Third party warranty company SquareTrade has published a video drop test of the iPad 2 with and without an Apple Smart Cover to see how well the device can survive a drop onto cement. The company did side by side drops of the iPad 2 from waist height and from shoulder height, and in both cases the iPad 2 with a Smart Cover suffered markedly less damage.
There are some caveats that we’ll note. The tests were done with the devices falling flat, face down. This isn’t likely to mirror most real-world falls, but it does still demonstrate the importance of a case in protecting your iPad.
We would have liked to see an iPad dropped on its side or corner, but the reality is that you’re likely to need something dedicated to the task of protecting your tablet for those kinds of drops. For instance, during Macworld 2011, we saw the iBallz protector repeatedly protect an iPad that was dropped in a variety of ways onto the sidewalks outside the Moscone Center. If you’re planning on dropping your iPad a lot, consider something like that, rather than a Smart Cover.
Be that as it may, that’s not the purpose of SquareTrade’s video drop text. The firm was out to show what kind of damage an iPad can take when dropped with and without a Smart Cover, and to that end it’s quite informative.
WARNING: The squeamish may not want to watch this video.
SquareTrade iPad 2 Drop Test