Enki Genius Case: The Official Verdict.

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.



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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.

Broken iPad 2 and Enki Genius Case

In short, I experienced an issue that I'm not sure is common with the iPad 2, but rendered it useless, nonetheless. While giddily chuckling at a youtube video showcasing Jon Stewart against Bill O'Reilly, the loading halted. I tried to look up why on my iPad when I realized the wifi bars had disappeared and a "Safari cannot open this page because it is not connected to the internet" message popped up on my screen. I troubleshooted it via apple.com, my laptop and computer connected fine, and the conclusion was that my iPad stopped picking up IP's. I called Apple Support and they were very friendly; they directed me to the UPS store with a shipping label and a replacement is on its way. I've been without now for 4 days, but I HIGHLY anticipate the return of the iPad in my life. It has been my planner, my entertainment, my word processor, my news, my weather, my grocery list and more for near 2 months and my life without it is feeling embarrassingly empty.

Either way, some people may have had some concerns about protecting the rear of the iPad 2 with the smart cover. I, of course, am one of those people, and a slideshow of cases on the usually reliable cnet.com led me to Enki's website. They offered a great deal: 29.99 for a case compatible with the smart cover, screen protector and a sleeve. It seemed like a no-brainer on April 18th and all pre-orders were scheduled to ship on May 2.

Well, they didn't ship May 2. OR May 3, or 4, or even May 10. They delayed shipping on my case until May 12, pushing 10 days past their promised ship date, all the while assuring customers on their facebook page that shipping would begin promptly. Not only did they lose many customers in this process, but their customer service is apparently on vacation. Many buyers have complained that numerous failed attempts to contact Enki or receive feedback on their inquiries has left them with no choice but to redact their patronage. Most customers are still waiting on their case to ship, people are getting the wrong tracking numbers and the whole situation is a mess. Enki has removed their fans' ability to post on their facebook wall and I am still waiting on my case to get here.

Another complaint about Enki's service was that even after the delayed ship times, instead of the promised FedEx ground shipping, customer's orders were shipped with SmartPost, which is a collaboration of FedEx and USPS. It's very slow. There's also been some dispute with a camera-to-case alignment issue. Tsk, tsk, Enki!

Those who have their cases delivered reported that there is not only no hole cutout for the mic, but that the quality didn't warrant a 30 dollar price tag, even with the bonus pack. Ouch.

When the case is delivered and an iPad is back in my hand, I'll be posting a comprehensive review and video for my readers and those on Enki's page waiting for their case. I'm apprehensive and at this point wish I would have canceled my order.

Comments? Tips? Suggestions? Let me know below!