iPad cases have become a whole product category of their own since the first iPad in 2010, and thousands have been made, from the upmarket and stylish to the purely silly or even the downright horrible. With all this diversity it can be tough to know which one to pick, and with Apple’s Smart Cover also in the mix, you might not know exactly what you want. However The Joy Factory’s Joyful Wish (left) and Connect-the-Dots (right) cases combine the Smart Cover functionality with a complete case, giving your iPad front and back protection as well as a cool designer look. Let’s see how they perform.
Joyful Wish
The first thing you notice about the Joyful Wish case is the stunning design on the front. It’s especially powerful with the black model, even though it is available in different colors (soft pink and soft grey). The contrast is really powerful, and according to Joy Factory, the lines are designed to ‘evoke the childhood memory of wishing on a star, bringing the joy of yesterday to your everyday’. While my description probably wouldn’t be that elaborate, it’s definitely an awesome design!
The case features all the standard holes for volume, camera, dock connector and even speaker, just like the Connect-the-Dots case also does. You can feel that it’s a really well designed and built case. The back is rigid, so in the event of you dropping your iPad you’ll get some protection. However, this will not protect your iPad as well as some other cases do. This fits into the designer case category, not the protection case, so don’t expect miracles.
Last but not least, the Smart Cover functionality. The sleep wake works perfectly, and it also serves as a great stand for typing or propping your iPad up, just like the Smart Cover. Cover wise, there is a slight difference between the Connect- the-Dots and the Joyful Wish in that the latter has slightly (seemingly) cheaper leather, but they still work exactly the same it’s just the feel that’s different.
So for design and looks it’s great but I have a slight problem with some of the functionality. It’s incredibly hard to get it out of the case once you’ve got it out, and you require strong fingers to do so. For most this won’t be a problem as they won’t change case often, but if you have a different case for every day of the week, I wouldn’t recommend this one. However apart from that, everything is perfect.
Connect-the-Dots
The only difference between both cases is the cover design and texture. It’s really down to personal preference which design you prefer. I for one like the texture of the Connect-the-Dots design as it uses two different layers of leather to create the effect.
The leather used in both cases also seems to be different. I don’t want this to sound like a criticism, but the Connect-the-Dots case feels more authentic, compared to the Joyful Wish which has a more synthetic feel. I might be wrong, but I prefer the former. Again though, it’s down to interpretation and what you like best.
Verdict
Overall, these cases are faultless a part from the fact it’s a nightmare to get your iPad out of them once it’s clipped on. However in the likely circumstances that you’re not going to be switching your iPad case often, it’s something that’s pretty minor.
You can feel that they are really well made and a lot of time and effort has been put into them. Last thing I want to mention is the packaging. I’m a sucker for good packaging, and these come in their own waterproof bags with a mousemat, so you can’t ask for much more. Completely awesome!
Rating: 4.5/5
Price: $69.95 each (Joyful Wish link, Connect-the-Dots link)
Pros:
- Top notch build quality, faultless in that regard.
- Sleep/Wake functionality works great.
- Can become useful iPad stand, just like Smart Cover.
- Great packaging (free waterproof bag and mousemat included!)
Cons:
- Very difficult to get iPad out of the case. You need strong fingers!
