Apple Debuts New Smart Covers and Smart Cases for iPad Air 2, iPad Mini 3 - MacRumors
Skip to Content

Apple Debuts New Smart Covers and Smart Cases for iPad Air 2, iPad Mini 3

by

Apple has introduced new Smart Covers and Smart Cases designed to go along with the iPad Air 2 and the iPad mini 3 that it unveiled this morning.

Smart Covers are available in polyurethane, while the Smart Cases are available in aniline-dyed leather. Smart Covers for both the new Air and the new mini are available in Black, White, Pink, Yellow, Blue, Green, and (PRODUCT) RED. They are priced at $39.

smartcover
Leather Smart Cases for the iPad Air 2 and the Retina mini 3 are available in Black, Midnight Blue, Olive Brown, Soft Pink and (PRODUCT) RED. Smart Cases are priced at $79 for the iPad Air and $69 for the iPad mini.

smartcase
Leather Smart Cases for the iPad Air 2 can't be purchased online yet, but the Smart Cases for the mini and the Smart Covers for both products can be ordered and are available to ship in one to three days. In-store pickup options are listed as "Coming soon."

As with all versions of Apple's Smart Covers and Cases, these new products include sleep/wake functionality and serve as a stand for the tablets when folded back. While old iPad mini cases will fit the iPad mini 3, Smart Cases for the original iPad Air will not fit the new iPad Air due to its thinner profile. It is unclear if Smart Covers for existing iPad Air models will fit the new model, again due to its smaller size.

Top Rated Comments

Aluminum213 Avatar
149 months ago
Can't wait to put this on the ultra powerful A7 iPad mini 3!!!
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ColdShadow Avatar
149 months ago
The $100 price increase


And the junk camera is EXACTLY the same

There is no price increase for Mini 3.
iPad Mini 2 price is $100 reduced.

----------

What's the difference between the mini 2 and 3?

$100

Put it this way,Mini 2 is now $100 cheaper.
Or you were expecting the flagship mini model to be $100 cheaper than usual?

----------

Right be we aren't comparing prices from an year ago, that makes no sense

Today there is a $100 difference and the only change is Touch ID and a gold color
You don't seem to understand,the changes in iPad mini 3 no matter how small,have not caused any price increase at all,they are selling them the sane price they were selling the older version up until yesterday.
They have just reduced $100 from the price of the older version.
It's a simple thing to understand,yet you keep bringing the $100 difference.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
149 months ago
Wait... Other than the Touch ID and the camera.. What exactly is new and innovative about iPad Mini 3?

The camera is the same as the old model. Only the Touch ID is different. THAT's IT! :mad:
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
RamGuy Avatar
149 months ago
The camera is the same as the old model. Only the Touch ID is different. THAT's IT! :mad:

+ 2x2 MIMO antennas for 802.11n going from max 150 to 300 mbps.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
rneglia Avatar
149 months ago
Thanks Apple, you just saved me so much money!

I'll agree that the Mini 3s are not too impressive. But maybe that means you need to jump to the Air 2.

(I'll agree it is strange. Last year the two iPads were the same internals. This year, only the Air gets the new stuff.)
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jrswizzle Avatar
149 months ago
What's the difference between the mini 2 and 3?

$100

Correct - but the newest mini was $399 last year and it's $399 this year.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iOS 26

iOS 26.4 Adds Two New Features to CarPlay

Tuesday March 24, 2026 1:55 pm PDT by
iOS 26.4 was released today, and it includes a couple of new features for CarPlay: an Ambient Music widget and support for voice-based chatbot apps. To update your iPhone 11 or newer to iOS 26.4, open the Settings app and tap on General → Software Update. CarPlay will automatically offer the new features so long as the iPhone connected to your vehicle is running iOS 26.4 or later....
Apple Business hero

Apple Unveils 'Apple Business' All-in-One Platform

Tuesday March 24, 2026 8:53 am PDT by
Apple today announced Apple Business, a new all-in-one platform that unifies device management, productivity tools, and customer outreach features. The service is designed to be a consolidated replacement for several of Apple's existing business-focused offerings, including Apple Business Essentials, Apple Business Manager, and Apple Business Connect. It provides organizations with a single...
AirPods Pro Firmware Feature

Apple Releases New Firmware for AirPods Pro 3, AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4

Tuesday March 24, 2026 12:31 pm PDT by
Apple today released new firmware for the AirPods Pro 2, AirPods Pro 3, and the AirPods 4. The firmware has a version number of 8B39, up from 8B34 on the AirPods Pro 3, 8B28 on the AirPods Pro 2, and 8B21 on the AirPods 4. There is no word on what's included in the firmware, but Apple has a support document with limited notes. Most updates are limited to bug fixes and performance...