After returning an other iPad Pro M4 launch case (which I won’t name) I ordered this one off of Amazon in hopes it wouldn’t be trash.
Let’s see about that!
I chose blue but it also comes in boring black too. The core case is made of a softer plastic (maybe TPU?). It has a raised lip that protects the screen a bit, which is nice. The inside has a soft feel. It’s not fabric but somehow feels like softer texture than the rest of the case. Much nicer than rigid plastic on other cases that won’t be named.
Putting the iPad Pro 11” inside the core case, I immediately noticed a very snug fit.
All holes and cutouts are aligned perfectly.
The core case does add some weight but not enough to complain about. Now the core or main case magnetically attaches to the the folio. The magnets are strong! Once attached, weight becomes MUCH more noticeable. Similar to my Zugu case with 2018 12.9” iPad Pro. That’s definitely something to complain about for some of you. The saving grace about this beefcake folio is two fold (no pun intended).
1) The Folio can be left behind and your iPad would still be protected by the main case. You can use the folio as a home base of sorts and dock it at your desk / bedside when needed. Put a screen protector on that sucker and you’re still better off than Apples own folio (protection wise).
2) The Folio part is fricken great.
Yup, fricken great.
You see those six grooves? The bottom flap uses magnets that fit inside and don't budge unless you force it to.
Once you get to the 4th 5th and 6th groove, the case becomes a bit wobbly which would be an other unfortunate CON if the second flap on top didn't exist!
Second flap? Brilliant bit of engineering. Once you deploy that, it's back to being completely sturdy. No wobbles!
Tested the case in bed and unsurprisingly it worked perfectly.
I was at the Apple Store testing out their folio on my lap and even now that it's redesigned to be more stable, it still isn't sturdy enough to inspire confidence on my lap (in the upright position) let alone laying down. I digress but the ESR case is ideal in this regard.
One last thing on viewing options.
Detach the main case from the folio and move it up a few inches until it magnetically snaps back in again. That's right, your ipad pro's case lifts, bro!
Looking at ESR's info, (or reading that silly comment I just typed) I wouldn't blame you for passing this feature off as gimmicky. It's totally not though and actually really useful. Raising the iPad those few inches gives a better viewing angle on a desk, counter etc.. The best part is it's still sturdy to the point that I'm comfortable using it this way in bed.
And it's way more comfortable this way because my head doesn't have to be propped up with my neck bent as much!
Now that I'm done gushing about the folio, there are a couple more things worth mentioning.
The sides of the folio can feel a bit sharp while handling. Not sure if it’s a good idea to file them down myself but it would be great if these edges were rounded off.
When you fold the flap from the folio closed to protect your iPad's screen, a magnet tells the ipad to go to sleep. Unfortunately, this magnet does not keep the flap closed for some reason. If you let gravity have its way and flip the case over, the cover will fling open. I think this is an oversight and something ESR should definitely fix.
So yea, I think that's all I have to say for now. Honestly, this launch has been a bit of a 💩 show with cases. Among the ones available, this ESR Shift series is the star of the show by a wide margin. Is it perfect? No. The folio part is really heavy, but I'll take that tradeoff for the sturdiness and features it has. Additionally this is hands down better than my old Zugu case which surprised me.
Thanks for watching, don't forget to like, sub... oh wait, that's not what we do here... 🤣
Chibs
Let’s see about that!
I chose blue but it also comes in boring black too. The core case is made of a softer plastic (maybe TPU?). It has a raised lip that protects the screen a bit, which is nice. The inside has a soft feel. It’s not fabric but somehow feels like softer texture than the rest of the case. Much nicer than rigid plastic on other cases that won’t be named.
Putting the iPad Pro 11” inside the core case, I immediately noticed a very snug fit.
All holes and cutouts are aligned perfectly.
The core case does add some weight but not enough to complain about. Now the core or main case magnetically attaches to the the folio. The magnets are strong! Once attached, weight becomes MUCH more noticeable. Similar to my Zugu case with 2018 12.9” iPad Pro. That’s definitely something to complain about for some of you. The saving grace about this beefcake folio is two fold (no pun intended).
1) The Folio can be left behind and your iPad would still be protected by the main case. You can use the folio as a home base of sorts and dock it at your desk / bedside when needed. Put a screen protector on that sucker and you’re still better off than Apples own folio (protection wise).
2) The Folio part is fricken great.
Yup, fricken great.
You see those six grooves? The bottom flap uses magnets that fit inside and don't budge unless you force it to.
Once you get to the 4th 5th and 6th groove, the case becomes a bit wobbly which would be an other unfortunate CON if the second flap on top didn't exist!
Second flap? Brilliant bit of engineering. Once you deploy that, it's back to being completely sturdy. No wobbles!
Tested the case in bed and unsurprisingly it worked perfectly.
I was at the Apple Store testing out their folio on my lap and even now that it's redesigned to be more stable, it still isn't sturdy enough to inspire confidence on my lap (in the upright position) let alone laying down. I digress but the ESR case is ideal in this regard.
One last thing on viewing options.
Detach the main case from the folio and move it up a few inches until it magnetically snaps back in again. That's right, your ipad pro's case lifts, bro!
Looking at ESR's info, (or reading that silly comment I just typed) I wouldn't blame you for passing this feature off as gimmicky. It's totally not though and actually really useful. Raising the iPad those few inches gives a better viewing angle on a desk, counter etc.. The best part is it's still sturdy to the point that I'm comfortable using it this way in bed.
And it's way more comfortable this way because my head doesn't have to be propped up with my neck bent as much!
Now that I'm done gushing about the folio, there are a couple more things worth mentioning.
The sides of the folio can feel a bit sharp while handling. Not sure if it’s a good idea to file them down myself but it would be great if these edges were rounded off.
When you fold the flap from the folio closed to protect your iPad's screen, a magnet tells the ipad to go to sleep. Unfortunately, this magnet does not keep the flap closed for some reason. If you let gravity have its way and flip the case over, the cover will fling open. I think this is an oversight and something ESR should definitely fix.
So yea, I think that's all I have to say for now. Honestly, this launch has been a bit of a 💩 show with cases. Among the ones available, this ESR Shift series is the star of the show by a wide margin. Is it perfect? No. The folio part is really heavy, but I'll take that tradeoff for the sturdiness and features it has. Additionally this is hands down better than my old Zugu case which surprised me.
Thanks for watching, don't forget to like, sub... oh wait, that's not what we do here... 🤣
Chibs
Attachments
Last edited: