If you’re lucky enough to own an iPad 2, you’ll want to invest some money into protecting the screen, back and sides, to ensure complete protection. Apple’s Smart Cover is a brilliant little cover, but it lacks protection for the back. So what can you do? Buy a back case for your iPad, like the Belkin Snap Shield. The Belkin Snap Shield will run you $29.99 (Directly from BELKIN) and is available at most electronics retailers, but is this case worth it’s price?
The Snap Shield is constructed out of a soft touch plastic and comes in various colors, Black, Pink and Clear. As for build quality, this thing isn’t the best. We’ve only had ours for about two weeks and there are cracks along the sides and a myriad of hairline cracks. Keep in mind, we haven’t thrown the iPad around with this case, just merely placing it on tables is enough to crack this case. Durability is the most important factor in an iPad case, and the Belkin Snap Shield simply doesn’t live up to the standard.
Protection wise, the Snap Shield does it’s job. It’s entire purpose is to protect the back of the iPad from scratches, dirt and other nasties that can damage the façade of your iPad, and it does that extremely well. Saying this however, don’t go dropping your iPad with the Snap Shield on, as you won’t be pleased with the results. Belkin claims that the case is impact resistant, but we wouldn’t recommend that you test it out.
As far as compatibility with the Smart Cover, the Belkin Snap Shield works like a dream. There are generous cutouts for the volume rockers, buttons and ports, unlike some cases which make switching the volume impossible. Also, it’s worth noting that the cutout for the smart cover magnet is absolutely perfect, it is so precise. Belkin certainly gains points for the smart cover compatibility.
All in all, the Belkin Snap Shield for the iPad 2 is a good case. It does what it is designed to do. It works flawlessly with Apple’s Smart Cover, giving the protection that the Smart Cover lacks. Saying this, however, it’s cheaply constructed plastic body that shows hairline cracks after mere days of light use let’s the product down. Alas, for this reason, we wouldn’t recommend the Belkin Snap Shield.
Star Rating: 2.9/5
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About the author
Nathan's an Associate Editor here at TheAppleFreak.com. He's primarily into App Reviews and News but you'll see him show off some cool gadget reviews here and there too. After catching the Apple bug in the early days of iPods and iPhones, Nathan has continued to follow the company's roaring success from his home in Melbourne, Australia. His fascination with technology is founded in his belief that advancements in essential fields such as medicine and science are more easily obtained with powerful, high-tech gadgetry. In addition to his keen eye for the cutting edge, Nathan enjoys photography, and is particularly proud of his Pentax K100D DSLR camera. In addition to his Pentax, Nathan also loves his MacBook Pro and is looking to get an iPad 2.
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