The tablet proliferation continues! The amount of households that own at least one tablet increases every day, so the amount of choices we have on which tablet to own and how to protect also increase. This is a great thing. The iPad Mini is one of the most popular tablets in the market today, so there are quite a few cases available for it. Owning a Galaxy Note 2 myself, I like the “book” style cases out there. They lend a professional look to your technology(they don’t have to know I’m opening it up to play Tekken Card Tournament). With that in mind, I got the chance to review the Incipio iPad Mini Lexington Hard Folio. How does it measure up?
First Sip
The Lexington is a very light weight Folio case. The mix of colors give it a sophisticated look(you can choose between all black, charcoal/light gray, and red/light gray). The part of the case that holds the iPad Mini is nice and solid, made out of Incipio’s Plextonium. The actual cover is of a softer material, smooth but not slippery. It is very easy to pick up and feels nice in your hand. The inside of the case has a microsuede lining, giving it a nice, “book” like look. The back of the case has a tab and loop closure for security, and built-in magnets for automatic wake/sleep, a great touch. The front of the case and the loop in the back have Incipio’s logo etched in, but it’s very subtle. I’ve never been a fan of over-exposed branding. If you’re case is good, people will ask, then people will know. Just like with the Incipio iPhone 5 case I reviewed earlier, the Lexington had a lot of people asking me for details. One over-eager person even dropped the unit, at about 6 feet above the grounds’ hard wood flooring. The Lexington took it like a champ and didn’t have a scratch.
Two Shots In
One of the main draws of the Lexington is that it has multiple viewing angles available while you use it. You can use it on its’ “View” mode, or its’ “Type” mode. Each one is well-named, as they are both more adept at the task they are named after. I tend to use View mode to play games, watch movies, but also surf the net and read books. The Type mode has an angle designed to be easier to look at while you type, while also increasing privacy. I tried it out and it was good, but I found myself going back to the View mode for almost everything. There was rarely a time that I would just type and not have to look at something else, so the View mode became that much more convenient. I carried the Lexington inside hoodie pockets, backpacks, and many a bag, and so far it has only one scratch. The back piece, like the cover, seems a bit more susceptible to damage, and I’m sure it happened one time after it traveled in my bag with some keys and coins. It doesn’t add much depth to the iPad Mini for the functionality that it provides. It was still easy and manageable.
Last Call
For $34.99 retail, the Lexington is a fantastic value for a case. There are some cases for smartphones that cost that much, but in this case we have a tablet case at a great price. The only wish I had is for the Type mode to be angled just a little higher. At the moment, it’s too low to be comfortable and convenient in many situations. Other than that, the Lexington is a fine companion to your iPad Mini, and will keep it protected and looking nice when you’re out and about. Who wants to just pull an iPad Mini out of the bag, when you can pull out a sophisticated, stylish work piece? That’s what I thought. So you can play Battle Cats like a boss 🙂