your iPad from drops up to 6.5 feet. It has an attached folio cover that can provide additional protection for your screen, or fold back into a stand.
Or you can protect and enhance your iPad with the $69.99 Havana folio case. Reinforced with D3O, Havana also protects your iPad from drops up to 6.5 feet.
Both have covers that fold back into stands that support your tablet at a convenient viewing angle for a variety of tasks such as watching videos, reading, or FaceTiming with family or friends. And both folios contains an antimicrobial agent with properties built in to protect your case by inhibiting the growth of odor-causing bacteria and guarding against degradation from microorganisms.
Both are made with D3O Bio and provide up to 6.5 feet (2 meters) of drop protection. According to the folks at ZAGG, D3O is a pliable, flexible material that hardens on impact, dissipating shock and protecting your device.
The company has reinforced both the Crystal Palace and the Havana with D3O in the areas that are most likely to take the impact of a drop—the top, bottom, and corners of the case. Despite this protectiveness, the cases (both of which weigh (0.85 pounds) don’t interfere with wireless or 5G connectivity.
The biggest difference in the two folios is that the Crystal Palace case is transparent and the Havana isn’t. The folks at ZAGG says the D3O Crystalex used in the folio won’t yellow over time and is resistant to dye transfer, so your case retains its beautiful transparent finish.
Another nice feature of the cases is that there’s a lot for holding an Apple Pencil while keeping it attached and charging. It’s interesting that ZAGG doesn’t mention this in any specs regarding the cases.
As I’ve said, if you’re going to be using your iPad in laptop-like scenarios, I’d recommend a case with a built-in keyboard. If you’re not, I highly recommend ZAGG’s new iPad folios.
Apple World Today rating (out of 5 stars): ★★★★★
