New iPads don’t play well with Apple’s Smart Covers

So you’ve just bought yourself a new iPad, and you may have gotten your hands on Apple’s Smart Cover for the iPad because according to Apple, the Smart Covers initially designed for the iPad 2 should have no problems with the third-generation iPad, but apparently that is not the case. There have been several complaints in the Apple support forums that are filled with users claiming that the Smart Covers are not compatible with the latest iPad, although it should be noted that not all new iPad owners are currently facing this issue.

For those unfamiliar with the role and function of the Smart Cover, it basically provides protection for your iPad’s display while at the same time functioning as a sleep/wake tool thanks to the magnetic elements built into the cover. According to reports, it seems that some new iPad owners are claiming that the sleep/wake functions do not work when paired with the Apple Smart Cover, and based on observations by Mark Booth, it would appear that this is due to the new iPad having its magnet polarity switched.

Apparently the reason behind the polarity switch is because iPad 2 owners who used the Smart Cover (and third party covers) who flipped the cover all the way to the back accidentally turned off their iPad’s screen due to the magnets not reading correctly and this was solved by reversing the polarity, which we guess has lead to this new problem. As a owner of the new iPad I can attest to this issue, and it seems that if you take it back to the Apple Store, they will be able to replace the Smart Cover free of charge. We’re not sure about third-party covers though, but in the mean time, any new iPad owners facing similar issues described above?

Tyler Lee
Categories: Apple, Tablets
Tags: iPad, smart cover