by Speck’s $50 PixelSkin HD Wrap for the third- and fourth-generation iPad is a hard shell case with an attached cover that rolls back and doubles as a stand. It certainly looks interesting, with a grid of tiny matte squares against an otherwise shiny cover. However, despite the slim design and seemingly intuitive functionality, there are problems with the case that you don’t notice until you get some hands-on time.
Like other offerings from Speck, the PixelSkin comes in a wide range of vibrant colors, including black if you prefer to keep things simple. The tiny squares diffuse the reflection from the otherwise shiny cover, but they didn’t offer any noticeable extra grip to the case. There are a couple things that I didn’t like about the case, so without further ado, let’s dig in.
The cover has a clasp to keep the PixelWrap closed, rather than the traditional magnets that keep the Apple Smart Cover in place. The clasp holds the cover down with a vengeance, which is both good and bad: It almost certainly won’t come open on accident, but you may have to pry a bit to open the cover. I showed this to some of my colleagues, who didn’t enjoy the firm grasp.
The PixelWrap encases your entire iPad front and back in flexible TPU, a type of polyurethane plastic. It has custom cutouts for all of the iPad’s ports, as well as press through button overlays for the volume and Sleep/Wake buttons. The case also forms a raised bezel around the touchscreen in an effort to help protect it in the event of an accidental face-down drop.
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