Apple announced the iPad mini Smart Folio today, bringing its TechWoven fabric to an iPad cover for the first time and replacing the previous longtime polyurethane design.
With no polyurethane alternative announced, the new iPad mini appears set to become the first iPad since the original 2010 model to launch without an Apple polyurethane cover option. Apple first introduced polyurethane with the iPad 2 Smart Cover in 2011 and continued using it across subsequent Smart Covers and Smart Folios until now.
Design and materials of the iPad mini Smart Folio
The new Smart Folio uses a woven fabric Apple calls TechWoven and is offered in Navy Blue and Taupe to complement the iPad mini’s Midnight and Starlight finishes. Apple has also redesigned the cover with a two-panel construction that attaches magnetically to the iPad mini and provides an adjustable range of viewing angles. Apple says the new construction offers a greater range of motion and new viewing angles for enhanced versatility.
Price and availability
The TechWoven Smart Folio is priced at $79 in the U.S., a $20 increase over the previous-generation Smart Folio. Pre-orders begin Wednesday, October 28, alongside the new iPad mini, and availability starts Friday, November 6.
