iPad Smart Cover

Now that was some seriously revolutionary stuff.

March 25th, 2011, marked the release of iPad 2, which was tremendously improved on its predecessor in every meaningful way. Among these improvements was the introduction of Smart Covers, which enabled the iPad to be put into sleep mode when the cover was closed and to wake up when the cover was opened.

Here's the part about Smart Covers in AnandTech review (opens in a new tab). A “really neat accessory” indeed!

Apple offered two types of Smart Covers: Polyurethane covers for $39.00, and for those seeking a touch of luxury, leather covers were available for a nice premium of $69.00. Both types were compatible with the iPad 2, “the new iPad”, and iPad 4.

Apple came up with these incredibly cool posters (opens in a new tab) to promote this accessory.

Original Line-up

iPad Smart Cover

Color	SKU	Tap for more:
Gray	MC939LL/A
Pink	MC941LL/A
Blue	MC942LL/A
Green	MC944LL/A
Orange	MC945LL/A

The first generation of Polyurethane Smart Covers had a grey interior that did not match the exterior colour.

iPad Leather Smart Cover

Color	SKU	Tap for more:
Black	MC947LL/A
Tan	MC948LL/A
Navy	MC949LL/A
Cream	MC952LL/A

Autumn Refresh

On October 24, 2011, Apple refreshed the Smart Cover line-up with new models and colours. The Orange polyurethane model was discontinued, and the Gray cover was replaced with two new shades of gray. The interior lining of Polyurethane models now matched the exterior colour. Here are the order numbers for the new covers:

iPad Smart Cover

Color	SKU	Tap for more:
Dark Gray	MD306LL/A
Light Gray	MD307LL/A
Pink	MD308LL/A
Green	MD309LL/A
Blue	MD310LL/A

iPad Leather Smart Cover

Color	SKU	Tap for more:
Black	MD301LL/A
Tan	MD302LL/A
Navy	MD303LL/A
Red	MD304LL/A
Cream	MD305LL/A

Smart Case for iPad

On June 11th, 2012, after WWDC, Apple quietly released the Smart Case for iPad. It's notable that before the date, there was no full-fledged case for 'the New iPad' and iPad 2; only the Cover, which looked pleasant, but offered little in terms of protection.

In the Wild

DankPods films all his videos using MD457 as a stand: https://www.youtube.com/@DankPods/videos (opens in a new tab)

A very detailed review of the Dark Grey model: https://the-gadgeteer.com/2012/06/14/apple-ipad-2new-ipad-smart-case-review/ (opens in a new tab)

Pricing / Availability

The iPad Smart Case was sold for $49 — just $10 more than Polyurethane Smart Cover, and $20 less than Leather Smart Cover.

By the year 2015, Apple continued to produce and sell the Dark Grey version, while other colour options had been phased out and were no longer available for purchase.

Compatibility

The Smart Case was compatible with iPad 2, iPad 3 'the new iPad', and iPad 4.

Part numbers

Color	SKU	Tap for more:
Dark Gray	MD454LL/A
Light Gray	MD455LL/A
Pink	MD456LL/A
Green	MD457LL/A
Blue	MD458LL/A
Red	MD579LL/A