UPDATE: I have read a rumor that Enki will be shipping all existing customers a new case with a mic cutout! I woke up the other morning and walked out on my porch to find a little white box thrown onto its stoop. The packaging was slightly bent, flimsy, and unappealing. I knew what was in it and, with a sigh and a heavy heart, I brought it inside. Rumors were that there were not only extreme shipping delays but that the quality of the case was average at best, with sharp corners, cracks, and a missing opening for the mic. I watched in horror on their facebook page as customer after customer either canceled their order or seethed about their received product and the shipping times. I am a patron at heart and kept my order, despite advice against it. Now, I'm glad I did.
I probably shouldn't have opened it yet since my iPad wasn't back from Apple, but I couldn't resist, and was pleasantly surprised with what I unpacked.
The sleeve was OKAY... and the screen protector appeared low quality. I kept in mind that this was a BONUS pack with FREE stuff so, I'm not too worried about either of them.
The Enki Genius case has a smooth, milky texture. The poly-carbonate feels thick, durable, and high quality- much better than any other clear case I've owned. I think that the overall effort put into this case made it worth its weight in value.
Yesterday morning, my iPad 2 came back. I pulled out my case, my smart cover, and my syncing cable and got to work: (I tossed the screen protector! I'm shit at applying those things...)
I couldn't get any clear shots of the area so I didn't bother posting one, but there's no hole for the mic as reported. This has not affected sound quality on voice recording or facetime. The camera hole is aligned perfectly, and the edges were smooth and well molded. The only real problem I had was with installation as the corner didn't pop on like I expected, it took a little bit of finagling. It does add a bit of thickness and weight, but it's worth the sacrifice.
Overall, once the case was shipped, I felt it was money well spent. It's high quality, it fits, and dirt doesn't get inside the case like other cases reportedly have issues with. The case I bought for my iPad 2 before had a raised lip on the edges and obstructed the smart cover's magnetic range and created a platform for little grainy particles to get underneath the cover and leave scratches on the screen. Enki Genius case has no such "lip," which I love! It does what it's supposed to and tries its best not to be there.
Link here
The stitching on the sleeve is nice, durable and I love the sewn in splatter. The iPad 2 fits into the sleeve snugly with the case, and it's very well protected when tossing it into a bag or when carrying it around. It was a really nice bonus.
Here's what opening the box looked like... minus the box. There's an oversized business card with product info and Enki's slogan. The Genius Case and screen protector were packed inside the sleeve.
Some photos on Enki's website suggested the camera hole wasn't aligned properly, but this obviously isn't the case. It has an even radius around the lens.
Some customers reported flashing (where plastic seeps through a mold) and sharp corners. My case (pictured here) doesn't show either of these symptoms, the corners are smooth and well rounded.
From the top of the iPad 2, you can barely tell that the case is on.
The hinges for the smart cover align seamlessly with the case installed.
The case is flush if not slightly below the edge of the iPad 2 as to not obstruct the sleep-wake magnets for the smart cover.
There is some bulk added to the iPad with the case on, apx 2 mm. This doesn't affect functionality but is still noticeable when holding the iPad. Those concerned with the added bulk might consider a clear skin or decal.
The hinge cutout lies just below where the magnets autoalign to allow positioning of the smart cover in typing or landscape mode.
COMMENT AND SUBSCRIBE!!!!
ALSO: I am currently taking requests for other products. If there's something you'd like reviewed, leave a comment down below and your feedback is greatly appreciated.
I have no complaints with mine either.
ReplyDeleteGreat review and photos. Your case looks a lot more "finished" than mine does... unfortunately I will probably returning mine for a refund.
ReplyDeleteMine is being returned because of their poor customer service. I could never get a response, so I ordered a Speck Smartshell and am very pleased with it.
ReplyDeleteI looked into the speck smartshell, but I don't really like that opening on the back... Does it serve some function? I would love to do a comparison review, though, if you're happy with it! The Enki Genius Case is the only snap-on case I've tried.
ReplyDeleteI like that subtle book recommendation there. ;)
ReplyDeletethis blog design is ridiculous. Why force your viewers on regular computers to read a tall skinny column with a distracting, irrelevant train picture dominating the frame?
ReplyDeleteThanks for your feedback, anon. I am working on a new template now. In the mean time I'll move it to a default that might be easier for you. I found it to be easy to read on the iPad and on my laptop, but on my desktop it's like you said, a skinny column and a picture of a train. Before I made my banner I thought the train would aptly represent the growth in technological science by referencing the industrial revolution. I thought the symbol was a bit more aesthetically pleasing than a ton of stock photos of gadgets that we're all too used to seeing.
ReplyDeleteI love mine!
ReplyDeleteFirst, I have to hand it to Enki that they did send out a new case without my ever complaining, asking, or even noticing the lack of the mic slot. However, both the original one and the replacement had the same flaw on my device; they both cracked on one of the corners that held the case onto the iPad 2. My device is unmarred except for a minor ding on the bottom edge so either that ding is all it takes to put my device out of spec or the specifications for the Enki shell is just too tight.
ReplyDeleteHowever... I did purchase another, cheap knockoff with similar results. While the case is slightly different, it, too, cracked on three of the corners. I have not dropped the device so I am beginning to think that the drop which marred the device, though it hasn't any other impact, has made these shells less than a suitable solution for protecting my iPad 2.